Find the cheapest prop firm you can actually pass and get paid by. Every firm here is graded on its own contract and priced at its cheapest account after any live code, with the activation fee added wherever the firm states one, so you see what it really costs to get funded.
Best cheap prop firms in 2026
Our recommended firms, all graded B- or better, best-graded first. Each row shows that firm’s cheapest account after any live code.
| Rank | Firm | Years | Platforms | Max allocation | Assets | Price and offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orion Funded | Years3 | PlatformsMetaTrader 5Match-Trader | Max alloc$200K | AssetsForex CFDIndices CFDMetals CFD3 more instrument types: Crypto CFD, Stocks, Commodities CFD |
Price after code
$29.50
|
| 2 | FTMO | Years11 | PlatformsMetaTrader 5MetaTrader 4TradingViewcTraderTradovateNinjaTrader | Max alloc$200K | AssetsStocks CFDForex CFDIndices CFD10 more instrument types: Energy CFD, Agriculture CFD, Metals CFD, Crypto CFD, Metals futures, Energy futures, Index futures, Crypto futures, Currency futures, Micros | From €79 cheapest account, $10K Read review |
| 3 | City Traders Imperium | Years8 | PlatformsMetaTrader 5Match-Trader | Max alloc$100K | AssetsForexIndicesCrypto2 more instrument types: Metals, Energy | From $29 cheapest account, $2.5K Read review |
| 4 | Breakout | Years3 | PlatformsBreakout TerminalDXtrade | Max alloc$200K | AssetsCrypto derivativesIndices derivativesEnergy derivativesMetals derivatives | From $20 cheapest account, $5K Read review |
| 5 | FundedElite | Years2 | PlatformsMetaTrader 5Match-Trader | Max alloc$400K | AssetsForex CFDIndices CFDEnergy CFD3 more instrument types: Metals CFD, Stocks CFD, Crypto CFD |
Price after code
$14.25
|
| 6 | Lark Funding | Years4 | PlatformsDXtradecTraderMatch-Trader | Max alloc$200K | AssetsStocks CFDForex CFDIndices CFD3 more instrument types: Crypto CFD, Metals CFD, Energy CFD | From $105 cheapest account, $10K Read review |
| 7 | Take Profit Trader | Years5 | PlatformsTradingViewNinjaTraderTradovateBookmapMultiCharts9 more platforms: MotiveWave, Trade Navigator, R | Trader, VolFix, ATAS, Investor/RT, Quantower, Finamark, Jigsaw daytradr | Max alloc$150K | AssetsIndex futuresCurrency futuresEnergy futures5 more instrument types: Metals futures, Agriculture futures, Interest rate futures, Crypto futures, Micros |
Price after code
$90/mo
|
| 8 | Purdia Capital | Years4 | PlatformsTradovateNinjaTraderTradingView | Max alloc$150K | AssetsIndex futuresEnergy futuresAgriculture futures5 more instrument types: Crypto futures, Metals futures, Currency futures, Interest rate futures, Micros |
Price after code
$89.50/mo
|
| 9 | Finotive Funding | Years5 | PlatformsMetaTrader 5Match-TraderFinotive Terminal | Max alloc$200K | AssetsForex CFDIndices CFDMetals CFD3 more instrument types: Crypto CFD, Energy CFD, Stocks |
Price after code
$22.50
|
| 10 | Tradeify | Years2 | PlatformsNinjaTraderQuantowerR | TraderSierra ChartTradesea3 more platforms: TradingView, Tradovate, WealthCharts | Max alloc$150K | AssetsIndex futuresInterest rate futuresCurrency futures4 more instrument types: Agriculture futures, Energy futures, Metals futures, Micros | From $99 cheapest account, $25K Read review |
Cheapest prop firm challenges by size, compared
Our six highest-graded picks at every size, each at its cheapest account in any market. The last column adds the activation fee and any required add-on to the $50,000 price.
| Firm | $5K | $10K | $25K | $50K | $100K | Activation fee | Real cost, $50K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Orion FundedGrade B+Forex | $49 Standard $24.50 · code NEW50, new customers | $89 Select $44.50 · code NEW50, new customers | $179 Select $89.50 · code NEW50, new customers | $299 Select $149.50 · code NEW50, new customers | $409 Select $204.50 · code NEW50, new customers | Not stated | $299 $149.50 · code NEW50 |
 FTMOGrade B+Futures | $119/mo Futures Growth | $169/mo Futures Growth | None | $119 pass in month one; then +$119 a month | |||
 City Traders ImperiumGrade BForex | $49 1-Step Challenge | $79 1-Step Challenge | $159 1-Step Challenge | $299 1-Step Challenge | $449 1-Step Challenge | Not stated | $299 |
 BreakoutGrade BCrypto | $20 1-Step Turbo | $40 1-Step Turbo | $95 1-Step Turbo | $180 1-Step Turbo | $330 1-Step Turbo | None | $180 |
 FundedEliteGrade BForex | $39 Lite 2-Step $25.35 · code pre-applied | $59 2-Step Atom $44.25 · code pre-applied | $114 2-Step Atom $85.50 · code pre-applied | $215 2-Step Atom $161.25 · code pre-applied | Not stated | $114 $85.50 · code pre-applied | |
 Lark FundingGrade BForex | $200 Instant | $105 3-Step | $175 3-Step | $280 3-Step | $370 3-Step | Not stated | $280 activation fee not stated |
FTMO’s futures account bills monthly, so its real cost assumes you pass in the first month. A blank cell means no account at that size.
Prices and fees come from each firm’s own pages and checkout, and the grades follow our published grading method for prop firms.
Our top 6 cheap prop firms reviewed
Each card shows the account’s key trading facts, then its pros and cons. The price at the foot of each card is for the $50,000 account.
Orion Funded
Forex| Account | Orion Select; Nova starts at $7 at $5,000, with $69 due after you pass |
|---|---|
| First payout | No waiting period: request once the account is in profit with no open positions |
| Payouts | Every 14 days; trading pauses while a request is reviewed |
| Platforms at this firm | MetaTrader 5, Match-Trader |
Pros
- The fee is refunded in full on the fourth successful payout.
- The 5% maximum loss is static and never moves.
- The firm states no best-day rule on Select.
Cons
- Select has three phases, each with a 5% target.
- An account with no trade for 30 calendar days expires.
- Once funded, no trades are allowed 2 minutes either side of high-impact news.
FTMO
Forex| Account | 1-Step Challenge |
|---|---|
| First payout | On the 14th day or later after your first funded trade, with every position and pending order closed |
| Payouts | On demand, from $20 by bank wire or $50 by crypto; 90% split |
| Platforms at this firm | MetaTrader 5, MetaTrader 4, TradingView, cTrader |
Pros
- There is no time limit and no minimum number of trading days.
- You keep 90% of profit from your first payout.
- News trading, overnight and weekend holding are allowed during the challenge.
Cons
- The 10% maximum loss trails your best end-of-day balance.
- The daily loss limit is 3%, checked on equity during the day.
- Your best day must be no more than half the profit of all your profitable days before you pass or are paid.
City Traders Imperium
Forex| Account | 1-Step Challenge |
|---|---|
| First payout | After 7 profitable days and 2% net profit or $100, whichever is higher, per its help center; its payout-proof page also asks for 10 active trading days |
| Payouts | Usually monthly after the first, in the last 5 days of the month; from $100 |
| Platforms at this firm | MetaTrader 5, Match-Trader |
| Reset if you fail | 15% off the price to restart a failed account |
Pros
- There is no daily loss limit.
- The challenge has no time limit to hit its 8% target.
- Holding trades overnight and over the weekend is allowed.
Cons
- The 5% maximum loss trails your highest balance.
- A trade with no stop loss after 60 seconds is closed and its profit does not count.
- 30 days without trading suspends the account, and a terminated account cannot be reactivated.
Breakout
Crypto| Account | 1-Step Turbo |
|---|---|
| First payout | On demand once funded, with no open positions |
| Payouts | On demand, 24/7, from $50 after the split; 80% split, or 90% if bought at checkout |
| Platforms at this firm | Breakout Terminal |
| Reset if you fail | None: a breached evaluation ends, so you buy a new one |
Pros
- There is no consistency rule, no minimum trading days and no time limit.
- The 3% maximum loss is static and never moves.
- News trading and weekend holding are allowed, and trading runs 24/7.
Cons
- The 3% maximum loss leaves little room against a 9% target.
- The 3% daily loss limit equals the whole drawdown, so one bad day can end the account.
- Payouts come only in USDC on Ethereum, so you need a crypto wallet.
FundedElite
Forex| Account | 2-Step Atom |
|---|---|
| First payout | After 21 days |
| Payouts | Every 14 days by default, or 3, 7 or 21 as chosen at checkout; 80% split, or 95% if bought at checkout |
| Platforms at this firm | MetaTrader 5, Match-Trader |
Pros
- The maximum loss is static, at 6%, 8% or 10% as chosen at checkout.
- Each phase needs 1 minimum trading day, and so does the funded stage.
- You can hold positions overnight and over the weekend.
Cons
- Each payout is capped at 3% of the account, $1,500 at $50,000.
- Once funded, if one day makes more than half your total profit, the target rises.
- Trading at the weekend needs an add-on that adds 10% to the price, and news trading is restricted once funded.
Lark Funding
Forex| Account | 3-Step |
|---|---|
| First payout | After 14 days, or 7 with the paid Weekly Payouts add-on |
| Payouts | Every 14 days, from $100 with a $40 fee each; 80% split, or 90% if bought at checkout |
| Platforms at this firm | DXtrade, Match-Trader, and cTrader outside the US |
| Reset if you fail | A 75% off code to restart from Phase 1, if all trades are closed, drawdown stayed within 3.5% and no trade lost over 1% |
Pros
- The 3-Step evaluation has no daily loss limit.
- The 5% maximum loss is static.
- The firm states no time limit, no minimum trading days and no consistency rule.
Cons
- There are three phases to pass: 5%, then 4%, then 3%.
- Every trade needs a stop loss when it is placed, or it is closed for you.
- Positions close at 3:45 PM EST on Friday unless you pay for the weekend add-on.
Cheapest prop firms by market: forex, futures, crypto and stocks
Each row gives the lowest real cost to get funded in that market at list price, before any discount code: a one-time price in US dollars, at any account size. Monthly plans and prices in euros or yen are left out, and outside stocks a firm only counts where it states its activation fee or states that it charges none.
| Firm | Price | Account | Activation fee |
|---|---|---|---|
 Goat Funded TraderForex | $17 | Instant Hero, $5,000 | None |
 The5ersFutures | $59 | Futures Day Trade, $25,000 | None |
| Breakout Crypto | $20 | 1-Step Turbo, $5,000 | None |
 Trade The PoolStocks | $47 | Day Trade MAX, $5,000 | Not stated, so this is the price alone |
Other ways to pay less
Three things cut the bill before you are funded:
01
No activation fee
The5ers in futures (from $59 at $25,000), Goat Funded Trader in forex (from $17 at $5,000) and Breakout in crypto (from $20 at $5,000) charge none on their cheapest accounts.
02
A free trial
Eleven firms run one of their own, often for 14 days, including FTMO, FundedNext and FundingPips, so you can test the rules before you pay.
03
A free reset
FundedElite, Lark Funding and Top One Trader give a second attempt on at least one challenge, each with a condition attached.
How to choose a cheap prop firm
Three checks turn a low sticker price into a fair comparison. A cheap challenge from a firm that won’t pay you is the most expensive one you can buy, which is why our six picks are chosen by grade, not by price alone.
- Add the activation fee to the price. Apex Trader Funding’s $50,000 Intraday Trail is $249, plus $89 to activate after you pass, so $338 at list price. Blue Guardian’s $50,000 Futures Reserve (with DLL) is $100 with no activation fee.
- Count the months on a monthly plan. Take Profit Trader’s $50,000 Test is $170 a month. Pass in the second month and you have paid $340 before the $130 activation fee.
- Check whether you are buying a challenge or a funded account. Goat Funded Trader’s $17 Instant Hero comes from one of the prop firms with instant funding: it skips the evaluation, so its funded rules apply from your first trade.
Cheapest prop firm FAQ
Which prop firm has the cheapest account?
At $5,000, Blue Guardian’s Instant Starter costs $14.67, but it allows one payout on at most $250 of profit, before the split, and then closes. The next lowest $5,000 price is $17, at Goat Funded Trader and Maven Trading. Compare the cost to get funded, not the entry price alone.
What is the cheapest futures prop firm?
Among futures firms that state their activation fee, The5ers is cheapest at list price: its Futures Day Trade costs $59 for a $25,000 account, with no activation fee. A live discount code can bring another firm below that.
How much does a $50,000 prop firm account cost?
Most one-time $50,000 challenges cost between $100 and $500 at list price, before any activation fee. The cheapest that states its fee is AquaFunded Futures One Step Beginner at $86.67 with no activation fee, and Blue Guardian and The5ers sell $50,000 futures accounts for $100. Some firms start from $5, but charge $275 to $329 to activate after you pass.
How much does it really cost to get funded?
Add the price, any activation fee due after you pass, any add-on the firm requires and, on a monthly plan, each month until you pass. At $50,000, Apex Trader Funding is $249 plus an $89 activation fee, so $338 at list price, and Take Profit Trader is $300 if you pass in the first month.
Is a monthly plan cheaper than a one-time fee?
Only if you pass quickly. Topstep’s $50,000 Trading Combine is $49 a month plus a $149 activation fee; its No Activation Fee Combine is $95 a month. Every month you take adds to the total.
Do discount codes change this ranking?
No. Firms are ranked by grade. Where a live code covers the exact account, its price sits under the list price, and codes for new customers say so.