Prop Firms That Use cTrader, Checked Plan by Plan

Key takeaways

We checked 13 forex and CFD prop firms that offer or advertise cTrader against their live checkouts and help pages on October 3, 2026.

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We checked 13 forex and CFD prop firms that offer or advertise cTrader against their live checkouts and help pages on October 3, 2026. Ten sell a cTrader challenge you can buy today, ranked by cost per $1,000 of overall loss room at $50K with any cTrader add-on included: AquaFunded 2 Step Elite ($47.32, +$15 cTrader fee), E8 Markets E8 Pro 10% ($49.80), FundingPips 2 Step Flex ($53.17, +$20), Alpha Capital Group Alpha Pro 10% ($53.40), Goat Funded Trader ($61.60), FundedNext Stellar Lite ($63.75, +$25), Hola Prime ($63.80), The5ers ($64.75, +$10), FTMO 1-Step ($71.62) and Instant Funding ($106.00). None sells cTrader to new US buyers without a catch: FundedNext closed US cTrader purchases on March 31, 2026, and FTMO US offers no cTrader. FunderPro sells cTrader only on its $499 Instant account, not on its $50K challenges, Top One Trader still describes cTrader but no longer sells it, The Funded Trader returned HTTP 402, and no futures prop firm uses cTrader.

Freshness: checked October 3, 2026. FTMO’s euro prices are converted at the ECB reference rate of October 2, 2026 (EUR/USD 1.1225). Firms change platforms and prices without notice, so re-check the checkout before you pay. Each Trustpilot figure carries the date it was read.

Quick picks for prop firms with cTrader

• Cheapest loss room on cTrader: AquaFunded 2 Step Elite, $47.32 per $1,000 with the $15 cTrader fee; the firm does not say whether US residents can use cTrader.
• Cheapest with no cTrader fee: E8 Markets E8 Pro 10%, $49.80 per $1,000, outside the US only.
• Biggest floor for the money: FundingPips 2 Step Flex, $6,000 of static room for $319 with the cTrader fee.
• No cTrader surcharge, same account to payout: Alpha Capital Group Alpha Pro 10%, $53.40.
• Clearest US fallback: Goat Funded Trader swaps a US cart to TradeLocker at the same price and says so at checkout.
• Best official cTrader videos: AquaFunded and Hola Prime both publish cTrader login walkthroughs on their own channels.

Asking whether a brand supports cTrader is the wrong question. At ten firms the platform is a real checkout option on a challenge. At two it is not: Top One Trader keeps only old articles, and FunderPro sells cTrader on its no-evaluation Instant account alone. At 8 of the ten that sell it, a new US buyer is steered to another platform, while the other two leave the US answer unclear. The ranking below uses each firm’s cheapest cTrader plan on cost per $1,000 of loss room, with the cTrader fee added where one exists. If you trade MetaTrader, the same checks for the other platforms are in prop firms that use MT4 and prop firms that use MT5.

cTrader vs MT4 and MT5 for prop firm traders

cTrader is made by Spotware, a different company from MetaQuotes, which makes MT4 and MT5. A prop firm does not own cTrader: it runs accounts on a cTrader server provided through a broker or its own company, which is why only two ranked firms name the company behind their cTrader accounts. Alpha Capital Group names ACG Markets for every platform, and Hola Prime names its own Hola Prime Markets.

For prop traders the practical differences come down to three things. First, automation: cTrader runs cBots written in C# through its cAlgo tools, while MT4 and MT5 run Expert Advisors in MQL4 and MQL5. Code does not move between them, and firms grade them separately, so an EA permission on MT5 tells you nothing about cBots. Second, login: at FTMO you log in with your own cTrader ID and the firm connects its accounts to it, and at FundingPips the setup email comes from “cTrader Spotware.” Third, availability: US buyers keep MT5 or another platform at most firms but lose cTrader at almost all of them.

What carries over from MetaTrader is everything the firm controls. At Alpha Capital Group, FTMO, Hola Prime and Instant Funding the price, loss limits, payout rules and commission schedule are the same whichever platform you pick. What does not carry over is anything tied to the platform: swap-free accounts are MT5 only at Alpha Capital Group and FundingPips, and EAs are MT5 only at Alpha Capital Group and Hola Prime. For a platform-only comparison, read MT4 vs MT5 vs cTrader vs TradeLocker.

Who should pick a cTrader prop firm? Traders who already use cTrader’s depth-of-market and order screens, manual scalpers who want the same platform from challenge to payout, and C# coders, but only at a firm that allows automation on cTrader. A trader in the US, or one who needs swap-free or EA support, is usually better served on MT5 or TradeLocker; see prop firms that use TradeLocker.

How we checked prop firms with cTrader

1. Firm pages only: each firm’s live checkout, platform FAQ, help articles and terms, read October 3, 2026. Third-party lists and roundups were leads, never sources.
2. Per product and per stage: we graded the plan, not the brand, at evaluation, at the funded stage and at any live or call-up stage.
3. The test: cTrader must be selectable at checkout today for that plan and stay the platform up to the first payout. Where a firm says only that the account carries on unchanged, we say “funded inferred.”
4. The cost measure: list price plus any cTrader add-on plus any activation fee, divided by the overall maximum loss in dollars, times 1,000, at $50K. Never the daily loss limit, never a code price.
5. Country rules kept separate: losing cTrader in the US is noted on its own and is not treated as a country ban unless the firm refuses US residents on every platform.

Each firm’s cheapest plan on that measure is the one ranked, so a dearer sticker price can win when it buys more loss room. A live call-up, where the firm can move a trader to another account, is listed as a warning and never changes a rank. Where a firm publishes no activation fee either way, we counted none and marked the row, and where a firm’s pages disagree we ranked on the reading that costs you more.

Prop firms with cTrader you can buy today, ranked

Ten firms, one row each, cheapest per $1,000 of loss room first. “Price at $50K” is the list price before the cTrader add-on; “Cost per $1,000” includes it.

Notes on this ranking: ^* E8 Markets’ configurator shows $249 for E8 Pro 10% at $50K, and the checkout summary for the same settings showed $248. We used the higher figure ($49.80); $248 gives $49.60, and E8 stays second either way. ^† FundingPips, AquaFunded, Hola Prime and Instant Funding publish no activation fee and show none at checkout, but none of them states that there is none. We counted $0. AquaFunded at $47.32 sits $2.48 below E8 Markets, so an activation fee above $12.40 would swap them. FundingPips at $53.17 sits just below Alpha Capital Group, so an activation fee above $1.40 would swap them; FundedNext and Hola Prime sit 5 cents apart, so a small fee would swap those two as well. ^‡ The5ers’ $50K size table gives an 8% ($4,000) overall loss limit and its program FAQ gives 10% ($5,000). We ranked on $4,000 ($64.75); on $5,000 the cost is $51.80, which would place The5ers third. ^§ AquaFunded is ranked on its 2 Step Elite, its cheapest plan on this measure: with cTrader selected, the Elite $50K checkout showed a $221.60 subtotal and a $236.60 total on October 3, 2026, against a static 10% ($5,000) floor. Its 2 Step Standard lists at $239.20 ($254.20 with cTrader) against an 8% ($4,000) floor, $63.55 per $1,000. Its 2 Step Pro costs less at the till ($143.20), but its floor trails the intraday high including open profit, so we did not rank it. FTMO’s €319 is converted at EUR/USD 1.1225 (ECB, October 2, 2026); the euro would have to fall about 10% before FTMO passed The5ers. Codes and promotions never set a rank; they appear in each firm’s section with their end dates.

The ranked cTrader prop firms, firm by firm

In table order. Each section covers the same points: cTrader at each stage, US rules, the cTrader fee, the cost working, loss limits and payouts, cBots, scalping, commission, the main watch-out and the Trustpilot reading.

AquaFunded 2 Step Elite has the cheapest cTrader loss room, plus the clearest official login video

AquaFunded lists cTrader as a paid option on the platform selector, “cTrader (+ $15),” beside MetaTrader 5, TradeLocker and MatchTrader at no extra charge. The 2 Step Elite checkout at $50K, with cTrader selected, showed a $221.60 subtotal and a $236.60 total, and a 10% static floor of $5,000 gives $47.32 per $1,000, the lowest in this guide. The better-known 2 Step Standard costs more on this measure: $239.20 list, $254.20 with cTrader, against an 8% ($4,000) floor, $63.55 per $1,000. One caution sits under the Elite number: the firm publishes no activation fee either way.

Video: “How to log in to cTrader,” AquaFunded official YouTube channel, June 29, 2026. Source type: vendor-produced. Why selected: a cTrader login walkthrough from the firm’s own channel, the most direct official cTrader video for any ranked firm.

• cTrader by stage: cTrader is a live, clickable option at checkout for the evaluation. AquaFunded’s platform-change article implies the purchased platform carries into the funded account, so funded cTrader is inferred. There is no live stage: “Funded accounts should not be considered live trading accounts.”
• US traders: Not stated in words. The selector marks TradeLocker and MatchTrader “Available” with a US flag and leaves cTrader and MT5 without one; in our US-IP read the cTrader button was not blocked. Ask support in writing before buying from the US.
• cTrader add-on: +$15 one-time.
• Cost at $50K: $221.60 list + $15.00 cTrader add-on, no activation fee published (counted as none), against $5,000.00 of overall loss room: $47.32 per $1,000. The code AUTUMN (25% off, marked “Limited Time”) shows $166 on the Elite base price, no end date shown.
• Loss limits and payouts: 10% of $50,000 is $5,000, static at both stages and tested on equity, open trades included. The daily loss limit is 4% ($2,000). The Elite help article carries a heading copied from the Standard article, but its Elite figures (10% max loss, 4% daily) match the homepage Elite card. Funded accounts add a Wave Stop that closes every trade at 2% combined open loss. The help centre opens the first payout 14 days after the first funded trade, while the homepage Elite card says “First reward 7 days, then bi-weekly”; we use the longer help-centre figure. The minimum is $100, every payout carries a 3% processing fee, and the split is 90%.
• cBots and cAlgo: Allowed in general terms: “Yes, EAs are allowed, provided they are used as part of your own personal trading strategy.” No cBot-specific limit is published.
• Scalping: No hold-time rule appears in the pages read for this guide.
• Commission and broker: Account-wide commission is $5 per lot on forex and commodities and $0 on indices and crypto, not split by platform. Platform changes are allowed only between evaluation phases, before any trade on the new account.
• Watch out for: The funded-stage Wave Stop and the unconfirmed US position matter more than the $15 fee.
• Choose it when: You want the lowest cost per $1,000 of loss room on cTrader with a floor that never trails, and you are outside the US or have a written yes from support.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 1,199 reviews (read September 30, 2026).
• Further reading: AquaFunded profile.

E8 Markets has the cheapest cTrader loss room with no platform fee, but only outside the US

The cheapest way to buy loss room on cTrader without paying a platform fee is E8’s own configurator, second overall behind AquaFunded’s Elite. Set E8 Pro at $50K to the 10% static loss limit and the list price is $249, and $249 against $5,000 of room is $49.80 per $1,000. The checkout summary for the same settings showed $248, a dollar below the configurator, so we ranked on the higher figure. E8 adds $10 for cTrader only when an account costs under $100, which never applies at this size, and its help centre states plainly that “There is no activation fee or subscription fee.”

Video: no official E8 video covers cTrader; the channel’s closest upload explains E8 One, a different product, so we left it out.

• cTrader by stage: You pick cTrader at checkout, then get an email to set a password and log in with your E8 dashboard email. E8 says leverage does not change between the challenge and the Performance stage, and it has no live stage: “All accounts at E8 Markets are demo accounts.”
• US traders: “Clients from the US are unable to use and purchase accounts on the MT5 and cTrader trading platforms. US clients can utilize only TradeLocker and MatchTrader.” A separate article adds that US clients cannot switch into cTrader after buying.
• cTrader add-on: None at $50K. The $10 cTrader charge applies only below a $100 account price.
• Cost at $50K: $249.00 list, $0 activation, against $5,000.00 of overall loss room: $49.80 per $1,000. E8 shows the same setup at $187 with the code E8, no end date shown.
• Loss limits and payouts: The 10% setting gives $5,000 of static room, measured from the starting balance until the first payout, when the floor moves up to the starting balance. The daily loss limit is $1,250, a daily profit cap of $1,000 applies, each payout request needs $500 of new profit, and half of each request stays in the account as a buffer. The split is 80% of the half you can withdraw.
• cBots and cAlgo: Not named. E8’s EA rule allows “any EA (Expert Advisor) as long as we don’t see multiple users executing the same trades/strategy,” written in MetaTrader terms, so ask support in writing before running a cBot.
• Scalping: No minimum hold time, but “you cannot hold more than 50% of your trades for under one minute.”
• Commission and broker: Commission on cTrader is not published separately. E8 names no broker or liquidity provider for its cTrader accounts, while its MT5 route names a Saint Lucia company.
• Watch out for: The 50% payout buffer and the $1,000 daily profit cap shape how fast money leaves the account; read both before choosing E8 for its price.
• Choose it when: You live outside the US and want the lowest cost per $1,000 of loss room on cTrader with no platform fee and a floor that never trails.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 3,297 reviews (read October 3, 2026).
• Further reading: E8 Markets profile and E8 rules summary.

FundingPips 2 Step Flex is the biggest cTrader floor for the money, until a Prime invite

FundingPips’ sticker-cheapest plan is not its best cTrader buy. The 2 Step Pro costs $249 but gives only $3,000 of room, which is $83.00 per $1,000 even before the cTrader fee. The 2 Step Flex lists at $299 with a 12% static floor, $6,000 at $50K, and with the $20.00 cTrader add-on that comes to $319, or $53.17 per $1,000. FundingPips publishes no activation fee either way, so we counted none and marked the row.

Video: FundingPips’ channel has no cTrader setup video; its closest platform walkthrough covers Match-Trader, so we left it out.

• cTrader by stage: cTrader runs through both evaluation phases and the funded Master account, where rewards are paid. Your login arrives as an email from “cTrader Spotware” asking you to set your cTrader ID. The invite-only Prime stage is different: “Every Prime Account runs on MT5, whatever platform the Master Account used.”
• US traders: “US residents and citizens are NOT able to use cTrader.” That test is wider than its MT5 rule, which goes by residence. US and Canadian residents can buy the firm’s own Match-Trader build instead.
• cTrader add-on: +$20.00 one-time, shown on the checkout as “cTrader +$20.00.” MT5 and Match-Trader carry no surcharge.
• Cost at $50K: $299.00 list + $20.00 cTrader add-on, no activation fee published (counted as none), against $6,000.00 of overall loss room: $53.17 per $1,000. A site-wide banner offers 10% off for new users with the code FP, no end date shown.
• Loss limits and payouts: 12% of $50,000 is $6,000, a static floor tested on equity or balance, so an open losing trade can breach it. The daily loss limit is 4% ($2,000). You choose at purchase between an 80% split with one minimum trading day per phase or a 95% split that needs three profitable days of at least 0.5% per phase, and the choice is locked for the account’s life. The minimum payout is $500.
• cBots and cAlgo: No cBot rule is published. FundingPips’ EA rules are written for all platforms, and “Connecting to a VPN or VPS while accessing your trading account is not permitted,” which blocks the usual way to keep a cBot running.
• Scalping: High-frequency trading and tick scalping are both on the prohibited list in the terms, with no numeric threshold given.
• Commission and broker: FundingPips publishes $5 per lot on forex and metals for its standard schedule, not a cTrader-only figure. The swap-free add-on “is exclusively available on MetaTrader 5. It is not supported on cTrader or Match-Trader.”
• Watch out for: The Prime invitation cannot be declined while keeping the Master balance, and it moves you off cTrader. Treat it as a later warning; the payouts you earn before any invite are paid on cTrader.
• Choose it when: You want the most loss room per dollar among firms with a published cTrader surcharge, and you are not a US resident or citizen.
• Trustpilot: 4.5 out of 5 on 69,734 reviews (read October 3, 2026).
• Further reading: FundingPips profile and its status page.

Alpha Capital Group prices cTrader like MT5 and keeps the same cTrader account through every payout

Alpha Capital Group charges nothing extra for cTrader: its price API returns the same $267 for MT5, cTrader, DX Trade and TradeLocker on the Alpha Pro 10% plan at $50K. Against a $5,000 static floor that is $53.40 per $1,000, and the product page says there are “no activation fees.” The account that passes is the same account that becomes funded, so there is no platform switch at any payout stage.

Video: Alpha Capital Group’s channel has no cTrader walkthrough; its closest upload explains Alpha Direct, a different product, so we left it out.

• cTrader by stage: Native at evaluation and on the funded Qualified Analyst account, the same login and broker. Alpha names one broker for every platform: “We exclusively use ACG Markets, a third-party FSA-regulated brokerage.”
• US traders: “cTrader is currently not accepting new U.S. customers. If you are a U.S. customer who already has a cTrader account, you can continue trading and purchase new evaluations.” New US buyers get DX Trade or TradeLocker.
• cTrader add-on: None.
• Cost at $50K: $267.00 list, $0 activation, against $5,000.00 of overall loss room: $53.40 per $1,000. The code ALPHA20 takes the plan to $213.60 until October 31, 2026.
• Loss limits and payouts: 10% of $50,000 is $5,000, static at both stages. The daily limit is 5% ($2,500) on the higher of end-of-day balance or equity, and funded accounts at $50K and above also cap open loss at 2% per asset. On-Demand payouts need 2% gross profit ($1,000), a 40% best-day rule applies, and the split is 80% (90% with a paid add-on).
• cBots and cAlgo: Not allowed: “EA functionality is not currently available for cTrader, DX Trade, or TradeLocker accounts.” Automation at Alpha is MT5 only.
• Scalping: No hold-time rule appears in the pages read for this guide; ask support before relying on very short trades.
• Commission and broker: A Raw account charges “$2.5 per lot” for each transaction in both directions, so $5.00 a round turn; the Standard account has no commission. Both apply on every platform. The swap-free add-on is MT5 only.
• Watch out for: A discretionary Alpha Prime review can follow a $40,000 single payout, five payouts from one account, $100,000 in lifetime payouts or early selection. Alpha Prime runs on CQG, AgenaTrader and Alpha Trader, not cTrader. You can decline with a final payout, but declining means leaving every Alpha Group brand.
• Choose it when: You want cTrader at no surcharge on a static floor and do not need cBots.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 21,810 reviews (read October 1, 2026).
• Further reading: Alpha Capital Group profile.

Goat Funded Trader names its US swap away from cTrader right at checkout

A US buyer who picks cTrader at Goat Funded Trader is not left guessing. The checkout swaps the platform and says why, in the firm’s words: cTrader “isn’t available to traders in the United States, so we’ve set this challenge up on TradeLocker instead,” followed by “same challenge, same price.” Everyone else can buy the 2 Step GOAT on cTrader for $308 at $50K, and its 10% static floor of $5,000 puts it at $61.60 per $1,000.

Video: “Goat Funded Trader Prop Firm Explained (full tutorial + real payout proof),” Goat Funded Trader official YouTube channel, November 16, 2025. Source type: vendor-produced. Why selected: the firm’s own rules and payout tutorial; it is not cTrader-specific, and no official cTrader walkthrough exists on the channel.

• cTrader by stage: cTrader is one of five platforms (“Ctrader, Tradelocker, MatchTrader, Volumetrica and MT5”) at the evaluation. The model article describes the same account carrying on to funded status with no platform change, so funded-stage cTrader is inferred, not stated on its own page.
• US traders: “MT5 and Ctrader are not available to clients located in the USA.” The test is where you are located; the cart swaps to TradeLocker at the same price.
• cTrader add-on: None. The price is the same on every platform.
• Cost at $50K: $308.00 list, $0 activation, against $5,000.00 of overall loss room: $61.60 per $1,000. The code GFT45 takes the plan to $169.40, no end date shown.
• Loss limits and payouts: 10% of $50,000 is $5,000, static at both stages. The daily loss limit is 4%. Each payout needs three valid trading days, the minimum is $100, the split is 80% (100% with a paid add-on), and “All rewards are subject to a 3% processing fee.” You may request one platform change before your first trade.
• cBots and cAlgo: Not named for cTrader. The EA rule allows EAs “as long as the EAs comply with the prohibited trading practices rule” but bars high-frequency trading systems and gold arbitrage EAs.
• Scalping: No minimum hold time is published; high-frequency strategies are banned by name, with no numeric threshold.
• Commission and broker: Goat Funded Trader quotes $5 per lot on FX and metals with raw spreads for “MT5, Match-Trade and TradeLocker”; cTrader is not named in that sentence, so its commission is not published.
• Watch out for: The 3% fee on every reward and the unnamed cTrader liquidity provider are the two costs a cTrader buyer cannot see on the order summary.
• Choose it when: You want a clearly worded US fallback and a static $5,000 floor at a mid-table price.
• Trustpilot: rating hidden behind Trustpilot’s “breach of our guidelines” banner, 4,344 reviews (read October 2, 2026).
• Further reading: Goat Funded Trader profile and rules summary.

FundedNext dates its US cTrader cutoff to the day, and charges $25 for cTrader elsewhere

FundedNext is the only firm here that put a day on its US change: “Effective from 31.03.2026, US-based traders will no longer be able to purchase new accounts on the cTrader platform,” with existing accounts running until breached and never reset. Outside the US, every Stellar plan at $50K offers cTrader for a $25 add-on. Stellar Lite is the cheapest on the measure we use: $229.99 plus $25 is $254.99 against a $4,000 static floor, $63.75 per $1,000. The Stellar 2-Step works out at $65.00.

Video: FundedNext’s channel has no cTrader video; its closest upload covers Stellar Instant, a different product, so we left it out.

• cTrader by stage: Native at the Challenge and on the FundedNext Account, which the firm runs on the same platform under its rule that “Traders are expected to maintain the same strategy throughout the FundedNext Challenges and the FundedNext Account.” There is no live call-up on this side of the firm.
• US traders: New cTrader purchases closed for US-based traders on March 31, 2026. US clients buy Match-Trader instead, which the firm says carries “no extra charge” for them, and cannot switch platforms.
• cTrader add-on: +$25 one-time. cTrader is not offered at all at $100K and $200K, where the selector shows MT4 and MT5 only.
• Cost at $50K: $229.99 list + $25.00 cTrader add-on, $0 activation, against $4,000.00 of overall loss room: $63.75 per $1,000. No promo applied to this product at $50K when we checked.
• Loss limits and payouts: 8% of $50,000 is $4,000, static. The daily loss limit is 4% ($2,000). The first payout comes 21 days after the first trade, then every 14 days, at an 80% split; the fee refund on Lite waits until the third reward.
• cBots and cAlgo: Not published for cTrader. FundedNext’s automation rules are written for MT4 and MT5, and EAs are banned on Match-Trader, the platform US buyers get.
• Scalping: No hold-time rule appears in the pages read for this guide.
• Commission and broker: No cTrader-specific commission or spread figure is published, and FundedNext names no broker for its cTrader accounts.
• Watch out for: The $25 add-on is easy to miss: it moves Stellar Lite from $57.50 to $63.75 per $1,000 once cTrader is chosen.
• Choose it when: You live outside the US, want cTrader on both stages of a heavily reviewed brand, and accept the platform fee.
• Trustpilot: 4.5 out of 5 on 80,485 reviews (read September 30, 2026).
• Further reading: FundedNext profile and FundedNext rules summary.

Hola Prime sells a cTrader-only checkout link at the MT5 price, with no automation

Hola Prime does not use a platform toggle. Each platform has its own checkout plan, and the cTrader link for the 2-Step Prime at $50K rendered a live order of $319, the same price as the MT5, Match Trader and TradeLocker plans. Against a $5,000 static floor that is $63.80 per $1,000. Hola Prime’s forex pages publi