IC Markets
Prop Firm Rules Compared: A Side-by-Side
The rules that pass or fail you, laid out across the main firms. Read down the columns for the constraint that matches how you trade.
WriterAbir KhanWriterWrites the guides · checks every figure against primary sources View profileAbout Abir →
Market analysisTanbir Habib RiyadForex & Crypto AnalystForex and crypto analyst · technical and fundamental analysis View profileAbout Tanbir →
Fact-checking & riskJannatul FerdaushFact-Checker & Risk AnalystFact-checks every figure · risk analysis · Applied Statistics, University of Dhaka View profileAbout Jannatul →
Trading reviewJowel RanaCo-Founder & Forex TraderCo-founder · forex trader · reviews guides from a trader's view View profileAbout Jowel →
Final approvalRanjan NiskrityFounder, Owner & Forex TraderFounder and owner · forex trader · signs off every guide View profileAbout Ranjan →
Every firm's marketing leads with the profit split. The rules that actually decide whether you keep an account are the daily loss limit, the type of drawdown, the consistency rule, and what you are allowed to trade. This page puts those side by side for the firms that come up most, as of 2026. Terms change often, so treat it as a shortlist to verify, not a fixed reference.
Forex and CFD firms
| Rule | FTMO | FundedNext | The5ers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation | One-step or two-step | One-step, two-step, instant | 1-Step, 2-Step (High Stakes), 3-Step (Bootcamp) |
| Max daily loss | 5% (3% on the 1-Step) | Varies by plan | 3% on the 1-Step; varies by plan |
| Overall drawdown | 10% | Varies by plan | 6% on the 1-Step; varies by plan |
| Consistency rule | No extra rule on 2-Step; Best Day Rule on 1-Step | Varies by model | 50% per day on the 1-Step |
| News / scalping / EAs | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| Reward share | Up to 90% | Up to 95% | 75% on the 1-Step; varies by plan |
Futures firms
| Rule | Topstep | MyFundedFutures | Tradeify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation | Trading Combine, then Express Funded | Evaluation, then Sim Funded | Evaluation or instant funding |
| Drawdown type | Maximum Loss Limit (see its parameters) | End-of-day trailing; intraday on Rapid | End-of-day trailing |
| Consistency rule | 55% target in the Combine; 40% on the Consistency payout path | None on Pro once funded; 50% on some plans | 40 to 50% on evaluation; none once funded |
| Payout days | 5 winning days of $150+, or 3 days on the Consistency path | Every 48 hours, or daily on Rapid | Daily or every 5 days, by plan |
| Pricing | Monthly subscription (Combine) | One-time payment, no renewals | One-time payment |
| Profit split | 90/10 | 80/20 or 90/10, by plan | Check the plan |
A firm with no consistency rule often runs a tighter trailing drawdown, and a firm with a generous drawdown often adds a consistency rule. You are choosing which constraint to live with, not avoiding all of them.
Reading the table for your style
- News or breakout trader: avoid a consistency rule. FTMO on forex, MyFundedFutures Pro on futures.
- Steady intraday scalper: a consistency rule barely matters. Choose on drawdown type and payout speed instead.
- Swing trader holding overnight: check the overnight and weekend holding rules first, then the drawdown.
- Slow, low-frequency trader: plans with a generous daily loss limit and a fixed drawdown suit you; futures firms with trailing drawdown do not.
- Cost-sensitive: Tradeify's one-time fee beats a subscription if you expect to take several months; the reverse if you pass quickly.
The individual guides go deeper: the trailing drawdown guide, the consistency rule guide, and the daily loss limit guide.
Traders pick a firm on the split and the price, then get failed by a drawdown rule they never read. Spend the twenty minutes to map your own trading against the four rules that matter, because the right firm is the one whose constraints you would have followed anyway.
Frequently asked
Which prop firm has the easiest rules?
There is no single easiest firm, because firms trade one lenient rule for a stricter one. A firm with no consistency rule usually has a tighter trailing drawdown; a firm with a generous drawdown usually adds a consistency rule. The easiest firm for you is the one whose constraints match how you already trade.
What prop firm rules matter most?
The maximum daily loss, the type of overall drawdown (fixed or trailing), the consistency rule, and any limit on what you can trade or how much you can risk per trade. The profit split, which the marketing leads with, decides how much you keep but not whether you keep the account.
Do prop firms allow news trading and EAs?
Most of the major forex firms allow news trading, scalping and your own EAs. Commercial or copied strategies shared across many accounts are usually banned. Some funded plans restrict trading in a short window around high-impact news. Check the specific plan, because this varies by account type within the same firm.
What is the max risk per trade rule?
Some firms cap how much of the account you can risk on a single position. Where it exists it is separate from the daily loss limit, so a wide stop on a volatile instrument can breach it even if the trade is small in your own terms. Check the firm's Trading Objectives for the plan you buy.
Related reading
The team behind this guide
Researched, checked and approved by five forex specialists
Every guide is written, fact-checked and edited before it goes live, and updated when the facts change. Spotted an error? Tell us.