8 Leading Prop Firms Ranked and Compared

In this article, we tested eight prop trading firms, and each firm was selected because traders can realistically use it, and because the rules, payouts, and trading conditions hold up under scrutiny.

When preparing our list of best prop trading firms, we considered their clarity of rules, evaluation difficulty, profit split structure, platform access, payout speed, and long-term scaling potential.

What Exactly is a Prop Firm?

Think of a prop firm as a professional sports team, and you are the athlete trying out. Prop firms provide the “stadium” and the “equipment” for you to play the trading game. More specifically, they provide their own capital (the money you trade with), advanced technology, and a platform. In return for a chance to use this capital, you agree to share a percentage of the profits you make with the firm.

It is important to know that not all prop firms operate the same way. The newest and popular model is the challenge-based firm. Here, you pay a one-time fee to take a trading evaluation (the “challenge”). If you pass by meeting specific profit targets without breaking risk rules, you get a funded account. Traditional prop firms operate more like a full-time job, hiring traders directly without an upfront fee. 

So, why are traders so interested? The appeal is simple:

1. Access to Capital: Most people do not have $1 million lying around, just waiting to be used. Prop firms do, and they make the funds available to interested traders who can prove their skill.
2. Advanced Tools: Prop firms provide trading software and data analytics that may be too costly for individual traders to get.
3. Structured Environment: Prop trading rules help traders develop discipline, a core part of long-term success.

It is absolutely important to note that this is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It is a professional journey that requires discipline and a solid strategy. Prop firms are not giving away free money; they are making a business bet on your ability to be consistently profitable.

List of Best Prop Firms

1. OneFunded
2. FXIFY
3. The 5%ers
4. FTMO
5. BrightFunded
6. RebelsFunding
7. CTI
8. ThinkCapital

Here is a detailed look at the leading prop trading firms.

1. OneFunded

OneFunded takes first place because they ensure that there are no deadlines on any evaluation phase, and you trade at your own pace, hit the target when your strategy delivers, and move forward.

OneFunded operates under Brynex Tech Limited (UK, Company No. 15918986) and runs a simulated trading model. There are four challenge programs available with 1-Step and 2-Step evaluation models. Each carries different drawdown rules and profit targets, giving traders the ability to match the challenge structure to their risk profile.

The Value plan is the most affordable entry point, with a 2-step evaluation using 6%/6% profit targets, a 4% daily loss limit, and an 8% max drawdown. The Core challenge is the flagship 2-step program with 8%/5% targets, a 5% daily loss limit, and a 10% max drawdown. Flex is a premium 2-step that removes the consistency rule, featuring 7%/4% targets with a 10% drawdown. Flash is a 1-step evaluation with a 10% profit target, a 4% daily loss, and a 6% max drawdown for traders seeking faster funding.

For the firm, challenge fees start from $16 and are refunded with the first funded payout on Core and Flash plans. The Value plan fee is also non-refundable, while Flex rewards successful traders with a free challenge account instead of a cash refund.

Key Features

• Account sizes: $2,000 to $200,000 per account
• Profit split: 80% default, 90% with paid add-on
• Platforms: cTrader, TradeLocker, and MT5
• Leverage: 1:100 (Forex), 1:30 (Indices/Commodities), 1:2 (Crypto/Stocks)
• Payout cycle: Every 14 days; weekly via add-on (24-hour processing). Minimum $100 profit to withdraw via crypto, bank and Rise
• News trading: Allowed with a 5-minute restriction around high-impact releases
• EAs: Permitted with pre-approval; HFT and latency arbitrage prohibited

Challenge Structure

Pros and Cons

Pros

• No deadline pressure
• Four distinct challenge tracks
• Fee refunded on first payout (Core and Flash)
• Easy and Transparent rules are published upfront. 
• Rewards Center adds secondary value

Cons

• Incorporated August 2024
• No published scaling plan

2. CTI (City Traders Imperium)

CTI started as a trading school before, becoming more active in funding traders, and that educational foundation is still evident across the product. Launched in 2018 with the CTI Academy at its core, the funded trading arm developed as a natural extension. The VIP Program, which includes spanning Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers, is structured more like a career ladder than a typical prop challenge, with the Gold level offering a monthly salary alongside the profit split.

Key Features

• 1-Step: 8% target, 5% trailing drawdown, no daily drawdown limit, 80% profit split
• 2-Step: 10%/5% targets, 4% daily drawdown, 10% max drawdown, 10 active trading days per phase, 80% split
• Instant Funding: Starts at 70% (Level 2), scales to 80%, 90% (Bronze), 100% (Silver)
• Scaling: Up to $4,000,000. 30% increase per Tier 1 milestone + split upgrade to 90%
• VIP tiers: Bronze (weekly payouts, 90%), Silver (on-demand payouts, 100%), Gold (monthly salary potential)
• News trading unrestricted across all programs
• EAs, copy trading, and martingale permitted with disclosure
• Platforms: MT5 and Match-Trader (desktop, web, and mobile)

Challenge Structure

Pros and Cons

Pros

• VIP Program builds a genuine career path
• $4M scaling
• 1-Step has no daily drawdown limit
• Education infrastructure through the CTI Academy
• Unrestricted news trading

Cons

• Instant Funding starts at 70%
• 2-Step requires 10 active trading days per phase
• VIP tiers require months of sustained performance
• Less widely reviewed than FTMO or The5ers

3. FXIFY

Where most firms offer one or two evaluation paths, FXIFY gives you six options. One-Phase, Two-Phase, Three-Phase, Lightning, and Instant Funding, and Crypto, each with its own drawdown model and fee structure.

FXIFY is backed by FXPIG, a broker with institutional FX roots since 2010. FXIFY Markets Ltd holds a money broker license in Labuan, Malaysia, and is listed on the official Labuan IBFC government registry as a licensed money broker.

Key Features

• Account sizes: $5,000 to $400,000
• Profit split: Up to 90% with add-on (base varies by program)
• Platforms: MT4, MT5, DXtrade with TradingView (DXtrade for US traders)
• First payout on demand after closing first profitable funded trade (1/2/3-Phase)
• Tradable instruments: 100+ across forex, indices, commodities, stocks, and crypto
• Add-ons: Higher profit split (+20%), bi-weekly payouts (+5%), leverage to 1:50 (+25%), performance protection (+15%)
• Challenge fee refunded with first payout on evaluation programs

Challenge Structure

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Six program types, so it stands as the widest selection available
• On-demand first payout
• RAW pricing through FXPIG
• No time limits on evaluation programs
• Challenge fee refunded

Cons

• Add-on costs stack up quickly on larger accounts
• EAs not permitted on Lightning or Instant Funding

4. ThinkCapital

ThinkCapital offers a regulated broker infrastructure, which is something no other firm on this list provides. It’s powered by ThinkMarkets (FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSCA regulated), and funded traders have access to real execution environments rather than synthetic demo feeds. The firm offers three evaluation models: Lightning, Dual Step, and Nexus, with challenge fees starting at $39.

Key Features

• Account sizes: $5,000 to $200,000
• Profit split: 80% default, 90% with add-on
• Platforms: MT5, ThinkTrader (proprietary), TradingView integration
• Lightning: 10% target, 3% daily, 6% max drawdown, 3 min trading days
• Dual Step: 4% daily drawdown (equity-based for Intraday, balance-based for Swing)
• Nexus: 7%/6%/5% targets, 4% daily, 8% max drawdown
• Scaling: Up to $1.5M (ThinkTrader) or $1M (MT5). +20% every 3 months
• Payout: Every 14 days; weekly with add-on. Challenge fee refunded with the first payout
• Leverage: 1:100 dynamic

Challenge Structure

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Broker-backed by regulated ThinkMarkets
• Fees from $39
• Scaling to $1.5M
• TradingView integration
• Dual Step Swing allows news trading

Cons

• News trading is restricted on Lightning and Nexus without an add-on
• Add-ons needed for 90% split, weekly payouts, and EA use
• Payouts limited to crypto and bank transfer.

5. The5ers

The5ers has been funding traders since 2016, which gives it one of the longest operational histories in the CFD prop space. But what actually earns it the third spot is the scaling model. Through the Hyper Growth and Bootcamp programs, accounts can scale to $4,000,000, a figure that no other firm on this list matches outside of CTI.

The firm operates under Five Percent Online Ltd. (Israel) and runs three CFD programs: Hyper Growth (1-Step), High Stakes (2-Step), and Bootcamp (3-Step). A separate Futures track also exists.

Key Features

• Hyper Growth: $5K–$20K accounts, 10% target, 6% max loss, 3% daily pause, 1:30 leverage, no min trading days
• High Stakes: $2.5K–$100K accounts, 8%/5% targets, 10% max loss, 5% daily loss, 1:100 leverage, 3 profitable days per phase
• Bootcamp: $20K–$250K funded sizes, 6% eval target per phase, 5% max loss, 1:30 leverage
• Platform: MT5 and cTrader (desktop, web, mobile)
• News trading allowed (except bracket strategies)
• Weekend and overnight holding permitted on all programs

Challenge Structure

Pros and Cons

Pros

• $4M scaling ceiling on two programs
• Established since 2016.
• Hyper Growth has no minimum trading days
• Bootcamp entry starts at $22
• High Stakes offers 1:100 leverage

Cons

• Entry profit split of 50% on Hyper Growth and Bootcamp
• High Stakes caps scaling at $500K
• News restricted within 2 minutes on High Stakes
• Max $40K evaluation capital on Hyper Growth

6. FTMO

FTMO has been operating since 2015 with a 4.8 TrustPilot rating from over 20,000 reviews and more than $450 million paid out. FTMO has two evaluation paths, which are the 2-Step and the 1-Step evaluation. For the single step evaluation, you don’t need verification as a trader, but there’s a Best Day Rule that caps your most profitable session at 50% of total gains, and tightens the daily loss limit to 3%

On the other hand, the 2-Step requirees a 10% profit target followed by a 5% verification, with a 5% dailty loss cap and minimum of four trading days per phase.

Key Features

• Account sizes: $10,000 to $200,000
• Profit split: 80% default, 90% through Scaling Plan
• Platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, DXtrade
• 2-Step: 10% Challenge target + 5% Verification target
• 1-Step: 10% target with 80% profit split (upgradable to 90% via Scaling Plan), 3% daily loss limit, and a Best Day Rule (no single day may exceed 50% of total positive days’ profit).
• Max daily loss: 5%. Max overall loss: 10%. Min 4 trading days per phase
• Scaling Plan: +25% account increase every 4 months (requires 10% profit, 2 payouts, positive balance)
• Scaling cap: $2,000,000. Challenge fee refunded with first payout

Challenge Structure

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Longest CFD prop firm track record, with over 10+ years running
• $450M+ paid out
• Four platform options
• Scaling to $2M
• Payouts processed in 1–2 business days
• Free trial available

Cons

• 5% daily loss rule can end attempts quickly
• News trading is restricted to within 2 minutes on standard accounts
• No instant funding option
• 80% starting split below some competitors

7. BrightFunded

BrightFunded has expanded its challenge lineup, now offering three distinct evaluation paths: a 1-Step challenge, a 2-Step Bright, and a 2-Step Classic. The Trade2Earn loyalty system remains the differentiator because you earn tokens on every trade, wins and losses alike, which can be redeemed for free challenges, higher splits, or reduced targets.

Key Features

• Account sizes: $5,000 to $200,000 ($400,000 max funded allocation)
• Profit split: 80% base, scalable to 100% through Trade2Earn and scaling plan
• Platforms: MT5, cTrader, DXtrade
• Static drawdown: 10% fixed to starting balance (not trailing)
• Daily drawdown: 3—5% depending on challenge type
• Profit targets: 8% (Phase 1) + 5% (Phase 2) on 2-Step plans; 1-Step has its own target structure
• No consistency rule. No time limit. 5 minimum trading days per phase
• News trading allowed during evaluation; restriction within 10 minutes of major news on funded accounts. Weekend holding allowed
• Unlimited scaling plan with no cap on account size
• Leverage: Up to 100:1 forex, 40:1 commodities, 20:1 indices, 5:1 crypto
• Fee refund: available as a paid add-on at checkout; not included by default

Challenge Structure

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Trade2Earn rewards all activity
• Unlimited scaling plan
• Static drawdown; no trailing penalty
• No consistency rule
• Full EA support

Cons 

• Monthly default payout is slower than competitors
• Launched in 2023, so it has a shorter track record
• Fee refund requires a paid add-on (not included by default)
• News trading restricted within 10 minutes of major events on funded accounts

8. RebelsFunding

RebelsFunding takes an unusual approach to program design. Instead of labeling programs by step count, the firm uses a tiered metal system: Copper, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Each tier carries different drawdown limits, phase structures, and fee refund policies. The Diamond program stands out the most because it operates as a 1-phase, 10-level progression with no daily drawdown limit and a up to 200% fee refund on Copper, 100–150% on other programs.

The firm uses its proprietary platform, RF-Trader, built on TradingView charts and directly connected to liquidity providers.

Key Features

• Programs: Copper (4-phase), Bronze (3-phase), Silver (2-phase), Gold (1-phase), Diamond (1-phase, 10-level)
• Profit split: 80% starting, scaling to 90% in the following months
• Account scaling: Up to $640,000+
• Platform: RF-Trader (proprietary, TradingView-based)
• No time limits on any program
• Diamond program: No daily drawdown limit. 5% max overall drawdown. 100% fee refund
• Gold program: 10% target, 6% max drawdown, 8 minimum trades
• Silver program: 8%/5% targets, 10% max drawdown, 5% daily drawdown, 6 minimum trades per phase
• Scaling: 25% account increase for 15%+ profit over 3 consecutive months (2 profitable months required)

Challenge Structure

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The Diamond program has no daily drawdown, which is rare in the industry. 
• Up to 200% fee refund on Copper Program 
• No time limits
• Proprietary platform eliminates third-party dependency.

Cons

• 80% starting profit split is slightly below some competitors
• Minimum trade counts require planning
• Manual trade verification can delay progression
• EAs and automated trading are strictly prohibited
• Payout frequency is not explicitly stated for all programs.

All Eight Firms at a Glance

Conclusion

Each firm on this list solves a different problem; you should select the problem you prioritize a solution for. FXIFY gives you the widest selection of evaluation paths, while The5ers lets you scale higher that most prop firms offer. 

FTMO carries the deepest track record in prop trading. BrightFunded rewards trading consistency through Trade2Earn. RebelsFunding also eliminates the daily drawdown on its Diamond program. CTI builds a career path through VIP tiers, and ThinkCapital delivers broker-backed execution.

We ranked OneFunded as number one because it addresses time pressure, which is the single biggest reason traders fail prop challenges. With no deadlines, three distinct evaluation programs, fees starting at $16, and a full refund on the first payout, it creates the lowest-friction entry point for traders who want to prove their skills without artificial constraints.

Ensure you verify every detail directly on each firm’s official website before purchasing a challenge. Rules, fees, and conditions can change, so what matters is what’s published at the time you sign up.