Our editorial team compared every key metric — fees, rules, profit split, payouts — so you can pick the right firm.
| Feature | Lux Trading Firm | thePropTrade |
|---|---|---|
| Payout | ||
| Profit Split | 80% | 80% (up to 90%) |
| First Payout | - | On demand |
| Payout Frequency | Instant (when in profit, all positions closed) | On demand |
| Max Account Size | $1,000,000 | $100,000 |
Winner: Lux Trading Firm
In this independent head-to-head comparison of Lux Trading Firm vs thePropTrade, 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.
thePropTrade: Start Any Evaluation for $9.99. Pay Activation Only After Passing. Full Refund on First Payout.
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 thePropTrade at 7.5/10.
Minimum Fee: Lux Trading Firm starts from £199; thePropTrade starts from $9.99. thePropTrade is cheaper at entry level.
Profit Split: Lux Trading Firm offers 80%; thePropTrade offers 80% (up to 90%). thePropTrade has the higher split.
Platforms: Lux Trading Firm supports MT4, MT5, TradingView, MatchTrader; thePropTrade is on MT5, cTrader, TradeLocker.
Tradeable Markets: Lux Trading Firm covers Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks; thePropTrade offers Forex, Metals, Indices, Crypto, Commodities.
Challenge fees are typically the biggest factor when choosing a prop firm. Here is how Lux Trading Firm and thePropTrade compare on pricing.
Lux Trading Firm challenge fees start from £199. The firm has operated since 2020.
thePropTrade challenge fees start from $9.99. The firm has operated since 2025.
On entry-level pricing, thePropTrade offers a lower starting fee — an important factor if you are testing with a smaller account first.
Lux Trading Firm profit split: 80%. thePropTrade profit split: 80% (up to 90%). thePropTrade delivers the higher cut to traders.
Payout frequency: Lux Trading Firm pays Instant (when in profit, all positions closed); thePropTrade pays On demand. 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 thePropTrade:
thePropTrade is operated by The Prop Trade Ltd (registration 2025-00866, Saint Lucia) and QuantElite FZCO (Dubai Silicon Oasis, UAE), led by CEO Katarina K. The firm registered in 2025, making it one of the newest entrants in the prop trading space with a very limited public track record. Platforms include MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and TradeLocker. Maximum account size is $200,000, with leverage up to 1:100. The firm serves all instruments except jurisdictions on FATF/EU/UN sanctions lists, and excludes China and Vietnam.
thePropTrade’s signature offering is PayFlex Edge — a distinctive pay-to-start model where the upfront evaluation cost is $9.99 for all account sizes. An activation fee (paid only after passing the evaluation) varies by account size and is refunded on the first funded payout.
How it works: Pay $9.99 to begin the evaluation regardless of account size. Complete the 6% profit target. Upon passing, pay an activation fee (see table below). The activation fee is refunded on your first funded payout — making the long-run cost zero if you trade profitably.
Evaluation parameters (all sizes): 6% profit target. Daily loss limit: 4%. Max drawdown: 6% trailing lock — the drawdown ceiling adjusts with equity gains and locks the floor at the highest reached level. Minimum 3 profitable trading days required (with at least 0.5% profit each). No maximum time limit. Swap-free accounts available. No consistency rule.
Activation fees by account size (post-pass):
The overall price is comparable to standard single-phase programs — the innovation is the cost split: risk only $9.99 to attempt, pay the remainder only after proving profitability.
Profit split: 80% (up to 90% with scaling milestones). Payouts on demand. Instruments: Forex, Metals, Indices, Crypto, Commodities. All three platforms (MT5, cTrader, TradeLocker) available on funded accounts. No maximum lot size restrictions. Swap-free accounts available.
Platforms: MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradeLocker — full three-platform flexibility is uncommon at this price point. Instruments: Forex, Metals, Indices, Crypto, Commodities. Leverage up to 1:100.
thePropTrade earns a 6.2 BestProp score. The $9.99 pay-to-start structure is genuinely innovative and removes the most common barrier to entry in prop trading — the fear of paying full price and failing. For a trader with a proven strategy, risking $9.99 to attempt a $100K evaluation (full activation fee refunded if funded) is a compelling proposition. Three supported platforms (MT5, cTrader, TradeLocker) and swap-free accounts add structural quality. On-demand payouts remove payout cycle delays.
The primary concern is the firm’s age: registered in 2025 with registration number 2025-00866, thePropTrade has an extremely limited public operating history. No verified Trustpilot score is publicly confirmed. The CEO is identified only by first name and initial publicly. Trading rules for EAs, news, and overnight holds are not clearly published. Saint Lucia/Dubai dual-entity structure adds a layer of opacity. Traders should proceed with small account sizes first and verify all rules directly with support before committing to larger activation fees. A promising concept; the track record needs time to build.
Overall, our independent scoring gives Lux Trading Firm the edge in this 2026 comparison. However, both firms have their merits. If thePropTrade 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.
thePropTrade offers a lower entry-level challenge fee. However, always compare the full account sizes you plan to trade before deciding purely on price.
thePropTrade offers the higher profit split. Lux Trading Firm: 80%. thePropTrade: 80% (up to 90%).
EA policies: Lux Trading Firm — check the review. thePropTrade — check the review. Always verify the latest policy directly with the firm.
News trading: Lux Trading Firm — check the review. thePropTrade — check the review.
Read the full Lux Trading Firm review → · Read the full thePropTrade 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 thePropTrade offers 80% (up to 90%) 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 thePropTrade takes approximately On demand day(s). Always verify current payout timelines on the firm's website.
Neither Lux Trading Firm nor thePropTrade 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.
