Best Forex Prop Firms (2024)

Contents

What is prop trading in Forex?
Advantages of trading via a prop firm
Disadvantages of trading via prop firm
Top 7 Forex prop firms
- FTUK
- FTMO
- The 5%ers
- Traderseed
- Traders4Traders
- SurgeTrader
- Topstep
Guide to choosing the best Forex prop firm
Forex proprietary trading firms FAQ
Conclusion
Discuss

What is prop trading in Forex?

An alternative to trading Forex with your own funds through a broker is to trade with a proprietary FX trading firm using the funds provided by the prop firm itself.

A Forex prop firm is a company that evaluates a trader's skills (usually via a trading challenge) and assigns its own trading capital for the trader to operate with. The aim of the challenge (evaluation) period is for the firm to get to know whether the trader is qualified and whether they are capable of trading under company's money management rules.

Trading with a prop firm usually involves some kind of a fee— be it an entry fee to get evaluated by the firm or a monthly fee to keep trading with the firm's capital.

Profit earned by a Forex trader with a prop firm is usually shared using a scheme like 60%/40% or similar.

Overall, a Forex prop firm is one of the best ways for a confident profitable trader to get funded and start earning money in the foreign exchange market.

However, one has to be aware of the pros and cons associated with FX prop trading. Such trading only makes sense if the pros are outweighing the cons in your particular case as prop trading is definitely not for everyone.

Advantages of trading via a prop firm

Getting funds to earn profits on is relatively simple.
Strict risk management rules help to stay on track and avoid most of the psychological pitfalls Forex traders suffer from.
A rather large variety of prop firms to choose from nowadays.
Some of these firms offer quality educational materials and tools to their traders.
Since traders actually trade on demo accounts only, the trading conditions and availability across countries aren't affected by regulatory restrictions.

Disadvantages of trading via prop firm

Inherent conflict of interest— the prop company's aim is to get as much in fees from you as possible.
Minimum trading volume and profit requirements, short maximum holding period, news trading restriction push for a certain specific short-term trading style.
Going through the evaluation process can be a huge waste of time and money for traders who would be better off trading for themselves using some long-term trading strategies.

Top 7 Forex prop firms

Despite some disadvantages, prop firms remain one of the most accessible ways to earn real money for retail traders, so here is our list of the best 7 Forex prop firms:

1. FTUK

FTUK provides a scaling account size. A trader starts at level 1 account and can go up to level 7. Each level has an increased account size as well as other benefits. To reach a new level, a trader needs to achieve a profit target.

FTUK offers two funding programs:

Evaluation— starts on a demo account at level 1, goes to a live account at level 2. Profit earning starts at level 2. Lower registration fees.
Instant Funding— starts on a live account at level 1. Profit earning starts at level 1, though the trader needs to reach the level 1 profit target to be able to withdraw funds. Higher registration fees.

Registration fee and account size: Funds on your account can be in one of the three currencies: USD, EUR, GBP. To save space, the following list will only show the values in dollars. The list has the following format: registration fees for evaluation/instant funding accounts - starting account size at level 1 - maximum account size at level 7.

£119/£150 - $3,500 - $896,000
£299/£410 - $10,000 - $1,280,000
£349/£550 - $15,000 - $1,920,000
£499/£950 - $22,500 - $2,880,000

Profit target: 10%.

Maximum overall drawdown: 6%.

Leverage: Depends on the account level. Up to 1:50 on Low-Risk accounts.

Trade instruments: Forex, metals, indices, and commodities.

Addons: FTUK offers a variety of powerful addons. Unlock level 8 (essentially, double the maximum trading capital) — +10% to the fee. Double maximum trading days — +15% to the fee. Joining fee refund — +25% to the fee. Evaluation retake — + 50% to the fee. No stop-loss — + 20%.

Minimum trading days: None.

Payout rate: Depends on the account level. Starts at 60%, goes up to 80% at the maximum level.

Trading platform: MetaTrader 4.

Payment options: Payouts are transferred via the trader's Deel account. Through Deel, the trader can be paid using the following methods: bank transfer, Deel card, Coinbase, PayPal, Payoneer, Revolut, Wise.

Other features: One-to-one, trader interviews, a private session with a support coach available at a request. Expert advisors and robots are allowed. Trade copying is allowed from a non-FTUK account to a FTUK account but not between different FTUK accounts. Overnight, scalping, news, weekend trades are allowed. Hedging allowed. Payouts can be received at a request as long as the traders' share is above one of the following figures: £150, €200, $250.

EarnForex rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Get funded now by FTUK!

2. FTMO

Challenge: unlimited period, minimum 4 trading days

Normal mode: maximum 5% daily loss and 10% total loss, 10% profit target during the first period (5% for the second period), EUR155 fee.

Aggressive mode: maximum 10% daily loss and 20% total loss, 20% profit target during the first period (10% for the second period), EUR250 fee.

Fee refundable with the first profit split.

Funded conditions: 10% max daily loss

News trading: Allowed in swing accounts only.

Balance sizes: $10,000 / $25,000 / $50,000 / $100,000 / $250,000 (unavailable in Aggressive mode)

Account currencies: USD, GBP, EUR, CZK, CAD, AUD, CHF

Payout rate: 80%/20% scalable to 90%/10%

Leverage: 1:100 (1:30 for swing accounts)

Trading instruments: Forex, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies, stocks, bonds.

Commission: Yes

3. The 5%ers

The 5%ers offer two schemes to choose from:

Instant funding with two modes and three balance options. All modes and options support up to $4M growth with extended 10%/25% profit targets:
- $24K, start with $6K, stop-out $5.75K, 50%/50% payout split— €235 fee:
  - Low Risk— profit target 6%, 1:10 leverage, 1.5% stop-loss required, max time 180 days.
  - Aggressive— profit target 12%, 1:30 leverage, max time 60 days.
- $40K, start with $10K, stop-out $9.6K, 50%/50% payout split— €385 fee:
  - Low Risk— profit target 6%, 1:10 leverage, 1.5% stop-loss required, max time 180 days.
  - Aggressive— profit target 12%, 1:30 leverage, max time 60 days.
- $80K, start with $20K, stop-out $19.2K, 50%/50% payout split— €745 fee:
  - Low Risk— profit target 7%, 1:10 leverage, 1.5% stop-loss required, max time 180 days.
  - Aggressive— profit target 12%, 1:30 leverage, max time 60 days.
100K Bootcamp— three challenges with 6% profit target, 5% max loss, 1:10 leverage, 12 months total time for three stages, €85 fee:
- Challenge #1: $25K start
- Challenge #2: $50K start
- Challenge #3: $75K start
- Funded conditions: $100K-$4M balance, 5% profit target, 4% max loss, 1:10 leverage, up to 80%/20% profit split (starts with 50%/50%), additional €215 fee.

News trading: Allowed

Account currencies: US dollar

Trading instruments: Forex, gold & silver, indices

Commission: $4/lot round trip

Trading platforms: MetaTrader 5

Free trial: No

Payment options: Bank transfer, credit/debit cards, giropay, EPS

Other features: long-term trading possible, news trading possible, free webinars, psychological coaching.

Website languages: English, Spanish, Arabic

EarnForex rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Join The 5%ers!

4. Traderseed

Unlike other Forex prop firms, Traderseed works via multi-level challenge programs.

20x Challenge

$100K starting account, 10% profit target, 10% max loss, 5% max daily loss, 30 days per level, lot size restrictions, $100/$200/$300 fee with 4 levels:

Level 1 payouts: $100, $200, $300.
Level 2 payouts: $300, $600, $900.
Level 3 payouts: $600, $1,200, $1,800.
Level 4 payouts: $1,000, $2,000, $3,000.

20x Challenge Aggressive

$100K starting account, 10% profit target, 10% max loss, 5% max daily loss, 30 days per level, no lot size restrictions, $100/$200 fee with 5 levels:

Level 1 payouts: $0, $0.
Level 2 payouts: $100, $200.
Level 3 payouts: $300, $600.
Level 4 payouts: $600, $1,200.
Level 5 payouts: $1,000, $2,000.

30x Quest

30 days per level, lot size restrictions, $75/$150/$250 fee with 5 levels:

Level 1: $100K starting account, 7% profit target, 12% max loss, 7% max daily loss, no payouts.
Level 2: $200K starting account, 8% profit target, 11% max loss, 6% max daily loss, $200/$350/$600 payouts.
Level 3: $300K starting account, 9% profit target, 10% max loss, 5% max daily loss, $350/$650/$1,100 payouts.
Level 4: $400K starting account, 10% profit target, 9% max loss, 4% max daily loss, $550/$1,100/$1,900 payouts.
Level 5: $500K starting account, 11% profit target, 8% max loss, 3% max daily loss, $1,150/$2,400/$3,900 payouts.

Account currencies: US dollar

Leverage: 1:100

Trading instruments: Forex, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies.

Commission: $7/lot round trip

Trading platform: MetaTrader 4

Free trial: No

Payment options: Bank transfer, credit/debit cards, PayPal, cryptocurrencies

Other features: over-weekend and overnight trades are allowed, any EAs and copy trading is allowed, news trading is allowed, free challenge restarts from the same level if equity change is positive.

Website language: English

EarnForex rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Choose your program with Traderseed!

5. Traders4Traders

Challenge

Practical Assessment accounts: $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000 with a $125, $250, or $350 one-time fee.

Profit target: 10% + 45% min win rate.

Live trading

Six entry levels to reach a trading account balance of $1,000,000:

Level 1: $25,000
Level 2: $50,000
Level 3: $100,000
Level 4: $250,000
Level 5: $500,000
Level 6: $750,000
Final: $1,000,000

10% profit target at each level and the same conditions as during the practical assessment stage.

Other requirements to scale up: 45% min win rate, 50% min winning days, 65% min win / loss ratio, min 1 Sharpe ratio, at least 50 lots of volume, 3 months minimum trading period.

Trading instruments: Forex, commodities, indices, CFDs.

Account currency: US dollar

Payout rate: 80%/20% split if you make 20%+ profit, 70%/30% split if you make 10%-20% profit, 60%/40% split if you make 5-10% profit.

Trading platform: MetaTrader 4

Free trial: No

Payment options: PayPal

Other features: scalping allowed, expert advisors allowed, paid courses with guaranteed employment at an associated trader position with the Traders4Traders Incubator Fund.

Website language: English

EarnForex rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Get started with Traders4Traders!

6. SurgeTrader

SurgeTrader offers a super simple process for traders who seek to get funded. You select one of the six available packages, pass the evaluation process (called Audition), and then continue trading with the package's starting balance on a funded account. There are no minimum time or trades requirements, just maximum loss and drawdown ones.

All packages have the same 10% profit target, 4% daily loss limit, and 5% maximum trailing drawdown. The difference is the fee and the starting balance.

Starter: $25,000— $250 fee
Intermediate: $50,000— $400 fee
Seasoned: $100,000— $700 fee
Advanced: $250,000— $1,800 fee
Expert: $500,000— $3,500 fee
Master: $1,000,000— $6,500 fee

Stop-loss is required for all trades.

Weekend trades aren't allowed.

Maximum open volume with risk, in lots: starting balance divided by $10,000. E.g., 10 lots at risk for the Seasoned packaged ($100K starting balance). Lots at risk means trades where hitting a stop-loss would incur a loss. Trades with breakeven SL or SL at profit have no lots at risk.

If you break one of the above-mentioned three rules, the breaching trade is closed, but you can continue with the audition process.

Time limit: None.

Leverage: 1:10

Trading instruments: Forex, indices, cryptocurrencies, stocks, silver, gold, oil.

News trading: Allowed.

Account currency: US dollar

Payout rate: 75%/25% split

Trading platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5

Free trial: No

Payment options: credit/debit cards, PayPal

Other features: 20% discount repeat audition fee discount, no minimum trading period, no minimum trading volume, educational webinars and trading ideas from Kathy Lien and Boris Schlossberg.

Website language: English

EarnForex rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Become a SurgeTrader!

7. Topstep

Note: Currently, you can only trade futures at Topstep. However, these futures include all major currencies as well.

Two steps:

Step 1

Hit the profit target
Minimum 5 days
Avoid daily loss limit
Avoid maximum drawdown

Step 2

Hit the profit target
Best day less than 40% of total profit
Avoid daily loss limit
Avoid maximum drawdown
Adhere to the scaling plan

Three plans:

$50K

Profit target per step: $3,000
Daily loss limit: $1,000
Maximum drawdown: $2,000
Maximum cumulative position size: 5 contracts
Fee: $165/month

$100K

Profit target per step: $6,000
Daily loss limit: $2,000
Maximum drawdown: $3,000
Maximum cumulative position size: 10 contracts
Fee: $325/month

$150K

Profit target per step: $9,000
Daily loss limit: $3,000
Maximum drawdown: $4,500
Maximum cumulative position size: 15 contracts
Fee: $375/month

Funded conditions: 2% daily loss limit, maximum drawdown: $2k, $3k, $4.5k depending on the starting balance.

News trading: Allowed but discouraged

Account currencies: US dollar

Payout rate: 100% of the first $5,000, 80%/20% after that.

Leverage: N/A

Trading instruments: Equity futures, agriculture futures, currency futures, financial futures, commodity futures.

Commission: $3.70 round turn for Trading Combine and Pro Account; varies per platform for Funded Account. Data subscription fees.

Trading platforms: TSTrader, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Sierra Chart, and others.

Free trial: 14 days

Payment options: PayPal, credit/debit cards

Other features: swing trading account, performance coaching, scaling plan

Website languages: English

EarnForex rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Start with Topstep!

Guide to choosing the best Forex prop firm

Going with a prop firm that is right for your trading style and financial goals in crucial. Although choosing the best one seems to be a non-trivial process, you can easily accomplish this by following our guide to choosing a prop firm.

Understand your needs

Why are you joining a prop firm? Do you need more funds? Do you want to learn to trade under strict risk controls? Is evaluation period suitable for you or is it too long? Will you have place to grow or will you be limited to the same 100k account? All these questions need to be answered if you wish to find your perfect prop firm.

Reputation

There is no regulation in the retail prop trading industry. That is why a company's reputation is paramount. Was it around for a few years? Was it founded by someone you know from the trading community? Do you like how their representatives interact with the community? Many traders rely on TrustPilot ratings nowadays, but those can be (and in some cases are) manipulated.

What do you trade?

Does the prop firm have currency pairs you need? Do they have CFDs you want to trade? If you specialize in some exotic currency pair or other trading instrument, it is best to make sure that you can trade it on a chosen website.

Profit split

Are you OK with 50/50 or do you think that 80/20 is fairer? The issue of a profit split is deeply interconnected with the fee structure, so sometimes you need to balance out what you pay in fees with what you pay in profit splits.

Fees

You don't want to overpay, especially if you aren't getting back any substantial improvements. When considering prop firms that work based on monthly fees, consider whether your profit will exceed monthly fees. Watch for fee reimbursem*nt options when dealing with a profit split company.

Trading platform

Most retail prop firms offer MT4, but there are other platforms available, especially when trading futures. If you need some special platform, it is best to make sure that the prop firm can offer it. If they offer some exotic platform only, make sure it has the features you need. For example, if you often have to trade or perform analysis from a mobile phone, it should offer some sort of a mobile app.

Training and coaches

Even if you are a profitable trader, chances are you can benefit from some kind of training and learning new material. This is where courses come handy. And those proprietary trading companies that are interested in making their traders more profitable offer rather good courses. Moreover, some of them offer coaching too and not only for trading, but also for psychological support, which is often an overlooked factor in a trader's path to success.

Support is important too!

You will run into technical and financial issues when working with a prop firm. If the website can offer timely and professional support, it can be of huge help to avoid extra stress and keep yourself focused on actual trading rather than on accompanying problems.

Watch out for discounts on challenge fees!

Some prop firms run promotions and offer discounts for subscribing to their newsletters and similar stuff. You can benefit from such setups, especially if you are new to prop trading, and spending your hard-earned money on something you don't yet believe will suit you is a difficult choice.

Forex proprietary trading firms FAQ

Below are the answers to the frequently asked questions regarding retail prop firms.

Is prop trading legal?

This depends on the jurisdictions involved. Normally, it is legal for the prop firm to offer a platform and share of profits for a fee. In most countries, it is usually legal for traders to work with such a company. However, you should consult your local lawyer to be 100% sure whether Forex prop trading is legal where you live.

Do prop firms only offer Forex pairs?

No, prop firms also offer CFDs for indices and futures. Some prop firms, in fact, only offer futures trading. So no, prop trading isn't limited to currency pairs.

Can I earn for a living with prop trading?

Although it might seem like an easy opportunity to earn money, prop trading is still very risky. Its main advantage is that you don't need to commit a lot of your own capital to get started. Whether what you earn will be enough to cover your living costs will depend on your proficiency as a trader and the actual cost of your living.

Conclusion

In general, a prop firm is a great way to get started in Forex and financial trading in general if you lack substantial starting funds on your own. For better off traders, prop trading is still a convenient path to better risk management and self-control.

Important: You have to understand that such online Forex prop firms (also often called scouting firms) are not the same traditional proprietary trading companies that actually employ traders and have their interests completely aligned with their traders.

Discuss

If you are interested in prop firm trading and would like to discuss it with other traders, you can join our community forums.