A prop trading firm lets you trade its capital instead of risking your own. Pass an evaluation challenge, prove your edge, and the firm funds your account — typically $25K to $200K. You keep 80–90% of the profits while the firm absorbs the downside. For skilled traders, prop firms are the fastest way to scale without draining personal savings.
This guide reviews and compares 14 prop trading firms across challenge fees, profit splits, payout speed, and instrument coverage — from futures-only shops like Topstep to crypto-friendly firms like FundedNext and Lucid Markets. Whether you trade forex, futures, crypto or options, the right firm is below.
Sorted by our overall score. Click a firm to see the full review.
| # | Firm | Score | Rating | Years | Eval | Drawdown | Max Alloc. | Split | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Topstep | 9.2 | ★ 4.6 21,000+ reviews | 12 | 1-Step | Trailing | $150K | 90% | Review → |
| 2 | Apex Trader Funding | 9.0 | ★ 4.6 20,800+ reviews | 4 | 1-Step | Trailing (no daily) | $300K | 90% | Review → |
| 3 | FTMO | 8.9 | ★ 4.8 6,300+ reviews | 10 | 2-Step | Static daily / EOD | $200K | 80–90% | Review → |
| 4 | FundedNext | 8.7 | ★ 4.6 8,500+ reviews | 3 | 1-Step / 2-Step | Static daily | $200K | 80–95% | Review → |
| 5 | The5ers | 8.5 | ★ 4.7 3,900+ reviews | 8 | 1-Step / Instant | Static daily | $250K | 80% | Review → |
| 6 | Bulenox | 8.4 | ★ 4.7 2,100+ reviews | 3 | 1-Step | EOD | $250K | 90% | Review → |
| 7 | Earn2Trade | 8.3 | ★ 4.6 3,200+ reviews | 8 | 1-Step (Gauntlet) | EOD | $200K | 80% | Review → |
| 8 | The Funded Trader | 8.1 | ★ 4.3 5,600+ reviews | 3 | 1-Step / 2-Step | Static daily | $600K | 80–90% | Review → |
| 9 | My Funded FX | 8.0 | ★ 4.6 2,800+ reviews | 3 | 1-Step / 2-Step | Static daily | $300K | 80–85% | Review → |
| 10 | Funded Trading Plus | 7.9 | ★ 4.5 3,400+ reviews | 3 | 1-Step / Instant | Static | $200K | 80–90% | Review → |
| 11 | City Traders Imperium | 7.8 | ★ 4.5 1,100+ reviews | 6 | 1-Step / 2-Step | Static daily | $2M | 80% | Review → |
| 12 | Lucid Markets | 7.6 | ★ 4.0 200+ reviews | 2 | 1-Step | Static | $100K | 80–90% | Review → |
| 13 | Lux Trading Firm | 7.5 | ★ 4.5 800+ reviews | 5 | 2-Step / 3-Step | Static | $10M | 75% | Review → |
| 14 | Fidelcrest | 7.3 | ★ 3.9 1,500+ reviews | 5 | 2-Step | Static daily | $400K | 80–90% | Review → |
A proprietary trading firm (prop firm) provides funded trading accounts to independent traders. Instead of depositing your own money, you pay a one-time challenge fee — usually $50 to $500 — and trade a simulated account under specific rules: hit a profit target, stay within a drawdown limit, trade for a minimum number of days. Pass the evaluation and the firm gives you a funded account with real capital.
The model is simple. The firm takes the financial risk — you take the skill risk. If you're profitable, you split the gains (typically 80/20 in your favor, sometimes up to 90/10). If you blow the account, you lose the challenge fee but nothing more. No margin calls, no debt, no sleepless nights.
The best prop firms offer scaling programs — hit consistent targets and your account grows from $50K to $200K and beyond. Some now offer instant funding with no challenge at all: pay a higher fee, get a live account immediately. The catch? Stricter drawdown rules and a smaller initial split.
Ready to pick a firm? Each review breaks down that firm's real challenge rules, profit splits, payout proof, and how it compares to the rest — with honest pros and cons in every one.
New to prop trading or want to narrow your search? These guides break down the landscape by instrument, budget, and experience level.
Before funding any challenge, check the firm's payout history — real screenshots on Trustpilot and Discord, not just marketing promises. Read the fine print on trailing drawdown vs. static drawdown (trailing can close your account even after a profitable day). If a firm has no verified payouts older than six months, treat it as high-risk. The firms listed above all have documented payout track records.
Traders who use ArbiScreen to find cross-exchange spreads already have a proven, repeatable edge. The natural next step is scaling that edge — and prop firms are the capital multiplier. Instead of trading $5K of your own money and capturing $50 on a 1% spread, you trade $100K of firm capital and keep $800 of the same trade.
Crypto arbitrage strategies translate directly to prop firm evaluations: consistent small wins, controlled drawdown, and mechanical execution are exactly what challenge rules reward. If you can pass ArbiScreen's spread scanner test, you can likely pass a prop firm challenge.
Start with our best prop firms ranking, pick a firm that matches your instrument and budget, and combine it with ArbiScreen's real-time spread data to trade with size.
Find the right prop firm for your strategy.
Compare 14 firms above by challenge fees, profit splits and payout speed — then scale your edge with funded capital.
