The Prop Firm, or Prop trading, involves trading financial markets using the company's capital rather than personal funds. Discover how these firms can be profitable, trader opinions, and explore the top Prop Firms in France in 2025.
A Prop Firm, or propfirm, is a company that lends its own capital to external traders to trade in financial markets. The term comes from Proprietary and Firm in English.
These companies can specialize in different types of financial products, such as cryptocurrencies, stocks, bonds, forex or commodities.
Prop trading can be a lucrative activity for traders : it allows them to access larger trading funds without having to risk their own capital.
Indeed, by working with a Prop Firm, it’s possible to use the company’s capital and share the generated profits. As with all trading activities, it’s essential to note that profitability depends more than ever on the trader’s performance.
Prop Trading is primarily aimed at experienced traders who have trading experience and in-depth knowledge of financial markets. They are less suitable for beginner traders or occasional investors who need more guidance and training to learn trading.
Traders who do not have very good knowledge in trading should focus on learning before trying to trade with a prop firm. Without solid knowledge, it’s almost certain that the experience will be poor and short-lived.
Prop Firms are particularly popular with independent traders who want to access larger trading funds without having to risk their own capital. They can also be interesting for traders who prefer to trade large funds without depending on a financial structure and the supervision of a bank or financial company.
To start trading via a Prop Firm, traders typically need to fill out an application form and pass a skills test, called a “challenge”. While there are some prop firms without challenges, they are rare and often hide something.
The challenge is the very essence of the prop firm, as it’s through this that the company knows if a trader has a chance of being profitable or not. It’s also their main source of revenue. Many people fail the challenges and bring money to the prop firm since the challenges are paid.
After validating the challenge, the trader gets a funded account with the capital they chose before taking the test. They can then trade freely and request to receive their profits according to the conditions established by the prop firm.
These prop firm challenges are paid and allow companies to select qualified traders, thus limiting risks.
The challenges are conducted on demo accounts with fictitious capital where the company will give you rules to follow and conditions for success. Generally, there is a profitability objective (as a percentage of the initial capital) and a maximum daily loss allowed.
Depending on the prop firm, the challenge process may differ. The duration of the challenge can be longer or shorter. More serious companies impose challenges that sometimes last up to 30, or even 60 days. Others offer challenges of only 24 hours.
Some companies also impose a two-stage challenge. This means that the trader must pass a first challenge subject to conditions, then a second as a “confirmation”.
One of the current trends in prop firms is to pass challenges using high-frequency trading robots (HFT). Influencers or companies thus sell bots that automatically pass challenges, or directly sell a funded account (after challenge).
Most prop firms prevent the use of these robots, but some still allow it. This was the case with NovaFunding until recently, but they decided to end this possibility.
Using an HFT to pass the challenge may seem like a good idea or a shortcut, but it is actually highly unrecommended. The very principle of the prop firm is to trade to share results.
If you are not able to pass the challenge, there is no chance that you can successfully make profits with a funded account.
Once traders have validated their test, their account is funded with capital corresponding to that chosen for the challenge, and they can start trading for real. The company also reimburses the amount paid by the trader for the challenge.
Prop firms generally provide a trading platform and sometimes expensive tools to offer traders an ideal trading environment. As a prop firm trader, these tools will be made available to you for free.
Traders are responsible for their own trading decisions and are free to choose the products and strategies they wish to use.
However, they must respect certain rules imposed by Prop Firms, such as leverage limits or position coverage requirements. These limitations are determined at registration and differ according to Prop Firms.
Be very careful about the conditions of prop firms before choosing one. Some have very specific conditions regarding the success of challenges and payouts.
Some prop firm companies apply a consistency rule that requires traders to always make results within a margin established by their average activity. Profits generated outside this margin are not eligible for withdrawal.
Others apply a principle of 50% on the first payout. This means that in all cases, the trader will only be able to withdraw 50% of their earnings on the first payout.
In the case where the trader fails their prop firm challenge, they lose the amount paid to take the challenge. However, they can restart as many times as they want, but their entry price will remain the same and they will have lost the amount of the challenge.
Propfirms generally take a commission on traders’ profits, which varies from one company to another. This commission can be fixed or proportional to the profits made, and it can be deducted from profits before or after tax.
Additionally, Prop Firms may charge trading fees, such as spread or commission fees on each transaction made.
“In general, the trader receives 70 to 90% of the profits they generate with the borrowed capital.”
To illustrate how prop firms work, we will take the example of FTMO.
For the challenge, you can set several parameters that best match your trader profile.
It is possible to define your currency, risk profile, and the balance with which you will be able to trade.
Good to know :
– At FTMO, the challenge fees are reimbursed during the first profit sharing, if you pass the test.– Once the test is passed, there are no more minimum profit targets.
In our example : we will choose a normal profile and a balance of $25,000 in USD. The amount of the balance borrowed for the tests will be the actual amount borrowed in case of test success.
The fees for this trader profile will be $250, refunded if the tests are passed.
If you manage to reach the trading goals earlier, it is not necessary to wait for the end of the maximum duration (30 days or 60 days) to move on to the next step.
Once this 2nd is validated, you are officially a FTMO Trader !
In our case, the profits generated will be shared 70% for the trader and 30% for the company. Losses will only concern the company’s capital. The account’s own funds must not drop below 90% of the initial account balance, otherwise you will lose your FTMO Trader status.
Once the Prop Trader status is obtained, any potential losses only concern the company’s capital, not yours. Profits, however, are shared between the trader and the company.
It is difficult to give a precise estimate of the profitability of trading via Prop Firm. Thus, it depends on several factors, such as the trader’s experience, the trading strategy used, and market conditions.
Using a prop firm can be profitable for an experienced trader, who works with a trusted company where they have ensured the feasibility of withdrawals. On the other hand, for a beginner who thinks they have found a way to get rich easily, prop firms will not be profitable.
The very principle of prop firms allows one to be easily profitable. If the user passes their challenge, they no longer take any financial risk and recover the sum invested at the start. They can thus no longer lose money.
The only way to no longer be profitable is to spend considerable time trading on the prop firm and that the latter finally does not pay the benefits it owes. The trader would thus have invested their time without getting anything in return.
The net profitability of a trader is therefore easy to obtain as long as they are experienced and good in their field.
To summarize our various points, we have gathered the positive and negative points of prop firms in these lists of advantages and disadvantages. Discover them below.
Among the advantages of prop firms, we can first cite :
Among the disadvantages of prop firms, we can find :
Prop trading involves certain risks.
Even if the pressure is not on your own capital, working with a company’s money, with amounts sometimes much higher than those you are used to using, can weigh on the psychology of some traders who are not experienced enough.
The importance of challenges makes perfect sense and should not be taken lightly. They are also beneficial for the company as well as for the trader, allowing them to see if they are made for this activity or not.
Prop Trading is subject to scams, so it is particularly important to carefully choose the propfirm with whom you engage. The prices of the challenges can, indeed, be very lucrative for fraudulent platforms, which then bet on the failure of aspiring prop firm traders to enrich themselves.
Relying solely on the judgment of the Financial Markets Authority (AMF) is not reliable. Indeed, the AMF blacklist sometimes references trusted companies, causing confusion in communities, as was the case with FTMO.
It is thus more relevant to cross-check sources of information and opinions of traders to make your choices. In other words : DYOR ! (Do Your Own Research).
It is also important to note that prop trading can involve risks of conflicts of interest, if traders are incentivized to make trading decisions that are not in the interest of the company.
To avoid this kind of conflict, it is recommended to choose a Prop Firm that adopts solid and transparent governance practices.
Since 2024, the proprietary trading firm industry has experienced significant developments, especially regarding the use of MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms. Firms such as TrueForexFunds have seen their MetaTrader licenses revoked, illustrating a broader movement in the industry, where the majority of platforms are now affected by this situation.
This revocation often results from non-compliance with regulatory requirements or commercial practices considered unethical.
Faced with these restrictions and to continue providing services to their users, prop trading firms are turning to new tools and platforms, such as Match Trader and cTrader.
There are many prop firms available for traders, and it can be difficult to make a choice. Additionally, with growing interest, there are also many new companies entering the market frequently.
Here is our top best Prop Firms in 2025 that are trustworthy :
SabioTrade is a proprietary trading company (prop firm) founded in 2021 and based in Dublin, Ireland, which provides funded accounts up to $200,000 to trade on more than 250 instruments such as forex, indices, cryptos, and metals.
OneFunded is a trading prop firm founded in 2024 and based in the United Arab Emirates, which offers virtual funded accounts up to $100,000. It has quickly established itself as an innovative player in the funded account ecosystem.
FTMO is one of the best solutions currently on the market, allowing effective risk management according to your trader profile. It’s one of the first prop firms that appeared and still currently one of the most serious.
Giimer is a prop firm with flexible plans for trading on all financial markets. Founded in 2022 under the name GiiMe (goinvestin.me), it was initially specialized in education and training for traders. It was in 2023 that Giimer evolved into a prop firm to make prop trading accessible to as many people as possible.
RaiseMyFunds, regulated by the FSCA, offers a platform where traders can take on two-stage challenges to quickly increase their trading funds up to $200,000. If successful, they have the possibility to manage up to $1 million.
With more than 25 years of experience, this prop firm offers access to more than 500 assets and returns up to 90% of profits to its traders, making it an attractive option for skilled traders.
According to the opinions of traders interviewed, prop firms can be an interesting option for those who want to get into trading without having to invest their own capital. However, it is important to choose a trusted Prop Firm and to stay informed about the risks associated with this activity.
Traders who have worked with a Prop Firm highlight the following advantages :
However, it is crucial to remain vigilant on the following points :
In summary, our opinion on Prop Firm is that it can be an interesting option for traders who want to access larger trading funds without having to risk their own capital. However, it should be kept in mind that this activity is complicated and not suitable for beginners.
Keep in mind that these entities do not benefit from the same level of regulation as traditional brokers, adding a degree of risk. Before committing, due diligence is essential. Check the firm’s background, consult other traders’ reviews, and carefully evaluate the conditions offered.
Caution is advised until clear regulation by authorities such as the AMF. Prop firms promise opportunities but require wise and careful navigation in this complex and poorly regulated universe.
In a few words, to become a prop trader, you need to :
However, it is important to choose a reputable Prop Firm and consider the risks associated with this activity.
Also be careful of people who sell funded accounts or robots to pass challenges, this is not the solution!
Prop Firm challenges serve to test candidates to prove their ability to trade. If they succeed, they can participate in the program by trading with the company’s capital.
These challenges can be complex and require positive results over a given period (usually 1-2 months).
InvestX has developed a mobile trading app to accompany beginners in their learning. The app also offers trading plans to help traders in their choice of positions.
Join our Telegram channel to succeed in prop firm challenges such as FTMO, Breakout or Giimer !
Passionate about trading and cryptocurrencies, Mehdi discovered Bitcoin and blockchain technology in 2017. Since then, he has made it his mission to make the world of investing and Web3 accessible to everyone.
To choose the best prop firm, consider the fee structure, trading platforms, support and training offered, and the conditions of the challenges.
SabioTrade stands out for its beginner-friendly approach and high success rate in evaluation programs, while OneFunded distinguishes itself through its robust evaluation system and valuable educational resources.
Take the time to evaluate these factors carefully to find the firm that best matches your needs and trading profile.
To obtain a funded account, traders must first complete a paid challenge that allows the firm to assess their trading skills.
The price of the challenge depends on the amount of capital the trader wants to manage once approved.
A challenge can cost anywhere from $50 to several hundred dollars for larger accounts.
Profits earned by the trader are shared between the firm—which provides the capital—and the trader, who executes and manages trades.
Typically, the profit split starts at 80% for the trader and 20% for the firm, but it can go up to 90% for the trader and 10% for the prop firm, depending on the company’s terms.
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