The profit split is the share of your funded account’s profit that the firm pays you. Most established firms advertise 80 or 90 per cent, and some advertise 100 per cent. The figure is real, but it rarely tells you which firm pays more over a year.

What the split applies to

The split is taken from your profit since the last payout, not from the account. On a $100,000 funded account that makes $4,000 in a cycle, an 80 per cent split pays $3,200 and a 90 per cent split pays $3,600. The $400 difference matters, but it is small next to whether you make the $4,000 at all, or keep the account long enough for a second cycle.

What the split applies to. $1,000: $800: $900: $100; $4,000: $3,200: $3,600: $400; $10,000: $8,000: $9,000: $1,000
What the split applies to: the figures from this section at a glance.
Profit in the cycle80% split90% splitDifference
$1,000$800$900$100
$4,000$3,200$3,600$400
$10,000$8,000$9,000$1,000

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Profit splits and payouts

From our lesson "Prop Firm Challenges Explained" (Forex basics, part 9). This part starts at 1:10 of the 2:34 video and plays in a large player.

Chapters

Splits that change over time

Many firms start lower and raise the split as you prove yourself. At FTMO the 2-Step pays 80 per cent by default and rises to 90 per cent through its scaling plan or Premium programme; its 1-Step and Instant accounts pay 90 per cent from the start. The trade-off on those plans is elsewhere: the 1-Step has a tighter 3 per cent daily loss limit and a trailing maximum loss, and its fee is not refunded.

That pattern is common across the industry. A higher split is often paired with stricter rules, a higher fee or a non-refundable fee, because the firm has to recover the difference somewhere.

What “100 per cent” usually means

  • It may apply only to the first payout, or only up to a cap.
  • It may be an add-on you pay extra for at checkout.
  • It may sit on a plan with a tighter drawdown or a consistency rule that makes payouts harder to reach.

None of this is a trick if it is written down. It means the split on its own is a poor way to choose between firms.

Compare these instead

  1. The rules on the plan the split belongs to: daily loss, maximum loss, and whether it is static or trailing.
  2. The waiting period and conditions for the first payout.
  3. Whether the challenge fee is refunded, and when.
  4. The firm’s record of paying, and how long it has operated.
Illustrative example: the lower split that paid more

A trader compares a 90 per cent plan with a 3 per cent daily limit and a trailing floor against an 80 per cent plan with a 5 per cent daily limit and a static floor. On the tighter plan one fast losing day closes the account before the second payout. On the looser plan the trader survives the same day and is paid twice. Over the year, 80 per cent of two cycles beats 90 per cent of one.

See prop firm rules compared for the rules that sit behind each firm’s headline split.

Splits at the firms we have checked

Firm and planPublished splitHow it can change
FTMO 2-Step80% by default90% through the Scaling Plan or Premium Programme
FTMO 1-Step and Instant90%Fixed
FundedNext CFD plans80% standardUp to 90% through scale-up; up to 95% with a paid add-on
FundedNext Futures95% Flex; 90% Rapid and DirectBy model
Topstep90/10Fixed; some earlier traders kept 100% of their first $10,000

Topstep says traders on its new dashboard who joined before 12 January 2026 keep 100 per cent of their first $10,000 in lifetime profits before the 90/10 split applies. Splits change with promotions and policy, so check the plan you are buying.

Challenge-phase rewards

A few firms pay a share of profit made during the evaluation, not only on the funded account. FundedNext pays 15 per cent of challenge-phase profit on its Stellar 1-Step and 2-Step, after the first scale-up; Lite and Instant do not include it. It is a modest extra, worth counting only once you are close to scaling.

How the split interacts with fees and refunds

Over a first year the split often matters less than whether the fee comes back. A trader on an 80 per cent plan with a refunded fee can out-earn one on a 90 per cent plan with a non-refundable fee, if payouts are small.

Illustrative example: first-year comparison

Two traders each take $4,000 of payouts before the split in their first year. Trader A, on 80 per cent with a €540 fee refunded, keeps $3,200 and gets the fee back. Trader B, on 90 per cent with a €499 non-refundable fee, keeps $3,600 but loses the fee. At these sizes the gap between them is far smaller than the headline 10 points suggests.

Questions to ask about any split

  1. Is the split the same on every account size and plan?
  2. Does it rise with scaling, and on what conditions?
  3. Is a higher split a paid add-on, and is that add-on refunded?
  4. Are there caps on payouts per request that limit what the split pays?

Topstep caps Express Funded payouts per request, for example at $2,000 on the $50K Standard account. A cap can matter more than the split when profits are large.

Key terms

Prop Firm Profit Splits Explained: 80, 90 and 100 Per Cent: Key terms. Profit split: The share of funded profit paid to the trader; Add-on: A paid extra, such as a higher split, bought with the challenge; Payout cap: A maximum amount per payout request; Challenge-phase reward: A share of profit earned during the evaluation, paid later
Prop Firm Profit Splits Explained: 80, 90 and 100 Per Cent: Key terms: the figures from this section at a glance.
TermMeaning
Profit splitThe share of funded profit paid to the trader
Add-onA paid extra, such as a higher split, bought with the challenge
Payout capA maximum amount per payout request
Challenge-phase rewardA share of profit earned during the evaluation, paid later

Splits connect to payouts, scaling and earnings; these guides cover each.

Cite this guide

FX Recap, "Prop Firm Profit Splits Explained: 80, 90 and 100 Per Cent", updated 14 October 2026, https://fxrecap.com/prop-trading/prop-firm-profit-split-explained

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

Frequently asked

What is a profit split in prop trading?

It is the share of your funded account's profit that the firm pays you, usually 80 to 90 per cent. On $4,000 of profit, an 80 per cent split pays $3,200 and a 90 per cent split pays $3,600.

What profit split does FTMO pay?

80 per cent by default on the 2-Step, rising to 90 per cent through its scaling plan or Premium programme, and 90 per cent on the 1-Step and FTMO Instant accounts.

Is a 100 per cent profit split real?

It can be, but check the conditions. It is often limited to the first payout, capped, sold as a paid add-on, or attached to a plan with stricter rules.

Is a higher profit split always better?

No. A higher split often comes with tighter loss limits, a higher or non-refundable fee, or harder payout conditions. Surviving to a second and third payout matters more than the headline percentage.

What is FundedNext's profit split?

80 per cent as standard on its CFD plans, up to 90 per cent through scale-up and up to 95 per cent with a paid add-on. Its futures plans pay 95 per cent on Flex and 90 per cent on Rapid and Direct.

Does Topstep pay 100 per cent of the first $10,000?

Topstep says traders on its new dashboard who joined before 12 January 2026 keep 100 per cent of their first $10,000 in lifetime profits before its 90/10 split applies.