- 2025’s Best Prop Firms: Snapshot & Scorecard
| Firm | Max Capital | Profit Split | Evaluation Cost | Instruments | Hold-Over? | Payout Speed | US-Friendly? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funding Pips | $400 k | 80–90 % | $119–$999 | FX, Crypto, Indices, Metals | ✅ (Swing) | Same-day crypto | ❌ |
| FTMO | $400 k | 80 % | €155–€1 080 | FX, Futures, Stocks | ✅ | 1–2 days | ❌ |
| MyForexFunds | $300 k | 85 % | $84–$1 310 | FX, Indices, Metals | ✅ | 1–3 days | ❌ |
| Topstep | $150 k | 90 % (after step 2) | $165 monthly | Futures only | ❌ (intraday only) | 1 day | ✅ |
| The5%ers | $250 k | 100 % | $95–$875 | FX, Metals | ✅ | 1–3 days | ❌ |
| SurgeTrader | $1 M | 75–90 % | $250–$6 500 | FX, Stocks, Crypto | ✅ | 1 day | ✅ |
Key take-away: if you want the fastest scaling with the fewest rules, Funding Pips and FTMO are the two firms every Reddit thread is comparing in 2025.
- Day Trading in a Prop Firm: What Actually Happens?
2.1 The Evaluation Gauntlet
Most firms run a two-step “challenge”:
- Phase-1 (Evaluation)
- Hit 8–10 % profit in 30 days
- Daily loss <5 %, overall drawdown <10 %
- Minimum trading days = 5–10 to prove consistency
- Phase-2 (Verification)
- Target usually 5 % in 60 days with the same drawdown rules
- Some firms (e.g., Funding Pips) now offer an “Express” one-step model with a 12 % target but stricter drawdowns.
Hack: If you are profitable but hate time limits, look at The5%ers “Bootcamp” or Funding Pips’ new Unlimited Time add-on ($50 one-time).
2.2 The Live Account
Once you’re funded:
- Capital: You trade the firm’s money; your risk is the one-time evaluation fee.
- Platform: MT5, Match-Trader, or Tradovate (Topstep). Most firms now give you raw-spread ECN accounts.
- Payouts: On-demand or bi-weekly via Deel, PayPal, Wise, or crypto. Funding Pips has become famous for same-day USDT payouts at zero cost.
- Scaling Plans:
– Funding Pips: +25 % every 3 months if you net 10 % or more.
– FTMO: Capital increases 25 % every 4 months with 10 % profit.
– Topstep: Funded accounts double once you make $5 k and follow the scaling plan.
2.3 A Typical Day in the Life
Trader: “Aisha,” 28, Toronto, trades Nasdaq futures inside a Topstep account.
05:30 EST – Scan overnight news, mark key levels on TradingView.
09:30 – Market open, 2-lot NQ scalps using 20-tick stops.
10:15 – Done for the day, +$480, well under the $2 000 daily loss limit.
11:00 – Submit payout request in the Topstep dashboard.
14:00 – Funds hit her Wise account (minus $48 in commissions).
Total risk: one $165 reset fee if she blows the account.
05:30 EST – Scan overnight news, mark key levels on TradingView.
09:30 – Market open, 2-lot NQ scalps using 20-tick stops.
10:15 – Done for the day, +$480, well under the $2 000 daily loss limit.
11:00 – Submit payout request in the Topstep dashboard.
14:00 – Funds hit her Wise account (minus $48 in commissions).
Total risk: one $165 reset fee if she blows the account.
- Funding Pips Deep-Dive: The Firm That Broke the Internet
3.1 Why It Exploded in 2024–2025
- Aggressive scaling: $5 k → $400 k in 12 months is mathematically possible.
- Crypto payouts: USDT (TRC-20) processed within 2 hours—a game-changer for non-US traders.
- Rule refresh: July 2025 removed the “consistency rule” (no more 30 % daily-profit cap) that had frustrated swing traders.
- Copy-trading: Launching Q4 2025 so verified traders can earn 10 % of followers’ profits.
3.2 Funding Pips Account Types (2025 Line-up)
| Account Size | Target | Max Drawdown | Price | Time Limit | Hold Overnight? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 k (2-Step) | 8 % / 5 % | 5 % daily / 10 % total | $119 | 30 / 60 days | ✅ |
| 25 k (2-Step) | 8 % / 5 % | 5 % / 10 % | $299 | 30 / 60 | ✅ |
| 100 k (2-Step) | 8 % / 5 % | 5 % / 10 % | $599 | 30 / 60 | ✅ |
| 100 k (1-Step Express) | 12 % | 6 % daily / 12 % total | $739 | Unlimited | ✅ |
3.3 Common Complaints & How to Survive Them
- Weekend gap risk: If you swing gold or crypto, set hard stops before Friday close; Funding Pips calculates equity at 5 pm EST.
- Aggressive spreads at 00:00 GMT: Avoid opening EUR/USD 1-minute before the daily candle close—it’s when spreads widen to 3–4 pips.
- KYC delays: Submit ID + proof-of-address as soon as you buy the challenge; they now auto-approve in <15 minutes.
- Choosing the Right Firm in 2025: A 5-Question Checklist
- What do you trade?
- Futures → Topstep or Apex
- Forex + Indices → Funding Pips, FTMO, The5%ers
- Stocks → SurgeTrader (TradeZero platform)
- Do you hold overnight or over weekends?
- Yes → Avoid Topstep; choose Funding Pips or FTMO.
- Are you in the US?
- Yes → Topstep, SurgeTrader, Earn2Trade are your only big names.
- Payout urgency?
- Crypto same-day → Funding Pips
- Wire next-day → FTMO, MyForexFunds
- Evaluation budget?
- Tight → The5%ers ($95) or Funding Pips 5 k ($119)
- All-in → SurgeTrader $1 M ($6 500) for instant funding feel
- Final Pro Tips from 6-Figure Prop Traders
- Risk model: Use 0.25 % per trade until you’re 5 % up in the live account; then scale to 0.5–1 %.
- Logbook: Funding Pips and FTMO both accept MyFxBook auto-updates—keeps auditors happy.
- Taxes: In most countries, prop payouts are trading income, not capital gains. Use Deel’s W-8BEN/W-9 automation.
- Fail-safe: Buy two small accounts instead of one big one; if you blow the first, you still have a backup without re-starting KYC.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for fast scaling, crypto payouts, and relaxed overnight rules, Funding Pips is the firm to beat in 2025. For US-based futures traders, Topstep remains king. Evaluate your style, budget, and payout preferences, pick one firm, and stick to its rules like glue—the capital is free once you pass, but the discipline has to be yours.
