You can take a free trial with a prop firm to see what it would be like to become a funded trader with them. This lets you get familiar with the trading environment and conditions before making a financial commitment. Here we will review some of the top prop firms with a free trial to help you get started.
Due to the increasing popularity of prop trading in recent years, there are lots more proprietary firms for you to choose from. Whilst that does give you lots of variety in terms of trading challenges and funded account, it does make it harder to choose the best prop firm for your needs. This is where a prop firm trial can come in handy.
Prop Firms with Free Trial
What Is A Prop Firm Free Trial?
A prop firm free trial does exactly what it says. It enables you to try out the prop firm for a specified number of days without needing to pay anything upfront. This is a way to make sure that they have everything you need to succeed before taking part in a paid trading challenge or getting an instant funded account. Most prop firms will allow you one free trial but you can always try a few different prop firms with free trials to compare them with each other.
There are some limitations to think about when it comes to free trials. Primarily, they are not offered by many prop trading firms. This is because it takes them time and money to get each prop trader setup. The free trial will probably only last a few weeks which might not be enough time to judge the quality of the prop firm. Passing a trial trading challenge will not get you access to a funded account so don’t expect any share of profits.
Prop Firms with Free Trial
Why Take A Free Trial?
Despite the restrictions that prop firm trials can have, there are still many distinct advantages that make them worthwhile. Mainly, you can get a feel for the trading conditions and customer support. This will give you an idea as to whether you will be able to pass their trading challenges and get help when you need it. It can also be a great way to compare prop firms if you have a few in mind but cannot make a decision which to choose.
FTMO is an award-winning prop trading firm where you can take part in challenges to qualify to trade the company’s capital and receive up to $2 million in funds and keep 90% of profits. The company provide you with support along the way and will even cover the losses.
SurgeTrader accelerates your path to becoming a professional trader by putting real capital into live accounts for you to trade. They have a good variety of funded trader programs where you can keep up to 90% of the profits if you successfully pass the audition phase and scale up to $500K.
For retail traders, Topstep is the one of the best funded account options. Their objective is to provide a secure environment where traders may turn their passion into a profession and securely participate in and earn from the financial markets. Topstep look to produce better traders, with healthier habits, through learning by doing. Trade up to $150,000 in capital and share 90% of profits.
Lux Trading Firm is a London based prop firm offering account funding up to $200,000 and an aggressive scaling program up to $10,000,000, with profit sharing up to 75%.
Elite Trader Funding give traders the chance to receive live funding based on how well they perform in simulated accounts. You can trade multiple accounts (up to 20) under one login, choose from several evaluation options and keep 80% of all profits.
You can give the FTMO Challenge a full trial run absolutely free. FTMO are the leading prop trading firm in the industry. They pay out a generous 90% of profits and have funded accounts that can be scaled up to $2,000,000 if you pass the evaluation phase.
Step 1. FTMO Challenge
Step 2. Verification
Step 3. FTMO Trader
Trading Period
30 days + 14 days
60 days
indefinite
Minimum Trading Days
10 days
10 days
x
Maximum Daily Loss
$500
$500
$500
Maximum Loss
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
Profit Target
$1,000
$500
x
Free Repeat
Yes
Yes
x
Refundable Fee
€155
free
refund
FTMO Objectives – Based on normal risk and $10,000 balance
The evaluation process begins with the FTMO Challenge. To go to the Verification level, you must be successful here. The FTMO Challenge lasts for 30 calendar days, and the Verification lasts for 60. You do not have to wait for the remaining period days if you are able to complete the Trading Objectives sooner The FTMO Challenge is condensed into the Free Trial account with identical trading terms.
Pros
One-time fee only (no recurrent charges or other fees)
No limits or restrictions on your trading style
Choice of platforms (MT4, MT5, cTrader)
Access to some handy trading apps designed to help you with risk management and profit maximization
FTMO’s scaling plan allows their most skilled traders access to up to $2 million of trading capital
A thorough account analysis for every account
The fee will be reimbursed to you with the first Profit Split
Customer Support in 17 languages
The most trusted and reputable Prop Trading Firm in the industry
So many traders have used FTMO over the years that there is an incredible amount of trader-generated resources available, including lots of great advice on how to pass the FTMO Challenge
Cons
Strict requirements for the test period
Steep 10% profit target for the first step of the FTMO evaluation, however, it eventually drops to 5% for the second verification stage
FTMO keeps all traders on demo accounts, even those that have passed the FTMO Challenge and become fully funded
In order to receive a funded account, traders must first pass the FTMO Challenge, followed by a verification stage
Experience the SurgeTrader Audition just like you would as a registered trader with the same conditions, spreads and environment. Free trials start with a default balance of $100,000 and traders are entitled to only one free trial per person.
Starter – $25K
Intermediate – $50K
Seasoned – $100K
Advanced – $250K
Expert – $500K
Master – $1M
Account Type
Standard
Standard
Standard
Large
Large
Large
Profit Share
75%
75%
75%
75%
75%
75%
Profit Target (10%)
$2,500
$5,000
$10,000
$25,000
$50,000
$100,000
Daily Loss Limit
4%
4%
4%
4%
4%
4%
Max Trailing Drawdown
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
Audition Fee
$250
$400
$700
$1,800
$3,500
$6,500
SurgeTrader Pricing Plans
Whilst SurgeTrader deliver some of the best customer support in the prop trading industry, to accommodate the large number of support requests in the funded trader program, limited support is available to free trial accounts.
Pros
Simple, straightforward trading rules
No minimum trading days
No 30-day assessment period
Scale up from $25K all the way to $500K
One-Time fee with no ongoing costs
No restrictions on trading strategies
1 step evaluation process
Good choice of trading instruments
Trade on both MT4/MT5 platforms
Handy trader dashboard
Realistic profit target set at 10% of the total account balance
After passing the audition you will start trading directly on a live account, with real profits and losses taken by the company, no demo accounts
You will have access to a free 30-day membership with BKForex, which includes daily trading signals, tools, indicators, webinars and more
Quick withdrawals and no minimum or maximum amount restrictions, which can be requested at any time once a month
Very generous profit share that goes all the way up to 90%
Free trial of the audition upon request
Cons
A stop-loss is required for each trade
All positions must be closed on Friday
Maximum open size of 1 lot per $10,000 of the account balance
Topstep let you begin with the free 14-day trial if you are not yet prepared to be reviewed for funding. There is no credit card required to sign-up, just a short online form to complete and you will be up and running in minutes.
$50k
$100k
$150k
Monthly Price
$165/month
$325/month
$375/month
Profit Target (Per Step)
$3,000
$6,000
$9,000
Maximum Position Size
5 Contracts
10 Contracts
15 Contracts
Daily Loss Limit
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
Trailing Max Drawdown
$2,000
$3,000
$4,500
Topstep Funded Accounts
The Topstep free trial lets you gain the confidence you need trading futures with no risk. At any time, you can enter the trading evaluation to earn access to trading capital up to $150,000 and share 90% of profits.
Pros
Not much capital needed to start
Account reset option available
Free 14-day trial to enter program
Excellent choice of professional trading platforms
Keep up to 90% profits with a 50% account balance withdrawal available
A real focus on improving trading skills via the Trading Combine program
Great range of educational resources, community access, coaching and live webinars
Quick evaluation process. Step 1 can be completed in just five trading days, and Step 2 no longer has a minimum days requirement
Respected prop firm with many years in the business and millions of dollars of trader withdrawals
Cons
No forex trading
No MetaTrader platforms
Very complicated account options and trading conditions
No weekend positions
Futures instruments only
Withdrawals are limited to ACH or international bank wire transfers
Higher monthly fixed costs because of exchange data fees
Elite Trader Funding provide a 14-day free trial so you can practise trading on a simulated account in preparation for your review. A 250K Fast Track account will be made available to you for your trial. A trial account does not meet the requirements for an elite account. Each trader is only permitted one trial.
Maximum capital
$300,000
Profit split
Up to 80%
Scaling
No
News trading
Yes
Weekend trading
No
Automated trading
No
Free trial
Yes
Maximum leverage
N/A
Elite Trader Funding Features
Pros
Access to multiple exchanges and products
Trade multiple accounts (up to 20) under one login
Several trader evaluation options
Keep 80% of all profits after your first $12,500
Optional evaluation reset fee is only $75
Automatic free evaluation account resets on monthly subscription renewal if account is failed
Ninjatrader, Tradovate, Tradingview and other professional platforms
Lux Trading Firm is a London based prop firm offering account funding up to $200,000 and an aggressive scaling program up to $10,000,000, with profit sharing up to 75%. They provide excellent trading conditions through partnership with a regulated brokerage where you can trade a variety of financial instruments.
Lux Trading Firm Accounts
There is the option of a free 7-day trial with Lux Trading Firm. You can select the trading platform that you wish to use during the trial. They have an excellent choice including TraderEvolution, TradingView and MetaTrader 4.
Get a feel for the trading conditions without paying anything upfront
Make sure your trading strategy is allowed
See if the trading objectives are realistic
Practice your trading strategies with no risk
See how good or bad the prop firm support is
Compare prop firms with each other
Cons
You will still need to pay a fee to take part in a challenge after your trial
Free trials are limited to a couple of weeks
There are not many prop firms with free trials
Cheapest Prop Firms
Final Thoughts
Taking part in a prop firm free trial can be a perfect way to see if they are a match for you. With more and more proprietary trading firms popping up all over the place, it can seem overwhelming when trying to decide which one you should use. A free trial is a safe and risk-free way to get a feel for what they have to offer before making a commitment.
However, they are usually limited in terms of the funded accounts you can choose and how long they last. You will also not be funded with a real account if you pass the challenge and of course, will not get a share of any profits. If you are short on capital, you might want to consider our cheapest prop firms instead.
ProprietaryFirms.com is a website dedicated to reviewing prop trading firms. With an increasing demand of aspiring traders who are looking to get a funded account, there are more and more prop trading firms popping up nowadays. We can help traders to find the prop firms that meet their needs.
Prop Trading Firms 
