8 Best Prop Trading Firms in the UK in March 2025

Proprietary trading firms, or prop firms, provide individual traders with capital, typically to trade stocks, forex, commodities, and even crypto. An alternative to traditional retail trading, prop trading attracts traders with limited funds who wish to trade full-time. However, it’s not for complete beginners as applicants must successfully complete trading challenges to qualify for funding. These challenges involve achieving specific profit targets while staying within defined drawdown limits.

Interest in this form of trading is growing in the UK, too. Monthly search volumes for ‘prop firms’ shot up by 315% in the UK between 2020 and 2024, according to research company Prop Firms. In this guide, we explain how prop firms work in the UK, what criteria and challenges they set, and which providers are worth considering. Read on to see our selection of the top UK prop firms:

Reviewing the top UK prop trading firms

Let’s take a closer look at these top-ranked prop firms in the UK. We have ranked them based on their challenge requirements, supported markets, funding amounts, payout speeds, capital limits, profit-sharing commissions and overall reputation.

1. FundedBull: New kid on block offers competitive profit splits

The FundedBull platform is a relatively new player in the proprietary trading firm space, founded just last year by Desimir Paskalev, a trading industry veteran associated with retail broker XM. However, I found it a solid choice for beginners and experienced traders alike, due to the flexibility of challenge levels, supported assets and trading platforms. One of the platform’s biggest appeals is that it always offers 90% profit splits.

Financial assets available to trade include forex pairs, cryptos, indices, and commodities. The prop firm offers several trading platforms to choose from, including MT4 MT5, Platform 5, cTrader, MatchTrader and DXtrade. The company also supports a $1 million demo account to practise.

The platform’s two-step challenge is relatively strict as the first stage requires a profit of 8% and the second a profit of 5%, coupled with a maximum daily loss of 4%.

However, seasoned traders can opt for obtaining funding after a one-step challenge with even harder hurdles, and less experienced trader can choose a three-step challenge with somewhat easier criteria.

The lowest fee for the account with $5,000 funding starts from $49, with the three-step challenge option. Traders can decrease these fees further by using a 20% discount code.

FundedBull also aims to distinguish itself through a strong affiliate program and a focus on fostering a supportive trading community.

2. OFP Funding: Get started without challenges

OFP Funding allows traders to quickly ramp up their access to capital without going through the hurdles of a screening process or a profit target to reach with a challenge.

You can trade forex, stocks, indices, commodities, bonds and crypto on OFP and the company offers Matchtrade, CTrader and TraderLocker platforms.

There are three instant funding accounts with a maximum capital of $100k and profit share up to 40% on starter splits. The premium splits offer the chance to have a profit share up to 95%.

You can start trading right away, with accounts ranging from £5,000 and scale up to an impressive £200,000 and eventually as much as £5 million if you have multiple accounts. The smallest account costs just above $36 on a monthly basis, making it one of the most affordable ways to access real trading funds.

What makes OFP Funding different is its focus on traders. There are no strict goals to hit, so you can work on improving your skills at your own pace. Withdrawals are quick, too — your money is available within four business days.

3. The 5%ers: Great beginner option for MT5 forex trading with plenty of support

Founded in 2016, The5%ers is a great option for beginner forex traders who prefer the MT5 platform. The 5%ers offers funding for various asset classes, including major and minor forex pairs, indices, commodities, and metals, but not stocks.

It also supports Bitcoin and the best altcoins. Funding of up to $4 million is available, although limits are determined on a case-by-case basis.

The biggest plus for The5%ers is the evaluation period, which has no time limit or minimum number of trades, though it cancels accounts inactive for more than 30 days. The Bootcamp plan costs $95 and consists of three challenges, each requiring a profit goal of 6% without exceeding a 3% daily drawdown.

The5%ers also offers additional resources to help traders maximize their gains. This includes access to the daily live trading room, free webinars, performance statistics, and real-time event notifications.

Once traders pass Bootcamp, there are three different ways to get funding. Each comes with a fee, ranging from $260 to $850, depending on the funding capital supplied, from $10,000 to $40,000.

The5%ers supports a variety of trading strategies, including algo trading and news trading. You’ll trade on the MT5 platform, with access to forex, indices, cryptocurrencies, and commodities.

4. Trade the Pool: Trade real shares after a one-step challenge

Trade The Pool was founded by Five Percent Online Ltd., which also operates the 5%ers. It offers buying power accounts starting at $20,000. The evaluation fee for this entry-level account is $97, making it accessible to most traders.

A key selling point for Trade the Pool is it specializes in trading directly-owned shares, which includes a broad list of more than 2,000 available instruments. Most other prop firms offer stock trading through CFDs.

Four different buying power levels are available, depending on what you’re willing to spend in one-time fees. For example, the lowest-cost program makes $20,000 available for $97, while the top account makes $260,000 available for $1,240.

To qualify, traders have 45 days to complete a one-time challenge to reach the $1,350 profit target with a minimum of 30 trades while avoiding a daily loss limit of $300. Once traders meet these conditions, they can access funded accounts and keep up to 60% to 70% of the profits, depending on the plan selected.

Trade the Pool does have a demo account to practise on with $1 million in virtual funds, though it’s limited to 14 days of use.

5. Challenge4Trading: Good prop firm option for UK-based traders, including beginners

We found that Challenge4Trading is a decent option for UK traders, especially for less experienced traders, thanks to the platform’s educational materials, including tutorials, webinars and courses.

Challenge4Trading uses the Sirix trading platform, meaning you can trade your preferred asset class while using social trading, copy trading and sophisticated charting. The financial instruments available include UK and international stocks, indices, bonds, forex, and commodities.

The platform supports top cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Challenge4trading takes a unique two-stage approach to capital funding.

You first need to choose how much you plan to trade with. This ranges from £15,000 to £500,000, which it will initially credit as virtual funds. A €15,000 account costs €150, while a €500,000 account costs €1,800. This structure makes it accessible for traders at different levels.

The initial stage requires you to make a net profit of 8%.

You must avoid making an overall loss of 10% along the way. And a maximum daily loss of 5%. So, losing 4% in one day would be fine as long as you reach the 8% target. The second stage comes with a profit target of 5%. Completing both challenges will entitle you to capital funding. There are a couple of drawbacks to consider.

First, you need to pay a fee to enter a challenge. This ranges from £150 to £1,800, depending on how much capital you need. That said, the fee is refunded if you complete the challenge.

Second, you need to consider the profit-sharing commission. This starts at 15%, meaning you keep 85% of the profits generated. Challenge4Trading provides comprehensive training materials and one-to-one support should you need more information.

6. Funded Trading Plus: Good low-cost options for prop trading

Funded Trading Plus has grown since its founding in the UK in 2021, much of that due to its good grades on customer support and offers funding from $5,000 to $250,000. It also has the ability to scale funding for traders up to $2.5 million.

It also has an option for a single-phase evaluation challenge, making it easier for new investors. In addition, it has no-evaluation Master Accounts with account sizes ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, making it accessible to many traders without needing an evaluation phase, though those accounts have a one-time charge of $1,125.

The company makes a point not to rush new traders, and the minimum amount to get started is only $119. It places all customers across all phases of all programs into simulated-live conditions for the evaluation. They can take as long as required to pass the evaluation but need to place at least one simulated trade on the account every 30 days to keep their accounts active.

Funded Trading Plus offers trades in more than 70 forex pairs and more than 200 cryptos, in addition to commodities and indices. Investors can get $5,000 and begin trading immediately for only $229.

Traders can use Expert Advisors (EAs), algorithms or bots to help with their evaluations and they can also use copy trading, even if the company doesn’t support its own copy trading platform. The program features an 80/20 simulated profit split, which transitions to 90/10 once traders achieve a 20% simulated profit and 100/0 at 30%.

7. E8 Markets: Offers aspiring traders plenty of time to get acclimatised

E8 Markets, based in Dallas, Texas, and founded in 2021, is a global company that operates in more than 195 countries. It recently rebranded from E8 Funding because it is focusing more on simulated trading.

It offers four different challenges to aspiring prop traders, from $10,000 to $200,000, with challenge fees ranging from $59 to $3,567 depending on the account type and balance. Trading instruments include currency pairs, indices, energies, metals, and cryptocurrencies.

Its account types come with varying fees, evaluation steps and drawdown requirements, as well as profit splits that range from 80% to 100%. Platforms available to trade include MatchTrader, cTrader and Platform 5.

For example, its One Phase, involves a single-phase evaluation designed to fast-track someone to become an E8 Trader. There’s also an E8 Account with a two-step evaluation and a three-step evaluation program as part of its Track Account.

Some of the platform’s highlights are no minimum or maximum trading day requirements. It also focuses heavily on helping aspiring traders with user-friendly advanced analytics.

Comparing these top-ranked UK prop firms

Here are some key metrics about the leading UK prop firms.

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How does prop trading work?

Prop trading firms provide online traders with capital. Participants must complete trading challenges to qualify. This ensures capital is provided to capable traders who understand risk management principles. Challenges typically come with a profit target and a minimum number of trading days.

However, success is not guaranteed, and only about one in three traders will make money using prop firm funding. A PipFarm survey found that only 40% of traders achieve profitability, with the majority of prop firm clients losing their initial investment, the online magazine Finance Magnates reported. The same survey indicated that traders spend an average of $4,270 on these challenges before becoming profitable.

A prop trading example:

For example, traders might need to make an 8% profit and trade for at least one week. Importantly, challenges always come with maximum daily and total drawdowns. This is the most a trader can lose from the provided capital. For example, suppose the challenge provides $50,000 and the maximum total drawdown is 10%.

This means traders will lose the challenge if the balance drops to $45,000. Do note that prop trading isn’t risk-free. Participants must pay upfront fees when entering challenges. This is typically kept by the prop firm regardless of whether the challenge is completed successfully. The fee increases as more capital is required.

Nonetheless, live funded accounts are provided when traders complete the challenge. This means traders receive a share of any future profits generated. This averages 80% but can be higher or lower depending on the prop firm. Most providers support multiple asset classes, including forex, stocks, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies.

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Am I suitable for prop trading?

Prop firms are suitable for all trading profiles. They’re simply a mechanism to obtain more trading capital without relying solely on leverage. For example, consider an up-and-coming forex trader who has had great success trading on demo accounts. They’ve produced solid profits since starting and have a firm grasp of risk management.

However, the trader has limited trading capital, so they approach a prop firm. Assuming the trader completes the prop challenge, they’ll receive funding. This enables that trader to make real money, with the only initial risk being the challenge fee.

Similarly, seasoned pros also use prop firms to increase their capital power. This is why some challenges offer an initial funding account of up to $400,000. And, when successfully completing that challenge, the trader can often request higher amounts.

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What markets and strategies do prop firms support?

Prop firms are interested in one key metric; are you able to make consistent profits without breaching risk-management rules? Therefore, providers have little interest in what assets you choose to trade. The only requirement is that the partnered broker(s) and trading platforms support the assets.

That said, we found that most prop firms support the following asset classes, although traders should check before proceeding:

• Forex: Most prop firms support forex trading pairs, covering majors like EUR/USD and JPY/USD. Most also support minor and exotic pairs.
• Stocks: Major stocks from the UK markets are sometimes supported too.
• Indices: Prop traders can also access popular indices, including the Dow Jones, FTSE 100, and NASDAQ 100. These markets offer lower risk and volatility levels.
• Commodities: A wide range of commodities can be traded when using prop firms. This includes everything from gold and natural gas to oil, wheat, and corn.
• Crypto: Some prop firms support cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, not to mention the best meme coins such as Dogecoin and Shiba Inu. However, traders should keep an eye on the drawdown limits, considering cryptocurrencies are highly volatile.

In addition to asset classes, traders should also explore what strategies and systems the prop trading firm accepts. This is because restrictions can apply depending on the prop firm.

For example, some providers prohibit automated bots, such as forex EAs. They can also ban certain strategies, like hedging and arbitrage trading.

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Reasons to use a prop trading firm

Still not sure if prop trading is right for you? Read on, we’ll now explore the key benefits of obtaining prop capital.

Increase capital capabilities

There’s a direct correlation between capital capabilities and profit potential. After all, the more trading funds allocated to a position the higher the potential profit. For example, suppose you’ve had a successful month, returning net gains of 4% when trading forex.

However, your average capital balance was just $1,000. For all your efforts you’ve made just $40 in real terms. Now consider the same scenario via a prop firm, which has provided $100,000 in capital. This increases the monthly profit from $40 to $4,000. Even with an 80% profit share, you keep $3,200.

Ideal for risk-averse strategies

Prop firms aren’t always required when trading highly volatile assets, such as growth stocks or cryptocurrencies. This is because the profit potential is high, so even smaller stakes can generate substantial returns. However, this isn’t the case when trading in low-volatile markets with risk-averse strategies.

Take a forex scalper as an example. They specialize in the EUR/USD pair, which rarely rises or falls by more than 1% in a trading session. And, considering scalping positions are kept open for minutes or seconds, the profit potential is minute in real terms. This is where prop firms can help.

Let’s say the forex scalper obtains $1 million in prop funding after completing the initial challenges. They target monthly gains of just 2%. However, this amounts to $20,000 on a $1 million account. And, with an 80% profit share in place, the scalper keeps $16,000. Crucially, scalping and other risk-averse strategies are ideal for prop trading. Their low-risk nature ensures that the drawdown limits aren’t breached.

What happens if the drawdown limit is breached?

The drawdown limits are the most important metric to be aware of when prop trading.

• The daily drawdown is the most you can lose in 24 hours.
• The total drawdown is the most you can lose in total.
• Both figures are percentage-based.
• If either drawdown is breached, the prop trading account will be closed.
• This is the case regardless of whether you’re completing a challenge or using a funded account.
• This is why risk-management strategies are so important.

Limited personal risk

Another benefit of prop trading is that participants bear limited risk. The only money the trader can lose is the initial challenge fee. This is typically a small percentage of the overall prop funding amount.

For example, suppose you opt for the $50,000 account and it comes with a challenge fee of $350. Successfully completing the challenge means you have amplified that initial payment by over 142 times.

Any losses derived from that $50,000 won’t personally impact you. This is because the capital is provided by the prop firm. Conversely, if you fail to complete the challenge, the most you would lose is $350.

Suitable for multiple assets and strategies

The best prop firms support multiple asset classes. This ranges from stock trading and indices to cryptocurrencies, forex, and commodities.

While some restrictions might be in place (e.g. hedging or arbitrage trading, most strategies are supported. This includes anything from swing trading and scalping to day trading.

Support from experienced traders

Prop firms are often run by experienced traders. This means you have access to one-on-one support, guidance, and insights.

Crucially, this ensures your trading abilities constantly improve, helping you to increase profits and reduce risk.

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Choosing the right prop trading firm

The following factors should be considered when selecting a prop trading firm:

• Reputation: First, ensure the prop firm has a solid reputation, especially regarding payouts. It’s best to stick with established providers too. Use TrustPilot and other review websites to make an informed decision.
• Strategies and markets: Ensure the prop firm supports your preferred strategy, such as scalping or swing trading. Check which asset classes and markets are supported, such as major forex pairs or precious metals.
• Funding amounts: Prop firms offer various funding amounts, often ranging from just $5,000 to more than $400,000. Ensure the available amounts align with your requirements.
• Challenge fee: Ensure the challenge fee is viable for the amount of funding offered. Just remember, the more capital needed the higher the fee. Most providers have a no-refund policy on challenge fees, so ensure the amount is within your budget.
• Challenge requirements: Another important factor is the challenge requirements. These must be completed to obtain funded accounts. Check the required profit target, maximum drawdowns, and minimum number of trading days.
• Profit share: Ensure you’re comfortable with the profit share percentage. This averages 80%, meaning you keep $80 for every $100 gained.
• Payouts: Check the payout terms, such as withdrawal frequencies, minimums, maximums, and payment methods. Many prop firms offer bi-weekly withdrawals after completing a 30-day grace period.

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How to get started with a prop trading firm

Ready to increase your trading capital with a prop trading firm? Here’s a quick walkthrough on how to get started with FundedBull:

• Step 1: Register an account: The first step is to visit a prop broker’s website, such as FundedBull, and click the ‘Buy Challenge’ button. Other providers may have a ‘Register’ button. Provide your full name, email address, and phone number, alongside a password for your account.
• Step 2: Choose funding amount and assess terms: Next, decide how much prop capital you will need. This ranges from £5,000 to £25,000. Evaluate the required challenge terms, such as the profit target, maximum loss, and time limit.
• Step 3: Pay challenge fee: You’ll now need to pay the challenge fee for your required funding amount as well as your preferred trading platform. This varies from £40 to £1,240, depending on the funding amount and the number of steps in your challenge. FundedBull accepts bank transfer, credit cards, Rise, and some other methods.
• Step 4: Start trading – Start trading your preferred your chosen instruments on your preferred trading platform. Your account will be loaded with virtual funds, meaning trades are risk-free. The objective is to meet the challenge goals.
• Step 5: Receive prop funding: FundedBull will provide you with real trading funds once you complete the challenge. If you’re unsuccessful, you’ll need to pay another upfront fee and start again.

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FAQs