How we score prop firms
Every firm is scored on the same fixed scale, shown in full below. Scores are assigned by our editorial team using the level descriptions for each criterion, and every score must come with a rationale and links to its sources. Commissions and commercial relationships never affect a score.
Our scores measure how clearly, completely and consistently a firm documents its terms before you pay. They do not measure whether the terms are cheap, generous or likely to suit you.
Principles
- No criterion relates to, or is adjusted for, affiliate commission or any commercial relationship.
- A criterion is not scored while any of the data it depends on is unverified or conflicting.
- Every score has a one- or two-sentence rationale and cites at least one official source.
- For country availability, "Not confirmed by the firm" is a verified finding based on the pages we checked. It is never treated as accepted, and it counts against Transparency & disclosures.
How the overall score is calculated
Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 using the level descriptions below. The overall score is out of 100: each criterion contributes its weight multiplied by its score divided by 5. For example, a criterion weighted 20% that scores 4 out of 5 contributes 16 points.
Every score comes with a one- or two-sentence rationale and links to the official sources it is based on.
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Transparency & disclosures
25% of overall score
How clearly the firm publishes its rules, restrictions, which countries it accepts, and whether accounts are simulated or live, before a trader pays.
Transparency & disclosures: what each score means Score Description 5 Complete, consistent and dated documentation of rules, restrictions and account type, with an explicit answer (accepted, not accepted or conditional) for every country we track. 4 Rules, restrictions and account type are clearly documented before purchase, and the firm states whether it accepts nearly every country we track, with minor gaps. 3 Core rules are published in one place; some restrictions or account-type details need searching or support contact, and some of the countries we track are not confirmed by the firm. 2 Core rules are published but scattered, vague or contradictory between pages, or the firm confirms acceptance for only a few of the countries we track. 1 Key rules or restrictions are missing from public documentation or only revealed after purchase, and the firm does not confirm which of the countries we track it accepts. Data this criterion depends on: Availability, for each countryFunded account type
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Trading rules
25% of overall score
How clear, predictable and internally consistent the evaluation and funded-stage rules are: profit targets, drawdown type, daily loss limits, minimum days, consistency and news rules.
Trading rules: what each score means Score Description 5 All rules are precisely defined, monitorable in real time, explained with worked examples and consistent across documents. 4 Rules are clearly defined, monitorable in real time and explained with examples, with minor complexity. 3 Rules are defined and monitorable; some conditions (such as consistency or news rules) are complex or loosely worded. 2 Rules are defined but contain conditions that are hard to monitor in real time or are applied inconsistently in the documentation. 1 Rules are ambiguous or allow discretionary account termination without defined criteria. Data this criterion depends on: Profit target (each plan)Maximum drawdown (each plan)Drawdown type (each plan)Daily loss limit (each plan)Minimum trading days (each plan)Consistency rule (each plan)News trading
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Fees & total costs
20% of overall score
How clearly the full cost of reaching a funded account is disclosed, including evaluation, activation, reset and recurring fees.
Fees & total costs: what each score means Score Description 5 All fees, including resets, activation and recurring charges, are listed in one place with the total cost to a funded account stated. 4 All fees are disclosed together and the total cost to a funded account is easy to calculate. 3 All fees are disclosed; working out the total cost to a funded account takes some effort. 2 Fees are disclosed but spread across pages, making the total cost hard to work out. 1 Material fees are undisclosed before purchase or appear only at checkout. Data this criterion depends on: Evaluation fee (each plan)Activation fee (each plan)Reset fee (each plan)Fee model (each plan)
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Payout terms
20% of overall score
How clearly the firm documents profit split, payout frequency, minimums, caps, eligibility conditions and processing times.
Payout terms: what each score means Score Description 5 All payout terms are documented in one place, including eligibility, minimums, caps, methods and processing times. 4 Split, frequency, eligibility, caps and processing times are documented, with minor gaps. 3 Split, frequency and main eligibility conditions are stated; some caps or timing details are missing. 2 Split and frequency are stated, but eligibility conditions, caps or processing times are unclear. 1 Payout conditions are undisclosed, discretionary or contradictory. Data this criterion depends on: Profit splitPayout frequencyMinimum payoutPayout capPayout processing time
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Support & accessibility
10% of overall score
Supported trading platforms, documented support channels and how accessible the help documentation is.
Support & accessibility: what each score means Score Description 5 Platforms, multiple support channels with stated hours, and searchable, up-to-date help documentation are available. 4 Platforms, multiple documented support channels and organized help documentation are available. 3 Platforms and at least one documented support channel are available; help documentation is basic. 2 Platforms are listed; support channels are limited or undocumented. 1 Supported platforms or support channels are not documented. Data this criterion depends on: PlatformsSupport channels
Data statuses
Every value we record has one of four statuses. Only the first two are shown as values on the page.
- Verified
- Checked against the firm's official source on the date shown. Displayed as fact, with a numbered link to the source.
- Needs recheck
- Verified in the past but due to be checked again. Displayed with the note "Last verified [date], recheck pending".
- Unverified
- Not yet checked against an official source. No value is shown; the page says "Not yet confirmed".
- Conflicting
- Official sources give different answers. No value is shown; the page says "Sources conflict — under review" until the conflict is resolved.
Two verified answers that are not numbers
Sometimes the verified answer is that there is no figure. We record these as verified values, cite the page we checked, and use them for scoring like any other verified value.
- Not published by the firm
- We checked the firm's official pages and the firm does not publish this information. The page we checked and the date we checked it are shown with the value.
- None
- The firm states explicitly that there is none, for example no payout cap or no reset fee. Shown with a link to the page that says so.
Country availability
We record availability separately for each country we track. Each country gets one of four answers, based only on the firm's official pages:
- Available
- The firm's official pages clearly state that it accepts traders from this country. If only some programs accept them, the note says which.
- Conditional
- The firm accepts traders from this country only if they meet a condition, which the note states.
- Not accepted
- The firm's official pages state that it does not accept traders from this country.
- Not confirmed by the firm
- The firm's official pages we checked do not clearly say whether it accepts traders from this country. Being absent from a list of prohibited countries is not treated as acceptance.
"Not confirmed by the firm" is a verified finding, not a gap in our research: we cite the pages we checked, and it counts against the Transparency & disclosures score.
When a score is not shown
A criterion is not scored while any of the data it depends on is unverified or conflicting. Until every criterion has been scored, a review shows "Score pending verification" instead of an overall number. We do not estimate missing scores.
Commissions do not affect scores
None of the criteria relate to affiliate commissions or any commercial relationship with a firm. Whether a firm is an affiliate partner does not change its score, its position in comparisons or whether we cover it. See our affiliate disclosure.
Basis of each review
Each review states its basis. Unless the page says otherwise, reviews are based on the firm's public documentation, not on hands-on testing.
Changes to this scale
If we change the criteria or weights, we will update this page and its "last updated" date.