Prop Firm Cost Calculator
Answer 5 questions to see the true cost of prop firm trading. Challenge fees are just the beginning.
The Hidden Costs of Prop Firm Trading
Most traders calculate their prop firm budget by looking at the challenge fee alone. A $200 FTMO challenge looks cheap until you add 2 failed attempts ($400), a $50/month data feed, a $100 platform license, and 3 months of screen time. Suddenly you have invested $1,000+ before seeing a single payout.
This calculator accounts for all costs: challenge fees, expected reset attempts based on your experience level, data feed subscriptions, platform costs, and opportunity cost. It then calculates how long you need to trade funded to break even.
Frequently Asked Questions
What costs are included in prop firm trading?
Challenge fees ($50-$1,000+), reset fees ($50-$200 per retry), data feed subscriptions ($10-$50/month for futures), platform fees (NinjaTrader, Sierra Chart), and opportunity cost of time spent in evaluation. Most traders underestimate the total cost by only looking at the challenge fee.
How many attempts does the average trader need to pass?
Industry data suggests 2-3 attempts on average. At $200-500 per attempt, that is $400-$1,500 in challenge fees alone before getting funded. Traders who prepare with a rule audit tool like Vigil typically pass faster because they eliminate unknowing rule violations.
When do most traders break even on challenge costs?
With a 80% profit split on a $100K account earning 5% monthly, you earn about $4,000/month funded. After 2 challenge attempts at $500 each ($1,000 total), you break even in roughly 1 month of funded trading. Higher account sizes break even faster.
Which prop firm has the cheapest challenges?
Apex Trader Funding typically has the lowest challenge fees, especially during promotional periods. However, cheapest is not always best. Factor in reset costs, drawdown type, and payout terms. Use the cost calculator above to compare total cost across firms.