Prop Firm Profit Split Compared: What You Keep

You've been grinding the evaluation, hit the profit target, and you're about to get funded. Then you realize: what's the actual profit split? Do you keep 80%? 70%? And does that change based on your account size or trading volume?

Most prop firms hide their profit split in the fine print, buried under tier systems and "performance conditions." You end up comparing apples to oranges—one firm says "80% split," another says "up to 90%," and you have no idea what you're actually taking home after their fees and withdrawals.

Here's what matters: The real profit split isn't just the percentage they advertise. It's what you keep after the challenge fee, evaluation fee, withdrawal fees, and any account maintenance costs. This post breaks down the actual profit splits at every major firm so you can do real math before you sign up.

Key Takeaways

• Most forex firms offer 80–90% profit splits, but fees and account types drastically change your net take-home
• Futures firms and crypto prop firms often use different models (fixed payout per contract, revenue share, or tier-based splits)
• FTMO and The 5%ers dominate the market but aren't always the best split for your trading style
• Challenge fees range from free ($0) to $1,200+, which impacts your total ROI even with a high profit split
• To calculate your real profit, you need: advertised split – withdrawal fees – account maintenance – challenge costs ÷ account size

What Is a Prop Firm Profit Split?

A profit split is the percentage of your trading profits you keep vs. what the firm keeps. If your account makes $1,000 in profit and the firm offers an 80/20 split, you get $800 and the firm gets $200.

But here's the catch: That advertised split is rarely the full picture.

Most firms layer in:

• Challenge/evaluation fees ($99–$1,200 upfront)
• Withdrawal fees ($5–$50 per withdrawal or percentage-based)
• Account maintenance fees (some firms charge monthly)
• Tiered splits that change based on your account size or monthly volume
• Profit thresholds (you don't keep your split until you hit certain milestones)

The real profit split is what's left after all of these are subtracted from your earnings.

Forex Prop Firm Profit Splits: The Big Names

FTMO

FTMO is the largest funded account firm by user count. Their advertised split is 80/20 (you keep 80%, they keep 20%). But the real numbers look like this:

• Challenge fee: $349–$599 (depending on account size)
• Profit split: 80% after reaching milestone (typically $500 profit)
• Withdrawal fee: Free
• Account maintenance: None
• Real take-home (on a $10K account): After paying the challenge fee and hitting the first milestone, you keep 80% of everything above the $500 threshold

For traders grinding multiple challenges, FTMO's fees add up fast. If you run 3 challenges before getting funded, you're down $1,500+ before day one of trading.

The 5%ers

The 5%ers offers 80/20 splits across most account sizes, with a twist: they tier based on volume.

• Challenge fee: $99–$299 (extremely cheap compared to FTMO)
• Profit split: 80/20, but increases to 90/10 if you hit $5K+ monthly volume
• Withdrawal fee: Free
• Tier structure: Higher volumes unlock better splits
• Real take-home: Much lower barrier to entry, but you need consistent volume to hit the 90% tier

For traders who like lower challenge fees and volume-based rewards, The 5%ers edges out FTMO on cost of entry.

Alpha Capital

Alpha Capital positions itself as trader-friendly with flexible terms.

• Challenge fee: $249–$399
• Profit split: 80/20 standard, 85/15 on larger accounts ($50K+)
• Withdrawal fee: Free
• Payout method: Rise, bank transfer, crypto
• Real take-home: Mid-range fees with a decent split bump for larger accounts

Forex vs. Futures: Different Split Models

Futures firms and futures prop firms typically use different profit models than forex. They often don't use percentage splits—instead, they use:

Fixed Per-Contract Models

Example: TopStep and Apex Trader Funding

Instead of "80% split," these firms offer a fixed dollar amount per contract or per point of profit. You might keep $50 per contract or $X per ES point. This model is popular because:

• It's predictable (you know exactly what you make per trade)
• It aligns incentives (firm doesn't care if you scalp for $50 or swing for $500 per trade)
• It's harder to compare to forex splits, but often more trader-friendly for consistent earners

TopStep (Microeconomics Focused):

• Challenge fee: $299–$499
• Payout model: Fixed per contract (varies by product)
• Withdrawal: Weekly to monthly
• Real take-home: You keep everything above the firm's per-contract fee

Revenue Share Models

Some futures firms use a hybrid: they take a percentage of your profit (like forex), but only if you exceed a certain monthly threshold.

Example: Pay the firm $X per contract, then at month-end, if you're profitable, they take 15–20% of net profit.

Crypto Prop Firms: The New Split Frontier

Crypto prop firms often have the most aggressive splits because they're newer and competing for traders.

Typical Crypto Split Structure:

• Challenge fee: $99–$299 (lower than forex and futures)
• Profit split: 70/30 to 90/10 (wider range)
• Payout method: USDT (Tron/Ethereum), Ethereum, sometimes stablecoins
• Withdrawal timing: Often instant or within 24 hours (faster than traditional firms)

Example firms:

• Fintokei: 80/20 split, $99 challenge, instant USDT payouts
• Crypto Fund Trader: 90/10 split on performance, $199 challenge fee
• Tradeify Crypto: 85/15 split, $149 challenge, crypto-native payouts

Why crypto splits are sometimes better: Lower fees + faster payouts offset the volatility risk. But be aware: many crypto firms are newer, so track record matters.

Profit Split Comparison Table

Here's a quick reference for the major firms:

How Tiered Splits Work (And Why They Matter)

Many firms use tiered profit splits that change as you grow your account or trading volume. Here's how to read them:

Example: PipFarm's Tier System

• Tier 1 ($5K account): 70/30 split
• Tier 2 ($10K account): 80/20 split
• Tier 3 ($25K+ account): 90/10 split

Why this matters: If you're scaling from $5K to $10K, your split improves automatically. But you're also paying more in absolute dollars upfront.

The math:

• $5K account, 70% split, $500 monthly profit = You keep $350
• $10K account, 80% split, $500 monthly profit = You keep $400
• Larger account doesn't mean proportionally more profit, but better split helps

Challenge Fees vs. Profit Splits: The Trade-Off

Don't get seduced by a high advertised split if the challenge fee is brutal. Here's why:

Scenario A: High Challenge Fee + High Split

• FTMO: $599 challenge, 80% split
• You need $750+ in profit just to break even on the challenge fee
• Takes 2–3 weeks of consistent trading to recover

Scenario B: Low Challenge Fee + Slightly Lower Split

• The 5%ers: $99 challenge, 80% split
• You break even at $125 in profit
• Way faster path to profitability

Real example: If you trade conservatively and average $400/month profit:

• FTMO (80% split, $599 fee): First month net = $320 – $599 = –$279 loss
• The 5%ers (80% split, $99 fee): First month net = $320 – $99 = +$221 profit

Over a year, the firm with the lower challenge fee can actually net you more, even with an identical split.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best profit split for prop traders?

80/20 (you keep 80%) is the industry standard for forex. Anything above 85% is excellent. Futures and crypto have different models, so compare per-contract costs or revenue share percentages directly. The "best" split depends on your monthly profit target—if you profit $500/month, an 80% split is better than a 90% split if the 90% firm charges $500+ in fees.

Do withdrawal fees eat into my profit split?

Yes. If the firm offers 80/20 but charges $25 per withdrawal, and you withdraw $1,000, you're paying 2.5% on top of your split. Track total withdrawal costs annually—some traders lose $200–$500/year to withdrawal fees. Choose firms with free or low withdrawal costs.

Can you negotiate a profit split with a prop firm?

Rarely. Some firms offer better splits once you hit higher account sizes or trading volume, but most have fixed splits in their Terms of Service. A few firms (like Alpha Capital) may negotiate on larger accounts ($50K+), but this is the exception.

What if I lose money—does the firm take a cut?

No. If you lose money, you don't owe the firm a percentage of your losses. The firm only takes their split when you're profitable. Losses are entirely yours.

How do crypto prop firms' splits compare to forex firms?

Crypto firms often advertise 85–90% splits vs. forex's standard 80%. But crypto account sizes are smaller ($2K–$10K), and volatility is higher. A 90% split on a $5K account doesn't mean more money than an 80% split on a $25K forex account.

The Real Profit Split Is Complicated—But You Can Simplify It

Most traders get confused because profit splits aren't just the advertised percentage. The real split is:

Advertised Split – (Challenge Fee ÷ Monthly Profit) – Withdrawal Fees – Any Maintenance Costs

This is why comparing firms purely on split percentage is misleading. FTMO and The 5%ers dominate because they balance reasonable challenge fees with solid splits, not because they have the highest splits.

To actually track which firm gives you the best real profit split, you need to log every challenge fee you pay, every payout you receive, and every withdrawal fee. That's where spreadsheets die and bookkeeping software becomes essential—tools like PropFirm Terminal let you calculate your real ROI across multiple firms automatically, showing you which firms actually make you the most money after all costs.

When you're evaluating your next firm, don't just look at the split percentage. Run the numbers: What's my monthly profit target? How much will the challenge cost? What are withdrawal fees? Only then will you know what you're actually keeping.