There's no single best prop firm
A firm that suits a scalper can be wrong for a swing trader, and a cheap fee can cost more in the end if the daily limit is tight enough to end the account on one bad day. Before comparing, know four things about yourself: how much you usually lose on a bad day, whether you hold trades overnight or over the weekend, whether you trade the news, and whether you use an EA. Those decide which rules matter.
Also check where you live. Two of the firms below, FTMO and FundedNext, are on RBI's Alert List; they're here for comparison only and we don't link to them. Prop firms in India explains what the list means.
Two-step $100,000 accounts compared
| Firm and account | Fee | Targets | Daily loss | Maximum loss | Minimum days | Split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO 2-Step · on RBI's Alert List | €540 | 10% / 5% | 5% | 10% static | 4 per phase | 80%, up to 90% |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step · on RBI's Alert List | $549.99 | 8% / 5% | 5% of the starting balance | 10% static | 5 | 80% |
| The5ers High Stakes | Not confirmed | 10% / 5% | 5% | 10% static | 3 profitable days per step | 80%, up to 100% with scaling |
| FundingPips 2-Step Standard | $529 | 8% / 5% | 3% or 5%, chosen at checkout | 10% static | 3 | 60% to 100%, set by the payout schedule |
| FXIFY Two-Phase Pro | $599 | 4% / 8% | 4% | 8% static | 3 per phase | 80% |
| Alpha Capital Alpha Pro 8% | $577, or $527 with on-demand payouts | 8% / 5% | 4% | 8% static | 3 per phase | 80%, or 90% with an add-on |
| Maven 2-Step | $440 | 8% / 5% | 4% | 8% static | 3 profitable days per phase | 80% |
| Blue Guardian 2 Step Standard | Not confirmed | 8% / 4% | 4% | 8% static | 3 profitable days | 85% |
| GFT 2-Step Standard | Not confirmed | 10% / 5% | 5% | 10% static | 3 per phase | 80% |
| GFT 2-Step GOAT | Not confirmed | 8% / 6% | 4% | 10% static | 3 per phase | 80% |
How to read it: the first target is for phase 1 and the second for phase 2. A static maximum loss is measured from the starting balance and never moves, so a $100,000 account with a 10% static limit is closed at $90,000 however much it made first. "Daily loss" is measured differently from firm to firm, from the starting balance, from the day's opening balance or from the higher of balance and equity at the daily reset, and that difference matters more than half a percent either way.
E8 Markets isn't in the table because it now sells only one-phase evaluations. Its E8 One account was listed at $488 for $100,000 on 3 October 2026.
Payouts and platforms
| Firm | When you can be paid | Platforms |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO | 14 days after the first trade on the funded account | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView |
| FundedNext | After a first 21-day cycle, then every 14 days | MT4, MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader |
| The5ers | 14 days after the funded account starts, then every 2 weeks | MT5, cTrader, TradingView |
| FundingPips | Weekly, every 2 weeks, monthly or on demand, depending on the split you pick | MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader |
| FXIFY | Every 10 days on Two-Phase Pro, according to FXIFY's blog (April 2026) | TradingView, MT5, DXtrade |
| Alpha Capital | Every 2 weeks, or on demand | MT5, cTrader, DXtrade, TradeLocker |
| Maven | Every 10 business days after your first trade | MT5, Match-Trader |
| Blue Guardian | After 14 days, then every 14 days | MT5, Match-Trader, TradeLocker |
| GFT | Every 14 days, after 3 profitable days (4 for accounts bought from 25 July 2026) | MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader, TradeLocker |
What the table doesn't show
- Consistency and best-day rules. Several firms cap how much of your profit can come from one day before they'll pay. Read our consistency rule guide.
- News and weekend rules. Some firms remove profit from trades opened just before high-impact news or held over the weekend.
- Margin and leverage limits. Gold and indices often get much lower leverage than forex, and GFT treats trades using more than 80% of margin as gambling. Check with the margin rule calculator.
- Refunds. FTMO refunds the 2-Step fee with the first reward (the 1-Step fee isn't refunded), FXIFY with the first payout on request, Maven with the third withdrawal and Blue Guardian after the fourth payout. Check each firm's terms.
- Payout fees and caps. Blue Guardian takes a 3% processing fee and The5ers a 3.5% commission on withdrawals.
How to choose, step by step
- Start with your worst normal day. If you sometimes lose 3% in a day, a 3% daily limit will end the account. Pick a firm with room above your worst day.
- Match the drawdown type to your style. Static limits suit traders who build profit and then give some back; trailing limits punish that.
- Count the minimum days. A 4-day minimum in each phase means at least 8 trading days before you're funded.
- Price the attempt, not the account. If you expect to need two tries, the real cost is two fees, unless the firm offers cheaper resets.
- Read the funded rules. Some rules only start once you're funded, such as GFT's Goat Guard or a cap on daily profit.
Whichever firm you pick, the rules come down to how much you can lose today and in total. Work out today's room with the drawdown calculator, size each trade from its stop with the prop firm lot size calculator, and check your odds of reaching the target first with the risk of ruin calculator.
Want the full rules for one firm? See GFT, The5ers, Blue Guardian , Maven and Alpha Capital, or compare instant funding accounts and futures prop firms.