Updated September 28, 2026 · BrokerCue Editorial Team
City Traders Imperium vs Instant Funding
Where City Traders Imperium and Instant Funding differ
| Compare |  City Traders Imperium |  Instant Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Profit split | 80% to 100%Higher | 80% to 90% |
| Maximum drawdown | 5% to 10% | 10% |
| Evaluation steps | 2 step | Instant |
| Account sizes | USD 2,500 - 100,000 (1-Step and 2-Step), USD 2,500 - 80,000 (Instant and Direct), scaling to USD 4,000,000 | $625 to $4,000,000 (USD and ZAR) |
| Payout frequency | First payout from 7 days, then weekly or anytime payouts by VIP tier | First payout 14 days after first trade, then every 7 days |
| Challenge price | $29 to $549 | Not confirmed |
| Daily loss limit | 5% | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- City Traders Imperium scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.0.
- Founded is lower at City Traders Imperium: 2018 vs 2021.
- Profit split is higher at City Traders Imperium: 80% to 100% vs 80% to 90%.
Our verdict on each
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.
Instant Funding
Instant Funding suits traders who want a funded account without a staged evaluation, since its steps are listed as instant. The profit split of 80% to 90% is the trade-off to weigh: it sits under the 100% of Funding Pips and the 100% of Apex Trader Funding.
Score breakdown
| Area | City Traders Imperium | Instant Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.8 | Not confirmed |
| Offer | 8.9 | 9.2HigherOffer spans $625 to $4,000,000 (USD and ZAR) of accounts and a 10% cap, with room to start small or scale up. |
| Trust | 9.4Higher | 8.8 |
Ranges side by side
| Fact | City Traders Imperium | Instant Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Profit split | 80% to 100% | 80% to 90% |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | City Traders Imperium | Instant Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Prop trading firms | 8 of 37 | 4 of 37 |
Where these facts come from
City Traders Imperium
- citytradersimperium.com: 11 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Instant Funding
- instantfunding.com: 9 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | City Traders Imperium | Instant Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | City Traders Imperium Limited | IF Pro Ltd (trading name Instant Funding); payment agent Acello Ltd |
| Headquarters | Comoros | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2018Lower | 2021 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | City Traders Imperium | Instant Funding | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge price | $29 to $549lowest quarter | Not confirmed | $75 |
| Profit split | 80% to 100%highest quarter | 80% to 90%at the median | 90 |
| Maximum drawdown | 5% to 10%at the median | 10%at the median | 10 |
| Daily loss limit | 5%highest quarter | Not confirmed | 3% |
Median across 26 listed brokers.
Pros and cons
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.
Instant Funding
Pros
- The steps are listed as instant, so there is no staged evaluation to sit through before a funded account starts.
- Payouts run on a published rhythm, First payout 14 days after first trade, then every 7 days, rather than a discretionary request.
- Account sizes are listed as $625 to $4,000,000 (USD and ZAR), so the same rules cover a small starting balance and the larger end of the range.
Cons
- The 80% to 90% split leaves less of each payout than Funding Pips and Apex Trader Funding, which pay 100% and 100%.
- The 10% limit is the loose end of the range Alpha Capital Group offers, which runs 4% to 10%.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre, with no phone line listed for account problems.
Who each suits
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.
Instant Funding
Who it suits
- Traders who want funding without a staged evaluation, since steps are listed as instant.
- Traders who can hold position sizes inside a 10% drawdown cap.
- Traders who prefer cash arriving on a known schedule, First payout 14 days after first trade, then every 7 days.
Who should look elsewhere
- Traders who want the whole profit, since Funding Pips and Apex Trader Funding pay 100% and 100%.
- Traders who want a firmer risk rule, since Alpha Capital Group runs a drawdown of 4% to 10%.
Current offers
City Traders Imperium
Current offer
Free trial
Free Trial - no card needed: Free
No card needed
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Instant Funding
Current offer
Discount code
30% off Clarity and Original - code IF30: 30% off
Single-use code; no minimum spend; not valid on Evolve; 20% off again on Jan 15
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
BFBOOST: 10% off
Multi-use code; includes four free add-ons and double PlusPoints
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
BF2090: 20% off
Multi-use code; includes a free 90% profit split add-on and double PlusPoints
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
BFNEW: 42% off Instant Funding, IF Micro and IF1
New customers only; not for returning purchasers or account will be voided
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
BF1: 37% off plus a free $2,000 IF1 account
All customers; spend $100 after discount or more in one purchase; free $2,000 IF1 account sent by email code on Dec 15; one per trader
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
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.
Instant Funding
Is there an evaluation to pass before trading?+
The steps are listed as instant, so there is no multi-stage challenge to clear first. Account sizes are listed as $625 to $4,000,000 (USD and ZAR), which covers a small starting balance and the larger end of the range, with the same rules at each size.
How often are payouts made?+
Payouts follow First payout 14 days after first trade, then every 7 days. The rhythm is stated in advance, so a trader can plan cash movements around the calendar instead of waiting on a discretionary decision. The share kept from each payout is 80% to 90%.