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The Best Prop Firms in 2026, Ranked by Verified Score
29 firms · TVSM-PF v2.0.2 · Derived live from the scoring database · Freshest verification 2026-06-24
This is not a listicle. Every rank below comes from a live composite score computed under published criteria against cited primary-source evidence — the firm’s own rules documents, terms of service, and regulator registers. Firms we refuse to recommend stay on the list with a Research Only label and no affiliate links, because a ranking that only shows firms it gets paid by is an advertisement, not a ranking.
The full ranking
| # | Firm | TVSM Score | Best for | Challenge fee | Drawdown model | Payout split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FTMO | 79.9Strong | Forex traders in Europe, Asia, Australia, or LATAM with at least 6 months of st… | EUR 155–1,080 | Static (max 10% from initial balanc… | 80% standard (90% after sca… |
| 2 | Earn2Trade | 79.6Strong | Long-horizon CME futures traders who want a multi-year track record, formal exa… | Trader Career Path exam ~$1… | Trailing Drawdown until top-tier fu… | 80/20 in trader favour acro… |
| 3 | Tradeify | 78Strong | CME futures intraday traders who want EOD trailing drawdown over Apex-style tra… | Growth $50K ~$129/mo; $150K… | EOD trailing — balance-based; e.g. … | 90% on sim-funded (Growth /… |
| 4 | Funding Pips | 77.5Strong | Forex traders who want a challenger firm with competitive pricing and a static … | ~$450–$550 for $100K | Static max loss 8% from initial bal… | 80% standard (90% after sca… |
| 5 | The Trading Pit | 77.3Strong | Multi-asset traders who want to keep forex, futures, and stocks under one firm … | ~$450–$550 for $100K (compe… | Static (Prime) or trailing (Classic… | 80% (scales with milestones) |
| 6 | Hola Prime | 77.2Strong | Forex / multi-asset traders outside North America who value institutional-grade… | From $48 (small accounts); … | Balance-based with EOD updates; 3%/… | Pro/Prime: 65% weekly / 80%… |
| 7 | Blue Guardian | 76.2Strong | Forex traders looking for a UK-jurisdiction firm with predictable rules and a c… | ~$500–$600 for $100K | Static max loss 8% from initial bal… | 80% standard (scales to 85%… |
| 8 | MyFundedFutures | 76Strong | CME futures intraday traders prioritising fast payouts, EOD trailing drawdown, … | Core from $77/mo; Rapid fro… | EOD trailing — balance-based (close… | 100% of first $10,000 in pr… |
| 9 | OneUp Trader | 75.9Strong | CME futures traders with a defined intraday strategy and disciplined risk manag… | $25K $125/mo; $50K $165/mo;… | 3.5% trailing intraday across all a… | 100% of first $10,000 in pr… |
| 10 | The5ers | 75.5Strong | Forex traders who already have a proven edge and want to skip the challenge fee… | ~$500–$700 for $100K Hyper … | Static max loss from initial balanc… | 80% (scales to higher tiers… |
| 11 | TradeDay | 75.1Strong | CME futures traders who value drawdown-model choice (Intraday / EOD / Static), … | $125–$375/mo subscription d… | Choice of Intraday Trailing / EOD T… | 80% on first $50K profit, 9… |
| 12 | Lux Trading Firm | 73.9Strong | UK-based forex traders who want a regulated-jurisdiction firm and are not chasi… | ~$650–$800 for $100K (above… | Static max loss from initial balance | 75% base split (scales towa… |
| 13 | Funded Trading Plus | 73.5Strong | Forex traders who want flexibility between direct funding and challenge routes … | ~$480–$560 for $100K | Static max loss from initial balance | 80% (scales with milestones) |
| 14 | Lucid Trading | 73Strong | CME futures traders who prefer one-time fees over subscriptions, value EOD draw… | One-time fee model; competi… | EOD across all current programs — b… | 90/10 across LucidPro and L… |
| 15 | Alpha Futures | 72.4Strong | Cost-sensitive CME futures traders who want fast (1-2 business day) payouts, a … | $50K tiers: Premium $119/mo… | EOD trailing — balance-based; updat… | 90% on payout requests per … |
| 16 | Alpha Capital Group | 71.2Strong | European forex and crypto traders who want a UK-jurisdiction firm with a standa… | ~$490–$580 for $100K | Static (10% from initial) or traili… | 80% (scales to 85%+) |
| 17 | E8 Funding | 70Strong | US-friendly forex traders looking for an alternative to non-US firms, willing t… | $588 for $100K E8 Standard | End-of-day drawdown (no intraday tr… | 80% |
| 18 | Audacity Capital | 68.6Strong | UK-based forex traders who want a long-tenured firm with a direct-funding alter… | ~$500–$600 for $100K | Flexible loss limit (resets periodi… | 50-90% by program (Funded T… |
| 19 | Phidias Funding | 68.5Strong | Forex traders who want a low-cost challenger firm and accept the trade-off of a… | ~$450–$530 for $100K | Static max loss from initial balance | 80% (stated) |
| 20 | FXIFY | 67.7Strong | Forex traders outside North America who want platform optionality (MT4/MT5/cTra… | From $39 minimum (small acc… | Balance-based with EOD updates; 3%/… | 70-90% by program; ~80% sta… |
| 21 | FundedNext | 67.4Strong | Forex traders who want verified-fast payouts, a low refundable fee, and clear p… | $549 for $100K Stellar 2-St… | Static max loss 8% from initial bal… | 80% standard (90% after sca… |
| 22 | Apex Trader Funding | 66.2Strong | CME futures intraday traders who can work within an EOD trailing drawdown and w… | One-time: ~$399 eval + $139… | EOD Trailing — ratchets up with pea… | 100% on first $25,000 lifet… |
| 23 | Maven Trading | 65.8Strong | Forex traders who want a UK-jurisdiction challenger firm at competitive pricing. | ~$420–$500 for $100K (compe… | Static max loss from initial balance | 80% (standard) |
| 24 | Goat Funded Trader | 64.1Adequate | Crypto-permissive forex traders who want low-cost challenges and accept the doc… | ~$400–$480 for $100K (compe… | Trailing max loss (dynamic floor); … | 80% (stated on standard acc… |
| 25 | City Traders Imperium | 61.8Adequate | Experienced forex traders, comfortable with an offshore structure, who want a l… | Competitive — varies by pro… | Static max loss from initial balance | 80% (scales with milestones) |
| 26 | Elite Trader FundingResearch only | 61.6Adequate | — | — | EOD trailing (representative new-bu… | Up to 100% (simulated; ceil… |
| 27 | Topstep | 61.1Adequate | CME futures traders who prioritize platform integration, established community,… | $49–$149/month subscription | Trailing EOD MLL — ratchets up with… | 90% (flat for new traders a… |
| 28 | Take Profit Trader | 60.1Adequate | Existing TPT funded traders working through PRO toward the PRO+ upgrade with a … | $150–360/mo subscription de… | PRO: 6% trailing intraday; PRO+: EO… | PRO: 80/20; PRO+ upgrade af… |
| 29 | The Funded TraderResearch only | 47.7Caution | Existing traders with a TFT funded account who are still under the pre-suspensi… | ~$500–$600 for $100K Standa… | Trailing max loss (dynamic); EOD ba… | 80% standard (90% after sca… |
Scores are live — a rule change that moves a firm’s score reorders this table. Band distribution right now: Strong 23 · Adequate 5 · Caution 1. Every score change lands in the public changelog.
The top five, in one sentence each
The firms we don’t recommend — published anyway
2 of the 29 scored firms on this page carry a Research Only label: Elite Trader Funding, The Funded Trader. A Research Only firm gets the same verified-spec treatment and the same evidence trail as every recommended firm — and zero affiliate links, enforced in code. The negative verdicts are what make the positive ones worth anything.
How this ranking works
Each firm is scored 0–100 under TVSM-PF: 17 variables across six dimensions — payout reliability, rule fairness and clarity, rules stability, business viability, platform and execution, and cost and value — with hard caps for disqualifying failures. Every scored variable cites its source with a verbatim extract; regulatory-status checks run against public registers including NFA BASIC and the CFTC. Read the methodology and the evidence policy, or drill into any firm’s scorecard for the per-variable trail.
Looking for a narrower cut? See the best futures prop firms, prop firms for Canadian traders, static-drawdown firms, or firms with no payout cap — or stress-test any of them against your own risk profile in the Survival Calculator.
Common questions
How is this best-prop-firms ranking different from other sites?
Three ways. Every score is computed under published criteria (TVSM-PF) from cited primary-source evidence, before any commercial contact. Firms scoring below 50 are still published — with a Research Only label and no affiliate links, so a bad firm cannot buy its way off the list. And the ranking is derived live from the scoring database, not written once a year: when a firm changes its rules and its score moves, this page moves with it.
What does the TVSM score measure?
A TVSM score is a risk tier, not a grade. It measures the gap between what a prop firm promises and what it reliably delivers — payout reliability, rule fairness and clarity, rules stability, business viability, platform quality, and cost. The concrete question it answers: will this firm pay you what you earned, and still exist to do it?
Why do some high-profile prop firms rank low or carry no affiliate link?
Because marketing budget and counterparty quality are different things. Firms scoring below 50 receive no affiliate links from us regardless of what commission they offer — the link firewall is enforced in code, not policy. If a well-known firm sits low on this list, its scorecard shows the specific evidence: the exact rules, quotes, and sources behind every scored variable.
How often is this ranking updated?
Continuously. The table derives from the live scoring database, so a re-verification or rule change that moves a score reorders this page within the hour. Every firm page shows its last-verified date, and every score change is logged in a public, append-only changelog.