The Cheapest Prop Firm in 2026
The cheapest prop firm by entry fee is not always the cheapest by the time you cash your first payout. Refund timing, payout fees, payment-method surcharges, and the cost of failed retries all matter. This guide ranks the seven largest prop firms by true total cost, not just sticker price.
By John McLaren
Quick answer
The cheapest prop firm by one-time entry fee is FundingPips at $32 for a $5K account. Atlas Funded markets a $1 evaluation but charges the larger funding fee after you pass, so the total cost is comparable to peers. FundedFast is $49 with a 90% profit split included, which recovers the $17 sticker-price gap on the first payout above $170.
Want to test FundedFast for free first?
The FundedFast Open runs every two weeks. $100K virtual account, $25 first-place cash prize, no entry fee, no payment details required. The only genuinely free way to test our platform before you commit.
See the FundedFast OpenHow we score these firms
Four numbers determine real cost: the entry fee, the funding fee at pass (relevant for pay-after-pass firms), when (and whether) the fees are refunded, and the cost of moving money out once you trade. We score each firm on the cheapest available $5K-$10K evaluation, the documented refund policy, and the worst-case payout-method fee for the trader. We flag firms that use a pay-after-pass model (Atlas Funded) because the sticker price is not directly comparable. We exclude firms that bundle the fee into a recurring subscription, since that hides the real cost.
Real total cost, not just sticker price
FundedFast
Best overall value- Entry fee ($5K)
- $49
- Refund timing
- On 1st payout
- Profit split
- 90%
- Time limit
- None
- Free entry route
- FundedFast Open
FundingPips
- Entry fee ($5K)
- $32
- Refund timing
- On 1st payout
- Profit split
- 80%
- Time limit
- Varies
- Free entry route
- —
Atlas Funded
- Entry fee ($5K)
- $1*
- Refund timing
- On 1st payout
- Profit split
- 80%
- Time limit
- Varies
- Free entry route
- —
Goat Funded Trader
- Entry fee ($5K)
- $38
- Refund timing
- On 1st payout
- Profit split
- 75%
- Time limit
- Varies
- Free entry route
- —
FundedNext
- Entry fee ($5K)
- $32
- Refund timing
- On 1st payout
- Profit split
- 80%
- Time limit
- Varies by program
- Free entry route
- —
E8 Funding
- Entry fee ($5K)
- $48
- Refund timing
- On 1st payout
- Profit split
- 80%
- Time limit
- Yes
- Free entry route
- —
FTMO
- Entry fee ($5K)
- $155
- Refund timing
- On 1st payout
- Profit split
- 80%
- Time limit
- 30 / 60 days
- Free entry route
- —
FundedFast wins 3 of 5 commercial dimensions across all seven firms compared. The $17 sticker-price gap vs FundingPips is recovered on the first payout above $170 thanks to the higher default profit split (90% vs 80%). Atlas Funded's $1 marketed entry sits behind a pay-after-pass model — the funding fee at pass brings total cost in line with peers.
*Atlas Funded uses a pay-after-pass pricing model: a $1 evaluation entry plus a larger funding fee charged when the trader passes. The other six firms all refund the entry fee on your first payout, so the steady-state real cost is zero on every refunded program. The profit-split column shows the default split each firm pays a new trader (FundedFast's 90% is a free upgrade at checkout; Goat Funded Trader starts at 75% and scales with payouts). Time-limit and free-entry columns are factual — verified May 2026 from each firm's public terms.
Ownership disclosure: FundedFast operates this website, and FundedFast challenges appear in the comparisons below. Every firm — including ours — is scored with the same methodology, and we link to each competitor so you can verify our numbers yourself. How we rank and earn is documented in our editorial policy. Read our editorial policy
Top 7 prop firms ranked
- 1
FundingPips
95/100Lowest one-time sticker at $32 for $5K. Fee refunded on first payout. Best pure-cost choice on the traditional one-time-fee model.
From $32Split 80-100%Time Varies - 2
FundedFast
Our firm94/100$49 for $5K with 90% profit split (free upgrade) and free Open competition. Highest overall value once the split is factored in.
From $49Split Up to 90%Time None - 3
Atlas Funded
78/100$1 evaluation entry but uses a pay-after-pass model — the larger funding fee is charged once you pass. True total cost is comparable to peers, not radically cheaper.
From $1Split 80%Time Varies - 4
Goat Funded Trader
76/100$38 entry with aggressive scaling, but the 8% trailing drawdown is tighter than peers and triggers more retries in practice.
From $38Split 75-100%Time Varies - 5
FundedNext
74/100$32 entry but four program types add complexity that pushes accidental upgrades.
From $32Split 80-95%Time Varies by program - 6
E8 Funding
70/100$48 entry, similar to FundedFast on price, but with a tighter daily-loss rule that triggers more retries.
From $48Split 80%Time Yes - 7
FTMO
64/100Nearly five times the entry of FundingPips at $155. Worth it only if you specifically need FTMO's brand or platform variety.
From $155Split 80%Time 30 / 60 days
How FundedFast handles this
FundedFast charges $49 for a $5K two-phase evaluation, scaling to $2,999 for $400K one-phase. The fee is fully refunded on your first payout, which means in steady state your real cost is zero. Profit split is up to 90% (80% default, upgradable at checkout for free), one of the highest in the industry. Payouts go out via PayPal, bank transfer, or crypto with a $50 minimum and no platform-side fees. For traders entering for the first time, the FundedFast Open free competition runs every two weeks with a $25 first-place cash prize and zero entry fee — a way to test the platform without paying. The honest weakness on cost: FundedFast does not match FundingPips' $32 absolute floor on a one-time-fee model, nor Atlas Funded's $1 marketed sticker (which uses pay-after-pass). Traders chasing lowest possible sticker price should compare side by side, but the 90% split recovers the $17 difference vs FundingPips on the first payout above $170 and keeps returning it on every payout after.
When this is not the right fit
If absolute lowest one-time sticker is your only criterion, FundingPips at $32 wins outright. If you specifically want a pay-after-pass model where the headline number is near zero, Atlas Funded markets $1 entry — just budget for the funding fee at pass. If you trade exclusively futures and you are based in the U.S., Topstep or Apex Trader Funding fit better — they use Tradovate / Rithmic execution and CME-pair coverage that retail-CFD prop firms cannot match. If you need a $3K starter account, no firm in this list offers one in their public catalog; most will steer you to a $5K. And if you are evaluating purely on brand recognition rather than cost, FTMO commands a premium that none of the cheaper firms can match — though the rules and profit splits at the cheaper firms are now generally better. Finally, traders in 54 restricted jurisdictions cannot participate with FundedFast regardless of price; check the eligibility list before paying.
Frequently asked
What is the cheapest prop firm by entry fee?
FundingPips is the cheapest by one-time entry fee at $32 for a $5K account. Atlas Funded markets a $1 evaluation but uses a pay-after-pass model, so the larger funding fee is charged once you pass — total cost is comparable to peers, not radically cheaper. FundedFast is $49 with a 90% profit split included. All three refund the entry fee on your first payout, so the steady-state real cost is zero, and the higher 90% profit split usually pays back the $17 gap vs FundingPips on the first withdrawal.
Is cheaper actually better for prop firm challenges?
Cheaper is better only if the rules and profit split also work in your favor. A $32 entry with a tight daily-loss rule that triggers two retries is more expensive than a $49 entry you pass in one attempt.
Do prop firms refund the entry fee?
All major prop firms refund the entry fee on the first payout. FundedFast, FundingPips, FTMO, FundedNext, and E8 Funding all follow this practice. Read the specific policy before paying. A few smaller firms only refund partial amounts.
Can I get a free prop firm challenge?
Free entry is rare. The most reliable free option is a live competition like the FundedFast Open, which runs every two weeks with no entry fee, a $100K virtual account, and cash prizes for the top three finishers.
Are there hidden fees in prop firm challenges?
Watch for: payout-method fees (some firms pass on PayPal or wire fees), recurring subscriptions disguised as one-time fees, and add-ons like profit-split upgrades that should be free. FundedFast's 90% profit split is included free at checkout.
What happens if I fail and retry the cheapest prop firm challenge?
Retry costs the same as the initial entry — there is no discount on a second attempt at any major prop firm. A $32 FundingPips evaluation costs $32 to retry; a $49 FundedFast evaluation costs $49. Assuming roughly 30% of traders need one retry, the expected real cost for a first-pass-or-second-pass trader is about 1.3× the sticker price. That puts FundingPips at ~$42 expected and FundedFast at ~$64 expected, vs FTMO at ~$202 expected — three to four times more than the cheaper firms.
Do any prop firms charge monthly subscriptions instead of one-time fees?
A small number do — Topstep, MyFundedFutures, and a handful of futures-specialty firms charge $99–$165 per month. We exclude subscription firms from this ranking because the steady-state cost is unbounded: take six months to pass and you have paid $600–$990 with no refund. One-time fee firms with a refund-on-payout policy (FundedFast, FundingPips, FTMO, FundedNext, E8 Funding) are categorically cheaper in any realistic scenario.
Ready to start your first challenge?
From $49. No time limit. Up to 90% profit share. Fee refunded on first payout.