Guides
Prop firm guides.
How prop firms work, from the evaluation to the payout, in plain English.
What is a prop firm?How prop firms work, what they cost, how they make money and whether funded accounts are real.
How evaluations workProfit targets, minimum days, one-step and two-step challenges, and instant funding.
Drawdown & risk rulesEnd-of-day, intraday and static drawdown, daily loss limits and consistency rules.
How payouts workProfit splits, payout schedules, buffers and why payouts get denied.
What a prop firm costsReal prices by account size, reset, activation and data fees, and one-time vs monthly.
How to choose a prop firmA seven-step checklist to match a firm's rules to the way you trade.
Futures, forex, crypto & stocksHow prop firms work in each market, and what changes between them.
Every guideAll 45 prop firm guides in one place.
Latest guides
Drawdown & risk rulesHow Many Contracts Should You Trade on a Prop Firm Account?Your prop firm lets you trade far more contracts than you should. How to size a futures prop firm account so one bad streak doesn't end it.Read the guide
Prop firm basicsHow Do Prop Firms Make Money? The Business Model ExplainedProp firms earn mostly from evaluation fees, plus resets, subscriptions and profit share. What firms' own figures show, and why the rules look the way they do.Read the guide
Prop firm basicsProp Firm vs Trading Your Own AccountA prop firm risks a fee for more size under strict rules. Your own account risks your capital for full freedom. A side-by-side comparison with a worked example.Read the guide
Choosing a prop firmHow to Check a Prop Firm Before You BuySeven checks using only the firm's own pages tell you whether it's legitimate and whether it fits you.Read the guide
Prop firm basicsSimulated vs Live Funded Accounts: What Funded Really MeansAt many prop firms the funded account is simulated and the firm pays you from its own money. How that works, and when traders move to live.Read the guide
Drawdown & risk rulesEnd-of-Day Drawdown Explained, With a Worked ExampleEnd-of-day drawdown only moves when the session closes. A day-by-day example, when it stops trailing, and why it's now the futures norm.Read the guide
Prop firm basicsDo You Pay Taxes on Prop Firm Payouts?Prop firm payouts are usually taxable income. How they're often classified, which forms firms use, and what records to keep.Read the guide
Prop firm basicsProp Firm Glossary: Every Term in Plain EnglishEvery term on a prop firm rules page, defined in plain English and linked to the guide that explains it.Read the guide
Evaluations & challengesHow Prop Firm Evaluations Work: Rules and Real NumbersAn evaluation is a paid trial with a target and a loss limit. The rules, typical numbers by account size and a worked 50K pass.Read the guide
Evaluations & challengesOne-Step vs Two-Step Prop Firm ChallengesOne step is faster; two steps split the work. A worked comparison and how to choose.Read the guide
Payouts & funded accountsProp Firm Payout Buffers ExplainedA buffer is profit you must keep above your starting balance before withdrawing. How firms set it, with a worked example.Read the guide
Evaluations & challengesMinimum Trading Days at Prop FirmsWhat counts as a trading day, why firms set a minimum, and how winning-day rules affect your first payout.Read the guide
Evaluations & challengesInstant Funding Prop Firms ExplainedInstant funding skips the evaluation for a higher price and tighter rules. What it costs and when it makes sense.Read the guide
Evaluations & challengesProp Firm Profit Targets: What's Typical and What MattersMost futures targets are 6% of the account. Why the target-to-drawdown ratio matters more, with worked examples.Read the guide
Evaluations & challengesFailed a Prop Firm Challenge? What to Do NextFind the rule that ended it, then decide: reset, switch programs or pause. A worked way to decide and what retrying costs.Read the guide
Drawdown & risk rulesProp Firm Drawdown Rules: End-of-Day, Intraday and StaticDrawdown is the most you can lose before a prop firm account ends. How the three types work, what's typical by account size, and how to size your trades to them.Read the guide
Drawdown & risk rulesIntraday Trailing Drawdown: How It Works and How to Trade ItIntraday trailing drawdown follows your open profit in real time. A worked example, when the trail locks, and four habits that help.Read the guide
Payouts & funded accountsHow Prop Firm Payouts Work: Rules, Splits and SchedulesWhen you can request a payout, how the split works, real payout schedules, and what changes after you're paid.Read the guide
Drawdown & risk rulesProp Firm Daily Loss Limit: Pause vs Fail ExplainedA daily loss limit caps one day's losses. The difference between a soft limit that pauses you and a hard one that ends the account, with real numbers.Read the guide
Drawdown & risk rulesThe Prop Firm Consistency Rule: How to Calculate ItA consistency rule limits how much of your profit can come from one day. The one formula to know, typical limits and how to stay inside them.Read the guide
Drawdown & risk rulesProp Firm News Trading Rules: What's AllowedSome prop firms restrict trading around major news; many futures firms allow it. The three kinds of rules and how to check yours.Read the guide
Drawdown & risk rulesProp Firm Contract Limits and Position SizeA contract limit caps your position size. Typical limits by account size, how micros count, scaling plans and how to size inside the limit.Read the guide
Payouts & funded accountsProp Firm Profit Splits: What's Common and What MattersYour split is your share of each payout. The most common splits, how they change, and why a higher split isn't always more money.Read the guide
Payouts & funded accountsWhy Prop Firm Payouts Get Denied (and a Checklist)The five rules behind most denied payouts, a worked example, and a checklist to run before every request.Read the guide
Payouts & funded accountsProp Firm Payout Frequency: Daily, Weekly and MoreHow often prop firms pay, with real schedules, minimums and caps, and why faster isn't always better.Read the guide
Costs & feesOne-Time vs Monthly Prop Firm Fees: Which Costs Less?One-time fees reward patience; monthly fees reward speed. The break-even point, with real median prices.Read the guide
Payouts & funded accountsProp Firm Payout Methods: Bank, Crypto and PlatformsHow prop firms send your money, what affects fees and timing, and what to finish before your first payout.Read the guide
Costs & feesProp Firm Reset Fees: What a Retry CostsA reset restarts your evaluation for less than a new one. Typical prices, how resets change your total, and when to reset.Read the guide
Costs & feesHow Much Does a Prop Firm Cost? Real Prices for 2026What prop firm evaluations cost by account size, every extra fee, one-time vs monthly, and what it really costs to reach a payout.Read the guide
Costs & feesProp Firm Activation Fees: Who Still Charges ThemAn activation fee is charged when you pass. How common it is now, and when paying it beats avoiding it.Read the guide
Costs & feesMarket Data Fees at Futures Prop FirmsWhy futures data costs money, when firms charge for it, and how to add it to your total cost.Read the guide
Costs & feesProp Firm Discount Codes: How They Really WorkA code lowers the price, never the rules. What codes cover, how to read an offer, and why the biggest discount can cost more.Read the guide
Choosing a prop firmHow to Choose a Prop Firm: A 7-Step ChecklistThere's no single best prop firm, only the best fit. Seven steps from your own trading to a shortlist, with a worked example.Read the guide
Choosing a prop firmProp Firms by Trading PlatformWhich platforms futures prop firms support, the difference between a platform and a connection, and how to check before you buy.Read the guide
Choosing a prop firmWhat Prop Firm Account Size Should You Start With?Size to your drawdown, not the balance. Typical drawdowns, targets and prices by size, and a worked way to choose.Read the guide
Choosing a prop firmCan You Join a Prop Firm From Your Country?Prop firms restrict different countries for different reasons. How the lists compare, when they're checked and where to find them.Read the guide
Choosing a prop firmProp Firms for Beginners: What to Know FirstLearn the rules, practice first, start small and budget for several attempts. A four-step path and the mistakes to avoid.Read the guide
Prop firm basicsWhat Is a Prop Firm? How Prop Firms Work (2026)A prop firm lets you trade its account for a fee and a share of the profits. How the four steps work, what it costs, and the rules that decide whether you keep the account.Read the guide
Choosing a prop firmProp Firm Rules by Trading Style: Scalpers to Swing TradersWhich rules matter for scalpers, day traders, big-day traders, news traders and swing traders, with a worked example.Read the guide
Futures, forex, crypto & stocksForex Prop Firms Explained: Phases, Leverage and LimitsForex prop firms use percentage limits, phases and leverage caps. Why balance vs equity matters most, with a worked example.Read the guide
Futures, forex, crypto & stocksStock Prop Firms Explained: Buying Power and Hold RulesStock prop firms give you buying power under dollar loss limits and hold rules. What a program looks like and how to size.Read the guide
Futures, forex, crypto & stocksTypes of Prop Firms: Futures, Forex, Crypto and StocksFour markets, two funding paths. How each type measures size and loss limits, and how many firms fund each market.Read the guide
Futures, forex, crypto & stocksFutures Prop Firms Explained: Contracts, Rules and CostsHow futures prop firms work: point values, typical rules by size, data and platforms, with a worked sizing example.Read the guide
Futures, forex, crypto & stocksCrypto Prop Firms Explained: Perpetuals, Leverage and 24/7 RulesCrypto prop firms trade perpetual futures with leverage caps and a firm-set trading day. What that means for your limits.Read the guide
Futures, forex, crypto & stocksMicro vs Mini Futures Contracts at a Prop FirmA micro is one-tenth of a mini. Point values, how contract limits count them, and a worked way to size a small account.Read the guide