Maven Trading Pricing 2026: All Account Fees from $13

Maven Trading sits at the very low end of the prop firm price spectrum in 2026. The $13 entry on a $2K 3-Step is the cheapest evaluation tracked across 60-plus firms on PTV, and the full pricing matrix runs up through $440 for the $100K 2-Step. This article documents every challenge type, every size, the platform premiums, refund rules, and how Maven's pricing maps against FTMO, FundingPips, and the broader forex prop segment.

Pricing matrix: every account, every size

Maven offers five challenge types across six account sizes. The matrix below is the MT5 and Match Trader pricing as of April 2026. Selecting cTrader at checkout roughly doubles the fee on any line item.

What the columns tell you

Three patterns are visible in the matrix. First, the 3-Step is the cheapest entry at every size below $100K, where the 2-Step's $440 exceeds the 3-Step's $299. Second, the Mini caps at $20K, so traders wanting a larger evaluation cannot use Mini pricing. Third, 1-Step and Instant share identical pricing because they are structurally similar products differentiated by phase length rather than fee.

The cTrader premium

Maven Trading supports MT5, Match Trader, and cTrader. The first two share the same fee. Selecting cTrader at checkout roughly doubles the fee on every account type and size. A 1-Step $50K that costs $170 on MT5 costs approximately $340 on cTrader.

The premium is structural, not punitive. cTrader's licensing and infrastructure costs are higher than MT5's, and Maven passes that through. Traders who prefer cTrader for its API, depth-of-market visualization, or copy-trading features should budget for the premium. Traders indifferent to platform should default to MT5 or Match Trader for the cost savings.

Why the choice is locked at checkout

Platform selection is made at purchase and cannot be changed afterward. A $200 1-Step $50K on MT5 cannot be ported to cTrader without rebuying. The decision matters more than traders sometimes realize at purchase, particularly for traders who run multiple accounts and want consistent execution across them.

Fee refund mechanics

Maven refunds the evaluation fee under specific conditions. The refund is part of why total cost of operation is often lower than the headline fee suggests.

The Mini refund mechanic is structurally favorable. A trader who passes a $2K Mini at $13 and clears one withdrawal recovers the fee in full. The 3-withdrawal threshold on other challenge types stretches the recovery timeline but is well within reach for consistent traders.

Profit split and payout caps

Maven pays an 80% profit split across all five account types. The rate is flat. It does not increase based on account size, payout history, or progression to higher tiers. The maximum payout per 30-day rolling cycle is $10,000 per funded account.

What the $10K cap means in practice

On a $100K funded account, $10,000 represents 10% of starting balance, which is a high monthly bar. Traders running consistent 2-3% monthly returns will not hit the cap. Aggressive traders printing 8-12% months will hit the cap and need to run multiple funded accounts in parallel to deploy capital effectively. The cap is per account, not per trader, so scaling through multiple accounts is the standard high-volume pattern.

Scaling beyond $100K

Maven supports funded capital up to $1,000,000 via its scaling plan. The scaling path starts from funded accounts and increases allocation based on performance. The $10K monthly cap applies per account, so scaling typically means running multiple funded accounts rather than expanding a single one above the cap.

Commission structure

Maven charges commission per lot per side on FX, metals, and energy. Indices, crypto, and commodities are commission-free. Swap fees are zero across all instruments and account types in both evaluation and funded phases.

The buyback feature

Maven's buyback lets a trader restore a breached account to its pre-violation state instead of re-purchasing the full challenge. Buyback prices range from $200 to $6,000 depending on account size and type. Not all breach types qualify; verify eligibility with Maven's support before relying on it.

When buyback makes sense

Buyback is rational when the buyback price is meaningfully lower than the replacement challenge fee AND the breach happened close to the profit target. A $200 buyback on a $20K 1-Step that was 1 percentage point from passing recovers the work already done. The same buyback on a fresh account a day after purchase is usually worse than rebuying.

When buyback is the wrong call

Buyback on a deeply breached account with no progress made is throwing good money after bad. The discipline question is whether the breach happened from execution error (buyback rational) or from strategy mismatch (rebuy and revisit strategy).

How Maven Trading pricing compares to peers

Maven's pricing is meaningfully lower than the established forex prop firms. The table below maps the $10K and $100K entries across major peers.

Where the $13 entry sits

The $13 entry on a $2K 3-Step or Mini is the lowest tracked across 60-plus firms. The closest comparison is The5ers' early-stage micro accounts, which start higher. For traders wanting to test Maven's mechanics without committing capital, the $13 entry is functionally a trial run.

The 2-Step $100K premium

At $440, the Maven 2-Step $100K is the most expensive entry in the matrix. It is still meaningfully cheaper than FTMO's $540 equivalent, but the 3-Step at the same size ($299) is the better value if the trader is willing to absorb the additional evaluation phase. The cost differential is real money on a per-attempt basis.

Common pricing mistakes

• Buying cTrader pricing without realizing the platform fee premium roughly doubles the cost.
• Defaulting to 2-Step because it is familiar from FTMO when the 3-Step is cheaper at the same size.
• Overlooking the Mini refund mechanic (1st withdrawal vs 3rd) which significantly improves total cost on small accounts.
• Sizing up to $100K for prestige when a $20K is mathematically equivalent at proportional risk.
• Assuming the buyback is always cheaper than rebuying when the math depends on progress made before breach.

Calculator: total cost of operation

The headline fee is the entry cost, but the real number is total cost after refund. For a $50K 1-Step at $170 on MT5: assume the trader passes on first attempt and reaches 3 withdrawals over 4-6 months. Total fee paid: $170. Refund at 3rd withdrawal: $170. Net cost of operation: $0, plus 20% retained by Maven on each payout.

For the same trader on a $50K cTrader 1-Step at $340: total fee paid $340, refund $340, net cost $0 after 3rd withdrawal. The cTrader premium becomes irrelevant if the trader survives long enough to claim the refund. The breakeven question is whether the trader expects to reach 3 withdrawals.

Payout calculator: weekly and monthly views

The headline 80% split is easy to mentally model on individual trades but harder on cycle-level outcomes. The table below walks through three typical funded scenarios at the $10K monthly cap.

Cycle 3 in the table above represents the refund trigger on most challenge types. The headline fee of $170 returns to the trader at the third withdrawal, which makes the effective tuition cost zero for traders who survive long enough to claim it. Traders who fail the challenge before cycle 3 pay the headline fee without recovery.

Choosing between 1-Step, 2-Step, and 3-Step

1-Step

Single evaluation phase, fastest path to funded. Best for traders confident in their strategy who do not want to absorb the time cost of multiple phases. Identical pricing to Instant. The trade-off is the single-phase rule structure that some traders find tighter than the 2-Step's split structure.

2-Step

Two-phase evaluation, familiar from FTMO. Best for traders who prefer the more spread-out structure that lets Phase 1 absorb aggression and Phase 2 demand conservatism. Most expensive at $100K ($440 vs 3-Step's $299 and 1-Step's $380).

3-Step

Three-phase evaluation, cheapest entry across the matrix below $100K. Adds an additional phase relative to 2-Step but the smaller per-phase targets are more achievable on conservative sizing. Best for budget-conscious traders willing to absorb longer total timeline for lower fee.

Instant

No evaluation, immediate funded access. Identical pricing to 1-Step. Best for traders with proven strategies who do not want any evaluation phase. The trade-off is typically stricter ongoing risk rules to compensate for the absence of the evaluation filter.

Mini

Smallest account sizes ($2K-$20K), faster refund mechanic (1st withdrawal vs 3rd). Best for traders testing Maven's mechanics without committing larger capital. Caps at $20K, so traders wanting larger accounts must use one of the other four challenge types.

Common pricing pitfalls

• Selecting cTrader at checkout without realizing the fee premium roughly doubles the cost.
• Defaulting to 2-Step because it is familiar from FTMO when 3-Step is materially cheaper at the same size.
• Overlooking the Mini's 1st-withdrawal refund mechanic, which significantly improves total cost on small accounts.
• Sizing up to $100K for prestige when a $20K is mathematically equivalent at proportional risk.
• Assuming the buyback is always cheaper than rebuying when the math depends entirely on progress made before breach.
• Treating the headline fee as the operating cost when the 3rd-withdrawal refund makes effective cost zero for surviving traders.

Maven vs FundingPips, vs FTMO pricing detail

The full peer comparison requires looking at refund mechanics alongside headline fees. Maven's refund-on-3rd-withdrawal is unusual; FTMO does not refund on most products, and FundingPips' refund mechanics vary by plan.

Maven's pricing position is 30-70% below peer firms at equivalent sizes, and the refund mechanic improves effective cost further. This is the firm's primary competitive differentiation in 2026. Whether the cheaper entry produces a better outcome depends on rule mechanics and operational reliability, not just on the headline price.

Scaling beyond $100K via parallel accounts

Maven's $10K monthly payout cap applies per funded account. Traders printing 8-12% monthly returns hit the cap on a single $100K account and need parallel accounts to deploy capital effectively. The scaling plan supports up to $1,000,000 of total funded capital across multiple accounts.

Running 10 parallel $100K accounts at the cap produces $100K monthly payouts before fees and after the 20% retention. This is structurally similar to the multi-account model at firms like Apex Trader Funding, which allow up to 10 parallel accounts as a standard scaling pattern. The cost is the operational overhead of managing 10 separate accounts and the discipline of treating each as an independent strategy.

Final price guide

1. Define account size based on per-trade sizing math, not on prestige.
2. Pick challenge type based on time-vs-fee tradeoff (3-Step cheaper, 1-Step faster).
3. Select MT5 or Match Trader unless you specifically need cTrader features.
4. Use the buyback only when the breach happened close to passing.
5. Plan to survive long enough to claim the 3rd-withdrawal refund.
6. Scale via parallel accounts rather than larger single accounts to manage the $10K monthly cap.

Refund timeline detail: when the $170 comes back

The 3rd-withdrawal refund mechanic deserves more detail than the headline summary. The refund is auto-applied at the third withdrawal request, not at the third payout cycle. A trader who requests two withdrawals in cycle 1 and one in cycle 2 hits the refund trigger at the third request. The refund is paid in the same currency and method as the regular payout.

Strategy implications of the $10K monthly cap

The $10K per-30-day rolling cap on a $100K account represents a 10% monthly ceiling. The cap interacts with strategy selection in several ways.

• High-win-rate scalping strategies hit the cap quickly and waste payout-eligible profit beyond the cap.
• Swing strategies that average 5-7% monthly returns do not hit the cap and run cleanly inside the structure.
• Multi-account strategies bypass the cap by distributing capital across parallel funded accounts.
• Volatility-harvesting strategies that produce occasional 15-20% months are constrained by the cap.
• Defensive strategies that average 2-3% monthly leave the cap underutilized.

Currency conversion mechanics

Maven Trading prices challenges in USD and pays in USD. Traders in non-USD jurisdictions absorb FX conversion at the time of withdrawal. The conversion rate depends on the payout method (crypto avoids conversion; bank wire applies the broker's FX spread). For EU traders paid in USD via crypto, the conversion to EUR happens at the crypto-to-fiat exchange (Kraken, Coinbase, etc.) rather than at Maven.

Buyback economics: a worked example

The buyback math is easier with a concrete scenario. A trader on a $50K 1-Step ($170 fee) is 0.5 percentage points from passing when a wide stop slips through and breaches the daily loss limit. The trader has two options: buy back the account at a stated price (assume $200) or rebuy a fresh $50K 1-Step at $170.

1. Buyback at $200: account restores to pre-breach state with 0.5pp remaining to target.
2. Rebuy at $170: fresh account at 0pp, must rebuild full target distance.
3. Trader's per-day profitability is approximately 1pp on average.
4. Buyback saves approximately 4-5 days of effort vs rebuy.
5. Buyback economics favorable: $30 more for 5 days less work.

The same math fails on a fresh breach where the trader is 8pp from target. Buyback at $200 restores 0.5pp gained; rebuy at $170 starts fresh. The buyback only saved $30 and the trader still has 8pp to grind through. Rebuy is the better economic choice in that scenario.

Maven's 2026 product roadmap signals

Based on observable product changes through 2026, Maven is positioning toward a low-fee, broad-product-line model. The Mini's 1st-withdrawal refund mechanic is unusual and likely a customer-acquisition lever. The 3-Step at the cheapest end of the matrix targets price-sensitive traders. The cTrader premium captures the platform-loyal segment without forcing all users onto MT5/Match Trader.

Long-term Maven economics: a 12-month projection

To put the pricing structure in context, here is a 12-month projection for a moderate-success trader on a $50K 1-Step at $170. Assume 70% pass rate on the evaluation, 3% average monthly returns on funded, and the trader survives long enough to claim the 3rd-withdrawal refund.

Month 1: pay $170 evaluation fee, pass evaluation in 3 weeks. Net cost: $170. Month 2: first funded month, $1,500 profit at 3% return, $1,200 trader payout. Month 3: second funded month, $1,500 profit, $1,200 trader payout. Month 4: third funded month, $1,500 profit, $1,200 trader payout plus $170 refund. Total income through month 4: $3,770. Total cost: $170 paid then refunded. Net 4-month cost: $0.

Months 5-12: assuming consistent 3% monthly returns, the trader generates $9,600 in additional payouts (8 months at $1,200). Total 12-month income: $13,370. Net 12-month cost: $0 after refund. The headline $170 fee never operates as actual cost for a trader who survives.

This is the structural feature that distinguishes Maven from peer firms: refund-at-3rd-withdrawal effectively zero-rates the entry fee for consistently profitable traders. FTMO's $155 $10K fee is sunk cost; Maven's $37 $10K fee is recoverable. The difference compounds over multiple accounts.

Failure-case economics

Not every trader passes. For a trader who fails the evaluation, the math is simpler. Pay $170, fail in 2-4 weeks, no refund. Net cost: $170. A 30% failure rate on the evaluation means the average per-trader cost across all attempts is $51 (30% of $170). This is meaningfully below the $200-$400 sunk cost on most peer firms.

The buyback feature adds optionality on near-pass breaches. A trader who fails 0.5pp from passing can buy back at $200, attempt again, and potentially recover the path. For a fresh breach with no progress, rebuy at $170 is the better economic choice. Knowing which is which is the operational skill that separates traders who maximize Maven's pricing from those who don't.

Why Maven's pricing matters for the broader industry

Maven's pricing is putting pressure on the broader forex prop segment. FTMO, FundingPips, and The Funded Trader all priced challenges in the $100-$500 range without refunds for years. Maven's $13 entry plus refund-on-3rd-withdrawal is a structural challenge to that model. Whether peer firms follow Maven's pricing or differentiate on other dimensions (rule structure, regulatory positioning, broker quality) is the question that will define the segment through 2026 and 2027.

For traders, the practical implication is that the cost of testing multiple firms has dropped meaningfully. A trader can run Maven at $37 alongside FTMO at $155 alongside FundingPips at $54 and gather operational evidence on three firms for under $250 total. This was not economically feasible 18 months ago. The diversification benefit alone justifies the testing cost for any trader scaling to multiple funded accounts.

Practical buyback decision tree

The buyback decision is one of the more nuanced operational choices on Maven. The simple framework: buy back if the breach was execution error AND progress made was meaningful AND buyback cost is less than rebuy cost. Rebuy if any of those three conditions fails.

Execution error means a wide stop, news-event whipsaw, or platform issue that does not invalidate the strategy. Strategy mismatch (the setup did not work as expected over a meaningful sample) is the opposite: rebuy and reassess strategy, do not buy back into the same mistake.

Meaningful progress means within 30% of the target. A $50K 1-Step with 8% target requires 8pp of profit; meaningful progress is 5.6pp or more. Buyback restores the position, so buying back into 5.6pp of completed work saves real time. Buying back into 1pp of completed work is throwing $200 at very little saved effort.

Cost comparison is the simplest check. Buyback price versus replacement challenge fee. On a $50K 1-Step, $200 buyback vs $170 rebuy is rarely worth it unless the other two conditions are strongly met. On a $100K 1-Step, $500 buyback vs $380 rebuy might be worth it depending on progress made.

Final pricing decision framework

The right Maven Trading product depends on three variables: budget, account size goal, and platform preference. For traders with $50-$100 budget testing the firm, the $13 Mini $2K on MT5 is the optimal entry. For traders with $150-$300 budget committed to scaling, the $50K 1-Step on MT5 at $170 is the sweet spot. For traders with $400+ budget who want maximum upside per attempt, the $100K 3-Step at $299 is the value play (cheaper than the $440 2-Step at the same size). The cTrader premium is only worth the cost for traders specifically committed to the platform's features.

Across all three profiles, the 3rd-withdrawal refund mechanic effectively zero-rates the headline fee for consistently profitable traders. This is the structural feature that distinguishes Maven from peer forex prop firms. The pricing strategy is not the cheapest because the upfront cost is lowest; it is the cheapest because the surviving-trader cost converges to zero. Frame the decision in terms of total cost of operation rather than entry fee, and Maven's economic position becomes very difficult to match in the broader segment.

The closing strategic note: Maven is not the only low-fee prop firm in 2026, but it is currently the most operationally transparent one in the sub-$50 entry segment. Combined with the documented refund mechanic and the broad challenge type range, the firm has assembled a pricing structure that maps cleanly to the trader's actual lifecycle rather than to a one-time purchase decision. That is the right framing for prospective traders.

Bottom line

Maven Trading prices challenges from $13 to $440 across five challenge types and six account sizes. The 3-Step is the cheapest entry below $100K; the 2-Step is the most expensive at $100K. cTrader roughly doubles the fee at every line. 80% profit split, $10K monthly payout cap per account, $1M scaling ceiling via multiple accounts. Fees refund on the 3rd withdrawal (Mini refunds on the 1st).

For traders new to Maven, the $13 Mini $2K is the cheapest valid trial. For traders confident in their strategy, the $50K 1-Step on MT5 at $170 is the sweet spot of sizing flexibility and tuition cost. The buyback feature is rational on near-pass breaches and wasteful on fresh breaches. Compared to FTMO and FundingPips, Maven sits 30-70% below peer pricing at equivalent sizes, which is the firm's primary competitive position in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Maven Trading challenge cost?

Maven Trading challenge fees start at $13 for the $2K 3-Step and Mini accounts on MT5 or Match Trader, as of April 2026. The $10K 1-Step costs $37. At $100K, the 1-Step and Instant accounts cost $380, while the 2-Step costs $440. Choosing cTrader roughly doubles the fee on every account type.

Does Maven Trading refund the challenge fee?

Yes, Maven Trading refunds the challenge fee on the 3rd withdrawal for 1-Step, 2-Step, 3-Step, and Instant accounts. On Mini accounts, the refund comes on the 1st withdrawal. The refund is applied automatically with no separate claim required, and is paid through the same method as the regular withdrawal.

What is the cheapest Maven Trading account?

The cheapest Maven Trading challenge is $13, available on the $2K 3-Step and $2K Mini accounts when using MT5 or Match Trader. This is, as of April 2026, the lowest entry price offered by any prop firm tracked across 60-plus firms on Proptradingvibes.com. The cTrader version of the same account is around $26.

How does Maven Trading cTrader pricing work?

Selecting cTrader at Maven Trading roughly doubles the challenge fee compared to MT5 or Match Trader on the same account type and size. A 1-Step $50K that costs $170 on MT5 costs approximately $340 on cTrader. The platform selection is made at checkout and cannot be changed after purchase.

What is the Maven Trading buyback feature?

Maven Trading's buyback feature lets a trader restore a breached account to its pre-violation state instead of re-purchasing the full challenge. Buyback prices range from $200 to $6,000 depending on account size and type. Not all breach types qualify, so verify eligibility with Maven's support before relying on it.

What profit split does Maven Trading pay?

Maven Trading pays an 80% profit split across all five account types: 1-Step, 2-Step, 3-Step, Instant, and Mini. The 80% rate is flat and does not increase based on account size or payout history. The maximum payout per 30-day rolling cycle is $10,000 per funded account, with parallel accounts as the standard scaling path.

Does Maven Trading charge swap fees?

No, Maven Trading charges zero swap fees across all account types and instruments. This applies to both evaluation and funded phases. FX carries a $2 per lot per side commission, metals and energy carry $3 per lot per side, and indices, crypto, and commodities are commission-free.

How does Maven Trading pricing compare to FTMO?

Maven Trading's $10K challenge fees ($37 for 1-Step, $44 for 2-Step) are roughly four times cheaper than FTMO's equivalent ($155 for a $10K challenge, as of April 2026). FTMO does not refund challenge fees on most products and charges swap fees. Maven Trading refunds fees on the 3rd withdrawal and charges zero swaps.

Can I scale a Maven Trading account past $100K?

Yes, Maven Trading's scaling plan supports funded capital up to $1,000,000. The scaling path starts from funded accounts and increases allocation based on performance. The $10,000 per 30-day rolling cycle payout cap applies per account regardless of account size, so scaling up typically means running multiple funded accounts in parallel.

What commissions does Maven Trading charge on FX?

Maven Trading charges $2 per lot per side on FX, which equals $4 round-trip, as of April 2026. This rate is the same across all account types and sizes. Metals and energy instruments cost $3 per lot per side. Indices, crypto, and commodities have no commission and the cost is built into the spread.

Which Maven Trading challenge type is cheapest?

The 3-Step is the cheapest challenge type below $100K across the matrix. At $2K the 3-Step costs $13 vs $19 for 2-Step; at $50K it costs $190 vs $220 for 2-Step. At $100K the 3-Step at $299 is meaningfully cheaper than the $440 2-Step. The trade-off is the additional evaluation phase.

Can I switch platforms after buying a Maven Trading account?

No, platform selection is locked at checkout. A challenge purchased on MT5 cannot be ported to cTrader or Match Trader without buying a new account. Choose the platform deliberately at purchase, particularly if running multiple accounts where consistency across platforms matters for execution patterns.

What is the difference between 1-Step and Instant at Maven Trading?

1-Step and Instant share identical pricing across the matrix because they are structurally similar products. The difference is phase length and rule mechanics rather than fee. Verify the specific rules for each at the time of purchase, since the firm adjusts product mechanics periodically without changing the pricing structure.

How long does the Maven Trading refund take?

The refund is auto-applied at the 3rd withdrawal (1st for Mini accounts) and paid through the same method as the regular payout. No separate claim is required, and the refund typically appears within the standard payout processing window. The 30-day rolling cycle structure means cycle-3 timing depends on individual trading pace.

Is the Maven Trading buyback always cheaper than rebuying?

No. Buyback is rational when the buyback price is meaningfully lower than the replacement fee AND the breach happened close to the profit target. On a fresh breach with no progress made, rebuying is often the better economic decision. The discipline question is whether the breach was execution error or strategy mismatch.

What is the maximum funded capital at Maven Trading?

The scaling plan supports funded capital up to $1,000,000, reached by progressing through funded accounts and increasing allocation based on performance. The $10K monthly payout cap applies per account, so reaching $1M effective deployment typically involves running multiple parallel funded accounts rather than scaling a single one beyond the cap.