Prop Firm Comparison: How to Compare Prop Firms

Comparing prop firms by their headline price or biggest account size misses what decides whether you get paid. Two firms with the same fee can have rules that make one easy to pass and the other almost impossible, and payout terms that make one worth far more.

Here's what to compare, in order of how much it matters, and how to read reviews without being misled.

1. The total cost

Add up everything you're likely to pay, not just the first fee:

• Evaluation fee: one-time, or monthly until you pass.
• Activation fee: a second charge some firms add once you pass.
• Resets: what it costs to start over after breaking a rule.
• Add-ons and data fees: a better split, looser rules, platform or data charges.

Multiply by the attempts you'll realistically need. See the cheapest prop firms for a worked example.

2. The loss limit

This rule ends more accounts than any other.

• Static or trailing? A static floor stays put. A trailing one follows your best balance, so it tightens as you win. See trailing vs static drawdown.
• Daily loss limit? Some firms end the account after one bad day.
• How big? Compare it to the profit target. A loss limit smaller than the target leaves little room for error.

3. The profit target and time

• Target size, usually 6% to 10% of the account.
• Time limit, if any.
• Minimum trading days, which can keep you trading after you've hit the target.

4. The consistency rule

Does the firm limit how much profit can come from one day or trade, and what happens if you go over: a failed account, a refused payout, or just a higher target? See prop firm consistency rules.

5. Payouts

• Profit split: commonly 70% to 90%.
• First payout: how soon you can request it.
• Schedule: how often after that, and how long payment takes.
• Minimum and cap: the smallest and largest payout per period.
• Fee refund: whether your evaluation fee comes back.

6. The fine print

• Is the funded account simulated, and who pays you? It's usually simulated; the firm should say so plainly.
• Can rules change on accounts you've already bought?
• Who can sign up: age, country and state limits.
• What you can trade: futures, forex, crypto or prediction markets, and which ones.

A comparison table to fill in

How to read prop firm reviews

Reviews help, but they're easy to misread.

• Look for payout proof and how long payouts took, not star ratings.
• Read the bad reviews. Check whether the complaint is a broken rule the trader didn't understand or a firm refusing to pay. Only the second is a red flag.
• Watch for affiliate sites. Many "best prop firm" lists earn a commission from the firms they rank. Check whether a site says so.
• Check the dates. Firms change rules; a review from last year may describe a different firm.
• Look for patterns, not single stories: many reports of slow or denied payouts matter more than one angry post.

How Lenium compares

Lenium is a prediction market prop firm. In the table above it would read: a one-time fee ($55 to $549, no monthly renewal or activation fee), a 10% static floor, no daily loss limit, a 10% target in 30 days, a consistency rule that raises your target instead of failing you, a 70% split (90% with an add-on), and your fee back as credit on your first payout. See the full rules and pricing, or try the free demo.