What this comparison covers
The product is an evaluation with risk limits and payout conditions, not simply advertised account capital. The seven programs here are one CFD-style group, FTMO, FundedNext, The5ers and Alpha Capital, and one futures group, Topstep, Apex and The Trading Pit. Their rulebooks answer different questions, so a single score would hide the rules that decide whether a strategy survives. Each row comes from a firm page read on 2026-10-28. The firm reviews linked below hold the detail, a diagram and the sources. This hub only compares the figures that can sit side by side honestly.
Loss-limit models compared
The first table shows four different models. FTMO and FundedNext measure a daily floor against account equity or the initial balance and keep the overall floor static. The5ers resets its daily floor each day from the higher of the previous closing balance or equity. Alpha Capital uses a balance-based daily limit with a static overall floor. The futures programs behave differently. Topstep and The Trading Pit use a trailing floor tied to the end-of-day balance that locks at the starting balance, and Apex ties payouts to a safety net. A trailing floor tightens after a good week and is checked against open losses at Topstep, while The Trading Pit uses closed balance. The guide on static versus trailing drawdown explains why a profit target alone cannot rank these.
Payout conditions compared
The second table shows why a headline split is a poor comparison. Apex pays 100% of approved payouts but limits each account to six payouts with caps by payout number. Topstep pays 90% but caps each request at 50% of balance within size limits. FundedNext ties its share to a path chosen at checkout, from 60% to 90%. Two programs have no verified payout terms here. Treat those cells as unknown, not as zero, and read the firm's written terms before you compare them with the others. The comparison of payout policies goes further into caps, timing and buffers.
Restrictions that change the strategy fit
Several rules do not appear in a rules table but remove entire strategies. The Trading Pit bans overnight positions on Futures Prime and force-closes at 14:55 CT. The5ers prohibits orders within two minutes of high-impact news. Alpha Capital blocks opening and closing within five minutes of news and enforces lot limits per position. FundedNext counts only part of the profit from trades near news and caps profit from trades closed within 30 seconds. The pages on news trading and automation rules cover these in detail.
Costs and add-ons
Fees differ in structure. FundedNext lists approximate prices by size and several add-ons that change the comparison. Topstep charges a monthly subscription for the Combine. The Trading Pit lists no activation fee on new accounts created on or after 2026-03-26. A fair comparison counts evaluation fee, resets, subscriptions and add-ons together, and the page on challenge costs shows how to total them.
Which kind of trader fits which structure
A swing trader who holds through news fits The5ers and FTMO better than Futures Prime. A futures day trader who always closes before the session end fits Topstep or The Trading Pit. A scalper must check FundedNext's 30-second rule and the lot or position limits elsewhere. These are fit questions, not rankings, and the pages on swing traders and scalpers work through them.
How to use the table with your own data
Replay your trade history against each row. Mark the lowest intraday equity of every day, apply the daily and overall limits as that firm defines them, and note any trade that falls in a restricted window. The drawdown tool helps with the arithmetic. If a firm's definition of a limit is not clear to you, the safe reading is the stricter one, and a written answer from support is worth keeping.
Editorial rule
No commission, promotional discount, self-reported payout total or unverified review score is allowed to determine what appears here. This hub deliberately offers a neutral comparison instead of a sponsored list, and the order of the tables follows no ranking.
How this was sourced
Every figure comes from the seven firm reviews on this site, which were written from official help pages read in a browser on 2026-10-28 (FTMO, Topstep, FundedNext, The5ers, Apex, Alpha Capital and The Trading Pit). Where a page did not state a figure, such as a profit target or reward split, the table says so instead of estimating. Promotions, fees and eligibility change, so verify before buying. QuantProp did not open an account or test a payout.
Editorial disclosure
QuantProp has no verified commercial relationship with the firm(s) discussed in this article. This is an independently drafted rules comparison, not an endorsement or proof of payout reliability. No affiliate links are active. Trading evaluations can involve fees and substantial loss or failure risk.
Revision log
2026-10-28: imported from the editorial pack dated 2026-10-27; approved for publication by the owner. Facts are as of 2026-10-27 and were not independently tested. 2026-10-28: Rebuilt from the pack's short summary using the seven firm reviews, each re-read on 2026-10-28 from the firm's own pages. Added two comparison tables, sections on loss-limit models, payouts, restrictions and costs, a trader-fit section and Q&A. Removed the wording that named a sponsored list. Figures that were not re-read are marked as such.
At a glance
| Program | Profit target | Daily limit | Overall loss limit | Notable restriction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO 2-Step | 10% then 5% | 5%, equity based | 10% static | Minimum 4 trading days |
| Topstep Trading Combine | Not stated on pages read | Optional add-on | $2,000 on 50K, trailing end of day, locks at start | 55% best-day target |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step | 8% then 5% | 5% | 10% of initial balance | Quick Strike below 30%, news profit split |
| The5ers High Stakes | Not stated on pages read | 5% from prior-day higher of balance or equity | 10% absolute | No orders within 2 minutes of news |
| Apex EOD Performance Account | Not read | Not read | Safety net is limit plus $100 | 50% consistency, six payouts |
| Alpha Pro8 / Pro10 | 8% or 10%, then 5% | 4% or 5%, balance based | 8% or 10% static | Lot-exposure limits, 5-minute news window |
| The Trading Pit Futures Prime | 6% in 30 days | Daily pause, amount by size | Trailing end of day, locks at start | No overnight positions |
| Program | Reward share | Timing and caps |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO | 80% default, up to 90%; 90% on 1-Step | Requests generally from day 14 (as of 2026-10-27) |
| Topstep | 90/10 | 50% of balance per request, capped by size and path |
| FundedNext | 80%, 60% or 90% by option; 95% add-on | 21-day cycle, 3 profitable days or on demand |
| The5ers | Not stated on pages read | Every 14 days; caps $3,000 on 50K and $4,000 on 100K |
| Apex | 100% of approved payouts | Up to weekly; six payouts per account; caps by payout number |
| Alpha Capital | Not verified | Not verified |
| The Trading Pit | Not verified | Not verified |
Frequently asked questions
Which prop firm is best?
There is no single answer. The right program depends on your holding period, instruments and drawdown profile, because the loss-limit model and the restrictions differ by firm. Use the tables to test your own trade history instead of ranking firms.
Do these firms use trailing or static drawdown?
It varies. FTMO 2-Step, FundedNext and Alpha Capital use a static overall floor. Topstep and The Trading Pit use a trailing end-of-day floor that locks at the starting balance. The5ers uses a static overall limit with a daily floor reset each day.
Which firm pays the highest share?
Headline shares are not comparable alone. Apex states 100% of approved payouts but limits each account to six payouts, and Topstep states 90% with per-request caps. FundedNext ranges from 60% to 95% by option. Compare reachable payouts, not the percentage.
Are the figures on this page current?
They were read from official pages on 2026-10-28, and each review gives its own source and date. Terms change by product version and purchase date, so confirm the current rule and keep a dated copy before paying.
Why do some cells say not stated or not verified?
Because the page read did not state the figure. We leave the cell open rather than estimate, since a guessed profit target or payout share would mislead a comparison.
Does QuantProp earn money from these firms?
No verified commercial relationship exists with any firm discussed, and no affiliate link, coupon or sponsored placement is active. Links to firms go to their official pages only.