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How we vet prop firms

The seven checks every firm must pass before we track it, and what happens when a firm stops meeting them.

Last reviewed

We only track prop firms that pass the same seven checks. Commissions don't decide which firms make the list: a firm is reviewed against this standard before we write about it, whether or not it has an affiliate program.

The 7-point vetting standard

  1. Track recordOperating for at least 12 months under the same brand, with payouts that can be checked independently: trader-posted proof, payment-processor data, or an audit or review by a named firm.
  2. Published rules and payout policyFull rules, payout schedule, caps and consistency rules are public before purchase. Rule changes apply to new accounts only, or are announced with notice.
  3. No pattern of harmNo credible pattern of mass payout denials, retroactive rule changes, payout backlogs or abrupt shutdowns. One-off disputes are noted on the firm's page, not disqualifying.
  4. Review healthTrustpilot score, review count and the trend across the latest 20 reviews. A Trustpilot guideline-breach notice (fake reviews removed) or a past mass removal counts as a manipulation flag.
  5. Who runs itA named legal entity and identifiable owners or executives. Offshore-only structures are noted.
  6. Reputable partnersEstablished platform, data and broker partners such as Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, CQG, cTrader, DXtrade, MT5 or TradingView. A partner ending a contract is a red flag.
  7. Regulators and controversiesNo open regulator warnings or actions (for example from the CFTC, NFA, FCA, ASIC, CySEC or US state attorneys general) and no unresolved high-profile controversy from 2024 to 2026. Delisting by a major comparison site over payouts counts here.

Track, Watchlist or Exclude

Every firm we look at gets one of three outcomes.

  • Track. Meets all seven standards today. We publish a firm page, cover its rule changes, and list verified deals once they're live. Where a firm has an affiliate program, links may be affiliate links, always disclosed.
  • Watchlist. Not promoted: no firm page in our listings, no deals and no affiliate links, though we may report factual news about it. Any one of these puts a firm on the watchlist: it's under 12 months old; it has a Trustpilot breach notice or a past mass review removal; its latest 20 reviews average under 3.5; it has an open payout or platform incident; or it made a mandatory or retroactive payout change in the last six months. We re-review watchlisted firms every 90 days.
  • Exclude. Not covered and never linked. Triggers include closure; delisting by a major comparison site over payouts; an admitted payout backlog; a Trustpilot breach notice combined with a latest-20 average under 2.5; or 15 or more one-star reviews in the latest 20 with matching reports elsewhere.

We don't publish the names of watchlisted or excluded firms. When a tracked firm moves to the watchlist or is excluded, its page comes down and its old address points back to our firm list.

How often we re-check

  • Every input above is rechecked monthly for every tracked firm.
  • Firm pages show the date we last verified them against the firm's own website and help center.
  • Where a tracked firm has a notable caveat (for example, a young company, mixed recent reviews, or a rule change that reaches existing accounts), we say so in the firm page's Watch out box rather than hiding it.
  • If Trustpilot withholds a firm's public rating because of a breach notice, we don't show a score for it.

What vetting doesn't mean

Passing our standard isn't an endorsement or a guarantee that a firm will pay you. Prop firm accounts are generally simulated, rules change often, and many traders don't pass. Read each firm's current rules on its own site before you buy, and see our disclaimer and affiliate disclosure.

Think we've got a firm wrong? Tell us, with a link to the source.