Our editorial team compared every key metric — fees, rules, profit split, payouts — so you can pick the right firm.
| Feature | Lux Trading Firm | City Traders Imperium |
|---|---|---|
| Payout | ||
| Profit Split | 80% | 80% (up to 100%) |
| First Payout | - | On demand (after 7 profitable days) |
| Payout Frequency | Instant (when in profit, all positions closed) | Monthly (1-Step/2-Step); Bi-weekly (Instant) |
| Max Account Size | $1,000,000 | $100,000 |
Winner: Lux Trading Firm
In this independent head-to-head comparison of Lux Trading Firm vs City Traders Imperium, we break down challenge rules, pricing, profit splits, and payout conditions to help you decide which prop firm is the better fit for your trading style.
Lux Trading Firm: A-Book Live Execution. No Daily Drawdown. Scales to $10M. Est. 2020.
City Traders Imperium: Est. 2018. No Daily Loss Limit on 1-Step. Monthly Salary. Scales to $4M.
Based on our independent scoring methodology, Lux Trading Firm scores 8.8/10 overall — but the best choice depends on your specific needs. Read the full comparison below.
BestProp Score: Lux Trading Firm scores 8.8/10 vs City Traders Imperium at 8.6/10.
Minimum Fee: Lux Trading Firm starts from £199; City Traders Imperium starts from $29. City Traders Imperium is cheaper at entry level.
Profit Split: Lux Trading Firm offers 80%; City Traders Imperium offers 80% (up to 100%). City Traders Imperium has the higher split.
Platforms: Lux Trading Firm supports MT4, MT5, TradingView, MatchTrader; City Traders Imperium is on MT5, Match Trader.
Tradeable Markets: Lux Trading Firm covers Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks; City Traders Imperium offers Forex (28 pairs), Indices (9), Gold, Silver, Oil, Crypto (BTC, ETH, LTC, ADA, XRP).
Challenge fees are typically the biggest factor when choosing a prop firm. Here is how Lux Trading Firm and City Traders Imperium compare on pricing.
Lux Trading Firm challenge fees start from £199. The firm has operated since 2020.
City Traders Imperium challenge fees start from $29. The firm has operated since 2018.
On entry-level pricing, City Traders Imperium offers a lower starting fee — an important factor if you are testing with a smaller account first.
Lux Trading Firm profit split: 80%. City Traders Imperium profit split: 80% (up to 100%). City Traders Imperium delivers the higher cut to traders.
Payout frequency: Lux Trading Firm pays Instant (when in profit, all positions closed); City Traders Imperium pays Monthly (1-Step/2-Step); Bi-weekly (Instant). Faster payouts are better for cash flow management.
Here is our full independent review of Lux Trading Firm:
Lux Trading Firm was founded in 2020 and is operated by Lux Trading Firm Ltd (UK company #13160991, 128 City Road, London EC1V 2NX) and Lux Trading Firm ME L.L.C-FZ (UAE, #2311235.01, Dubai). CEO Oliver Olejár has built one of the most structurally distinct prop firms operating today – the only major prop firm to hold a Financial Times Award for Best A-book Prop Firm and one of the few that routes funded trades directly to the live market via FX Edge institutional liquidity. Trustpilot: 4.1/5 from 626+ reviews across five years of operation.
Most prop firms operate purely simulated accounts where the firm has no real market exposure. Lux Trading Firm’s funded accounts execute directly to the market via FX Edge, a real institutional liquidity provider. Trades are A-book routed – the firm has no conflict of interest in your success or failure, as it hedges all positions in the live market. This is the same model used by institutional prime brokers and is verified by an audited $1,000,000 track record. The Financial Times recognised this model with its Best A-book Prop Firm award – an external validation rarely achieved in this industry.
Practical consequence: a mandatory stop-loss rule on every trade. Because Lux carries real market risk on funded positions, it requires traders to protect every position with a stop-loss placed before entry. This is not a bureaucratic rule – it is a genuine risk management requirement that mirrors professional trading desk standards.
Three programs are available. All fees are in GBP.
1-Step Evaluation (£199-£999): A single evaluation phase with a profit target that varies by account size. The evaluation fee is 100% refunded after passing. Funded accounts scale up to $10,000,000 as the trader hits 10% profit targets at each funded level. No minimum or maximum trading day requirements.
INSTA Funding (£299-£699): Instant access without an evaluation phase. 12% profit target yields a one-time payout (80% of target profits). INSTA accounts do not scale and do not have copy trading access between accounts.
Prediction Markets (£85-£350): A specialist track for traders operating in prediction and event-based markets. Account sizes from £10,000 to £50,000. A 7-day free trial is available before purchasing.
Lux uses a single static maximum drawdown of 6% of the starting balance. There is no daily drawdown limit. This is one of the most trader-friendly drawdown structures in the industry – a bad session, a string of losses, or intraday volatility does not trigger an account breach unless the cumulative loss from the starting balance exceeds 6%. The drawdown never trails upward as the account grows, which means a funded $100,000 account maintains a $6,000 buffer regardless of how far it scales.
Evaluation-track funded accounts scale automatically after each 10% profit target is hit. The progression runs from the initial funded account to a maximum of $10,000,000 – the highest documented scaling ceiling of any standard prop firm program. Traders who reach elite status also access a salary program covering a stable monthly income. TPA (Traders’ Protection Authority) membership provides an additional dispute resolution layer.
Platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView, MatchTrader (TraderEvolution). Instruments: Forex, Indices, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies, Stocks.
Lux Trading Firm earns a 7.8 BestProp score. Five years of operation, A-book live market execution, Financial Times award recognition, an audited track record, $10M scaling ceiling, no daily drawdown limit, and a dedicated risk manager from funded stage represent a genuinely institutional-grade prop firm offering. The 626+ Trustpilot reviews over five years reflect a firm that has delivered consistently at scale.
Traders should weigh three material constraints before purchasing. First, the mandatory stop-loss rule and 5% single-trade profit cap require disciplined trade management and will not suit every style – in particular, traders who run positions without stops or who rely on occasional large asymmetric wins. Second, the 80% profit split is below the 85-90% now standard at many newer competitors, and fees are in GBP (exchange rate exposure for non-GBP traders). Third, fully automated EAs are prohibited. For traders who accept these requirements, Lux offers one of the most credibly structured prop programs available – particularly for those who value genuine market execution over simulated environments.
Here is our full independent review of City Traders Imperium:
City Traders Imperium (CTI) was founded in June 2018, making it one of the longest-established prop firms in the world. Operated by CTI FZCO and headquartered at Dubai Silicon Oasis, UAE, with UK phone support, the firm is led by CEO Daniel Martin and co-founder Martin Najat. CTI holds a 4.5/5 Trustpilot rating from 1,150+ reviews. Maximum initial account: $100,000; maximum combined allocation: $440,000; scaling potential to $4,000,000. All accounts operate on MetaTrader 5 or Match Trader.
CTI distinguishes itself on two fronts: the 1-Step challenge carries no daily loss limit — one of very few prop firms to offer this — and traders receive a monthly salary ($12.50-$500 depending on account size and program) in addition to profit splits. The firm also includes trading education (academy access) with all programs.
1-Step Challenge ($29-$469 for $2.5K-$100K): Single phase, 8% profit target. No daily loss limit. Max drawdown: 5% static. Minimum 3 profitable days. First payout on demand after 7 profitable days and 2% net profit (or $100 minimum). Subsequent payouts monthly (last 5 days of month). Up to 100% profit split. No time limit. The absence of a daily loss limit is the defining feature — traders cannot be stopped out by a single volatile session as long as their total equity remains above the 5% threshold. Available from $2,500 (entry fee: $29) up to $100,000 ($469).
2-Step Evaluation ($39-$549 for $2.5K-$100K): Phase 1: 10% target. Phase 2: 5% target. Daily loss: 5%. Max drawdown: 10% static. Minimum 3 profitable days. First payout on demand after 7 profitable days. Subsequent payouts monthly. 80-100% split. No time limit. Standard two-phase structure with the widest max drawdown buffer of any CTI program.
Instant Funding ($69-$1,499 for $2.5K-$80K): No evaluation required. 10% profit target required before scaling. Max drawdown: 6% static. First payout on demand after 5 profitable days and 2% net profit. Bi-weekly payouts (14th/15th and last 2 days of month). Up to 100% split. Leverage 1:10. Suitable for traders who want immediate funded access and are willing to demonstrate a 10% gain before accessing scaling.
Instant Funding Pro ($299-$4,799 for $5K-$80K): Premium instant access tier with the same fundamental structure as Instant Funding but at a higher fee level. Verify full specifications and any additional benefits directly on the CTI website.
CTI pays a monthly salary to all funded traders regardless of trading performance — amounts range from $12.50/month (small 1-Step) to $500/month ($100K 2-Step or Instant accounts). This is a genuinely unusual feature in the prop firm industry: traders receive guaranteed regular income in addition to their profit split. Confirm exact salary amounts per program on the CTI website.
The $5/lot forex commission meaningfully impacts scalpers and high-frequency traders. Factor into target calculations: on 100 round trips/month on a $50K account, that is $500 in commission before profit split.
Platforms: MetaTrader 5, Match Trader. Instruments: 28 Forex pairs, 9 major indices (leverage 1:10), Gold, Silver, Oil (leverage 1:10), Crypto (BTC, ETH, LTC, ADA, XRP — zero commission). Leverage on Forex: 1:30. No restrictions on news or overnight trading on funded accounts.
City Traders Imperium earns a 7.6 BestProp score. Founded in 2018 — over seven years of operation — makes CTI one of the most battle-tested prop firms in existence. The 4.5/5 Trustpilot from 1,150+ reviews reflects a long track record. The no-daily-loss-limit on the 1-Step is a meaningful structural advantage for traders who can manage total drawdown discipline. The monthly salary is a genuinely unique feature that adds a real income floor. Small account sizes from $2,500 at $29 entry fee are accessible. Scales to $4,000,000.
Key trade-offs: the EA restriction (own source code only) makes CTI unsuitable for most algorithmic traders who use commercial tools. The $5/lot forex commission is high and penalises active traders. MT5/Match Trader only limits platform choice. Monthly payouts on 1-Step/2-Step (once per month window) means cash flow is less frequent than bi-weekly or weekly competitors. The 7-profitable-day minimum for first payout also adds waiting time. CTI is best suited to discretionary traders — particularly those with a custom EA — who value longevity and the unique salary feature over faster payouts or EA flexibility.
Overall, our independent scoring gives Lux Trading Firm the edge in this 2026 comparison. However, both firms have their merits. If City Traders Imperium better matches your specific trading style, instruments, or preferred platform, it may still be the right choice for you.
Use our comparison table above and review the challenge fees at both firms before making your final decision. Both offer risk-free evaluation programs — the challenge fee is the only money at risk.
Based on our independent scoring, Lux Trading Firm scores higher overall (8.8/10). The best choice depends on your trading style, preferred instruments, and account size.
City Traders Imperium offers a lower entry-level challenge fee. However, always compare the full account sizes you plan to trade before deciding purely on price.
City Traders Imperium offers the higher profit split. Lux Trading Firm: 80%. City Traders Imperium: 80% (up to 100%).
EA policies: Lux Trading Firm — check the review. City Traders Imperium — check the review. Always verify the latest policy directly with the firm.
News trading: Lux Trading Firm — check the review. City Traders Imperium — check the review.
Read the full Lux Trading Firm review → · Read the full City Traders Imperium review →
Based on our scoring methodology, Lux Trading Firm edges ahead in this comparison. However, the best choice depends on your trading style, preferred platform and account size. Read the full breakdown above for a detailed verdict.
Lux Trading Firm offers 80% profit split, while City Traders Imperium offers 80% (up to 100%) profit split. Check each firm's current terms as these can change.
Check our offers page for the latest verified deals on both firms.
Lux Trading Firm processes first payouts in - day(s), while City Traders Imperium takes approximately On demand (after 7 profitable days) day(s). Always verify current payout timelines on the firm's website.
Neither Lux Trading Firm nor City Traders Imperium are regulated in the traditional financial sense — prop firms operate as private companies providing traders access to simulated or real capital. Always read the terms and conditions carefully before participating in any prop challenge.
