The order
| Factor | What to look for | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency and history | Named entity, real people, years paying, public terms | Highest |
| Rules | Clear definitions, same in both stages, no surprise consistency rule | High |
| Drawdown | Static or trailing, balance or equity, both stages | High |
| Profit target | Ratio to maximum loss; realistic for your method | Medium |
| Split and payouts | Starting split, path up, frequency, caps, review time | Medium |
| Platforms and markets | Your platform, your instruments, your automation allowed | Medium |
| Price | Fee per 10,000 dollars, discounts, refund, reset cost | Lowest |
Write your requirements first
Before looking at any firm, write down what your method needs: weekend holding or not, news trading or not, static drawdown or not, a particular platform, a consistency rule you can live with. Then filter firms by those requirements. Most bad choices come from reading the marketing first and the rules afterwards.
Our scoring
The prop-firm profiles on this site score each firm on challenge cost, rules, drawdown, targets, split, payouts, platforms, markets and transparency, and the methodology page explains each factor. The scores are a starting point, and the rules tables on each profile are the detail.
Price last
Discount codes of 10 to 30 percent are routine, so never pay list price, and the difference between two firms' fees is usually smaller than the difference between their drawdown rules. FrugalFX tracks current prop-firm deals.
Trading forex, CFDs and other leveraged products carries a high risk of losing money. This guide is general education, not advice.