Our editorial team compared every key metric — fees, rules, profit split, payouts — so you can pick the right firm.
| Feature | The5ers | Upcomers |
|---|---|---|
| Payout | ||
| Profit Split | 75% → 100% | 99% |
| First Payout | 16 | 5 |
| Payout Frequency | Monthly (avg 16 days) | On-demand (avg 12h) |
| Max Account Size | $250,000 | $1,000,000 |
In this independent head-to-head comparison of The5ers vs Upcomers, 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.
The5ers: Scale to $4 Million. No Upfront Fee Required.
Upcomers: 99% Profit Split. 1,200+ Markets. Bybit Crypto Integration.
Based on our independent scoring methodology, The5ers scores 9.4/10 overall — but the best choice depends on your specific needs. Read the full comparison below.
BestProp Score: The5ers scores 9.4/10 vs Upcomers at 8.7/10.
Minimum Fee: The5ers starts from From $15; Upcomers starts from $31.80. The5ers is cheaper at entry level.
Profit Split: The5ers offers 75% → 100%; Upcomers offers 99%. The5ers has the higher split.
Platforms: The5ers supports MT5 Hedge; Upcomers is on MT5, cTrader, TradeLocker, Match Trader, dxTrade, Bybit.
Tradeable Markets: The5ers covers Forex, Metals, Indices, Crypto, Stocks, Commodities; Upcomers offers Forex, Metals, Indices, Stocks, Crypto, Energies, Commodities.
Challenge fees are typically the biggest factor when choosing a prop firm. Here is how The5ers and Upcomers compare on pricing.
The5ers challenge fees start from From $15. The firm has operated since 2016. They have funded over 262,000+ traders.
Upcomers challenge fees start from $31.80. The firm has operated since 2023. They have funded over 65,000+ traders. Total payouts to date: $6,000,000+.
On entry-level pricing, The5ers offers a lower starting fee — an important factor if you are testing with a smaller account first.
The5ers profit split: 75% → 100%. Upcomers profit split: 99%. The5ers delivers the higher cut to traders.
Payout frequency: The5ers pays Monthly (avg 16 days); Upcomers pays On-demand (avg 12h). Faster payouts are better for cash flow management.
Here is our full independent review of The5ers:
The5ers has been funding traders since January 2016, making it one of the two oldest major prop firms in the industry alongside FTMO. Founded by Saul Lokier and headquartered in Raanana, Israel, the firm has funded over 262,000 traders across 149 employees in 23 countries. That track record — nearly a decade of consistent operation — is the foundation of its reputation.
The firm’s standout program is Hyper Growth: a no-upfront-fee model where traders enter a scaling account that doubles with every 10% profit milestone, growing toward a maximum of $4,000,000. For experienced traders with a proven system, it is one of the highest-ceiling funded trading opportunities available.
The5ers suits experienced forex and multi-asset traders who value long-term capital scaling over fast payouts or high initial splits. The progression from small accounts to multi-million dollar funding is the core appeal — the trade-off is slower payout cycles and lower initial profit splits compared to newer competitors.
The Hyper Growth program’s no-fee entry model also makes The5ers uniquely accessible for skilled traders who can’t or prefer not to pay upfront challenge fees. If your strategy produces consistent 10% gains, the doubling scaling plan is one of the most powerful funding structures available.
The5ers offers four distinct programs:
The5ers earns an 8.6 BestProp score. Nearly a decade of operation, 262,000+ funded traders, and the Hyper Growth program’s $4M ceiling make it one of the most legitimate and ambitious funded trading programs available. The no-upfront-fee Hyper Growth entry is genuinely unique at this scale.
The trade-offs are real: monthly payouts with a 16-day average are slower than most competitors, and the initial 75% split on Hyper Growth is below the 80%+ standard elsewhere. Traders who prioritise payout speed or initial split percentage will find better options. But for those building a long-term funded trading career, The5ers’ scaling architecture and decade-long track record are hard to match.
Here is our full independent review of Upcomers:
Upcomers was founded in April 2023 by CEO Jakub Zeliska, operating under Royal Flow FZCO in Dubai with additional hubs in Prague and Miami Brickell. The firm has funded 65,000+ traders across 180+ countries and has distributed $6M+ in payouts at a 99% approval rate. At its core, the headline proposition is simple: a 99% profit split — the highest of any prop firm we have reviewed — across all programs and account sizes from $2,000 to $1,000,000.
The platform runs an in-house proprietary dashboard with an AI trading assistant called Fin, and integrates Bybit directly as a crypto trading venue, giving traders access to actual crypto markets rather than just crypto CFDs. Over 1,200 instruments are available including forex, metals, indices, stocks (Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft), energies, and crypto.
Upcomers suits discretionary traders who want the maximum possible profit retention and broad instrument access — particularly those who trade stocks or crypto alongside forex. The 99% split is genuinely market-leading. The $1,500,000 standard scaling ceiling (with VIP scaling to $4,000,000) gives serious traders a clear path to significant capital.
Critical rule: automation is strictly and immediately banned. No Expert Advisors, no bots, no copy trading — any detected use results in immediate account termination. Discretionary traders only.
Upcomers offers multiple evaluation paths across different step counts:
Fees shown reflect current promotional pricing. Standard fees and exact per-size breakdowns are available at upcomers.com.
Six platforms supported: MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradeLocker, Match Trader, dxTrade, and Bybit (crypto). Raw spreads from 0.0 pips. News trading permitted. Overnight and weekend position holding allowed.
Automation ban: Expert Advisors, algorithmic bots, and copy trading are prohibited across all accounts. Violation triggers immediate account closure with no appeal. Traders who use EAs as part of their workflow should not join Upcomers.
Instruments: 1,200+ markets — forex, metals (gold, silver), indices (Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, DAX), crypto (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana via Bybit), stocks (Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft), energies, commodities.
Upcomers earns a 7.7 BestProp score. The 99% profit split is unmatched in the prop firm space. Bybit integration for real crypto trading, 1,200+ instruments including stocks, a 99% payout approval rate, and sub-12-hour processing are all genuine positives. The AI assistant Fin adds a tool layer that most competing platforms don’t offer.
Two negatives worth flagging: the strict and immediate automation ban will exclude a significant portion of systematic traders, and the up-to-10% crypto withdrawal fee is the highest we have recorded — traders should factor this in before choosing crypto as their withdrawal method. Upcomers has no Trustpilot profile at time of writing; independent ratings are from Feefo (4.9/5 from 2,800+ reviews) and Google (4.7/5).
Overall, our independent scoring gives The5ers the edge in this 2026 comparison. However, both firms have their merits. If Upcomers 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, The5ers scores higher overall (9.4/10). The best choice depends on your trading style, preferred instruments, and account size.
The5ers offers a lower entry-level challenge fee. However, always compare the full account sizes you plan to trade before deciding purely on price.
The5ers offers the higher profit split. The5ers: 75% → 100%. Upcomers: 99%.
EA policies: The5ers — check the review. Upcomers — check the review. Always verify the latest policy directly with the firm.
News trading: The5ers — check the review. Upcomers — check the review.
Read the full The5ers review → · Read the full Upcomers review →
Based on our scoring methodology, The5ers 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.
The5ers offers 75% → 100% profit split, while Upcomers offers 99% profit split. Check each firm's current terms as these can change.
Check our offers page for the latest verified deals on both firms.
The5ers processes first payouts in 16 day(s), while Upcomers takes approximately 5 day(s). Always verify current payout timelines on the firm's website.
Neither The5ers nor Upcomers 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.
