Our editorial team compared every key metric — fees, rules, profit split, payouts — so you can pick the right firm.
| Feature | City Traders Imperium | The Trading Pit |
|---|---|---|
| Payout | ||
| Profit Split | 80% (up to 100%) | 80% |
| First Payout | On demand (after 7 profitable days) | 14 |
| Payout Frequency | Monthly (1-Step/2-Step); Bi-weekly (Instant) | Bi-weekly (CFDs), Weekly (Futures) |
| Max Account Size | $100,000 | $200,000 |
It's a Tie!
In this independent head-to-head comparison of City Traders Imperium vs The Trading Pit, 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.
City Traders Imperium: Est. 2018. No Daily Loss Limit on 1-Step. Monthly Salary. Scales to $4M.
The Trading Pit: Multi-program prop trading across CFDs, Futures, and Stocks from Liechtenstein.
Both firms score equally in our independent methodology. The best choice depends on which specific features matter most to your trading style.
BestProp Score: City Traders Imperium scores 8.6/10 vs The Trading Pit at 8.6/10.
Minimum Fee: City Traders Imperium starts from $29; The Trading Pit starts from $49. City Traders Imperium is cheaper at entry level.
Profit Split: City Traders Imperium offers 80% (up to 100%); The Trading Pit offers 80%. City Traders Imperium has the higher split.
Platforms: City Traders Imperium supports MT5, Match Trader; The Trading Pit is on MT4, MT5, cTrader (CFDs); ATAS, Quantower, Tradovate (Futures).
Tradeable Markets: City Traders Imperium covers Forex (28 pairs), Indices (9), Gold, Silver, Oil, Crypto (BTC, ETH, LTC, ADA, XRP); The Trading Pit offers Forex, Metals, Indices, Crypto, Commodities, US Stocks.
Challenge fees are typically the biggest factor when choosing a prop firm. Here is how City Traders Imperium and The Trading Pit compare on pricing.
City Traders Imperium challenge fees start from $29. The firm has operated since 2018.
The Trading Pit challenge fees start from $49. The firm has operated since 2021. They have funded over 10,000+ traders. Total payouts to date: $16,000,000+.
On entry-level pricing, City Traders Imperium offers a lower starting fee — an important factor if you are testing with a smaller account first.
City Traders Imperium profit split: 80% (up to 100%). The Trading Pit profit split: 80%. City Traders Imperium delivers the higher cut to traders.
Payout frequency: City Traders Imperium pays Monthly (1-Step/2-Step); Bi-weekly (Instant); The Trading Pit pays Bi-weekly (CFDs), Weekly (Futures). Faster payouts are better for cash flow management.
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.
Here is our full independent review of The Trading Pit:
The Trading Pit was founded in 2021 and is registered in Liechtenstein (FL-0002.693.417-1), making it one of the few prop firms headquartered in an EU-adjacent jurisdiction. Under CEO Daniela Egli, the firm has scaled to over 10,000 active monthly accounts, recorded 450,000+ monthly trades, and paid out more than $16 million to funded traders.
The Trading Pit offers four tracks: CFD 1-Phase, CFD 2-Phase, Futures, and Stocks. CFD programs use MT4, MT5, and cTrader and cover forex, metals, indices, crypto, and US equities. The Futures program runs on Tradovate with access to CME, EUREX, CBOT, COMEX, and NYMEX markets. The Stocks program provides direct access to equity markets with $25K and $50K account sizes.
CFD programs use a static balance-based drawdown (calculated from initial balance). The Futures program uses a trailing drawdown model. Notably, Futures accounts feature a daily pause mechanism rather than a hard daily cut — when the daily drawdown limit is hit, the account is suspended for the remainder of that trading day rather than being terminated.
News trading is prohibited on CFD and Stocks programs with a 2-minute blackout window around major economic releases. The Futures program allows news trading. Expert Advisors are permitted but scalping under 1 minute, arbitrage, and signal copying across accounts are all prohibited. Overnight holding is allowed; cross-account hedging is not. Martingale strategies are banned.
CFD commissions are $5 per lot for forex, metals, and energies; 20% for crypto; 0% for US equities; and 20% for EU/UK equities.
CFD payouts are bi-weekly; Futures payouts are weekly. Payment methods include credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, crypto, and BinancePay. Payouts are made via bank wire, crypto, Binance, or Perfect Money. Maximum account allocation is $400,000 across all accounts.
Both City Traders Imperium and The Trading Pit are evenly matched in our scoring. The right choice depends on specific features that matter most to you: pricing, profit split, platforms, or trading conditions.
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, both firms score equally. 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. City Traders Imperium: 80% (up to 100%). The Trading Pit: 80%.
EA policies: City Traders Imperium — check the review. The Trading Pit — check the review. Always verify the latest policy directly with the firm.
News trading: City Traders Imperium — check the review. The Trading Pit — check the review.
Read the full City Traders Imperium review → · Read the full The Trading Pit review →
Both City Traders Imperium and The Trading Pit are strong prop firms. The right choice depends on your trading style, preferred platform and rules. Use the side-by-side table above to compare the key metrics.
City Traders Imperium offers 80% (up to 100%) profit split, while The Trading Pit offers 80% profit split. Check each firm's current terms as these can change.
Check our offers page for the latest verified deals on both firms.
City Traders Imperium processes first payouts in On demand (after 7 profitable days) day(s), while The Trading Pit takes approximately 14 day(s). Always verify current payout timelines on the firm's website.
Neither City Traders Imperium nor The Trading Pit 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.
