Prop firms / Method
METHOD
How we check a prop firm
We read what the firm published and report what it says. We do not rate firms by how good they feel.
Read this first
Where the money is real, and where it is not
- The challenge account is simulated. In all ten firms the challenge account is described by the firm itself as simulated, not as trading with the firm's capital. Topstep also describes a separate Live account that may come later: read its page.
- Your fee is real money, and it is spent. The evaluation fee (plus any reset, renewal or activation fee) leaves your bank account. If you fail, it is normally not refunded.
- A payout is real money, but it is a promise. Profits earned on the simulated account are paid from the firm's own funds, and every firm reserves discretion over payouts and account closure in its terms.
- Nobody independent verifies payouts. For most firms we found no certified third-party record of what was actually paid. Only the firm's own pages and trackers of unknown method.
Rules
What we do
Primary sources onlyOfficial rules, help center and terms of service. A figure from a review or affiliate site is not published as a fact. If we could not read the firm's page, the field says n/v.
Same questions for every firmAccount nature, regulation, targets and loss limits, drawdown type, split, payout minimums and timing, prohibited practices, discretion clauses, availability for Italy and the EU, legal or regulatory actions.
Quotes are shortWe paraphrase and quote briefly, and link the page each item came from.
Legal and closure searchWe searched each firm's name with lawsuit, regulator, complaint and shutdown terms. An empty list means nothing found in that search, not that nothing exists.
Limits
What this does not show
- Rules change. Firms update rules and prices often. Every page says when it was read.
- Contract, not conduct. We read what the terms say. We cannot see how each firm applies them, and independent payout records are limited.
- Prices. Checkout pages are dynamic and promotions change them, so many prices are not verified.
- Ten firms. This is a start, not the whole market.
Education only, not investment advice. Report an error.