Checklist ranking
| # | Firm | Checklist | Meets | From | PA Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City Traders Imperium | 5/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, No consistency rule, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $29 | 8.4 |
| 2 | Breakout Prop | 5/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, No consistency rule, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $20 | 8.1 |
| 3 | FTMO | 5/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Fee refunded on some plan, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | €79 | 8.1 |
| 4 | FXIFY | 5/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Fee refunded on some plan, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $39 | 7.7 |
| 5 | Hola Prime | 4/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $9 | 7.6 |
| 6 | Lark Funding | 4/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, No consistency rule | $99 | 7.2 |
| 7 | Fintokei | 4/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $34 | 7.2 |
| 8 | Mubite | 4/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Fee refunded on some plan | $49 | 6.9 |
| 9 | Fondeo | 4/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Fee refunded on some plan | $49 | 6.8 |
| 10 | HyroTrader | 4/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Fee refunded on some plan | $59 | 6.7 |
| 11 | Atlas Funded | 4/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Fee refunded on some plan | $43 | 6.5 |
| 12 | Bitfunded | 4/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Fee refunded on some plan | $79 | 6.0 |
| 13 | PropW | 4/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit, Fee refunded on some plan | $15 | 5.7 |
| 14 | FundingPips | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $29 | 7.9 |
| 15 | FundedNext | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $32.99 | 7.7 |
| 16 | Tradeify | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, No evaluation time limit, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $99 | 7.6 |
| 17 | Lucid Trading | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, No evaluation time limit, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $65 | 7.5 |
| 18 | TradeDay | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, No evaluation time limit, Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews | $100 | 7.4 |
| 19 | DayTraders.com | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit | $40 | 7.4 |
| 20 | Finotive Funding | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, Fee refunded on some plan | $30 | 7.3 |
| 21 | Goat Funded Trader | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, Fee refunded on some plan | $36 | 7.2 |
| 22 | Blue Guardian | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, Fee refunded on some plan | $32 | 6.7 |
| 23 | Propr | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit | $25 | 6.5 |
| 24 | Maven Trading | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, Fee refunded on some plan | $13 | 6.3 |
| 25 | BrightFunded | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, No evaluation time limit, No consistency rule | €47 | 6.2 |
| 26 | The Trading Pit | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, Fee refunded on some plan | $29 | 6.1 |
| 27 | ThinkCapital | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit | $39 | 6.1 |
| 28 | Instant Funding | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit | $44 | 6.0 |
| 29 | Elite Trader Funding | 3/6 | Entry fee $100 or less, Static drawdown on the headline plan, No evaluation time limit | $57 | 6.0 |
Top picks, explained
- City Traders Imperium (8.4/10, #2 overall). Its strongest area is rules (10.0, driven by drawdown, news, weekend and consistency rules); the weakest is trust (6.0).
- Breakout Prop (8.1/10, #3 overall). Its strongest area is cost (9.8, driven by fee per $1K of account); the weakest is track record (4.0).
- FTMO (8.1/10, #4 overall). Its strongest area is track record (10.0, driven by years in operation); the weakest is payout (6.4).
The six checks
- Entry fee $100 or less
- Static drawdown on the headline plan
- No evaluation time limit
- No consistency rule
- Fee refunded on some plan
- Trustpilot 4.3+ from 1,000+ reviews
A firm that does not publish a rule does not get the point. Ties are broken by PA Score. The checklist is separate from the PA Score and does not change it.
Habits that matter more than the firm
Start with the smallest account, risk well under the daily limit per trade, and read the firm's prohibited-strategy list before your first trade. Most failed first challenges break the daily loss rule, not the profit target.
Use the drawdown calculator to see how much room you really have.
How this list is built
Filter: Scored on a six-point beginner checklist: low fee, static drawdown, no deadline, no consistency rule, fee refund, review record. Order: PA Score (trust 30%, cost 20%, rules 20%, payout 20%, track record 10%), unless the table says otherwise. Data was read from each firm's own site; last full verification 31 Oct 2026. FundedXyz is run by our team and scored the same way.
Rule changes appear on the change log within one build.
FAQ
What is the best prop firm for beginners?
The best prop firms for beginners on our checklist are City Traders Imperium, Breakout Prop and FTMO, each meeting 5 or more of six beginner-friendly rules. 29 firms meet at least three. The checklist favours rules that forgive mistakes (static drawdown, no deadline, no consistency rule) and a cheap, refundable first attempt.
Should a beginner pick a 1-step or 2-step challenge?
Two-step challenges usually have wider drawdown and lower targets per phase, which forgives mistakes. One-step is faster but stricter.
How often is this list updated?
Every build re-reads our dataset. Firms were last verified on 31 Oct 2026; changes are logged with dates on the rule-change page.