Best Prop Firms for Small Starting Capital, Ranked by What $100 Buys

Key takeaways

We priced 23 prop firms on what a $100 budget actually buys: how many full attempts, how much loss room those attempts add up to, and the profit needed before the first withdrawal, all checked October 7, 2026.

Read the full summary

We priced 23 prop firms on what a $100 budget actually buys: how many full attempts, how much loss room those attempts add up to, and the profit needed before the first withdrawal, all checked October 7, 2026. Eighteen are ranked on that test (ThinkCapital also fits but carries a firm-level caution). Blue Guardian’s 2 Step Nano $25K buys the most loss room ($2,500 for $66.66, one attempt), Topstep’s No Activation Fee Combine 50K is the best futures fit ($2,000 for $95 a month), and The5ers’ High Stakes $2,500 buys the most tries (five at $19). Cheap stickers mislead: Topstep’s $49 Combine needs $149 more after passing, Apex Trader Funding’s cheapest 25K route needs $256, and Earn2Trade’s TCP25 needs $289 before funded trading. Ten of the 23 firms have their Trustpilot rating hidden.

Freshness: prices, fees and rules checked October 7, 2026; each Trustpilot figure carries the date it was read. Firms change terms without notice, so re-check the checkout before you pay. Euro prices are converted at the ECB rate of 1.1225 for October 2, 2026.

Quick picks for traders with small starting capital

• Most loss room for $100: Blue Guardian 2 Step Nano $25K, $66.66 for $2,500 of static room, one attempt.
• Futures pick: Topstep Trading Combine 50K, No Activation Fee Path, $95 for one month and $2,000 of room.
• Most attempts for $100: The5ers High Stakes $2,500, five tries at $19 with a $250 static floor each.
• Least profit before a first payout: FTMO 1-Step $10K, $20 of closed profit, one attempt at $88.68.

Each pick is the firm’s best product on one number: the loss room a $100 budget buys once every fee before funded trading and the price of each retry are counted. The full ranking, the first-withdrawal table and the same arithmetic at $50 and $200 follow.

What a prop firm sells a trader with small capital

A prop firm sells a trial account, usually called an evaluation or challenge. You pay a fee, trade a simulated account under the firm’s rules, and if you reach the profit target without breaking a loss limit, the firm gives you a funded account and pays you a share of the profit you make there. The money you put at risk is the fee and any monthly or activation charge, not the account size: a $25,000 account bought for $66.66 cannot lose you more than $66.66. FTMO says it plainly: “Although FTMO Traders trade with simulated capital only, they are entitled to receive a Reward in the form of real money once they generate a profit on their demo FTMO Account”.

The models a small budget can buy fall into five groups. A 1-step evaluation has one target (E8 Pro, FTMO 1-Step, LucidFlex, Tradeify Growth); a 2-step has two (most forex products here); a 3-step spreads the target over three phases (ThinkCapital Nexus, Maven’s Standard 3-Step). An instant account skips the evaluation and starts funded, usually with a smaller floor for the price. And pay-later products charge a small entry fee now and the rest after you pass (Blue Guardian’s Buy Now Pay Later, For Traders’ Pay After Pass). Billing is the other split: most firms charge once, while Topstep and Earn2Trade charge every month until you pass or cancel.

How we ranked prop firms for a small budget

1. Fit the budget: the first attempt plus every fee due before the funded account can trade (activation, or one month of a monthly fee) must be $100 or less, at list price on the firm’s own checkout.
2. Count the attempts: after the first attempt, each retry is priced at the firm’s own cheapest restart of the same product and size: a paid reset, a discount with its time window, or a new purchase at list price. A fee due after passing is counted once.
3. Measure the loss room: each attempt’s overall maximum loss in dollars at its tightest stage through the first payout, never a daily limit.
4. Rank: attempts times loss room, the total loss room $100 buys. Ties go to the lower first-attempt cost, then the larger floor, then the lower profit needed before the first request.
5. Report the payout side: for the same product, the minimum payout, split, earliest request and the smallest profit that allows a first request, so a cheap account with a steep first payout shows up.

One product is ranked per firm: its best on this test, not its cheapest sticker. Promo codes and limited-time prices never set a rank; they are listed with their dates further down. A product whose loss limit follows open profit during the day is never a firm’s ranked product, and a discretionary move to a live account is a watch-out, never a grade. Tradeify and every other firm are measured with the same tests and the same warning format. Where a firm does not publish an activation fee, the figure counts only what it publishes and carries a mark. Forex and futures arms of one brand are separate listings: FundedNext and FundedNext Futures are graded apart.

Small capital prop firms compared on a $100 budget

Marks. † Activation not published: Blue Guardian, Maven Trading, AquaFunded, FundingPips, FundedNext, Goat Funded Trader, Hola Prime and ThinkCapital do not name an activation fee for these products, so the figure counts only what they publish; if one charged a fee after passing, its all-in would rise by that amount and fewer attempts would fit. ‡ One month of a monthly fee: Topstep’s $95 and Earn2Trade’s $150 rebill every 30 days until you pass or cancel, so a slow pass costs another month each time; Earn2Trade’s $139 activation is taken from the first withdrawal and counted here. § Euro price: FTMO’s EUR 79 at the ECB rate of 1.1225 = $88.68; a stronger euro would raise it. ¶ Purchase-time options: FundingPips’ 3% daily option is $8 below the $44 default, on which $100 buys $1,000 of loss room instead of $1,500; For Traders’ 10% target and 3% daily options bring $117 down to $91, and the default does not fit $100; Lucid Trading’s price assumes the daily loss limit is on, and switching it off adds $10 to the price and the reset ($89 still buys one attempt, but $200 then buys two instead of three). # Payout schedule: Alpha Capital Group’s $47 is the On-Demand price; on Bi-Weekly payouts the same account is $55, so $100 buys one attempt and $600 of loss room. ◊ Exact tie: FXIFY’s Two Phase Classic and Two Phase Standard $10K match on every measure ($89, $1,000, $62.50); the Classic is named because its floor never moves.

Several firms tie on total loss room: AquaFunded and FundingPips at $1,500; E8 Markets, FundedNext, Alpha Capital Group and For Traders at $1,200; Goat Funded Trader, Hola Prime, Lucid Trading, FTMO, FXIFY and Tradeify at $1,000. Inside each tie the cheaper first attempt ranks higher.

First withdrawal on a small capital prop firm account

A small account is only worth its price if you can get paid from it. This table uses the same row order and shows, for the same product, how much profit the firm requires before the first payout request, and how soon.

Two patterns stand out. The forex products need little profit before a first request, from $20 at FTMO to $225 at For Traders, while the futures products need $250 to $1,600 because of buffers, minimum balances or payout caps tied to profit. And a fee refund rarely arrives with the first payout: Maven Trading refunds on the third withdrawal, AquaFunded, FundingPips and Blue Guardian with the fourth, Hola Prime in four instalments, FundedNext with the third reward, and The5ers returns 70% in cash with the first. FunderPro is the exception that credits the whole fee, within 7 days of the first reward. Our prop firms with refundable challenge fees guide ranks the refund terms in detail.

What $50, $100 and $200 buy at small capital prop firms

The ranking budget is $100 because nearly every search for this question frames a low budget as under $100. Readers with less or more can read across: the same rules, at three budgets.

At $50, 9 of the 18 ranked products still fit, and Maven Trading goes furthest: two $22 attempts and $800 of loss room. At $200 the order changes: Blue Guardian’s 2 Step Nano buys three attempts and $7,500, Topstep two attempts and $4,000, Maven nine attempts and $3,600, and Lucid Trading three attempts and $3,000. MyFundedFutures and FundedNext Futures fit $200 once; Earn2Trade and Apex Trader Funding do not fit even $200.

Why the cheapest sticker is not the best small capital pick

Five $19 attempts at The5ers add up to $1,250 of loss room. One $66.66 attempt at Blue Guardian’s 2 Step Nano gives $2,500. The cheaper sticker buys half the room, because a $2,500 account has a $250 floor and a $25,000 account has a $2,500 one. Cost per $1,000 of loss room shows the same thing in one number: $26.66 at Blue Guardian against $76.00 at The5ers and $138.00 at FunderPro.

Fees after the sticker change the answer more often than the sticker itself. Topstep’s Standard Path shows $49 a month, but passing adds a $149 activation, $198 in all. Apex Trader Funding’s 25K Intraday Trail is $167 plus $89, and the 25K EOD Trail is $490 plus $109. Earn2Trade’s $150 TCP25 carries a $139 LiveSim activation taken from the first withdrawal. Pay-later products work the other way: Blue Guardian’s Buy Now Pay Later $5K is $10 now and $52 after passing, which still fits $100, while Funded Trading Plus’s Activation Accounts ($4 now, $179 on passing) and Maven’s Buy Now, Pay Later have floors that follow open profit, so they are not ranked. Our cheapest prop firms guide prices one attempt to a first payout at larger sizes; this one prices how far a fixed budget goes.

Monthly and one-time billing on a small budget

Seventeen of the 18 ranked products are one-time purchases with no monthly rebill (Apex’s evaluations, in the over-budget group, expire after 30 days). Topstep is the ranked exception. Its $95 rebills every 30 days until you pass or cancel, so a two-month pass costs $190 and a three-month pass $285, with a Reset Credit banked at each rebill. Earn2Trade’s TCP25 works the same way at $150 a month. On a small budget, a monthly product suits a trader who expects to pass quickly; a one-time product suits one who needs time.

Activation fees are the other recurring surprise. Among the ranked firms, only Topstep publishes one, $149 on its Standard Path, which is why its No Activation Fee Path is the product ranked. Lucid Trading, Tradeify, E8 Markets, FTMO, FXIFY, Alpha Capital Group, For Traders, Funded Trading Plus, FunderPro and The5ers state they charge no activation fee, and the eight firms marked † in the budget table publish no figure either way. Our prop firms with no activation fee guide covers that question across larger accounts.

Drawdown rules on a small capital account, worked in dollars

The loss limit decides how much room each attempt really has, and at small sizes the type of limit matters as much as the size. Three types appear in this guide:

• Static: Maven Trading’s Standard 2-Step $5K fails if equity falls below $4,600 at any point. The line never moves, so a trader who first makes $300 has $700 of room above it. Fourteen of the 18 ranked products use a static floor.
• End-of-day trailing: Lucid Trading’s LucidFlex 25K keeps its $1,000 floor under the highest closing balance. Close a day at $25,600 and the floor moves up to $24,600; an intraday high given back before the close does not move it, and the floor stops once it locks. Topstep’s locks at the $50,000 start and Tradeify’s funded floor at $26,100.
• Follows open profit: some products move the floor up with the best open profit during the day, so a trade that is up $400 and then closes flat has used $400 of room. Apex Trader Funding’s 25K Intraday Trail and Maven’s 1-Step, Instant and Mini work this way. None of them is a ranked product here.

Larger accounts have larger floors, which is why a $25,000 account can be better value than a $5,000 one at the same budget. Our prop firm account size to start with guide compares each firm’s full size ladder.

Sizing risk so a small capital account survives

On a small account the daily loss limit usually ends an attempt before the overall floor does. Fifteen of the 18 ranked products have a daily limit that ends the account, and on every one of them it is between 30% and 50% of the overall floor: $125 against $250 at The5ers $2,500, $200 against $400 at Maven Trading $5K, $750 against $2,500 at Blue Guardian $25K. An illustration of what that means: risking 1% of a $5,000 account ($50) per trade, four losing trades in one day use Maven’s whole $200 daily limit; risking 0.5% ($25) gives eight. At The5ers $2,500, a 1% risk is $25 and five losses end the day’s room.

The most common ways small accounts fail, from the firms’ own rules:

• The daily limit, not the floor: one bad day at 3% (Blue Guardian, FundingPips, Alpha Capital Group, For Traders, FTMO) or 2.5% (E8 Markets) ends the attempt.
• Open-loss rules: Funded Trading Plus’s 3% per-symbol limit, Alpha Capital Group’s 2% per-asset rule once Qualified, FundedNext’s 3% maximum risk and Hola Prime’s 2% risk per trade idea once funded.
• News windows: Maven Trading and The5ers bar trades 2 minutes either side of major news, Blue Guardian 5 minutes once funded, Alpha Capital Group and For Traders 5 minutes.
• Inactivity: Tradeify requires a trade every Monday-to-Friday week, MyFundedFutures closes after 7 days, Lucid Trading deletes a funded account with no $1 of net profit or loss in 30 days, and Funded Trading Plus and Topstep close after 30 days; Hola Prime and The5ers also have 30-day inactivity rules.
• Consistency rules: Topstep’s 40% best-day limit on its Consistency path, Tradeify’s 35%, Alpha Capital Group’s 40% Best Day Rule, FTMO’s 50% and Blue Guardian’s 50% funded rule can delay a first payout even when the account is profitable.
• Session rules: Topstep requires positions to be flat by 3:10 PM CT on weekdays, and Alpha Capital Group closes positions for the weekend once Qualified.

Instant funding for small capital traders, priced the same way

Instant accounts skip the evaluation, so the price buys the funded account directly. Priced on the same test, none comes close to the evaluation leaders: the best instant account on loss room bought for $100 reaches $750, against $2,500 for Blue Guardian’s 2 Step Nano. Several also have floors that follow open profit.

Blue Guardian’s Instant Starter pays out once, with profit capped at $250, and then the account ends. FXIFY does not publish whether the high-water mark on its instant accounts counts open profit, so the basis is shown as not published.

Ranked prop firms for small starting capital

Eighteen firms have a product that fits $100 at list price with a floor that does not follow open profit. Each block below gives the same fields in the same order: the product and price, what the budget buys, the retry route, the profit needed before the first request, the watch-outs (a live call-up first where one exists), dated payout complaints and Trustpilot.

Blue Guardian 2 Step Nano $25K buys the most loss room a $100 budget can reach

One purchase at $66.66 puts $2,500 of static loss room behind you. No other product in this guide gets that far on a single $100 budget, and it beats the $1,600 that four of Maven’s $22 attempts add up to.

Video: “Which Blue Guardian Account is Best? (All Rules explained),” Blue Guardian official YouTube channel, May 7, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own walkthrough of its account types and rules, including the 2 Step Nano.

The 2 Step Nano is sold from $25,000 upward, and its overall limit is 10% of the starting balance: 10% of $25,000 = $2,500, fixed for the life of the account, with open trades counted, so equity including floating positions must stay above $22,500. Phase 1 asks for 8% ($2,000) and Phase 2 for 5% ($1,250). The 3% daily limit is $750, measured from the initial balance, and breaching it ends the account.

The catch is that $100 buys exactly one try. Blue Guardian publishes no reset or retry product, so a second attempt is another $66.66, and $200 buys three. The firm’s Buy Now Pay Later $5K is the runner-up on the same test: $10 up front and $52 after passing, with a $400 floor that trails the closed balance, so $100 buys four entries and $1,600 of loss room.

• Product and price: 2 Step Nano, $25,000 account: $66.66 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 1 attempt ($66.66) and $2,500 of loss room; at $50, none; at $200, 3 attempts ($199.98) and $7,500 of loss room. That is $26.66 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No reset or retry is sold; each new attempt is another $66.66.
• Profit needed before the first request: $125.00; the $100 crypto minimum at an 80% split ($100 / 80%). Payouts come every 14 days, and the evaluation fee is refunded after the fourth payout.
• Watch out for (first): Funded payouts are capped at 2% of the balance per 14-day cycle (“A 2% payout cap applies to each profit cycle”), $500 at $25K, with a 50% consistency rule and a 3% processing fee on every payout.
• Also watch: No news trading 5 minutes either side of high-impact news once funded.
• Payout complaints: Reviews read October 6, 2026 include a payout rejected after an account was “manually hard breached” and disputes over the Guardian Shield floating-loss rule; no count was taken.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 2,098 reviews, read October 6, 2026. Blue Guardian profile.

Other Blue Guardian products on the same test:

• Buy Now Pay Later $5K: $10 plus $52 after passing, $400 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 4 attempts and $1,600 of loss room.
• 1 Step Nano $25K: $78.66, $1,500 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $1,500 of loss room.
• 2 Step Standard $5K: $32, $400 of loss room (static); $100 buys 3 attempts and $1,200 of loss room.
• Instant Starter $5K: $27, $250 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 3 attempts and $750 of loss room; one payout, capped at $250 of profit, then the account ends.
• 1 Step Standard $5K: $40, $300 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 2 attempts and $600 of loss room.
• Instant (Standard) $10K: $100, $600 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room.
• Fast Track $5K: $135, $500 of loss room (static); does not fit $100 (needs $135); an instant account sold after a passed evaluation.

Topstep No Activation Fee Combine 50K is the futures pick that reaches a 50K floor under $100

Topstep is the only futures firm whose $100 budget reaches a 50K account. The No Activation Fee Path costs $95 for the first month and nothing after passing, and its $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit is the largest futures floor in the ranked group.

Video: “What Is a Topstep Express Funded Account (XFA)?, Funded Trader Payouts Explained,” Topstep official YouTube channel, May 14, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own explainer of the Express Funded Account payout paths that set the first withdrawal here.

The same Combine on the Standard Path looks cheaper at $49 a month, but it adds a $149 activation fee after passing, so its all-in is $198 and it does not fit $100 at all. The $95 is a subscription that rebills every 30 days until you pass or cancel (“Subscriptions can’t be paused”), and each rebill banks a Reset Credit; a reset bought outright is also $95, so $200 buys two attempts.

The $2,000 limit trails the end-of-day balance rather than the intraday peak, is checked in real time against open profit and loss, and stops rising once it reaches the $50,000 starting balance. The target is $3,000, and it rises if the best day exceeds 55% of it; there is no daily loss limit by default, and positions must be flat by 3:10 PM CT on weekdays. Topstep also lists a $10 Responsible Trading Discount ($85 a month) when a fixed $1,000 daily loss limit is added at checkout; it is a named discount, so the ranking stays on $95. Its Topstep Labs drops are sold only from the logged-in dashboard, and the public Labs page lists them as past drops, so none is priced here.

• Product and price: Trading Combine 50K on the No Activation Fee Path, leading to an Express Funded Account, $50,000 account: $95 for the first month, $0 activation.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 1 attempt ($95.00) and $2,000 of loss room; at $50, none; at $200, 2 attempts ($190.00) and $4,000 of loss room. That is $47.50 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: A reset costs $95, the same as a month, and a Reset Credit also comes with each monthly rebill.
• Profit needed before the first request: $250.00; on the Consistency path a request can be at most 50% of the balance and must be at least $125, after 3 trading days with the best day at or below 40% of profit. The split is 90%, and ACH or wire payouts cost $30. The Standard path needs five winning days of $150 instead.
• Live call-up (first watch-out): Topstep’s Risk Team decides case by case when an Express Funded trader moves to a live account, and declining is not a way to keep the account: “Once the Risk Team determines you’re ready, your options are to move to Live or close your Express Funded Account”.
• Also watch: The $95 is monthly: every 30 days without a pass is another $95.
• Also watch: The Express Funded Account closes after 30 days of inactivity.
• Payout complaints: No payout-denial pattern in reviews read October 7, 2026; complaints centre on monthly renewals, support and the September 22, 2026 outage.
• Trustpilot: 3.7/5 on 14,908 reviews, read October 7, 2026. Topstep profile.

Other Topstep products on the same test:

• Trading Combine 100K, No Activation Fee Path: $149 a month, $3,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $149).
• Trading Combine 50K, Standard Path: $49 a month plus $149 after passing, $2,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $198).

Maven Trading Standard 2-Step $5K stretches $100 into four static-floor attempts

At $22 a try, Maven’s Standard 2-Step $5K lets $100 buy four full attempts, each with an 8% static floor of $400, so the budget adds up to $1,600 of loss room, the third-largest total here and the most of any ranked $5K account.

Video: “Maven Challenge Add-Ons Explained,” Maven Trading official YouTube channel, September 13, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own explainer of the add-ons sold with its 2-Step challenges.

8% of $5,000 = $400, fixed from the start and the same in the funded stage. There is no discounted retry: a failed challenge is simply bought again at $22, and Maven’s Buyback feature only restores a funded account you lost. The $10K ($44) and $20K ($88) versions of the same product also reach $1,600 per $100, but cost more per try, so the $5K wins the tie.

In practice the daily limit decides most attempts. It is 4% ($200), taken from the higher of equity or balance at 00:00 UTC, and it ends the account, so two bad days can end an attempt well before the $400 floor. Targets are $400 and then $250, each phase needs three profitable days of 0.5% ($25 each), and trading within 2 minutes of red-folder news is not allowed.

• Product and price: Standard 2-Step, $5,000 account: $22.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 4 attempts ($88.00) and $1,600 of loss room; at $50, 2 attempts ($44.00) and $800 of loss room; at $200, 9 attempts ($198.00) and $3,600 of loss room. That is $55.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No challenge reset is sold; each new attempt is another $22.
• Profit needed before the first request: $75.00; no minimum payout is published, so the binding rule is three profitable days of 0.5% ($25 each) in the funded phase. Withdrawals open every 10 business days after the first trade at an 80% split, and the fee is refunded on the third withdrawal.
• Watch out for (first): A first withdrawal also needs three profitable days of 0.5% in the funded phase, Rise payouts carry a $20 fee, and withdrawals are capped at $10,000 per 30-day cycle.
• Payout complaints: Reviews read October 6, 2026 include “They closed my account while I was still in profit” (October 1, 2026); no count was taken.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 5,203 reviews, read October 6, 2026. Maven Trading profile.

Other Maven Trading products on the same test:

• Buy Now, Pay Later $5K: $5 plus $69 after passing, $400 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 6 attempts and $2,400 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Standard 1-Step $5K: $19, $250 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 5 attempts and $1,250 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Omo 2-Step $5K: $32, $400 of loss room (static); $100 buys 3 attempts and $1,200 of loss room.
• Standard 3-Step $5K: $17, $150 of loss room (static); $100 buys 5 attempts and $750 of loss room.
• Instant $5K: $19, $150 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 5 attempts and $750 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Mini $5K: $22, $150 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 4 attempts and $600 of loss room; a single payout, then the account closes; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Essential 1-Step (prediction markets) $5K: $44, $250 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 2 attempts and $500 of loss room; prediction-market contracts, not forex; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Elite 1-Step (prediction markets) $5K: $74, $250 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $250 of loss room; prediction-market contracts, not forex.

AquaFunded 2 Step Elite $5K pairs three $500 attempts with a 90% split

AquaFunded’s 2 Step Elite costs $26.40 at $5,000 and its floor is 10% of $5,000 = $500, static, with open trades counted against it.

Video: “Risk Management Rules That Separate Funded Traders From Blown Accounts,” AquaFunded official YouTube channel, July 4, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own risk-rules video; no official pricing or small-account video was found.

Three attempts fit inside $100 ($79.20), for $1,500 of loss room. AquaFunded publishes no retry at all: “It is not possible to retry, resume, or continue from the stage where the account was failed.” Each new attempt is a fresh $26.40 account.

The 4% daily loss ($200) is measured from the higher of the prior day’s balance or equity at 00:00 UTC and ends the account. Targets are $400 and then $250, and every step needs three trading days of 0.5%. Once funded, a Wave Stop rule watches combined open loss: the first trigger cuts the split and a second breaches the account. The firm’s 2 Step Pro looks better on price, but its floor follows open profit, so it is not ranked.

• Product and price: 2 Step Elite, $5,000 account: $26.40 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 3 attempts ($79.20) and $1,500 of loss room; at $50, 1 attempt ($26.40) and $500 of loss room; at $200, 7 attempts ($184.80) and $3,500 of loss room. That is $52.80 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No retry of any kind; each new attempt is another $26.40.
• Profit needed before the first request: $111.11; the $100 minimum payout at a 90% split ($100 / 90%). The first request opens 14 days after the first funded trade; the homepage says 7 days, and the longer figure is used here.
• Watch out for (first): Every payout loses 3% to a processing fee, and the evaluation fee comes back only with the fourth payout.
• Payout complaints: Reviews dated August 28, September 22 and September 29, 2026 describe funded accounts breached on the floating-loss rule, plus one payout denied under a consistency rule.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 1,199 reviews, read October 6, 2026. AquaFunded profile.

Other AquaFunded products on the same test:

• 2 Step Pro $5K: $20, $500 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 5 attempts and $2,500 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• 2 Step Standard $5K: $28.80, $400 of loss room (static); $100 buys 3 attempts and $1,200 of loss room.
• 1 Step Flex $10K: $100, $1,200 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $1,200 of loss room.
• Instant Funding Pro $10K: $86.66, $600 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• 1 Step Standard $10K: $90.40, $600 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Instant Funding Standard $10K: $78.67, $500 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); $100 buys 1 attempt and $500 of loss room.
• Instant Flex $5K: $119, $200 of loss room (intraday trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $119); not ranked: its loss limit trails intraday.

FundingPips 2 Step Standard $5K brings a breached account back at 12% off inside a week

FundingPips prices a second attempt below the first if you act quickly: restart within 7 calendar days of a breach and a Phase 1 reset is 12% off, so the $36 account comes back for $31.68.

Video: FundingPips’ official video on this subject covers the 2 Step Pro, not the 2 Step Standard ranked here, so it is not embedded.

The $36 is a purchase-time choice. The 2 Step Standard $5K lists at $44 with a 5% daily loss, and picking the 3% daily option takes $8 off. That configuration buys three attempts for $99.36 ($36 + $31.68 + $31.68), each with a static $500 floor, 10% of $5,000 (“This is a static floor; it never moves.”). On the $44 default the same $100 buys two attempts and $1,000 of loss room.

The trade-off is the daily limit: 3% of $5,000 is only $150, counted on the higher of opening balance or equity with floating losses included. Every reset restarts at Phase 1, and the discount lapses 7 days after the breach. Targets are $400 and then $250, with no minimum trading days on this configuration. Once funded, a striking system halves the split on a second warning and closes the account on a fourth.

• Product and price: 2 Step Standard (3% daily loss configuration), $5,000 account: $36.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 3 attempts ($99.36) and $1,500 of loss room; at $50, 1 attempt ($36.00) and $500 of loss room; at $200, 6 attempts ($194.40) and $3,000 of loss room. That is $72.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: 12% off a Phase 1 reset ($31.68) within 7 calendar days of the breach; after that, $36.
• Profit needed before the first request: $50.00; the minimum reward is 1% of the account including the firm’s share, and the trader keeps 80% ($40). Rewards come every 14 calendar days after the first trade; Rise needs $500.
• Live call-up (first watch-out): FundingPips may move a funded trader to its Prime live program by invitation, and its terms say the move is not optional: “such access is deemed automatically accepted by you, is mandatory, and you waive any right to refuse or contest it”.
• Also watch: The 12% reset discount lapses 7 days after a breach; after that each retry is the full $36.
• Payout complaints: One-star reviews dated August 17, September 26 and September 28, 2026 describe rule-breach closures and bans for a shared device ID (reviewer claims).
• Trustpilot: 4.5/5 on 69,976 reviews, read October 6, 2026. FundingPips profile.

Other FundingPips products on the same test:

• 2 Step Flex $5K: $39, $600 of loss room (static); $100 buys 2 attempts and $1,200 of loss room.
• 1 Step Flex, 2% daily loss option $5K: $52, $600 of loss room (static); $100 buys 2 attempts and $1,200 of loss room.
• 2 Step Standard $5K on the default 5% daily loss: $44, $500 of loss room (static); $100 buys 2 attempts and $1,000 of loss room.
• 2 Step Pro $5K: $33, $300 of loss room (static); $100 buys 3 attempts and $900 of loss room.
• 1 Step Flex, 3% daily loss option $5K: $74, $600 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room.
• FundingPips Zero $10K: $88, $500 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 1 attempt and $500 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.

The5ers High Stakes $2.5K buys five attempts, the most of any ranked product

Nineteen dollars is the lowest first-attempt price in the ranked group, and The5ers’ smallest High Stakes account turns $100 into five tries.

Video: “Interview with a trader, Total Payouts of $31,246,” The5ers official YouTube channel, May 23, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own trader interview; no official video covers High Stakes pricing at $2,500.

High Stakes comes in two target sets at the same $2,500 size: the New version ($19, 10% then 5% targets) and the Classic ($22, 8% then 5%). The New version wins on the budget because it is $3 cheaper per attempt, which buys a fifth try. Each attempt has a static floor of 10% of $2,500 = $250, the smallest floor in the ranked group, so five attempts add up to $1,250.

There is no reset; each retry is another $19, and the firm says “there are no hidden or recurring fees”. The daily limit is 5% ($125) of the higher of start-of-day equity or balance and ends the account. Targets are $250 and then $125, each step needs three profitable days of 0.5% ($12.50 each), and up to three $2.5K New accounts can be held at once.

• Product and price: High Stakes (New, 10%/5% targets), $2,500 account: $19.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 5 attempts ($95.00) and $1,250 of loss room; at $50, 2 attempts ($38.00) and $500 of loss room; at $200, 10 attempts ($190.00) and $2,500 of loss room. That is $76.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No reset is sold; each new attempt is another $19.
• Profit needed before the first request: $150.00; the minimum profit for a withdrawal, available 14 days after the funded account is activated. The trader keeps 80% ($120) before a 3.5% commission, and 70% of the fee is refunded in cash with the first payout.
• Watch out for (first): The first withdrawal needs $150 of profit (“You can request a withdrawal once you reach a profit of $150.”), which is 6% of a $2.5K account and more than half its $250 floor.
• Also watch: The funded stage depends on being accepted as a Professional User under additional terms (“If you are accepted as a Professional User”), and trades within 2 minutes of high-impact news are not allowed.
• Payout complaints: Some September 2026 reviews describe risk-review terminations and payouts taking about 30 days.
• Trustpilot: 4.7/5 on 39,290 reviews, read October 6, 2026. The5ers profile.

Other The5ers products on the same test:

• High Stakes Classic (8% and 5% targets) $2.5K: $22, $250 of loss room (static); $100 buys 4 attempts and $1,000 of loss room.
• Pro Growth (1-Step) $10K: $98, $600 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room.
• Bootcamp (3-step, pay after passing) $20K: $22 plus $50 after passing, $250 of loss room (static); $100 buys 2 attempts and $500 of loss room.

E8 Markets E8 Pro $5K lets a funded trader request a payout on any day

E8 Pro is a one-step evaluation where the drawdown you pick at checkout also sets the profit target. The default 8% setting is the best buy on a $100 budget: $32 for $400 of static loss room.

Video: “E8 Pro 1-Step Challenge, The Complete Rule Breakdown,” E8 Markets official YouTube channel, June 1, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own rule breakdown of E8 Pro, the ranked product.

Three attempts fit: $32, then $28.80 for each restart taken within 7 days of a failure (10% off; “This offer is only valid for 7 days following the account failure.”), $89.60 in all for $1,200 of loss room. The 6% setting ($28, $300 floor) and the 10% setting ($48, $500 floor) both buy less room per $100.

The floor is 8% of $5,000 = $400 below the initial balance and does not move until the first payout is processed, when it jumps up to the initial balance. Two rules bite at this size: the daily drawdown is 2.5% ($125) and ends the account, and only 2% of the balance a day ($100) counts toward the $400 target or a payout.

• Product and price: E8 Pro (8% static drawdown setting), $5,000 account: $32.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 3 attempts ($89.60) and $1,200 of loss room; at $50, 1 attempt ($32.00) and $400 of loss room; at $200, 6 attempts ($176.00) and $2,400 of loss room. That is $80.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: 10% off a restart ($28.80) within 7 days of the failure, on the same settings.
• Profit needed before the first request: $50.00; 1% of the initial balance, requestable on any day; only half of the profit can be requested, so $50 of profit pays $20 at the 80% split.
• Watch out for (first): Only half of your profit is requestable at each payout; the other half stays in the account as a buffer.
• Payout complaints: Reviews read October 6, 2026 complain about the 50% payout buffer and payouts held after larger accounts; no count was taken.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 3,299 reviews, read October 6, 2026. E8 Markets profile.

Other E8 Markets products on the same test:

• E8 Pro $5K, 10% setting: $48, $500 of loss room (static); $100 buys 2 attempts and $1,000 of loss room.
• E8 Pro $5K, 6% setting: $28, $300 of loss room (static); $100 buys 3 attempts and $900 of loss room.
• E8 One $5K, 14% setting: $87, $700 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $700 of loss room.
• E8 One $5K, 6% setting: $48, $300 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 2 attempts and $600 of loss room.
• E8 One $5K, 10% setting: $68, $500 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $500 of loss room.
• E8 One $5K, 4% setting: $40, $200 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 2 attempts and $400 of loss room.
• E8 One $5K, 8% setting: $58, $400 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $400 of loss room.
• E8 Signature $25K: $120, $1,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $120).

FundedNext Stellar Lite $5K offers unlimited resets until you are funded

FundedNext prints its reset price in a table rather than a percentage: a failed Stellar Lite $5K comes back for $29.69, and the firm says “You have the freedom to reset your account as many times as you desire until you obtain a FundedNext Account.”

Video: a FundedNext explainer on resetting an account FundedNext official YouTube channel, January 9, 2024. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own explainer of how a FundedNext reset works, the feature that sets its retry price here.

$32.99 plus two resets is $92.37 for three attempts, each with a static $400 floor (8% of $5,000), $1,200 in total. A Phase 2 reset issues a new Phase 1 account, and resets stop once you are funded.

The daily loss is 4% ($200) and ends the account, targets are $400 and then $200, each phase needs five minimum days, and a “Max Risk 3% At any time” rule limits open exposure. Profit from news trades counts at 40%.

• Product and price: Stellar Lite, $5,000 account: $32.99 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 3 attempts ($92.37) and $1,200 of loss room; at $50, 1 attempt ($32.99) and $400 of loss room; at $200, 6 attempts ($181.44) and $2,400 of loss room. That is $82.48 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: A reset costs $29.69, as many times as you need until you are funded.
• Profit needed before the first request: $25.00; the $20 minimum reward by crypto or card at an 80% split ($20 / 80%), but the first withdrawal waits 21 days, then every 14 days. The fee is refunded at the third reward.
• Watch out for (first): Resets stop once funded, and the first reward is payable only 21 days after the funded account starts.
• Payout complaints: One dated refund complaint (May 9, 2026, fee not refunded after 7 payouts on a Stellar 2-Step) and complaints about compliance-session terminations.
• Trustpilot: 4.5/5 on 80,865 reviews, read October 5, 2026. FundedNext profile.

Other FundedNext products on the same test:

• Stellar 2-Step $6K: $59.99, $600 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room.
• Stellar 1-Step $6K: $65.99, $360 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $360 of loss room.
• Stellar Instant $2K: $59.99, $120 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 1 attempt and $120 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.

Alpha Capital Group Alpha Pro 6% $10K costs less on its On-Demand payout schedule

Alpha Capital Group sells the same Alpha Pro 6% $10K account at two prices, set by how you want to be paid: $47 for On-Demand payouts and $55 for Bi-Weekly. At $47, $100 buys two attempts; at $55 it buys one.

Video: Alpha Capital Group’s most recent official video covers Alpha Direct, an instant product, not the Alpha Pro 6% ranked here, so it is not embedded.

Each attempt has a static floor of 6% of $10,000 = $600, so two attempts add up to $1,200. No reset exists: the firm retired its free retries in July 2026 and says “we have now replaced these with unlimited trading days within our evaluations.” The $5K version of the same product costs $27 and buys three attempts, but only $900 of loss room.

Targets are 6% ($600) in each phase with three trading days per phase, and the 3% daily drawdown ($300, measured over the higher end-of-day balance or equity) ends the account. There is no activation fee. Once Qualified, a 2% per-asset open-loss rule, a weekend close and a 5-minute news window apply.

• Product and price: Alpha Pro 6% (2-step, On-Demand), $10,000 account: $47.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 2 attempts ($94.00) and $1,200 of loss room; at $50, 1 attempt ($47.00) and $600 of loss room; at $200, 4 attempts ($188.00) and $2,400 of loss room. That is $78.33 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No reset is sold; each new attempt is another $47.
• Profit needed before the first request: $200.00; On-Demand payouts need 2% of gross profit, and the 40% Best Day Rule means no single day can supply more than $80 of it. The split is 80%.
• Live call-up (first watch-out): Alpha Capital Group reviews traders for its live program after set payout milestones or at its own choice, and turning it down ends the relationship: “Traders who decline our live program will receive their final payout and forfeit any further relationship with any branch of the Alpha Group”.
• Also watch: No reset exists, and the 3% daily limit ($300) plus the per-asset open-loss rule end accounts before the floor does.
• Payout complaints: 15 or more reviews dated September 24 to October 2, 2026 describe payout denials and terminations tied to device, IP or CID matches.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 21,855 reviews, read October 6, 2026. Alpha Capital Group profile.

Other Alpha Capital Group products on the same test:

• Alpha Pro 8% (2-step, On-Demand) $5K: $37, $400 of loss room (static); $100 buys 2 attempts and $800 of loss room.
• Alpha One 10% (1-step) $5K: $47, $300 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 2 attempts and $600 of loss room.
• Swing Plan (2-step) $5K: $70, $500 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $500 of loss room.
• Alpha Direct (instant) $10K: $97, $500 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $500 of loss room.

For Traders Classic $15K fits $100 only with the 10% target and 3% daily options

For Traders lets you set the target, maximum loss and daily limit at checkout, and the price moves with each choice. The default Classic $15K (8% target, 8% loss, 4% daily) is $117 and over the budget; choosing a 10% target and a 3% daily limit takes $12 and $14 off, which brings it to $91.

Video: “New Accounts, Less Rules, And More,” For Traders official YouTube channel, June 8, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own announcement of its current account and rule set.

That $91 configuration keeps an 8% static floor, 8% of $15,000 = $1,200, balance-based and fixed from the start, the largest single-attempt floor among the forex products after Blue Guardian. One attempt fits $100 and two fit $200. There is no forex reset.

The 3% daily drawdown is $450 at this size and ends the account, so one bad day uses more than a third of the floor. Phase 1 needs 10% ($1,500) and Phase 2 needs 5% ($750), with three profitable days of 0.5% ($75 each) per phase.

• Product and price: Classic (2-Step) with the 10% target, 8% maximum loss and 3% daily loss options, $15,000 account: $91.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 1 attempt ($91.00) and $1,200 of loss room; at $50, none; at $200, 2 attempts ($182.00) and $2,400 of loss room. That is $75.83 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No forex reset is sold; each new attempt is another $91.
• Profit needed before the first request: $225.00; three profitable days of 0.5% ($75 each) bind before the $100 minimum. Rewards come every 14 days at 80%, and the fee is not refunded.
• Watch out for (first): Once funded, a 2% Drawdown Protection rule watches floating loss and cuts the split to 50%, new trades are not allowed 5 minutes around high-impact news, and wallet withdrawals cost $25 by crypto or $50 by Rise.
• Payout complaints: A review dated October 2, 2026 complains of “hidden rules after pass”, and others of consistency and buffer conditions; no count of payout denials.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 1,776 reviews, read October 5, 2026. For Traders profile.

Other For Traders products on the same test:

• Fast (1-Step) $15K: $99, $900 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $900 of loss room.
• Classic 10/10/3 (10% target, 10% loss, 3% daily) $6K: $69, $600 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room.
• Classic default (8% target, 8% loss, 4% daily) $6K: $67, $480 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $480 of loss room.
• Fast Static (1-Step) $6K: $69, $360 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $360 of loss room.
• Instant PRO $3K: $109, $180 of loss room (trails the closed balance); does not fit $100 (needs $109).
• Instant $6K: $138, $300 of loss room (trails the closed balance); does not fit $100 (needs $138).
• Pay After Pass $25K: $29 plus $189 after passing, $1,500 of loss room (trails the closed balance); does not fit $100 (needs $218); a $9 entry is advertised for a limited time.

Goat Funded Trader 2 Step GOAT $5K allows one discounted reset per phase

Goat Funded Trader is ranked on its $36 list price, though its own checkout showed the same 2 Step GOAT $5K at $17.00 marked “Limited time” with no end date; at $17 the same $100 would buy far more attempts.

Video: Goat Funded Trader’s official explainer predates the rule changes it made in August and September 2026, so it is not embedded.

At list, $100 buys two attempts: $36, then a $33.48 reset (7% off) bought within 14 calendar days of the breach. “Each phase can only be reset once.” A third try would be a new $36 purchase, which does not fit. The floor is static at 10% of $5,000 = $500 (“Your account equity or balance must never drop below 90% of your starting capital.”), so two attempts add up to $1,000.

The 4% daily loss ($200) is measured from the higher of balance or equity at 5 PM EST and ends the account. Targets are $400 and then $300, with three profitable days per phase. On accounts bought from July 25, 2026, every funded payout needs four profitable days of 0.5% ($25 each).

• Product and price: 2 Step GOAT, $5,000 account: $36.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 2 attempts ($69.48) and $1,000 of loss room; at $50, 1 attempt ($36.00) and $500 of loss room; at $200, 5 attempts ($169.92) and $2,500 of loss room. That is $72.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: 7% off a reset ($33.48) within 14 days of the breach, once per phase; after that, $36.
• Profit needed before the first request: $125.00; the $100 minimum withdrawal at 80% ($100 / 80%), after four profitable days of 0.5%. Payouts come every 14 days, and the first two are capped at $200.
• Watch out for (first): Only one discounted reset per phase, and the first two payouts on a $5K Two-Step bought from July 25, 2026 are capped at 4% of the balance ($200); every reward pays a 3% processing fee.
• Payout complaints: 8 or more reviews dated September 26 to October 5, 2026 report payout rejections for copy or group trading and for VPN or VPS use.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 4,343 reviews, read October 6, 2026. Goat Funded Trader profile.

Other Goat Funded Trader products on the same test:

• 2-Step Standard $10K: $90, $1,000 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $1,000 of loss room.
• 1 Step GOAT $5K: $74, $300 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $300 of loss room.
• Goat Blitz $2.5K: $47, $125 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 2 attempts and $250 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Instant HERO $5K: $58, $250 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 1 attempt and $250 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Instant GOAT $5K: $108, $300 of loss room (follows open profit); does not fit $100 (needs $108); not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Instant PREMIUM $5K: $158, $300 of loss room (follows open profit); does not fit $100 (needs $158); not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.

Hola Prime 2-Step Prime $5K refunds its fee in four instalments

Hola Prime’s 2-Step Prime $5K costs $39 on the Bi-Weekly payout schedule and keeps a fixed floor of 10% of $5,000 = $500 through both phases and the simulated funded account.

Video: “Payout Cycles Explained, Bi-Weekly vs Monthly vs On Demand, Hola Prime Rules (2026),” Hola Prime official YouTube channel, July 30, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own explainer of the payout schedules that set its prices.

Two attempts fit $100 ($78), for $1,000 of loss room; there is no reset, so each retry is a new $39 purchase. The daily loss is 5% ($250) from the previous day’s closing balance and ends the account. Targets are $400 and then $250, with three trading days per phase.

If the account pays out, the fee comes back in four 25% instalments with the first four payouts. Each payout pays a 2.5% processing fee, with a $5 minimum by crypto and $25 by bank wire or Rise, and Rise needs a $500 request.

• Product and price: 2-Step Prime (Bi-Weekly), $5,000 account: $39.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 2 attempts ($78.00) and $1,000 of loss room; at $50, 1 attempt ($39.00) and $500 of loss room; at $200, 5 attempts ($195.00) and $2,500 of loss room. That is $78.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No reset is sold; each new attempt is another $39.
• Profit needed before the first request: $75.00; three profitable days of 0.5% ($25 each) bind before the $50 minimum at 80% ($62.50). Payouts come every 14 days.
• Watch out for (first): No reset exists, and once funded a 2% maximum risk per trade idea and a stop-loss requirement apply; reviewers report it being checked at payout review.
• Payout complaints: Reviews describe breaches at payout review citing the 2% risk-per-trade-idea rule, including one refusal dated September 9, 2026.
• Trustpilot: 4.5/5 on 3,908 reviews, read October 6, 2026. Hola Prime profile.

Other Hola Prime products on the same test:

• 1-Step Prime (Bi-Weekly) $5K: $49, $300 of loss room (static); $100 buys 2 attempts and $600 of loss room.
• 2-Step Pro (Bi-Weekly) $5K: $59, $500 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $500 of loss room.
• Direct (instant, Bi-Weekly) $5K: $89, $350 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); $100 buys 1 attempt and $350 of loss room.

Lucid Trading LucidFlex 25K is the cheapest futures evaluation here with no activation fee

At $79, LucidFlex 25K is the lowest first-attempt price of any futures product in this guide, and passing costs nothing more: the plan card reads “Account Activation Fee: FREE”.

Video: “The Closet Within, The Lucid Trading Story,” Lucid Trading official YouTube channel, May 13, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own brand story; its channel has no rules or reset video.

The price assumes the daily loss limit is switched on; turning it off adds $10 to both the price and the reset. A reset costs $55 and must be bought within 30 days of the breach (“All breached accounts will be automatically deleted after 30 days if not reset.”), so $100 buys one attempt and $200 buys three ($79 + $55 + $55 = $189).

The Max Loss Limit is $1,000 and trails the highest end-of-day closing balance until it locks, in the evaluation and the funded account alike. The $1,250 target can be reached in one day, subject to a 50% consistency rule in the evaluation; the optional $600 daily limit only pauses the day. LucidFlex beats Tradeify’s Growth 25K on the first tiebreak, $79 against $99 to start.

• Product and price: LucidFlex 25K, $25,000 account: $79.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 1 attempt ($79.00) and $1,000 of loss room; at $50, none; at $200, 3 attempts ($189.00) and $3,000 of loss room. That is $79.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: A reset costs $55 and must be bought within 30 days of the breach.
• Profit needed before the first request: $1,000.00; the $500 minimum request can be at most 50% of profit, plus five days of $100 or more. The trader receives 90% ($450).
• Live call-up (first watch-out): Lucid Trading moves funded traders to live accounts after review, and the decision is the firm’s: “All live transitions occur at the discretion of the Lucid risk team.” A cashout equal to 50% of the live starting balance is offered instead of trading live; whether a trader can decline and keep the funded account is not published.
• Also watch: A funded account with no $1 of net profit or loss in 30 calendar days is permanently deleted, and after five payouts the account moves to live.
• Payout complaints: No count of payout complaints was taken for Lucid Trading in this check.
• Trustpilot: 4.4/5 on 6,359 reviews, read October 6, 2026. Lucid Trading profile.

Other Lucid Trading products on the same test:

• LucidDaily 25K, intraday evaluation drawdown: $79, $1,000 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 1 attempt and $1,000 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• LucidDaily 25K, end-of-day evaluation drawdown: $93, $1,000 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 1 attempt and $1,000 of loss room; not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• LucidPro 25K: $108, $1,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $108).
• LucidDaily 50K, intraday evaluation drawdown: $108, $2,000 of loss room (follows open profit); does not fit $100 (needs $108); not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• LucidFlex 50K: $136, $2,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $136).
• LucidDaily 50K, end-of-day evaluation drawdown: $136, $2,000 of loss room (follows open profit); does not fit $100 (needs $136); not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• LucidPro 50K: $172, $2,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $172).

FTMO 1-Step $10K needs only $20 of profit before a first reward

FTMO prices the 1-Step $10K at EUR 79, which converts to $88.68 at the ECB rate of 1.1225 for October 2, 2026; it is the only euro-priced product in this ranking.

Video: “FTMO 1-Step Challenge Explained, All 4 Rules You Must Know,” FTMO official YouTube channel, March 22, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: FTMO’s own walkthrough of the 1-Step rules ranked here.

That leaves room for one attempt, and because FTMO sells no reset, a second try is another EUR 79. The euro would have to rise about 13% against the dollar to push $88.68 over $100. The 10% maximum loss ($1,000) trails the end-of-day balance high, recalculated at midnight CE(S)T, and breaches on equity.

The 3% daily loss ($300) ends the account, the single target is 10% ($1,000), and a Best Day Rule requires the best day to be no more than 50% of positive days’ profit, both to pass and for each reward. The 2-Step $10K (EUR 89, $99.90) has a static floor and the same $1,000 of loss room, but it loses on price.

• Product and price: FTMO Challenge 1-Step, $10,000 account: EUR 79 one-time, $88.68 at the ECB rate of 1.1225.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 1 attempt ($88.68) and $1,000 of loss room; at $50, none; at $200, 2 attempts ($177.36) and $2,000 of loss room. That is $88.68 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No reset is sold; each new attempt is another EUR 79 (about $88.68).
• Profit needed before the first request: $20.00; there is no reward minimum, but a bank wire needs $20 of closed profit ($50 for crypto). The first reward is available on the 14th day after the first trade, at a 90% split, with no payout fee.
• Watch out for (first): There is no reset: every new attempt is EUR 79 (about $88.68), so $100 buys exactly one, and the 1-Step entry fee is not refunded.
• Also watch: US residents are served by a separate FTMO entity with its own pricing, not by ftmo.com.
• Payout complaints: No payout-denial pattern found; negative reviews centre on the risk-per-trade-idea cap enforced at payout after passing.
• Trustpilot: 4.8/5 on 53,946 reviews, read October 6, 2026. FTMO profile.

Other FTMO products on the same test:

• FTMO Challenge 2-Step (EUR 89) $10K: $99.90, $1,000 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $1,000 of loss room.

FXIFY Two Phase Classic $10K keeps a static floor at the same price as its trailing twin

FXIFY sells two Two Phase accounts at $10,000 for $89 each with the same $1,000 of loss room. They tie on every measure this guide uses, so the Classic is named here because its floor never moves, while the Standard’s trails the closed balance.

Video: “How to Trade Your FXIFY Account Inside TradingView,” FXIFY official YouTube channel, September 30, 2025. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own platform walkthrough; no official pricing or reset video was found.

10% of $10,000 = $1,000, static for the life of the account. One attempt fits $100, and with no reset or retry discount a second try is the full $89. Phase 1 asks for 5% ($500) and Phase 2 for 10% ($1,000), with a 4% daily loss ($400) on the previous day’s 5 PM EST balance and four minimum days.

FXIFY’s terms say a trader who passes “may be offered a contract by a third-party company, in its sole discretion to participate in the FXIFY Trader Program.”

• Product and price: Two Phase Classic, $10,000 account: $89.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 1 attempt ($89.00) and $1,000 of loss room; at $50, none; at $200, 2 attempts ($178.00) and $2,000 of loss room. That is $89.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No reset is sold; each new attempt is another $89.
• Profit needed before the first request: $62.50; the $50 minimum at an 80% split, and the 25% consistency rule means at least four winning days. Payouts come every 14 days, through Rise only.
• Watch out for (first): No reset or retry discount exists, so a failed $10K attempt costs the full $89 again, and FXIFY does not accept US residents.
• Also watch: A 25% consistency rule applies on the Classic funded account, and payouts come every 14 or 30 days, not on demand.
• Payout complaints: Dated negatives include access denied for “latency arbitrage” after passing (April 7, 2026) and bans after profitable trading (September 2026).
• Trustpilot: 4.3/5 on 6,393 reviews, read October 6, 2026. FXIFY profile.

Other FXIFY products on the same test:

• Two Phase Standard $10K: $89, $1,000 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $1,000 of loss room.
• Three Phase $15K: $79, $750 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $750 of loss room.
• One Phase $10K: $89, $600 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room.
• Instant Funding Lite $2.5K: $19, $100 of loss room (trailing, basis not published); $100 buys 5 attempts and $500 of loss room.
• Lightning $10K: $59, $400 of loss room (trailing, basis not published); $100 buys 1 attempt and $400 of loss room.
• Instant Funding Standard $1K: $69, $80 of loss room (trailing, basis not published); $100 buys 1 attempt and $80 of loss room.

Tradeify Growth 25K comes with a fixed $60 reset and no activation fee

Tradeify’s Growth 25K is a one-time $99 evaluation, and its reset is fixed at $60: “Reset fees have fixed pricing and cannot be discounted.”

Video: “Ep. 8, Get Funded in 24 Hours (Tradeify Growth Plan Explained),” Tradeify official YouTube channel, January 12, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own explainer of the Growth plan ranked here.

$99 leaves room for one attempt within $100, and $200 buys two ($99 + $60). The firm states “There are no activation fees for any current Tradeify account type.” The $1,000 floor trails the end-of-day balance, is enforced in real time on net liquidation value including open profit and loss, and in the funded account locks at $26,100.

The $1,500 target can be reached from day one, and the $600 daily loss limit is a soft breach that stops trading for the day without failing the account. Tradeify ties Lucid Trading on loss room ($1,000 for $100) and sits behind it on the first tiebreak, $99 against $79 to start.

• Product and price: Growth 25K, $25,000 account: $99.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 1 attempt ($99.00) and $1,000 of loss room; at $50, none; at $200, 2 attempts ($159.00) and $2,000 of loss room. That is $99.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: A reset costs a fixed $60.
• Profit needed before the first request: $1,500.00; the balance must reach $26,500 before a request, with five days of more than $100 and a 35% consistency rule. The minimum payout is $250, the cap $1,000 per request and the split 90%.
• Live call-up (first watch-out): Tradeify can move a trader to a live account after a payout, and selection is mandatory, with Elite Live starting at $0 and profit since the last payout not carried over: “Tradeify reserves the right to move you to a Live Funded Account at any time after a successful payout”.
• Also watch: At least one trade every Monday-to-Friday week is required on evaluation and funded accounts, or the account is deleted after an email warning, and the first Growth request needs $1,500 of profit.
• Payout complaints: At least 10 one-star reviews dated September 15 to October 4, 2026 say payouts were withheld or accounts closed after a compliance decision with no rule named.
• Trustpilot: 4.4/5 on 5,022 reviews, read October 7, 2026. Tradeify profile.

Other Tradeify products on the same test:

• Select 25K (40% consistency): $109, $1,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $109).
• Select 25K with the 50% consistency add-on: $135, $1,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $135).
• Growth 50K: $145, $2,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $145).
• Select 50K (40% consistency): $165, $2,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $165).

Funded Trading Plus 2-Step Classic $10K takes 20% off a retry from the dashboard

Funded Trading Plus sells nothing below $10,000, and its cheapest account is the 2-Step Classic at $89 with an 8% static, balance-based floor of $800.

Video: “2-Step Classic Prop Trading Challenge Rules & Overview,” Funded Trading Plus official YouTube channel, February 26, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own rules overview of the 2-Step Classic ranked here.

One attempt fits $100. A breached account can be bought again at 20% off ($71.20) from the dashboard, which “this does not re-instate the existing account, it just provides a code to re-purchase a similar product again”; $200 buys two attempts and $1,600 of loss room.

Targets are 7% ($700) in each step, with no minimum days. Thirty days without trading is a hard breach.

• Product and price: 2-Step Classic, $10,000 account: $89.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 1 attempt ($89.00) and $800 of loss room; at $50, none; at $200, 2 attempts ($160.20) and $1,600 of loss room. That is $111.25 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: 20% off a new purchase ($71.20) through the dashboard retry button.
• Profit needed before the first request: $100.00; the minimum request is 1% of the account at an 80% split, 10 days after account creation, with a 50% consistency score.
• Watch out for (first): Two rules end the account long before the $800 floor: a 3% Symbol Loss Limit on open loss per symbol ($300 at $10K) and a 4% balance-based daily loss ($400).
• Also watch: The first request needs 1% of the account ($100) and a 50% consistency score in the funded stage.
• Payout complaints: No payout-denial pattern in reviews read October 7, 2026; complaints are about fills, disabled logins and slow support.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 2,670 reviews, read October 7, 2026.

Other Funded Trading Plus products on the same test:

• 1-Step Express $10K: $99, $600 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room.
• Activation Accounts (pass now, pay later) $25K: $4 plus $179 after passing, $1,500 of loss room (follows open profit); does not fit $100 (needs $183); not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.

FunderPro Classic $5K credits its fee back after the first reward

FunderPro’s Classic (2-Phase) $5K costs $69 with a static 10% floor of $500, and the fee comes back as a credit within 7 days of the first reward.

Video: FunderPro’s only official rules video covers a consistency rule that the Classic account does not use, so it is not embedded.

One attempt fits $100 and two fit $200. FunderPro’s help centre offers 30% off a restart within 24 hours of a breach, but calls it “an active promotion”, so the budget math prices each retry at the full $69. Targets are 10% ($500) and then 5% ($250), with four minimum trading days per phase, and the 5% daily loss ($250) ends the account.

The $1K Classic at $29 buys four attempts for $100, but each has only $100 of loss room. TradeLocker is the only platform.

• Product and price: Classic (2-Phase), $5,000 account: $69.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 1 attempt ($69.00) and $500 of loss room; at $50, none; at $200, 2 attempts ($138.00) and $1,000 of loss room. That is $138.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: Each new attempt is counted at $69; the 30%-off restart within 24 hours is described as a promotion.
• Profit needed before the first request: $100.00; the minimum profit before a reward, 14 days after funding, at an 80% split; the fee is credited back within 7 days of that first reward.
• Watch out for (first): The 30%-off restart lasts only 24 hours after a breach and is called a promotion; after that, a retry is full price.
• Payout complaints: Payout denials citing multiple IP addresses (September 9, 2026) and lot-size reviews (June 2, 2026); a firm reply of August 12, 2026 says decisions follow review findings.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 1,561 reviews, read October 7, 2026. FunderPro profile.

Other FunderPro products on the same test:

• Pro Weekly Rewards $5K: $75, $500 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $500 of loss room.
• Pro Daily Rewards $5K: $75, $500 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $500 of loss room.
• One Phase (Single Phase) $5K: $69, $300 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $300 of loss room.

Small capital prop firms shown with a caution

Two firms are shown with their figures but not ranked. ThinkCapital fits the budget but carries firm-level findings that place it here, and every Earn2Trade product has a daily loss that ends the evaluation; Earn2Trade is also over a $100 budget.

ThinkCapital Nexus $5K fits the budget, but a firm-level warning keeps it out of the ranking

On price alone, ThinkCapital’s Nexus would sit among the ranked firms: a three-step evaluation at $39 for $5,000 with a static 8% floor ($400), so $100 buys two attempts and $800 of loss room.

Video: “Master Your Trading with TradingView & ThinkCapital, A Step-by-Step Guide,” ThinkCapital official YouTube channel, April 4, 2025. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own platform walkthrough; no pricing or reset video was found.

It is shown here instead because of two firm-level findings that any firm would be placed here for. In a reply dated July 6, 2026 the firm confirmed it had closed Pakistan accounts and cancelled pending payouts, refunding only fees. Think Markets, the brand behind ThinkCapital, appears on the Reserve Bank of India’s Alert List (entry 81).

Targets are $350, $300 and $250 across the three steps, the 4% daily loss ($200) ends the account, and there is no reset. The minimum payout and the profit needed before a first request are not published on its payout page, and Rise payouts carry a flat $50 monthly fee. Its Bolt instant account costs the same $39 at $2,500, but that floor follows open profit.

• Product and price: Nexus (3-step), $5,000 account: $39.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, 2 attempts ($78.00) and $800 of loss room; at $50, 1 attempt ($39.00) and $400 of loss room; at $200, 5 attempts ($195.00) and $2,000 of loss room. That is $97.50 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No reset is sold; each new attempt is another $39.
• Profit needed before the first request: Not published; the payout page states no minimum payout; three profitable days of 0.5% are the only published condition. Rise payouts cost a flat $50 a month.
• Watch out for (first): The Pakistan account closures with cancelled payouts and Think Markets’ place on India’s alert list are the reasons for the caution.
• Payout complaints: A firm reply of July 6, 2026 confirms Pakistan accounts were closed and pending payouts cancelled with a fee-only refund; one payout refusal under a strategy rule is dated July 15, 2026.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 612 reviews, read October 5, 2026. ThinkCapital profile.

Other ThinkCapital products on the same test:

• Dual Step Intraday (2-step) $10K: $99, $700 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $700 of loss room; covered by the firm-level caution.
• Lightning (1-step) $10K: $99, $600 of loss room (trails the closed balance); $100 buys 1 attempt and $600 of loss room; covered by the firm-level caution.
• Dual Step Swing (2-step) $5K: $82, $350 of loss room (static); $100 buys 1 attempt and $350 of loss room; covered by the firm-level caution.
• Bolt Instant Funding $2.5K: $39, $150 of loss room (follows open profit); $100 buys 2 attempts and $300 of loss room; its loss limit follows your open profit, and the firm-level caution applies.

Earn2Trade TCP25 needs $289 before funded trading, and its daily loss ends the attempt

Earn2Trade’s Trader Career Path TCP25 costs $150 a month, and funded traders on a LiveSim account pay a $139 activation fee taken from the first withdrawal, so reaching funded trading costs $289, beyond both a $100 and a $200 budget.

Video: “Understanding How The Trailing Drawdown Rule Works in Practice,” Earn2Trade official YouTube channel, December 11, 2020. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own explainer of the end-of-day trailing floor its accounts use.

It sits in the caution group for a second reason: the $550 daily loss ends the evaluation outright (“if your PnL ever hits the -$550 limit (even if you don’t close your position), your evaluation fails and will be suspended from further trading.”). The overall floor is $1,500, trailing the end-of-day balance, and the target is $1,750.

A reset is $100, and a free reset comes with each monthly rebill. The first withdrawal must cover the $100 minimum, the $139 activation and the method fee, and payouts under $1,500 are split 50%: about $578 of profit for non-US traders ($50 method fee), about $495 for US traders (1.5% fee).

• Product and price: Trader Career Path TCP25, $25,000 account: $150 a month, plus the $139 LiveSim activation taken from the first withdrawal ($289.00).
• What the budget buys: At $100, none; at $50, none; at $200, none. That is $192.67 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: A reset costs $100, and one free reset comes with each monthly rebill.
• Profit needed before the first request: $578.00 outside the US; the first withdrawal must cover the $100 minimum, the $139 activation and the $50 method fee at a 50% split ($289 / 50%); about $495 for US traders.
• Live call-up (first watch-out): Earn2Trade’s partner firms decide whether a funded trader gets a live account: “the proprietary trading firms, depending on your performance, may decide to provide a Live account instead of a LiveSim®.” Whether a trader can decline is not published.
• Also watch: The $550 daily loss ends the attempt, and every month without a pass is another $150.
• Payout complaints: One dated review (October 1, 2026) says an account was closed above the drawdown level and payouts withheld; not a pattern.
• Trustpilot: 4.6/5 on 5,013 reviews, read October 6, 2026. Earn2Trade profile.

Other Earn2Trade products on the same test:

• Trader Career Path TCP50 (monthly) $50K: $190 a month plus $139 taken from the first withdrawal, $2,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $329); not ranked: its daily loss limit ends the evaluation.

Over a $100 budget, prop firms that need more starting capital

These three firms have no product with a floor that passes the test and an all-in price of $100 or less. This is a budget group, not a grade, ordered by the smallest all-in price.

MyFundedFutures Builder 25K costs $105, just over a $100 budget

Builder 25K is a one-time $105 evaluation with “Activation fee $0”, five dollars more than a $100 budget allows.

Video: “Episode 08 – MFFU Plans Explained,” MyFundedFutures official YouTube channel, July 5, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own explainer of its plans, including Builder.

MyFundedFutures says resets exist but publishes no reset price for one-time accounts, so a retry is counted as a new $105 purchase, and $200 buys one attempt with $1,000 of loss room. The $1,000 floor trails the end-of-day balance and locks at $100 above the start in the simulated funded account; the $600 daily limit pauses trading without failing the account.

The first request needs a lot of profit for a 25K account: a $1,100 buffer must be cleared, then $250 more, $1,350 in all, with two qualifying days, a 50% consistency rule and a $1,000 cap per cycle. Its Rapid 25K ($145) is not ranked because its pages disagree on the funded floor, and the stricter reading follows open profit. Studio #001, a limited-time $10K plan at $140 with a daily purchase cap, is not ranked.

• Product and price: Builder 25K, $25,000 account: $105.00 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, none; at $50, none; at $200, 1 attempt ($105.00) and $1,000 of loss room. That is $105.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: Resets exist but no price is published for one-time accounts, so a retry is counted as a new $105 purchase.
• Profit needed before the first request: $1,350.00; the $1,100 buffer plus $250 of net profit; the 80% split pays $200 on the $250 minimum.
• Live call-up (first watch-out): MyFundedFutures moves Builder traders to live after the fifth approved payout or at the risk team’s choice, and “No, rejecting the move to a Live Funded Account is not possible once you are selected”.
• Also watch: A 7-calendar-day inactivity rule applies, and the first request needs $1,350 of profit.
• Payout complaints: No count of payout complaints was taken for MyFundedFutures in this check.
• Trustpilot: 4.9/5 on 22,257 reviews, read October 7, 2026. MyFundedFutures profile.

Other MyFundedFutures products on the same test:

• Studio #001 (limited-time plan) $10K: $140, $500 of loss room (static); does not fit $100 (needs $140); a limited-time plan with a daily purchase cap, never ranked.
• Rapid 25K: $145, $1,000 of loss room (follows open profit); does not fit $100 (needs $145); not ranked: its pages disagree on the funded floor, and the stricter reading follows open profit.

FundedNext Futures Flex 50K starts at $133.99, with a $77.99 reset

FundedNext Futures sells Flex from $50,000 up, at $133.99 one-time with no activation fee, so the cheapest Flex account is over a $100 budget at list price.

Video: “How to Activate Your FundedNext Futures Account, Tradovate Setup,” FundedNext Futures official YouTube channel, August 19, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own setup video for a FundedNext Futures account.

The $1,500 floor trails the end-of-day balance, a floating loss that reaches it breaches immediately, and it locks at $50,100 at the first withdrawal. There is no daily loss limit, and the $2,500 target carries a 40% consistency rule. A reset is $77.99, so $200 buys one attempt ($133.99 + $77.99 = $211.98 would not fit).

The first reward needs five Benchmark Days of $200 and $500 of cycle profit, $1,000 in all, with a 95% reward share and a $1,500 cap per cycle. Rapid Pro 25K costs $159.98 with a $1,000 floor and an $84.99 reset.

• Product and price: Flex 50K, $50,000 account: $133.99 one-time.
• What the budget buys: At $100, none; at $50, none; at $200, 1 attempt ($133.99) and $1,500 of loss room. That is $89.33 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: A reset costs $77.99.
• Profit needed before the first request: $1,000.00; five Benchmark Days of $200, which also covers the $500 cycle-profit rule, at a 95% reward share.
• Live call-up (first watch-out): FundedNext Futures reviews a trader for live after 15 Performance Rewards, and the funded accounts end with the move: “Moving to live replaces your current funded accounts, so they are closed as part of the transition.” Whether a trader can decline is not published.
• Also watch: List prices sit above $100; the sub-$100 card prices need the FNFLEX or RAPID codes, which show no end date.
• Payout complaints: Trustpilot does not separate the futures arm from FundedNext’s forex arm, so no futures-only count was possible.
• Trustpilot: 4.5/5 on 80,993 reviews (one profile shared with FundedNext’s forex arm), read October 6, 2026.

Other FundedNext Futures products on the same test:

• Rapid Pro 25K: $159.98, $1,000 of loss room (end-of-day trailing); does not fit $100 (needs $159.98).

Apex Trader Funding 25K EOD Trail needs $599 before funded trading

Apex Trader Funding’s smallest account that passes this guide’s floor test is the 25K EOD Trail: $490 for the evaluation and $109 to activate the Performance Account, $599 in all.

Video: “EOD Drawdown,” Apex Trader Funding official YouTube channel, March 1, 2026. Source type: firm-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own explainer of the end-of-day drawdown on the 25K EOD account.

The 25K Intraday Trail is cheaper at $167 plus $89, but its floor counts open profit (“Peak Balance includes both realized and unrealized gains”), so it is not the comparison product here. Neither fits $200. Evaluations carry “Will expire after 30 days. No Resets.” Every failed attempt is a new purchase, and activation is due within 7 days of passing.

The $1,000 floor trails the end-of-day balance and is enforced in real time including open profit and loss. The first request needs a $26,600 balance, $1,600 of profit, plus five days of $100 or more and no single day at 50% or more of the profit; approved payouts are paid at a 100% split, with at most six payouts per account. Its footer says “Services are intended for U.S. users only”.

• Product and price: 25K EOD Trail evaluation (Standard), $25,000 account: $490 one-time plus $109 activation after passing ($599.00).
• What the budget buys: At $100, none; at $50, none; at $200, none. That is $599.00 per $1,000 of loss room.
• Retry route: No resets; each failed attempt is a new $490 evaluation.
• Profit needed before the first request: $1,600.00; the balance must reach $26,600 (the $26,100 Safety Net plus the $500 minimum), with five days of $100 or more; the split is 100%.
• Live call-up (first watch-out): Apex can select a trader for live at its discretion, and “Evaluation Accounts and Performance Accounts are closed or deactivated when the trader is selected for live.” Declining deactivates the account with a flat $3,000 final reward and the simulated balance is forfeited.
• Also watch: The $89 to $109 activation after passing, and no resets: each failed 30-day attempt costs the full price again.
• Payout complaints: Negative reviews read October 6, 2026 centre on bans from buying evaluations after profitable trading; no payout-complaint count was taken.
• Trustpilot: 4.2/5 on 21,227 reviews, read October 6, 2026. Apex Trader Funding profile.

Other Apex Trader Funding products on the same test:

• 25K Intraday Trail: $167 plus $89 after passing, $1,000 of loss room (follows open profit); does not fit $100 (needs $256); not ranked: its loss limit follows your open profit.
• Legacy 25K Full (monthly, limited time): $177 a month plus $99 after passing, $1,500 of loss room (trailing, type not stated); does not fit $100 (needs $276); a limited-time monthly plan.

Products checked but not ranked for a small budget

No firm was dropped: all 23 were selling on October 7, 2026. A few products were left out of the figures for the reasons below.

• Alpha Capital Group Alpha Pro 10%: every Alpha Pro 10% plan in the firm’s own price data was marked as not on sale when we checked, so it is not priced here.
• Topstep Labs: its drops are sold only from the logged-in dashboard, and the public page lists them as past drops.
• MyFundedFutures Studio #001: a limited-time $10K plan with a daily purchase cap, listed with the firm’s other products but never ranked.
• Every product whose floor follows open profit: listed under its firm with its figures and the reason, never ranked.

Hidden Trustpilot ratings among small capital prop firms

10 of the 23 firms show Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner instead of a score: Blue Guardian (2,098 reviews, read October 6, 2026); Maven Trading (5,203 reviews, read October 6, 2026); AquaFunded (1,199 reviews, read October 6, 2026); E8 Markets (3,299 reviews, read October 6, 2026); Alpha Capital Group (21,855 reviews, read October 6, 2026); For Traders (1,776 reviews, read October 5, 2026); Goat Funded Trader (4,343 reviews, read October 6, 2026); Funded Trading Plus (2,670 reviews, read October 7, 2026); FunderPro (1,561 reviews, read October 7, 2026); ThinkCapital (612 reviews, read October 5, 2026). Trustpilot shows this banner when it has acted against a company for breaking its review rules, for example by removing fake reviews, and it hides the score while the banner is up. We state the hidden rating plainly and do not substitute the score a firm shows on its own site. On a small budget this matters, because several of the best-value products in this guide come from firms with hidden ratings, including three of the top four on loss room.

Success rates published by small capital prop firms

Earn2Trade’s homepage footnotes refer to a percentage of Gauntlet Mini evaluations passed, but the figure could not be confirmed when we checked, and none of the other 22 firms publishes a pass rate on the pages we read. Two publish a related figure about live call-ups: Topstep says “0.71% of individual participants trading in an Express Funded Account were called up to a Live Funded Account” (2025), and Tradeify says “3.0% of individual participants trading in a Funded Account were called up to a Live Funded Account” (August 2025 to July 2026). Counters on other firms’ homepages count rewards or money paid out, not traders who passed. Pass-rate claims that circulate without a firm source, such as a single failure percentage for the whole industry, are not repeated here.

Profit targets and first payout caps on small accounts

A target in dollars is a better guide than a percentage on a small account. The ranked products ask for anything from $375 in total (The5ers $2,500: $250 and then $125) to $3,250 (Blue Guardian’s 2 Step Nano: $2,000 and then $1,250), and the ratio of target to loss room is what decides how hard an attempt is: Blue Guardian asks for $2,000 first with $2,500 of room, Lucid Trading for $1,250 with $1,000. Once funded, small accounts often face payout caps before any scaling plan matters: Goat Funded Trader caps the first two payouts on a $5K Two-Step at $200, Blue Guardian caps each 14-day cycle at 2% ($500 at $25K), and Lucid Trading and Tradeify cap a 25K request at $1,000. Scaling plans were not part of this budget test.

Promo codes for a small prop firm budget, dated

Promotions never set a rank here; every figure above is a list price. These are the firm-published offers we read on October 7, 2026 for the ranked products, none with an end date unless one is shown. All are uncompensated.

• Goat Funded Trader 2 Step GOAT $5K: $17.00 at checkout, marked limited time, against the $36 list price.
• Blue Guardian 2 Step Nano $25K: a site sale price of $50 against $66.66.
• Maven Trading Standard 2-Step $5K: $20 with code ETERNAL.
• AquaFunded 2 Step Elite $5K: $19.80 with code AUTUMN (25% off, limited time).
• FundingPips 2 Step Standard $5K: code FP, 10% off for new users and 5% for existing users ($32.40 on the 3% option).
• E8 Markets E8 Pro $5K: $22.40 with code E8.
• FundedNext Stellar Lite $5K: $29.99 with code STOCT.
• Funded Trading Plus 2-Step Classic $10K: $62.30 with code FUNDED30.
• Lucid Trading LucidFlex 25K: a limited-time 30% card price ($55.30), with code VAULT at checkout.
• Topstep: a $10 Responsible Trading Discount ($85 a month) when a fixed $1,000 daily loss limit is added at checkout.
• Over the budget: MyFundedFutures advertises 40% to 50% off a first evaluation ($63 for the Builder 25K at 40%), FundedNext Futures $69.99 for Flex 50K with code FNFLEX and 50% off Rapid Pro with code RAPID, and For Traders a $9 Pay After Pass entry for a limited time.
• Ended or ending: Earn2Trade’s anniversary bundle (three TCP25 evaluations and three resets for $165) was marked as ending October 10, 2026, and Apex Trader Funding’s SAVENOW code ran on a countdown to about October 12, 2026; treat both as expired.

Free trials before you spend a small budget

A free practice account costs nothing and shows how a firm’s rules feel before you pay. FTMO offers free trials; its FAQ adds “Free Trials do not grant any eligibility to automatically secure an FTMO Account.” E8 Markets lists a free E8 Trial One practice account with no payout share. ThinkCapital and FundedNext (on MT5, not for US traders) also offer free trials, and Alpha Capital Group’s price data lists free trial plans at 50K, 100K and 200K; check that the checkout offers one before relying on it. Topstep’s practice account is only an add-on while a paid Combine is active, and FundingPips’ free $1K instant accounts are giveaways, not something you can buy. Our prop firms with free trials guide compares the trials side by side.

US traders with small capital, platforms and access

Platform and country rules change what a small budget can buy. FXIFY does not accept US residents, FTMO serves US clients through a separate entity, and several forex firms sell to US traders only on one platform.

Regulation and small capital prop firms

The firms in this guide sell evaluations on simulated accounts, and their own terms say so: FunderPro states “Funds allocated are fictitious.” This guide does not rank on regulation and does not describe any firm here as regulated, because none was checked against a regulator’s register for this test. Readers who want that check should start with our regulated prop firms guide. One regulator finding does appear above: Think Markets, the brand behind ThinkCapital, is on the Reserve Bank of India’s Alert List.

Verify-before-you-buy checklist for a small budget

1. First attempt price: read the price at the exact account size on the firm’s own checkout, not the “from” figure on its homepage.
2. Fees before funded: add any activation fee, monthly fee or data fee due before the funded account can trade. If the firm names none, ask before assuming it is zero.
3. Price of a retry: find the firm’s own reset or retry price and its time window; with no reset, every retry is the full price again.
4. Loss room per try: turn the overall loss limit into dollars at your size, and note whether it is static, end-of-day trailing or follows open profit.
5. Profit before first payout: work out the smallest profit that lets you request a payout: minimum payout, split, buffer and minimum days together.
6. Fee refund: check when the fee comes back, if ever; most refunds arrive only with a later payout, not the first one.

Final picks for traders with small starting capital

With $100 and a forex plan: Blue Guardian’s 2 Step Nano $25K for one large attempt, or Maven Trading’s Standard 2-Step $5K for four smaller ones. With $100 and a futures plan: Topstep’s No Activation Fee Combine 50K, or Lucid Trading’s LucidFlex 25K if you would rather pay once. With $50: Maven Trading, two attempts and $800 of room. With $200: Blue Guardian again, three attempts and $7,500 of room. If the first payout matters most: FTMO’s 1-Step, $20 of profit before a first reward. Forex beginners asking whether $100 is enough can also read our forex prop firms for beginners guide, and crypto traders our cheapest crypto prop firms guide.

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Small starting capital prop firm FAQ

Part of The Prop Trader’s Guide. More in Prop Firms by Trader Situation.