A funded account (prop firm) lets you trade the company's capital —not your own— in exchange for a percentage of the profits. To get access you pay for an evaluation up front (from about $13 for the smallest accounts to several thousand for the largest, depending on the firm and the path), a payment that is usually lost if you fail, and most people who pay it never reach the funded account. This is how they work and which ones are the most reliable in 2026. If you have never paid for an evaluation, start with the prop firm guide: how challenges work and their fine print.
You buy a "challenge" (from about $13 to several thousand, depending on the firm and the account size) in which you must hit a profit target without breaking the risk rules. That payment is made up front and is usually lost if you fail (some firms refund it with the first withdrawal).
Every firm sets daily and maximum loss limits. Breaking a rule —even while making money— can fail your account.
You trade an account belonging to the firm —at many firms, a simulated one— and keep a percentage of the profits (typically 80-90%, up to 100% in some scaling programs).
Comparison researched by our AI agents. Tap a row to see its rules, its reputation and its advantages and drawbacks; the name leads to its full review: risk rules, evaluation phases, the pass rate when the firm itself publishes it, and frequently asked questions.
These firms have an affiliate agreement with AR4: if you buy through their link, AR4 may receive a commission. That is why they have no position in the comparison above, and the agreement does not change what their review says, drawbacks included.
Before paying for a prop firm evaluation, practice your strategy and risk management on a demo account so you reach the challenge with more confidence. Several AR4 partner brokers offer a free demo according to their profile; each day this card shows a different one.
See the AR4 partnersBefore paying, simulate the full challenge on a demo account: same account size, same daily loss limit, same profit target. If you cannot pass it consistently on demo several times in a row, you are not ready to pay for it for real.
Most traders who fail do not fail for lack of strategy, but from risking too much on a single trade while trying to "speed up" the profit target. Risking 0.5%-1% per trade, no more, drastically reduces the probability of breaking the daily loss limit.
Rules such as the daily loss reset time, whether trading high-impact news is allowed, or whether there are weekend restrictions are usually in the fine print, and they are the ones most traders break without realizing it.
According to public industry reports and funded trader forums, these are the most frequently recurring reasons for failing, in approximate order of frequency:
A trader funding program (funded account or prop firm) evaluates you with maximum loss rules and a profit target; if you meet them, you trade a company account and keep a percentage of what you generate: at the firms in this comparison, between 50 % and 100 % depending on the program (typically 80-90 %). Most participants do not pass the evaluation and lose the fee they paid; that is why the comparison looks at price, rules and payout reputation before account size. If you already have an account, review the consistency rule, compare FTMO and FundedNext, see which firms pay in USDT and, from Peru, how payouts are taxed by SUNAT.
Understanding the business model helps you decide with better judgment. Prop firms earn revenue mainly from three sources: the cost of evaluations (most traders do not pass, so that payment does not always translate into an operating cost for the firm), the spread or commission they charge on trades even during the evaluation phase, and — to a lesser extent and less transparently — the fact that many funded accounts trade in an internally simulated environment, replicated in the real market only when the firm's aggregate exposure justifies it. This does not mean serious firms are fraudulent: it is a legitimate business model widely used in the industry, but understanding it helps explain why the risk rules are so strict — every failed evaluation is, in essence, part of the model, not an exception.
Failing the first attempt by breaking the daily loss limit on a news release is one of the most discussed experiences. Those who tell it usually say they traded much more conservatively on the second attempt.
On payouts, the most common comment is that the first withdrawal takes longer than expected, and that from then on the pace becomes predictable. There are also complaints about withdrawals that never arrived: it is worth reading those for the specific firm.
The daily loss limit is, by far, the rule that the most people break without realizing it — even while in the green for the week. It is the warning repeated most often by those who have already passed an evaluation.
Some people approach the evaluation like paying for a course: if they pass, good; if not, at least it forced them to trade with a plan. It is one way of seeing it, not a recommendation: the evaluation money is lost all the same.
It is a company that lets you trade its capital provided you pass a paid evaluation and follow a set of risk rules. If you generate profits, they are split according to an agreed percentage. It is not your money that is in the market, but you do pay to try.
It depends on the account size and the path, and the range is wide: from about 13 USD for the smallest accounts to about 5.500 USD for the largest instant accounts. Almost all of them publish their price and you will see it in the table on this page, but they change it with promotions of up to 40 %, so today's price may not be next week's; two hide it behind their configurator or checkout, and the cell says so. It is an up-front payment that is usually lost if you do not pass the evaluation, although some firms refund it with the first withdrawal.
We only publish a firm's pass rate when the firm itself publishes it, with its period; these are not data audited by AR4. When a firm does not publish it verifiably, its profile says so and we do not put an estimate in its place. The published figures are low: most people who pay for an evaluation do not reach the funded account. It is best to treat it as an expense you can lose.
The average timeframe stated by each firm is on its profile. These are timeframes published by the firm itself; compare them with what real traders report before paying for an evaluation.
No. With a broker you trade your own money and you set the rules. With a prop firm you trade a company's capital under its rules: daily loss limits, maximum total loss, minimum trading days. Breaking a rule can close the account even if you are in profit.
Rule and price data are collected from public sources and summarized with the help of AI, always labeled as such; the pass rate, only when the firm itself publishes it. They change frequently: verify the current conditions on the firm's official website before buying an evaluation.
It is another name for a funded account or prop firm: you pay for an evaluation, follow its risk rules and, if you pass, you trade the firm's capital in exchange for a profit split. Most people do not pass the evaluation and lose what they paid.
Funded accounts (prop firms) are neither an investment nor a guarantee of income. The vast majority of traders do not pass the evaluation, and the cost of the challenge is lost if it is not completed. Put only money you can afford to lose into an evaluation.