The Top 8 Prop Trading Firms in The Futures Market
Increasing your earning potential by trading using a proprietary trading firm’s capital is a good strategy. In this article, we’ll walk you through some of the top firms on the market and assist you in selecting the ideal one for you.
| Name | Topstep | Apex Trader Funding | Take Profit Trader | BluSky Trading | UProfit | Fast Track Trading | Elite Trader Funding | Earn2Trade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenge Passability | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | Instant Funding | 9.5/10 | 9.5/10 |
| Minimum Days to a Check | 9/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 9.5/10 | 10/10 | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Initial Balance | $50k-$150k | $25k – $300k | $25k – $150k | $25k – $200k | $9k – $200k | $25K – $300K | $50k – $300k | $25k-$400k |
| Profit Split Model | 90% | 90% | 80-90% | 90% | 80% | 100% for the first 8-12 payouts then 90% | 90% | 80% |
| Tradable Assets | Futures (indices, metals, oil, currencies, etc.) | Futures (indices, metals, oil, currencies, etc.) | Futures (indices, metals, oil, currencies, etc.) | Futures (indices, metals, oil, currencies, etc.) | Futures (indices, metals, oil, currencies, etc.) | Futures (indices, metals, oil, currencies, etc.) | Futures (indices, metals, oil, currencies, etc.) | Futures (indices, metals, oil, currencies, etc.) |
| Full Review | Topstep | Apex | TakeProfit | BluSky | UProfit | Fast Track | ETF | Earn2Trade |
| Discounts /Promotions | Topstep Coupon Code | Apex Special Offer | TakeProfit Coupon Code | BluSky Discount Code | UProfit Coupon Code | Fast Track Promo | ETF Coupon Code | Earn2Trade Coupon Code |
Disclaimer – Please bear in mind that “passability” is a subjective determination based on a number of criteria, including performance on the assessments, goal-to-drawdown ratio, and rules. A prop firm being labeled as “passable” does not guarantee 100% success!
Outcomes aren’t always guaranteed; this rating indicates the very minimum of time you might need to wait in order to get paid if you succeed, depending on things like when you pass the assessment. It’s crucial to remember that the majority of traders experience first failure.
What Is the Best Futures Prop Firm
Prop trading firms are unique and each have distinctive features that differentiate them from one another. To assist you in your decision-making, we have thoroughly investigated a few of the top players in the field. The top eight futures prop firms, in our perspective, and the reasons why, are as follows:
- Topstep: Best for educational resources.
- Apex Trader Funding: The cheapest option with the most payouts.
- Take Profit Trader: The best prop firm for quick payouts (from day one) and at any time.
- BluSky Trading Company: Best for traders who don’t want to pay setup fees for their funded accounts.
- Fast Track Funding: The best drawdown to profit target ratios and instant funding.
- UProfit: The best program offering withdrawals at any time and no monthly data fees.
- Elite Trader Funding: Best for futures traders looking to manage multiple accounts with end-of-day drawdown limits.
- Earn2Trade (Trader Career Path): Offers the biggest single account in the industry.
Topstep: Ideal for Learning and Additional Resources
For futures traders who like personalized trading tools, a helpful community, and live trade-along broadcasts, Topstep is the best prop trading firm. The attractiveness is increased by a sizable funding bonus, a free reset for locked accounts on the day of your membership renewal, and a free trial that lets you give it a try before you buy.
The firm’s best attribute is its proprietary trading platform, TopstepX, which offers an integrated trade copier and no commissions. It also combines TradingView charts. It also makes it easy to scale with micros and gives you the option to lock your accounts manually, set daily P&L limitations to alert you, or have your accounts automatically locked. Many instructional tools are available, such as the opportunity to trade in addition to daily live broadcasts and market summaries from professional traders.
Furthermore, the opportunity to trade five accounts at once, starting with a $750,000 starting amount.
The main drawback is that you have to make at least $200 in profit over a minimum of five trading days—which don’t have to be consecutive—between each withdrawal. Even while these and other withdrawal limits might be inconvenient, they are merely meant to assist you manage your account and will become more lenient the more discipline you exhibit.
To summarize, Topstep is an excellent option for anyone seeking first-rate instructional materials. It also offers a free trial, a monthly reset, and an end-of-day trailing drawdown.
Additional Characteristics
- Retain 100% of your profits you up to the first $10,000, then 90%.
- TopstepX.
- Excellent instruction and mentoring from seasoned futures traders.
- You don’t lose your account when you reach the Daily Loss Limit.
- If you violate any of the rules, you can either purchase a $100 reset or have your account automatically reset when your membership renews.
- In addition to a free data feed for the evaluation period, funded and evaluation accounts also come with a free NinjaTrader license.
- Trade using the prop firm’s funds, only assuming the risk of your membership fee. After funding, the subscription price is waived.
- You may test the assessment program for free before committing.
- EOD (End of Day) drawdown caps to prevent your risk buffer from being reduced by unrealized profits.
Account Fees
Topstep offers the following three account sizes:
- $50,000 Account: $165 monthly until you meet the requirements. Ideal for beginners wishing to try out Topstep’s program.
- $100,000 Account: $325 a month until you meet the requirements for the evaluation. Excellent for seasoned traders hoping to take out a little bit more profit.
- $150,000 Account: $375 monthly, up to your eligibility. Perfect for traders looking to increase their profits.
Apex Trader Funding: Best for the Cheapest Evaluations and Most Payouts
Proprietary trading firm Apex Trader Funding is well-known for its large growth potential and handsome payments. Because it gives you access to up to $6,000,000 in funding and lets you trade the same technique across 20 accounts with a 90% profit split, we think it’s the best option for funded futures traders.
The best feature of Apex is that you can trade up to $6 million in capital and earn a 90% profit share by copy-trading up to 20 accounts with deals made in a single account.
If you lose your account, a free monthly reset is offered when you renew your membership.
The biggest drawback is that evaluation accounts have an intraday trailing threshold that is subject to rise even in the event that no gains are realized. On a funded account, however, trailing ends when your withdrawal equals your initial value plus an additional $100.
Only two withdrawals are permitted each month, which is an improvement over the prior policy of one withdrawal each month.
If you utilize NinjaTrader or Quantower copy-traders to trade up to 20 accounts at once, Apex Trader Funding is perfect for futures traders looking to earn a sizable profit share.
The $50K FULL plan, which has an excellent drawdown-to-profit-target ratio, is where we recommend starting. The $50K plan gives you more freedom and is almost as excellent as the $25K plan, even though it delivers the best ratio.
Additional Characteristics
- This is the largest profit split offered in the industry: get 100% of your first $25,000 in profits from your funded account, plus a 90% profit share on any additional earnings.
- Trade up to 20 contracts with a single login, allowing for easy scaling without the need for several account management tasks.
- There is no chance of failure because of scaling concerns since proprietary technology makes sure you can’t go above the contract limit specified for your account.
- You can focus on your long-term success because there are no daily drawdown caps and only a clear maximum drawdown.
- You might begin making actual earnings in two weeks thanks to the one-step review procedure, which allows you to qualify for finance in as little as seven days.
- During news events, you can continue to employ your typical techniques.
- If your account is blown, you can get a free evaluation reset with your membership renewal, which saves you from having to pay $80 at Apex, which is cheaper than you’ll find elsewhere.
Account Fees
There are eight funding packages offered by Apex Trader Funding. We’ll look at the prices for four of them and the one alternative because seven of these are quite identical (they simply differ in account sizes).
- $25k FULL: $147 a month.
- $50k FULL: $167 a month is the perfect option for traders who wish to learn about Apex and make a respectable living at the same time.
- $75k Full: $187 a month.
- $100k FULL: $207 a month – This program is less expensive than the majority of other programs of a similar size offered in the market and provides a decent profit objective to drawdown ratio.
- $150k Full: $297 a month.
- $250k FULL: $517 a month is an excellent rate for traders hoping to generate a significant profit.
- $300k FULL: $657 a month is ideal for traders looking to maximize their profits.
- $100k STATIC: $137 per month; there is no trailing barrier; to be eligible for financing, there must be a $2,000 profit objective and a $625 static drawdown.
- Data Fees: Apex Professional Account holders are required to pay data fees, much like many other prop businesses. Still, at $85 a month, these are far less expensive than what the majority of other companies charge. By opting to pay a one-time data price, you might potentially save money over time.
- Test Resets Fees: $80 each, up to an infinite quantity of resets. If you blow your account, you get free resets when your membership renews.
Take Profit Trader: The Greatest from Day One for Payments at Any Moment
From day one, payouts are accessible with Take Profit Trader. Additionally, the firm offers you the ability to reset your Pro Funded Account for a charge, a feature not often offered by other futures prop firms. After you’ve made a specific amount with your Pro account, you’ll also be eligible for a Pro+ live account.
The finest feature is that Take Profit Trader is perfect for traders who want a lot of flexibility in terms of when they may make withdrawals because it allows you to take your winnings immediately from day one (subject to buffer restrictions with a Pro account, but not with Pro+).
The drawback is that your account will be closed if you exceed the firm’s daily loss cap, which some consider to be a strict measure.
TakeProfitTrader is a solid option if you value quick profit withdrawals and have the self-control to stay within the daily loss cap. The $25,000 plan, which starts at $150 per month, is the greatest option for achieving the ideal profit objective to drawdown ratio of 1:1.
Additional characteristics
- Same-day payouts, if you request withdrawals at any moment.
- No mandatory scaling plan, you get to trade at your own pace and build your account at a level that suits your preferences.
- After showcasing your skills with a funded Pro account, you might be eligible for a Pro+ account that offers more rewards, more freedom, and fewer restrictions.
- Trade up to five Pro accounts with a maximum capital of $750,000.
- In just two days, pass your evaluation and become eligible for a funded account.
- You can pay a charge to reset your funded account up to three times.
- Pro accounts don’t have any monthly data costs.
- Daily twelve-hour support available via live chat.
- Trading on mobile devices as well as PC applications that work with Tradovate or Rithmic (CQG data).
- 10 mini contracts are equivalent to one micro.
Account Fees
Take Profit Trader offers five distinct funding packages, each with end-of-day drawdowns. The account fees are as follows:
- $25K Account = $150 monthly
- $50K Account = $170 monthly
- $75K Account = $245 monthly
- $100K Account = $330 monthly
- $150K Account = $360 monthly
- Pro Set up = $130
- Data Fees: If you go from a funded Pro account to a Pro+ live brokerage account, you will be charged $130 per month (which is equivalent to the CME monthly data price).
- Test Resets Fees: Available for an infinite number of resets for $100 per reset. If your account expires on the renewal date, it will also be reset upon renewal.
BluSky Trading: The Top Emerging Prop Firm
Despite just being founded in 2022, BluSky Trading Company has already gained a lot of notoriety for their trading assessments. You can receive unlimited payouts and there is no setup cost for funded accounts. There is also no minimum trading day requirement.
The finest feature is that funded accounts have no setup fees (until you switch to a live brokerage account, in which case you can be assessed CME data fees).
The least appealing feature is that BluSky’s profit goal to loss-limit ratios aren’t among the best in the business, although still pretty strong for $25K and $50K accounts.
BluSky, in summary, is a wise choice if you want to deal with a dynamic new firm that doesn’t charge startup costs for funded accounts. We suggest starting with a $50K plan, and don’t forget to check out the firm’s trading competitions for a chance to win money and funded accounts.
Additional Characteristics
- The one rule that can lead to failure is going over your total loss cap, so watch out for that.
- Without a set strategy, you may grow at your own speed. If you do well over time, you may even be eligible for a personalized offer.
- Start with a 90% profit share, which means you keep almost all of your earnings.
- There is no consistency rule to be concerned about after funding.
- You can pass in eight days or, if you’d rather, take your time.
- Once you are financed, there is no minimum number of trading days, so you can get paid on the same day as the transaction.
- Take control of risk; funded accounts have no daily loss cap or consistency requirement.
- Email, phone, and live chat are the accessible support channels.
- Participate in trading contests to win free live accounts and additional money.
Account Fees
There are four financing schemes offered by BluSky, three trailing drawdown accounts, and one static program with a set drawdown:
- $25K Advanced: $136/month—this plan has the best profit target-to-drawdown ratio.
- $50K Premium: $189/month—expands your available funds for growth.
- $100K Premium+: $657/month—offers BluSky’s largest drawdown amount, but the profit target-to-drawdown ratio is less favorable ($6K profit target, $2,500 drawdown).
- $150K Static Growth: $199/month—features an $800 static drawdown cap.
- $100K Static Account: $137/month—offers a $625 static drawdown and $2,000 profit target.
- Data Fees: CME charges a monthly data fee when moving from a funded account to a live brokerage account.
- Evaluation Resets Fees: $85 per reset with unlimited resets. You can also request a free reset upon membership renewal.
Fast Track Trading: The Only Prop Firm with Instant Funded Accounts
Fast Track Trading offers instant funding. You get to start trading with a funded account with a 100% profit split using real funds as soon as you join up and complete your payment. There are regulations to follow and profits to be made, but there are no assessments to pass, no monthly fees, and no additional funding costs. The prop firm provides the option to upgrade you to a live account with a 90/10 profit share after 8–12 payments.
The best feature is that there is no assessment or exam required; you may trade with a funded account right away.
The main drawback is that there is a hefty upfront fee that must be paid by wire, ACH, or WISE. Still, Fast Track Funding is a terrific deal compared to competitors’ assessment costs plus funded account activation fees. Additionally, the prop firm is still hosted on the public Rithmic server.
To put it briefly, Fast Track Trading is the firm to use if you want to begin funded trading right away and avoid the inconvenience of assessments. We suggest that you begin with either the $179 monthly $25K plan or the $599 monthly $150K plan. All plans, however, have a 1:1 drawdown to profit target ratio.
Additional Characteristics
- Skip the assessment completely and begin making money in five days.
- The industry’s only drawdown to profit goal ratio of 1:1.
- With end-of-day drawdowns, unrealized gains won’t be a loss for you.
- No drawdown on a daily basis.
- Unlike other prop firms, this one doesn’t charge any commissions at all.
- Free of charge entry to Premium Quantower.
- Until you are eligible for a live account, you will keep all of your profits (you will still receive a 90% profit split).
- No recurring costs.
- Trade up to 20 accounts that are quickly financed and up to $6 million in capital.
- If you don’t pass, you can reset your financed account three times (at a cost).
- Access to a help email and phone.
- Ten mini contracts are equivalent to one micro.
Account Fees
There are four trading accounts offered by Fast Track Funding, all of which have a one-time cost and are funded instantly:
- $25K Account = $179.
- $50K Account = $449.
- $150K Account = $599.
- $300K Account = $799.
You can even purchase back 50% of your balance from the prior day for 10% of the cost using Fast Track Funding. For example, if you blow your account and the amount was $5,000 at the end of the previous day, you might recover $2,500 of that loss by paying a $250 charge. Remember that resets are granted at the firm’s discretion and may occasionally be refused.
UProfit: No Monthly Fees and Anytime Withdrawals
Both seasoned traders and newcomers to the market get to access substantial sums of funds with UProfit prop firm. The firm’s clear policies, no monthly fees for funded accounts, and anytime withdrawal options have won us over.
The best feature is that you can apply for a $200K funded account in only five days and not pay any monthly fees. Once approved, you can start scaling up by opening new accounts.
The biggest drawback is that, while 80% profit sharing is great, it is not the highest in the sector.
To put it briefly, UProfit is the best option for traders of all skill levels who wish to swiftly increase their buying power, take frequent gains, and avoid paying monthly fees for their funded accounts.
We suggest beginning with the $100K plan, which costs $315 a month, then scaling up with additional $200K accounts.
Additional Characteristics
- Whether you have a funded or evaluation account, there are no license fees for NinjaTrader 8, and data feeds are free for any platform that supports Rithmic Data.
- You won’t be charged any monthly fees when you’re financed, so you can focus only on trading without having to worry about additional expenses. A nominal one-time charge is required to initiate your account; however, this is far less than the cumulative amount of monthly costs.
- Withdrawals are handled without further criteria and within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.
- You may enjoy your gains early and reinvest them to scale up new accounts since you keep all of your first $15,000 in profits.
- With only one login, trade up to three accounts and $600,000 in money. With this configuration, you may employ copy-trading to spread your risk and stay below your loss threshold. There can be an infinite number of accounts, but only three per login.
- Since micro contracts are worth one-tenth of e-mini contracts, you may trade the right amount for your account and change positions as necessary.
- Without limitations or unique guidelines, you may trade during news events, taking advantage of significant market moves to leverage your finest methods.
Account Fees
UProfit offers four assessment programs, each requiring a minimum of five trading days. Below is a list of these items’ prices:
- $9K Basic Account: $89 a month until Funding is approved. Perfect for those who are new to the trading sector. $900 profit objective, $350 daily loss cap, $800 pro drawdown, maximum of 5 contracts (50 micros).
- $50K Advanced Account: $160 a month until funding is approved. Excellent for traders looking to earn a little bit more money. $1,100 Daily Loss Cap, $2,000 Pro Drawdown, 6 Contracts Max (60 Micros), $2,500 Profit Target.
- Elite $100K Account: $315 a month till funding approval. Most suitable for traders who want to make significant profits but aren’t yet ready for the largest plan. $6,000 profit objective, maximum contract size of 12 (120 micros), daily loss cap of $2,200, and pro drawdown of $3,000.
- Premium $200K Account: $580 a month till funding approval. Ideal for traders looking to make the most money in the shortest amount of time. $10,000 profit objective; maximum of 20 contracts (200 micros); daily loss cap of $4,000; pro drawdown of $5,000.
Elite Trader Funding: Best Prop Firm With 20 Accounts and EOD Trailing Drawdowns
For futures traders that would rather have their loss limit changed only on the basis of their day-end profit and loss, Elite Trader Funding is a great prop firm. Features like a sizable funding bonus, inexpensive reset costs, and a free reset for locked accounts on the date of the subscription renewal make it a compelling choice. In order to facilitate trialling the service before committing, the company also provides a free trial.
The best feature is that you can reset frozen accounts for free with a monthly membership, so if you breach the rules, you don’t have to buy anything more in the middle of the month if you’d rather wait. Moreover, up to 20 accounts may be traded at once, with a beginning balance of up to $3 million.
Finally, among the greatest in the business, the 90% profit split allows you to keep a larger portion of your earnings than in most other firms.
A major drawback is that withdrawals are permitted only on the first of the month, and requests must be made 10–15 days in advance. These additional withdrawal restrictions, which may seem inconvenient at first, are meant to support you in keeping your account.
To sum up, if you’re looking for an account with a trailing end-of-day drawdown, Elite Trader Funding is the best option. Along with the greatest fundraising incentive and a monthly reset, the free trial is an enticing benefit. It is recommended to begin with the $150K EOD evaluation account and gradually increase the account size until the desired balance is achieved.
Additional Characteristics
- You get a 90% profit split after keeping 100% of your first $12,500 in profit.
- Using a single login, manage up to 20 accounts and scale financing to $3,000,000. To make things easier, trades from your primary account can be duplicated to other accounts.
- If you fail and breach a rule, your account will be automatically reset upon membership renewal, or you may purchase a $75 reset.
- Accurately sizing trades, controlling risk, and scaling efficiently depend on treating micro e-mini contracts as one tenth of an e-mini contract.
- During the assessment, you will receive a free data feed and a free NinjaTrader license for funded and evaluation accounts, respectively.
- The only risk you have as a trader is the amount you pay for your membership. You get to use the firm’s cash.
- The subscription price expires once you’re financed, and all you have to pay the exchange is a fair $80 monthly data fee.
- You may test out the assessment software with the free trial before committing.
- You have additional freedom since the EOD (End of Day) drawdown limits prevent unrealized profits from tightening your risk limit.
Account Fees
Note that the $150K Evaluation account is not mentioned here, but you can learn more about it by visiting the website of Elite Trader Funding. There are five distinct account sizes offered by Elite Trader Funding, and each has an end-of-day drawdown policy:
- $50K Evaluation: $165/month until funding approval. Great for beginner traders learning the platform.
- $100K Evaluation: $205/month until funding. Perfect for newer traders seeking a bit more profit.
- $150K Account: $295/month until funding. Best for those aiming for a decent trading income.
- $250K Evaluation: $515/month, suitable account for traders wanting to scale.
- $300K Account: $655/month until funding. Ideal for full-time traders looking to manage multiple accounts and increase their earnings potential.
Earn2Trade’s Trader Career Path: The Largest Single Account in The Industry
A prop firm scaling plan called the Earn2Trade Trader Career Path facilitates traders’ smooth transition from a $50K evaluation to a $400K funded account. Because of its easy-to-understand progression, extensive contract availability, and sensible risk management guidelines, it’s a great choice for beginners.
The top features include:
- You will receive a $20K fixed drawdown upon reaching the $400K funded threshold, which is significantly more than what other futures prop firms give.
- Additionally, unlike other firms who hold you in LiveSim until they determine you’re ready for real trading, you have the opportunity to trade with live margin accounts as soon as you’re funded.
The major drawback is that it’s obviously not the fastest route, since you have to gradually work your way up to $400K. But generally speaking, it’s a good idea to start small and work your way up, not to mention that you’ll be making money in the meantime.
To put it briefly, Earn2Trade is an excellent option for those who are new to the prop trading scene and want to trade futures with real capital without having to risk their own money. A trading career may be optimally commenced with the $400K funded account offered by the business, which has a $20K fixed loss limit.
Additional Characteristics
- Trade real money with a relatively cheap $100 minimum withdrawal requirement, and receive payment.
- Prompt customer help (even before you trade with the company) and a lively community of peers on Discord.
- Several trading systems, including as NinjaTrader 8, Bookmap, and Quantower.
- A fixed drawdown account up to $400K in size.
- Within ten minutes of registering, you will have all you need for a quick account setup, allowing you to start trading right away or get ready for your next trading session.
- The purpose of the simple and rather unambiguous risk management guidelines is to assist you in maintaining your account and performing well on the evaluation.
- User-friendly dashboard, which is packed with useful tools to help you get better at trading and monitor your progress.
Account Fees
The Trader Career Path from Earn2Trade is available at two distinct pricing points:
- Trader Career Path $25K: $150 a month up until funding is approved; after that, you can take profits out and work toward moving up to a $200K account.
- Trade Career Path $50K: You must pay $190 a month until you are approved for funding. After that, you may take withdrawals and work your way up to a $400K account.
- $100K Account: $315/month.
- $150K Account: $350/month.
- $200K Account: $550/month.
Earn2Trade also offers frequent assessments, known as Gauntlet Minis, but we won’t dive into them here because we believe the Trader Career Path programs are the better.
Our Top Three Futures Prop Firms
As a very brief summary, here are our top three choices:
Topstep: The greatest option if you want access to an invaluable learning center, funded accounts, and a clear path to profit sharing once Traders demonstrate consistent success.
Apex Trader Funding: The greatest option for the lowest assessment costs and the biggest returns in the business.
Take Profit Trader: The greatest option if you want to be able to take money out of your Pro Account right away and have it processed every day.
Check out our top seven prop firms in the table below for a concise overview:
Prop Firm Program | Who’s It Best For? | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Topstep | Futures traders who want education and EOD drawdown limits | Starts at $165 per month |
| Apex Trader Funding | Cheap evaluations, most payouts reported | Starts at $147 per month |
| Take Profit Trader | Best for Day 1 and anytime payouts | Starts at $119 one-off |
| BluSky Trading Company | Futures traders who want to avoid funded account setup fees. | Starts at $136 per month |
| Fast Track Trading | Instant Funding, 1:1 ratios | Starts at $179 one-off |
| UProfit | Futures traders who want anytime withdrawals and no monthly fees | Starts at $89 per month |
| Elite Trader Funding (EOD) | Futures traders who want EOD drawdown limits and 20 accounts | Starts at $150 per month |
| Earn2Trade Trader Career Path | Beginner futures traders | Starts at $150 per month |
FAQs
What Is a Prop Trading Firm?
Prop firms, sometimes known as proprietary trading firms, provide traders with financial access in return for a portion of the profits they make. To aid in the success of its traders, many of these companies also offer additional resources including technology, education, and assistance.
Prop firms have been on the market for a while, but in the last five years, their number has significantly increased, providing more traders with the opportunity to obtain the cash they require to generate a healthy profit from trading.
Are Prop Trading Firms Legitimate?
Indeed! Prop trading firms are real companies. Although there are dishonest people in every profession, it doesn’t appear that any prop firms have made it their mission to defraud their traders. But not all firms are created equal, and some, especially the more recent ones, seem more concerned with making money off of its traders than with assisting them in being successful.
As such, the most crucial element we take into account when rating a firm is its dedication to trader success. Only companies who sincerely care about assisting traders in their endeavors and who design their programs to further that end are of interest to us.
How Do Prop Trading Firms Make Money?
The top prop firms concentrate on generating revenue by assisting more traders in becoming lucrative and taking a cut of the earnings made by successful traders. Although they do receive money from fees, their true focus is on trader success since it will ultimately provide more profits.
For example, a firm that takes 10% of your profits will make $2,000 per month if your profits are $20,000 on average. They would gain $6,000 in three months, and if you keep becoming better, the prop firm’s profits will increase as well.
In contrast, consider a trader who fails and pays $200 a month for three months before giving up. The firm only makes $600, and it has no more revenue. The top players prioritize this since it is obvious that assisting you in succeeding will also assist the firm in succeeding.
How Do I Choose the Best Prop Trading Firm?
The primary objective is long-term trading success, therefore you should select a prop firm according to features that will enable you to accomplish that. While this is undoubtedly a personal choice, we can at least offer you an indication of the characteristics of a prop firm that is interested in your success and vice versa!
Crucial criteria include:
- Urge you to trade systematically, establishing boundaries and guidelines to assist in the formation of strict routines.
- Offer trading choices that fit your desired degree of risk (micro futures, for instance, for smaller accounts).
- Reduce expenses and provide the required technologies to facilitate trading capital access.
- Give you the freedom to employ the tactics and methods that are most effective for you.
- Urge you to assess your ideas and behavior on a regular basis and to deal with any problems you may have in your trade.
- Encourage your development and learning even if the company doesn’t offer you any formal educational materials.
- Put simple risk management guidelines into practice.
- Provide you the option to progressively scale up in accordance with your performance and risk management skills.
Red flags to avoid:
- Adopt intricate regulations that will elude you.
- Don’t allow appropriate sizing (for example treating micro e-mini contracts the same as one e-mini contract).
- Charge exorbitant fees that hinder your ability to turn a profit or even break even.
- Impose regulations that prevent you from utilizing the trading methods that suit you well or force you to trade using tactics you’re uncomfortable with.
- Put pressure on you to expand rapidly.
- Give you deadlines for completing tasks like passing your evaluation; otherwise, you risk making poor decisions, overtrading, and forming bad habits.
How Much Does a Prop Trader Earn?
Prop traders don’t get paid, and firms don’t disclose their earnings. While some more recent funding businesses provide aggregate compensation amounts, the revenues of individual traders are kept confidential. Trading is difficult, and not everyone can make a living at it.
Over the course of their careers, some traders have made over $50 million; some consistently earn millions of dollars yearly; many traders earn between $100K and $300K, with a few years earning $500,000 or more. It’s interesting to note that none of these prosperous entrepreneurs frequently flaunt their wealth. The finest traders would still work for less because they enjoy it and are more interested in documenting their victories and mistakes in their trading notebooks.
Therefore, the true query is: Do you find trading enjoyable and does it contribute to your way of life? If yes, go ahead and do it!
Additional Prop Firms on the Market
Of the 31 companies listed below, we selected our eight favorites:
- TakeProfit Trader
- Apex Trader Funding
- Fast Track Trading
- Uprofit
- Blusky Trading Company
- Elite Trader Funding (EOD Drawdown)
- TopstepX
- Earn2Trade Trader Career Path
- Trade Day
- Funded Trading Plus
- OneUp Trader
- FTMO
- FundedNext
- Fidelcrest
- Trade The Pool
- The Funded Trader
- The Alpha Trader Firm
- Traders With Edge (Evaluation Programs)
- Traders With Edge (Instant Funded)
- Top Tier Trader
- Audacity Capital
- TheProp Trading
- ELEV8
- Integra Capital
- GreatPoint Capital
- SMB Capital
- Kershner Trading Group
- T3
- Maverick Trading
- Complete Capital
- ExcellentPoint Capital
- SMB Finance
- Trading Group Kershner
- T3
- Trading Maverick