Lowest target per phase
1-Step Challenge
One evaluation with a 10% target and a tighter 6% static drawdown. Best if you want a single assessment and a floor that never moves.
- One phase, 10% target
- 6% static drawdown
- Fees from $59
- Sizes $5K to $400K
River Valley Capital / Compare Challenges
1-Step vs 2-Step vs Instant Funding: Which to Choose
River Valley Capital offers three routes to a funded account: the 1-Step Challenge, the 2-Step Challenge and Instant Funding. They share a 5% daily loss limit, leverage and payout rules, but differ on evaluation phases, profit targets, drawdown model and price. This guide compares them side by side and helps you pick the one that fits your trading and budget.
- Same 5% daily loss limit
- Same up to 90% split
- No minimum trading days
- cTrader, DXtrade, MatchTrader, PropX
Last updated
At a Glance
Which Route Suits Which Trader
The quickest way to choose is by how you want to reach a funded account, and how much you want to pay up front.
Cheapest to start
2-Step Challenge
Two phases with softer 8% then 5% targets and a wider 8% static drawdown. Best if you want more room and the lowest entry fee.
- 8% then 5% targets
- 8% static drawdown
- Fees from $49
- Sizes $5K to $500K
No evaluation
Instant Funding
Skip the challenge and trade a funded account from day one, with an 8% trailing drawdown. Best if you would rather pay more up front than pass a test.
- No profit target
- 8% trailing drawdown
- Fees from $199
- Sizes $5K to $100K
Side by Side
1-Step vs 2-Step vs Instant Funding
The rules that stay the same across all three are the 5% daily loss limit, leverage, the up to 90% profit split, no minimum trading days and no time limit. The table below shows where they differ.
| Feature | 1-Step | 2-Step | Instant Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation phases | One | Two | None |
| Profit target | 10% | 8% then 5% | None |
| Maximum drawdown | 6% static | 8% static | 8% trailing |
| Daily loss limit | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Account sizes (USD) | $5K to $400K | $5K to $500K | $5K to $100K |
| Fees from | $59 | $49 | $199 |
| Weekend holding | Included | Included | Add-on |
| Time limit | None | None | None |
| Profit split | Up to 90% | Up to 90% | Up to 90% |
| Platforms | cTrader, DXtrade, MatchTrader, PropX | cTrader, DXtrade, MatchTrader, PropX | cTrader, DXtrade, MatchTrader, PropX |
See the full fee table for every account size on the 1-Step, 2-Step and Instant Funding pages, or the Accounts page.
Cost
How the Fees Compare
The 2-Step Challenge has the lowest entry fee, from $49 on a $5,000 account, because it spreads the proof of consistency over two phases. The 1-Step is a little more, from $59, for the convenience of a single assessment.
Instant Funding costs the most up front, from $199 on a $5,000 account, because there is no evaluation to pass: you are paying for immediate access to a funded account rather than earning it through a challenge. The fee rises with account size on every route, and all fees are one-off and in US dollars.
Think of it as a trade-off: pay less and pass a challenge (1-Step or 2-Step), or pay more and skip it (Instant Funding). Use the payout calculator to see what each account size could return before you decide.
Drawdown
Static vs Trailing Drawdown
The biggest rule difference is the drawdown model. The 1-Step and 2-Step challenges use a static floor: it is set from your starting balance and never moves up, so every dollar of profit widens your cushion. The 1-Step floor is 6% and the 2-Step is 8%.
Instant Funding uses an 8% trailing drawdown: the floor follows your closed balance up to new highs until it locks at your starting balance once your closed-balance high reaches start plus 8%. That gives less room early on, so it suits traders who protect profits quickly.
Across all three, the daily loss limit is the same 5%, measured as the greater of the prior day's closing balance or equity at the 5:00 PM New York reset. The drawdown calculator shows your floor and today's limit in dollars.
How to Choose
Pick the Route That Fits You
Choose 1-Step if
You want the fewest hurdles to funding, you are confident you can hit a 10% target in one go, and you prefer a static floor that never trails your profits.
Choose 2-Step if
You want the lowest entry fee and softer per-phase targets (8% then 5%), and you do not mind proving consistency over two phases for a wider 8% static drawdown.
Choose Instant Funding if
You would rather not sit an evaluation at all and are happy to pay more up front to trade a funded account immediately, and you are comfortable managing an 8% trailing drawdown.
Still unsure?
Start with the 2-Step for the lowest-cost entry, or model each route in the payout calculator. Every programme follows the same trading rules.
Comparison FAQ
Choosing Between the Challenges
Which River Valley Capital challenge is cheapest?
The 2-Step Challenge has the lowest entry fee, from $49 on a $5,000 account, with the 1-Step from $59. Instant Funding costs the most, from $199, because it has no evaluation to pass.
What is the difference between 1-Step and 2-Step?
The 1-Step is a single phase with a 10% target and a 6% static drawdown. The 2-Step has two phases with 8% then 5% targets and a wider 8% static drawdown, and a slightly lower entry fee. Both have a 5% daily loss limit and no time limit.
Is Instant Funding better than a challenge?
It is not better or worse, just different. Instant Funding skips the evaluation so you trade a funded account immediately, but it costs more up front and uses an 8% trailing drawdown instead of a static one. A challenge is cheaper but you must pass it first.
Which challenge is best for beginners?
Many new traders start with the 2-Step Challenge: it has the lowest entry fee, the widest 8% static drawdown and softer per-phase targets, which gives more room to learn the rules. The 1-Step suits traders confident of a 10% target in one phase.
Do all three have the same daily loss limit and leverage?
Yes. All three use a 5% daily loss limit measured as the greater of the prior day's closing balance or equity at the 5:00 PM New York reset, the same per-market leverage, the up to 90% profit split, no minimum trading days and no time limit.
What is the difference between static and trailing drawdown?
A static floor (1-Step and 2-Step) is set from your starting balance and never moves, so profit widens your cushion. A trailing floor (Instant Funding) follows your closed balance up until it locks at your starting balance once the closed-balance high reaches start plus 8%.
Can I hold trades over the weekend on each one?
The 1-Step and 2-Step challenges allow weekend holding by default. On Instant Funding it needs the Hold Weekends add-on.
Which account sizes are available?
The 1-Step runs from $5,000 to $400,000, the 2-Step from $5,000 to $500,000, and Instant Funding from $5,000 to $100,000. Fees are one-off, in US dollars, and rise with account size.
Your Next Step
Choose Your Route to Funding
Compare the fee tables, model your payout and pick the challenge that fits your trading and budget.