Best Prop Firms in 2026

There is no single best prop firm. The right pick depends on what you trade, how much you want to spend and how quickly you want to be paid. This guide covers the seven firms we review in full and groups them by use case. Every reason below comes from our rules database, which we checked against each firm's official site on 3 November 2026.

How we picked

We only rank firms we have reviewed in depth. For each one we compared the same points:

• Entry price and whether the fee is one-time or monthly.
• Drawdown type (static, end-of-day trailing or intraday trailing) and daily loss rules.
• Time limits, minimum trading days and consistency rules.
• Profit split, payout timing and payout caps.
• Platforms, instruments and restrictions on news, weekends and bots.

We don't use review counts, trader testimonials or "pass rates". Firms rarely publish those in a way that can be checked. If you want the full picture for any firm, open its review page.

Quick picks

• Best for forex/CFD traders: FTMO, with FundedNext as the runner-up.
• Best for futures traders: Topstep, with Tradeify as the runner-up.
• Best for beginners: The5ers, with FundedNext Stellar Lite as an alternative.
• Best low-cost entry: FundedNext (forex) and My Funded Futures (futures).
• Best for fast payouts: Take Profit Trader, with My Funded Futures Rapid as the alternative.

Best for forex: FTMO

FTMO has operated since 2015 from Prague. It offers a 1-Step and a 2-Step challenge, both with no time limit.

Why it stands out

• The 2-Step costs €89 for a 10K account. Its official page lists the fee as refundable once you succeed.
• The 2-Step uses a static 10% maximum loss and a 5% daily loss, with targets of 10% and then 5%.
• It supports MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, and EAs are allowed.
• The official page lists a split of up to 90% of simulated profits.

Downsides

• Funded Standard accounts restrict news trading and weekend holding. The Swing account avoids this.
• The 1-Step uses an end-of-day trailing max loss, a 3% daily limit and a 50% best-day rule. Its fee is not refundable.
• Prices are in EUR, so non-euro traders pay a conversion cost.

Read the full FTMO review.

Runner-up: FundedNext

FundedNext uses a static drawdown on every Stellar challenge and sets no time limit. It also supports four platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader and Match-Trader. The catch: EAs are allowed only on MT4/MT5 accounts under $50K, for an extra fee, and the 95% split also needs an add-on (the base split is 80%). See the FundedNext review.

Best for futures: Topstep

Topstep is a Chicago-based futures firm founded in 2010. It sells a one-step Trading Combine on a monthly subscription.

Why it stands out

• The 50K Standard Path is $49 a month, the lowest headline price among the futures firms we track.
• The maximum loss trails on an end-of-day basis and locks at your starting balance.
• The daily loss limit is optional. You choose it at checkout.
• Its help center states there is no time limit for passing.
• It has a long track record and a defined route from Express Funded Account to live funding.

Downsides

• The subscription rebills every 30 days until you pass or cancel.
• The Standard Path adds a $149 activation fee when you pass. The No Activation Fee Path skips it but costs $95 a month at 50K.
• You must be flat by 3:10 PM CT, with no overnight or weekend holding.
• Trading runs only on its own TopstepX platform, and payouts are capped per request.

Read the full Topstep review.

Runner-up: Tradeify

Tradeify charges a one-time fee with no activation fee and no monthly billing. Its Growth and Select evaluations use an end-of-day trailing drawdown, and Growth has a one-day minimum. Downsides include three account types with different rules, payout caps and no overnight holding. See the Tradeify review.

Best for beginners: The5ers

New traders usually fail on rule breaches, not on bad ideas. So the best beginner firm is the one whose rules forgive mistakes. The5ers has run since 2016.

Why it stands out

• No evaluation has a calendar deadline. Accounts only close after 30 days of inactivity.
• On Hyper Growth, a 3% daily loss pauses trading for that day. It does not end the account.
• Entry plans start low. Our data lists Hyper Growth from $52 and the $20K Bootcamp at $72.
• Scaling plans can take the profit split up to 100%.

Downsides

• Some official pages contradict each other. For example, one page gives two different Phase 1 targets for High Stakes. Check the program page before you buy.
• Funded accounts have per-payout caps and minimums.
• High Stakes bars new orders within 2 minutes of high-impact news.
• Bootcamp and Hyper Growth splits start at 50%.

Read the full The5ers review.

Alternative: FundedNext Stellar Lite

Stellar Lite has a static 8% max loss, a 4% daily loss and targets of 8% then 4%. It needs only 2 trading days per phase and has no time limit. A static floor is easier to manage than a trailing one while you learn.

Best low-cost entry

Forex: FundedNext

The Stellar Lite 5K costs $32.99, the lowest one-time entry price in our database. FundedNext refunds the fee with your third reward. Resets are 10% off the challenge price. The downside is that the refund only comes after three rewards, so most of that fee is a real cost. See the FundedNext review.

Futures: My Funded Futures

My Funded Futures (MFFU) charges one-time fees and $0 activation on every plan. The Studio 5K costs $75 and uses a static max loss with no daily loss limit. The public code CLUB takes 40% off any plan, per the firm's site.

Downsides: evaluation fees are non-refundable, per-size prices are not clearly listed on plan pages, and there is no overnight holding. Builder and Pro use an 80/20 split with payout caps. See the My Funded Futures review.

Topstep's $49 a month looks cheaper, but it rebills and adds activation on the Standard Path. Our guide to the cheapest prop firm challenges works through total cost.

Best for fast payouts: Take Profit Trader

Take Profit Trader is a US futures firm with a one-step Test billed monthly.

Why it stands out

• PRO accounts can withdraw from day one, with no minimum profitable days and no maximum withdrawal.
• The firm says payouts typically arrive within one business day.
• The Test uses an end-of-day trailing drawdown that stops rising at the starting balance.
• Only 3 trading days are required, and a consistency breach does not fail the account.

Downsides

• The Test is a monthly subscription. Base prices were not shown on the official pages we checked.
• PRO switches to an intraday trailing drawdown and an 80/20 split. PRO+ pays 90/10.
• Funded accounts must be flat around major news, and there is no overnight holding.
• Trades must be placed manually.
• TPT's help center lists daily loss limits of $500 to $3,300 by size. Confirm which account types they apply to.

Read the full Take Profit Trader review.

Alternative: My Funded Futures Rapid

MFFU's Rapid plan pays daily with a 90/10 split. The trade-off is an intraday trailing drawdown, which follows open profit as well as closed profit.

How to choose between them

1. Pick your market first. Forex and CFD traders should start with FTMO, FundedNext or The5ers. Futures traders should look at Topstep, Tradeify, MFFU or Take Profit Trader. Our forex vs futures guide explains the differences.
2. Match the drawdown to your style. Static is the most forgiving. End-of-day trailing is next. Intraday trailing is the strictest. See trailing vs static drawdown.
3. Count the full cost. Add monthly rebills, activation fees and likely resets.
4. Read the payout rules. Look at the first payout date, frequency, caps and any consistency rule.
5. Check restrictions. News, weekend holding, overnight holding and bot rules can rule a firm out for your strategy.

You can line these firms up side by side on our comparison page and check current codes on prop firm discounts.

Bottom line

FTMO and Topstep are the most established names in forex and futures. FundedNext and My Funded Futures offer the lowest entry prices. The5ers forgives beginner mistakes best, and Take Profit Trader has the most flexible withdrawals. Each has real trade-offs, so match the rules to how you trade, not to the headline price.

Prices and rules were checked on 3 November 2026 and change often. Confirm current terms on each firm's own site before you buy. This is educational content, not financial advice; trading involves risk. FundedKings may earn a commission when you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.