Challenge prices range from under €100 to over €1,000, and promotions move them every month. Before chasing the lowest price, it helps to know what a fair price looks like and what usually comes with a cheap one.

A reference price list: FTMO

FTMO publishes its full price list, read on its site on 14 October 2026:

A reference price list: FTMO. $10,000: €89: €79; $25,000: €250: €199; $50,000: €345: €319; $100,000: €540: €499; $200,000: €1,080: €999
A reference price list: FTMO: the figures from this section at a glance.
Account2-Step fee (refundable)1-Step fee (not refundable)
$10,000€89€79
$25,000€250€199
$50,000€345€319
$100,000€540€499
$200,000€1,080€999

On the day we checked, FTMO was also running an offer on the $100,000 accounts (€439 on the 2-Step and €399 on the 1-Step). The 2-Step fee is refunded with your first reward; the 1-Step fee is not.

Watch this on video

How Do Prop Firms Make Money?, in 2:57

Most prop firms earn from challenge fees, not trading. Here's what that means for your payout, in under 3 minutes.

Chapters

Cheaper offers elsewhere

  • The5ers was advertising a limited-time “$100K for $149” offer on 14 October 2026.
  • FundedNext’s Stellar Lite plan is described by the firm as a two-phase challenge at a lower upfront cost, with 8 and 4 per cent targets.
  • FundedNext’s futures Flex plan starts from $74.99.

Promotions change often, so check the firm’s own site on the day you buy.

Compare cost per $1,000 of account

The fairest comparison is the fee divided by the account size. From FTMO’s list, the 2-Step costs about €8.90 per $1,000 at $10,000 and €5.40 per $1,000 at $100,000 and $200,000. Bigger accounts are cheaper per dollar, but a failed attempt costs more in absolute terms.

The catch

  • Non-refundable fees. A cheaper plan whose fee is never returned can cost more than a dearer one refunded with the first payout.
  • Tighter rules. Lower prices often come with smaller daily limits, trailing drawdowns or consistency caps that make passing harder.
  • Promotional pricing that reverts, sometimes on resets and add-ons too.
  • A short track record. The cheapest offers are often from the newest firms. A refund means nothing if the firm does not pay.
Illustrative example: the cheaper plan that cost more

Two $100,000 plans: one costs €540 and is refunded with the first payout, the other €399 and is never refunded. A trader who passes on the second attempt and is paid has spent €1,080 and got €540 back with the first payout, a net €540. On the cheaper plan they spent €798 and got nothing back. If the tighter rules on the cheaper plan cost them one extra attempt, the gap widens to €1,197 against €540.

Start with the smallest account size at a firm you trust. The rules are the same in percentage terms, and a failed attempt costs less.

Price per $1,000 across FTMO’s list

Working the published FTMO prices into a cost per $1,000 of account shows how much the size you choose changes value:

Account2-Step feePer $1,0001-Step feePer $1,000
$10,000€89€8.90€79€7.90
$25,000€250€10.00€199€7.96
$50,000€345€6.90€319€6.38
$100,000€540€5.40€499€4.99
$200,000€1,080€5.40€999€5.00

On the list prices we read, the $25,000 2-Step was the most expensive per $1,000 and the $100,000 and $200,000 sizes the cheapest. Remember that the 2-Step fee is refunded with the first reward, so for a trader who passes and is paid, its real cost per $1,000 falls to zero on the passing attempt.

FundedNext prices for comparison

FundedNext’s Stellar 2-Step, read the same day, cost $39.99 for $6,000 (on offer, listed at $59.99), $119.99 for $15,000, $199.99 for $25,000, $299.99 for $50,000, $549.99 for $100,000 and $1,099.99 for $200,000, with the fee refunded with the first reward. Its rules differ from FTMO’s: an 8 per cent then 5 per cent target and five minimum trading days per phase, against FTMO’s 10 then 5 per cent and four days. Price comparisons only mean something with the rules alongside.

What a cheap challenge cannot buy

  • A longer track record. A firm’s history matters more than any discount.
  • Looser rules. Cheaper plans usually have tighter limits, not wider ones.
  • A faster pass. Price has no effect on how many trades you need.
  • Payout reliability. That depends on the firm, not on what you paid.

A sensible cheap-entry plan

  1. Choose a firm on its payout record first.
  2. Buy its smallest account on a plan with a refundable fee and a static drawdown.
  3. Pass and take two or three small payouts to prove the process.
  4. Only then move up a size or scale.
Illustrative example: small first, then up

A trader starts with a $10,000 2-Step at €89, passes on the second attempt and takes three payouts totalling about €700 over four months. Confident in the firm and their method, they buy a $100,000 2-Step. Their total spend before trading a large account was €178, with €89 refunded.

Price is one part of the decision; these guides cover the rest.

Watching for price changes

Prices and promotions change often; on the day we checked, both FTMO and The5ers were running offers on their $100,000 accounts. Before buying, compare the firm’s list price with the checkout price, read whether a discount applies to resets too, and note whether the refundable fee is the full price or the discounted one. Buying when you are ready, rather than when a timer says so, usually saves more than any code.

Key terms

Cheapest Prop Firm Challenges, and the Catch: Key terms. List price: The firm’s standard price before promotions; Cost per $1,000: The fee divided by the account size in thousands; Reset: A paid restart of a failed challenge; Refund: Return of the fee, often with the first payout on some plans
Cheapest Prop Firm Challenges, and the Catch: Key terms: the figures from this section at a glance.
TermMeaning
List priceThe firm’s standard price before promotions
Cost per $1,000The fee divided by the account size in thousands
ResetA paid restart of a failed challenge
RefundReturn of the fee, often with the first payout on some plans

Cite this guide

FX Recap, "Cheapest Prop Firm Challenges, and the Catch", updated 14 October 2026, https://fxrecap.com/prop-trading/cheapest-prop-firm-challenges

Free to quote with a link. Journalists: data and comment in our press room.

Frequently asked

What is the cheapest prop firm challenge?

Prices change with promotions. On 14 October 2026, FTMO's cheapest was €79 for a $10,000 1-Step and €89 for a $10,000 2-Step, The5ers advertised a limited-time $100K challenge for $149, and FundedNext's futures Flex started from $74.99.

How much does an FTMO challenge cost?

On 14 October 2026, the 2-Step cost €89 to €1,080 depending on account size (€540 for $100,000) and is refunded with the first reward; the 1-Step cost €79 to €999 (€499 for $100,000) and is not refunded.

Are cheap prop firm challenges worth it?

Only if the rules suit you and the firm pays. Cheap plans often have non-refundable fees, tighter limits or come from newer firms. Compare the cost per $1,000 of account and the refund policy, not just the price.

Is a bigger account better value?

Per dollar of account, usually yes: FTMO's 2-Step costs about €5.40 per $1,000 at $100,000 against €8.90 at $10,000. But a failed attempt costs more, so start smaller while you are proving your method.

Which FTMO account size is the best value?

Per $1,000 of account, the $100,000 and $200,000 2-Step sizes were cheapest on the list prices read on 14 October 2026, at €5.40 per $1,000. Smaller accounts cost more per $1,000 but less per attempt.

Is FundedNext cheaper than FTMO?

Its entry prices are lower, from $39.99 for $6,000 on offer, and its 2-Step fee is refunded with the first reward. Its rules differ, so compare targets, limits and minimum days as well as price.