Top 3 Prop Firms Compared: FTMO vs FundedNext vs The5ers

Introduction

The top three prop firms – FTMO, FundedNext, and The5ers – each offer an amazing opportunity for traders, but how do they compare to each other?

All three firms pay traders who follow the rules and demonstrate profitable trading, with proven reputations for reliability and ethical practices. FTMO has been operating since 2015, The5ers since 2016, and FundedNext since 2022.

They all maintain strong ratings on platforms like Trustpilot and Prop Firm Match and have their own MetaQuotes licenses.

In this comparison, we’ll look at how these firms differ in pricing, educational content, trading conditions, and scaling plans.

Pricing

Using the 2-Step $100K evaluation program as an example:

• FTMO charges $588.75 for its Standard $100K Evaluation.
•  FundedNext offers the Stellar Two-Step evaluation for $549.
• The5ers has the lowest-priced $100K High Stakes evaluation at $495.

All three firms start with an 80% profit split. The5ers stands out with the lowest evaluation fee and offers a partial refund on this fee as a hub credit bonus once you pass the first phase. For the $100K account, this bonus is $40, which can be applied as a credit towards a future evaluation if the trader fails phase two. This reduces the financial risk for traders.

FundedNext offers a different kind of value by paying traders 15% of their profits during the evaluation phases once they reach a 5% profit on the live account.

Educational Content

Each firm provides educational resources to help traders improve their skills, but the amount and quality vary:

• FTMO has a journaling section, an equity simulator, and various analytical tools in their account dashboard. They also offer a free trading academy with a structured, in-depth curriculum covering trading concepts and a separate psychology course. FTMO’s live traders also have access to performance coaches, offering personalized feedback to help them improve.
• FundedNext includes a journaling section on their dashboard and recently launched an emotional intelligence course. While their educational resources are currently more limited than the others, they appear committed to adding more in the future.
• The5ers offers the most comprehensive educational resources of the three firms. They provide numerous courses on their website, a structured video-on-demand section on their trader dashboard with hundreds of hours of content, and a highly active YouTube channel with weekly live streams. The5ers also hosts an active Discord community where traders can join group calls and discussions on various trading topics.

Trading Conditions

Trading conditions are strong across all three firms, but some subtle differences can affect trading performance:

• The5ers has the tightest spreads with excellent execution and very little slippage in normal market conditions.
• FundedNext has slightly wider spreads with comparable execution to The5ers in normal market conditions.
• FTMO has the widest spreads of the three, especially for Forex and metals.

Scaling Plans

Scaling potential can make a big difference for traders looking to grow their accounts over time, and each firm approaches it differently:

• FTMO and FundedNext have similar scaling requirements. To qualify, traders must achieve at least a 10% profit over a four-month period with two payouts within that time. With each scale-up, FTMO increases the account balance by 25% of the initial amount, while FundedNext increases it by 40%. Both firms offer a 90% profit split after the first scale-up. Over 40 months, this means a $100K account could grow to $350K with FTMO and to $500K with FundedNext.
• The5ers takes a different approach. Their account scales up every time a trader achieves a 10% profit and completes three profitable days. The account balance increases by 25% for the first four scale-ups, then by 50% for the next six scale-ups. After the third scale-up, the profit split increases to 85%, and it reaches 90% after the fifth scale-up. From the seventh scale-up, traders receive a personalized contract with a 100% profit split and a fixed monthly payout. After 10 scale-ups, The5ers’ account balance can reach $500K, with traders receiving a $10K fixed monthly payout and a 100% profit split on any profits they make.

Conclusion

For traders looking to maximize their capital and opportunities, these three firms represent the best options available. Each is reliable and supports traders who follow the rules and trade responsibly. With consistently profitable trading it’s possible to access over $800,000 in capital across these firms, and I recommend that traders seek to maximise their capital with these firms before looking to trade elsewhere.

The educational content is free, so if you’re still in the learning phase of your trading journey then I highly recommend checking out all of the educational resources that these three firms have to offer.

As for how they compare with each other, in this comparison The5ers has come out on top:

• The5ers offer the most competitive pricing, extensive educational resources, favorable trading conditions, and the fastest scaling plan
• FundedNext offer competitive pricing, favorable trading conditions, and a strong scaling plan, though their educational resources currently lag behind.
• FTMO, though still a leading firm comes in third due to its higher fees, slightly wider spreads, and slower scaling plan.

If you would like to learn more about any of these firms then check out the review articles we have on our website, or head over to our YouTube channel to check out our full video reviews!