Updated September 28, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
Blue Guardian vs City Traders Imperium
Where Blue Guardian and City Traders Imperium differ
| Compare |  Blue Guardian |  City Traders Imperium |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge price | $54 to $2,200 | $29 to $549Lower |
| Profit split | 80% to 90% | 80% to 100%Higher |
| Maximum drawdown | 6% | 5% to 10%Higher |
| Evaluation steps | Instant | 2 step |
| Account sizes | 5K, 10K, 25K, 50K, 100K, 200K, 300K, 400K | USD 2,500 - 100,000 (1-Step and 2-Step), USD 2,500 - 80,000 (Instant and Direct), scaling to USD 4,000,000 |
| Daily loss limit | 3% to 4% | 5% |
| Payout frequency | Instant on-demand; every 14 days standard, optional 7-day add-on | First payout from 7 days, then weekly or anytime payouts by VIP tier |
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Key differences
- City Traders Imperium scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.1.
- Challenge price is lower at City Traders Imperium: $29 to $549 vs $54 to $2,200.
- Profit split is higher at City Traders Imperium: 80% to 100% vs 80% to 90%.
- Maximum drawdown is higher at City Traders Imperium: 5% to 10% vs 6%.
Our verdict on each
Blue Guardian
Blue Guardian suits traders who want to skip the staged rounds: the instant evaluation gets you trading sooner, and payouts can be instant on demand. The trade-off is entry cost, since challenge fees of $54 to $2,200 sit above the €56.56 site median.
City Traders Imperium
City Traders Imperium suits traders who want a 2 step evaluation with instant and direct routes on the same ladder, plus accounts that scale as the record grows. Fees of $29 to $549 keep the entry affordable, and support runs on email, chat and help centre.
Score breakdown
| Area | Blue Guardian | City Traders Imperium |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.2Challenge fees of $54 to $2,200 sit above the €56.56 site median, and the split is 80% to 90% against a 100% top. | 9.8Higher |
| Offer | 9.0HigherThe instant evaluation, instant on-demand payouts, and a 6% maximum drawdown with a 3% to 4% daily cap. | 8.9 |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 9.4 |
The bill, worked out
Pass one challenge, then make 10,000 profit
Blue Guardian
$5,800 to $8,946
80% to 90% of 10,000 - 1 × $54 to $2,200
City Traders Imperium
$7,451 to $9,971
80% to 100% of 10,000 - 1 × $29 to $549
City Traders Imperium comes out $1,025 ahead.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
From lowest to highest
| Fact | Blue Guardian | City Traders Imperium |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge price | $54 to $2,200 | $29 to $549 |
| Profit split | 80% to 90% | 80% to 100% |
Also worth a look
Alpha Capital Group has challenge price at $27, against $54 to $2,200 for Blue Guardian and $29 to $549 for City Traders Imperium.
Alpha Capital Group reviewSources behind this comparison
Blue Guardian
- blueguardian.com: 6 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- help.blueguardian.com: 4 facts, checked September 26, 2026
City Traders Imperium
- citytradersimperium.com: 11 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Blue Guardian | City Traders Imperium |
|---|---|---|
| Prop trading firms | 13 of 37 | 8 of 37 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Blue Guardian | City Traders Imperium |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Blue Guardian Limited | City Traders Imperium Limited |
| Headquarters | Saint Lucia | Comoros |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2018 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Blue Guardian | City Traders Imperium | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge price | $54 to $2,200below the median | $29 to $549lowest quarter | $75 |
| Profit split | 80% to 90%at the median | 80% to 100%highest quarter | 90 |
| Maximum drawdown | 6%below the median | 5% to 10%at the median | 10% |
| Daily loss limit | 3% to 4%at the median | 5%highest quarter | 3 |
Median across 26 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
Blue Guardian
Pros
- The instant evaluation replaces the usual staged rounds, cutting the wait before you trade with funded capital.
- Payouts can be instant on demand, with a standard cycle and an optional faster add-on when you want cash sooner.
- Account sizes from 5K, 10K, 25K, 50K, 100K, 200K, 300K, 400K let you test the rules small and scale up once your results hold up.
Cons
- Challenge fees of $54 to $2,200 sit above the €56.56 site median for entry.
- Your cut is 80% to 90% here, while Apex Trader Funding pays 100%.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, and phone help appears on just 24.1% of the prop firms on the site.
City Traders Imperium
Pros
- Fees of $29 to $549 keep the entry affordable, and the profit share runs 80% to 100%, so the reward on offer is large for the ticket size.
- A ceiling of 80% to 100% matches what Apex Trader Funding publishes at 100%, so the top of the range is not the weak spot.
- The standard route is 2 step, with a 5% to 10% maximum drawdown and a 5% daily loss limit, which keeps the rule set short enough to hold in mind.
Cons
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, so a trader who wants to speak to someone has to write instead.
- Most retail traders lose money: the median retail loss across the site's listings is 70.15%, with the middle band running 65.75% to 74.5%, so a funded account changes the size of the position rather than the odds of keeping money.
- The 5% to 10% maximum drawdown bracket straddles the 8% median recorded across the site's listings, so there is no unusually deep buffer to lean on.
Who each suits
Blue Guardian
Who it suits
- Traders who want to clear a challenge without staged rounds, since the evaluation is instant.
- Forex traders who like hard limits, with a 6% maximum drawdown and a 3% to 4% daily loss limit.
- Traders who want money out quickly, since payouts can be instant on demand.
Who should look elsewhere
- Traders who want the biggest share of profits: Apex Trader Funding pays 100%.
- Buyers on a small budget: Alpha Capital Group charges $27.
- Traders buying a large account on a lower budget: Funding Pips charges $29 to $555.
City Traders Imperium
Who it suits
- Traders who want a 2 step evaluation but also want instant and direct routes on the same page.
- Anyone weighing price against payout share: fees of $29 to $549 sit against a profit share of 80% to 100%.
- Traders who want an account that grows rather than a fixed size, since account sizes scale well past the starting balance.
Who should look elsewhere
- Traders who want the top split with no tier to reach: Apex Trader Funding states 100% as its figure.
- Buyers on the smallest budget: Alpha Capital Group charges $27.
- Traders who want the widest price ladder: Funding Pips' fees of $29 to $555 stretch past the top of the range here.
Current offers
Blue Guardian
Current offer
Discount code
25% off all accounts (CFDs and Futures): 25% off with code BG25
Applies to all CFD and Futures accounts; bundle discounts of 30-40% extra on 2-4 accounts
Source, checked September 26, 2026
City Traders Imperium
Current offer
Free trial
Free Trial - no card needed: Free
No card needed
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
Blue Guardian
How much does a Blue Guardian challenge cost?+
Challenge fees run $54 to $2,200, with the smaller accounts at the low end and the largest at the top. The median price across the brands on the site is €56.56, so a Blue Guardian challenge sits above the middle of the market rather than at the budget end.
What profit split do I get once I pass?+
The profit split is 80% to 90%, the share of your trading profit that reaches you after the firm takes its cut. For comparison, the median split across the brands on the site is 90%, and the top figure listed is 100%.
City Traders Imperium
What does a City Traders Imperium challenge cost?+
Fees of $29 to $549 cover the range, so the entry point sits at the lower end and the larger accounts cost more. The median across the listings the site compares is €56.56, and on price alone the brand ranks at 3 of 21.
How much profit do I keep and how fast are payouts?+
The profit share runs 80% to 100%, and the first payout can be requested after a waiting period. After that, payouts are available weekly or at any time, depending on the VIP tier attached to the account. Apex Trader Funding publishes a single figure of 100%, which is the number to set against the top of this range.