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There are dozens of firms out there, each with their rules, pricing, and promises. Some seem too good to be true. Others fall short when it comes to actually supporting traders. And if you're serious about building a trading career, you need to know which firms are worth your time and effort.
You want to make sure you choose a firm that aligns with your goals, style, and financial ambitions. You need a trading firm that fits your trading style, supports your growth, and doesn’t frustrate you with hidden fees.
This post breaks down five of the most reliable forex prop firms that are gaining real traction with traders today. You’ll get a clear look at what they offer, how much they charge, what their trading rules are, and how they handle payouts.
We narrowed the results from our research down to five top prop trading firms: OneFunded, FTMO, FundedNext, Topstep, and Take Profit Trader. We’ll explain why, along with what makes each firm unique. Each one has its strengths, and depending on what you're looking for, one of them might just be the right fit.
Not everyone has $50,000 lying around to open a serious trading account. And even if you did, risking that kind of capital without a safety net is a tough call, especially if you’re a beginner trader.
Prop firms give you access to capital, sometimes as much as $100,000 or more, and they let you trade with it. Your job is to show from your trade challenges that you can manage risk, follow their rules, and make a profit. In return, you get to keep a large portion of the earnings, often more than you would get working with a traditional firm.
It is not just about the money. Prop firms help you develop discipline. You cannot just throw on trades and hope for the best. These firms expect you to stick to a plan, protect your capital, and trade with intention. That is a good thing. It turns gamblers into professionals.
For newer traders, prop firms are a way to grow without blowing up a personal account. For experienced traders, it is a way to scale faster without putting personal savings at risk. Either way, you are gaining access to serious capital and getting paid for good performance.
You need enough capital to trade, especially when you find setups in instruments like Gold or Bitcoin. Here is how it works. You take on trade challenges to show you can trade profitably while sticking to their risk rules. Pass that, and you are trading their money, not yours.
When you trade with one of the top prop trading firms, you are not just buying access to funds. You are buying into a structure. You are entering a system that rewards consistency, encourages learning, and forces you to take your trading seriously.
You prove your skills in a challenge, trade their capital, and split the profits. I see it as an opportunity to scale up your trading career, even though not all firms are created equal.
These five firms below are the best with fees, rules, and payout speed, based on experience, research, and conversations with traders who have been through the process.
They are not perfect, but they are the best that have been delivered consistently without unnecessary headaches. Let’s break down what makes them the top prop trading firms, and then you pick the one that fits your style.
OneFunded is based in the United Kingdom and has earned a reputation for being one of the most trader-friendly platforms available. Their focus is on giving traders flexibility, fair profit sharing, and fast access to funds once you start making profits. At OneFunded, there is no time limit policy during the evaluation phase. Here are the implications for traders:
Reduced Pressure: Traders can wait for optimal market conditions instead of forcing trades to meet a deadline.
Better Risk Management: Allows strategies that rely on fewer, higher-probability setups.
Flexibility Across Time Zones: Traders who can only trade certain sessions or days are not penalized for slower progress.
OneFunded offers some of the most competitive evaluation fees in the prop trading industry, making funded accounts accessible to both beginners and advanced traders. Pricing is structured around the challenge type and account size, with all fees 100% refundable once a trader passes and receives their first payout.
Unlike many competitors, OneFunded’s pricing model is designed to lower barriers to entry while still offering account sizes up to $100,000. Since all access fees are refunded with the first payout, traders effectively start their funded journey at no net cost once successful.
All OneFunded challenges come with a standard 80/20 profit split – meaning traders keep 80% of the profits they generate, while 20% goes to OneFunded.
First payout: Available after 14 days from the first trade, with a minimum profit of $100.
Recurring payouts: Every 14 days thereafter.
Minimum payout amount: $100.
This simple, transparent structure ensures traders get fast and reliable access to their earnings without hidden conditions.
OneFunded offers traders full flexibility by removing rigid time limits on challenges. Instead, the focus is on consistency and respecting risk management rules.
Unlimited Trading Periods – No deadlines to complete challenges. Traders can progress at their own pace, whether trading daily or part-time.
Minimum Trading Days – To ensure performance is not based on luck, a minimum of 3–5 trading days is required depending on the chosen challenge.
Overnight Trading – Allowed, but subject to swap/rollover fees.
News Trading – Allowed, but positions taken within 5 minutes before or after major news events are closely monitored. Suspicious or manipulative activity may lead to warnings or account closure.
Risk Limits – Daily loss and overall drawdown limits must always be respected, regardless of trading style or strategy.
This structure allows traders to trade comfortably without pressure, while maintaining discipline and accountability.
No time limits during the evaluation
Affordable and refundable challenge fees
Flexible challenge formats (One-step, Two-step, 1F Limited)
Rewards Center with discounts and free challenges
Beginner-friendly and accessible with no personal capital required
Maximum funded balance capped at $200,000 across accounts
News trading is allowed but heavily monitored (risk of account termination for violations)
FTMO is one of the most recognized names in the finance space. They are based in the Czech Republic and offer accounts ranging from $10,000 to $200,000, with the potential to scale even further.
FTMO gives traders access to multiple markets including forex, stocks, indices, and crypto. They also provide trading tools and mentorship programs that can help improve discipline and decision-making. They are trusted by many in the trading community and have maintained a solid reputation for years.
As of now, FTMO is not available to U.S.-based traders due to regulatory changes made in 2024.
FTMO challenge fees start at €155 for a $10,000 account and scale up to €1,080 for a $200,000 account. Popular options include €250 for $25,000, €345 for $50,000, and €540 for $100,000. All fees are one-time payments and refunded once a trader passes and receives their first payout. The fee is refundable after you pass the challenge and receive your first payout
You keep 80 percent of profits once you get funded. With consistent performance, this can increase to 90 percent. The profit split is generous and in line with what other top firms offer.
FTMO's evaluation has two phases. Phase one requires a 10 percent profit target within 30 calendar days. You also need to stay within a 5 percent daily loss limit and a 10 percent overall loss cap. Phase two reduces the profit target to 5 percent and gives you 60 days to reach it. You must trade for a minimum of 4 days in both phases.
You cannot hold trades over weekends unless you choose a Swing account. You also cannot trade major news events. This makes the rules more restrictive than firms like OneFunded or FundedNext.
Payouts are processed monthly. It usually takes between 5 to 10 business days to receive funds via bank transfer, Skrill, or PayU.
Reputable and established in the industry
Offers high scalability up to $2 million
Generous profit split
Educational resources and trading tools included
Refundable challenge fee
Not available for U.S. traders
Strict rules around news and overnight positions
Slower payout schedule compared to other firms
FundedNext is based in the UAE, with additional offices in the UK and Bangladesh. The firm has paid out millions to thousands of traders and offers several evaluation models to fit different trading styles.
FundedNext is known for being fast, flexible, and high-paying. They offer six different challenge models including Express and Stellar evaluations, as well as an Instant-Funded option where you skip the challenge entirely. You can trade forex, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
Pricing varies depending on the challenge model (Stellar, Express, Instant-Funded)
You keep 80 percent of profits by default. If you stay consistent, this increases to 95 percent. FundedNext also gives you 15 percent of profits during the challenge. That early reward is a big advantage for traders who want to offset their upfront cost.
The Stellar Two-Step model requires an 8 percent profit target in phase one, then 5 percent in phase two. Daily loss limits are 5 percent, with a 10 percent overall cap. There is no expiration, and trade at your pace.
If you choose the one-step evaluation, the rules are tighter but still manageable. News trading, automation, and overnight positions are allowed across all models.
Payouts are issued every 2 weeks and processed within 24 hours. If they fail to meet that timeline, FundedNext promises a $1,000 compensation. Funds can be withdrawn using PayPal, bank transfer, or cryptocurrency.
Multiple evaluation models to suit different traders
Very high profit split up to 95 percent
Fast payout processing with guaranteed delivery time
News and overnight trading allowed
Instant-Funded model available
The many challenge options can be overwhelming
High fees for large accounts
Topstep is one of the oldest and most respected names in futures trading. They focus solely on futures, so if you're interested in trading currencies or crypto, this may not be the right fit. But for futures traders, Topstep is designed to support you from start to scale.
What makes Topstep different is its community. They offer access to Discord groups, live trade reviews, and a supportive environment that helps traders stay accountable. You go through a structured process called the Trading Combine, and if you perform well, you move to a funded account.
Topstep offers three Trading Combine account sizes, each with a monthly subscription fee and specific profit targets:
These fees apply if a trader exceeds the maximum daily loss or violates other trading rules. Commissions and fees in the Live Funded Account vary based on the data provider and platform used. Traders can request payouts of up to $5,000 or 50% of their account balance after accumulating five winning trading days, each with a net profit of $150 or more.
You get to keep 100 percent of your first $10,000 in profits. After that, the split shifts to 90 percent. That early full payout is helpful for traders looking to recover costs quickly.
There’s no strict deadline to pass the Trading Combine. The main goal is to hit a 6 percent profit target without violating the 2 percent daily loss limit or the 6 percent maximum drawdown. After completing the Combine, you’ll trade in an Express Funded Account and then move to a Live Funded Account.
Topstep only supports futures trading. You won’t be able to hold positions over weekends or trade other asset classes.
Withdrawals can be made up to 4 times per month. They’re usually processed in 3 to 5 business days through bank transfer. Compared to firms like FundedNext or OneFunded, which offer faster payouts, Topstep’s schedule is slower but still reliable.
Focused on futures trading with expert-level tools
Full profit on your first $10,000 in earnings
No time pressure during the evaluation phase
Strong support community and training tools
Subscription model can get expensive over time
Limited to futures trading only
Three-step evaluation process is more complex
Slower payouts compared to faster firms
Take Profit Trader is a newer name in the space, but they’ve already gained traction by offering a simple and clear evaluation process. Like Topstep, they are also focused on futures trading. However, they’re carving a space for themselves by offering quick payouts, clear rules, and no ongoing fees once you get funded.
Their approach is straightforward. You take a one-step evaluation. If you pass, you start trading a funded account. No long waiting periods. No unnecessary rules.
Take Profit Trader offers a straightforward pricing structure for its futures trading evaluation program, designed to accommodate traders at various experience levels.
