Our editorial team compared every key metric — fees, rules, profit split, payouts — so you can pick the right firm.
| Feature | Elites Funding | ThinkCapital |
|---|---|---|
| Payout | ||
| Profit Split | 80% (up to 90%) | Up to 90% |
| First Payout | 10 | 14 |
| Payout Frequency | Daily (after 10 trading days funded) | Bi-weekly (weekly add-on available) |
| Max Account Size | $200,000 | $600,000 |
Winner: ThinkCapital
In this independent head-to-head comparison of Elites Funding vs ThinkCapital, 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.
Elites Funding: Gibraltar, Est. 2023. Fee Refunded on Passing. 24h Payout Guarantee. Daily Payouts.
ThinkCapital: Backed by ThinkMarkets Broker. 4.6/5 Trustpilot. Fee Refunded on First Payout. Scales to $1.5M.
Based on our independent scoring methodology, ThinkCapital scores 8.8/10 overall — but the best choice depends on your specific needs. Read the full comparison below.
BestProp Score: Elites Funding scores 8.2/10 vs ThinkCapital at 8.8/10.
Minimum Fee: Elites Funding starts from $95; ThinkCapital starts from $39. ThinkCapital is cheaper at entry level.
Profit Split: Elites Funding offers 80% (up to 90%); ThinkCapital offers Up to 90%. Elites Funding has the higher split.
Platforms: Elites Funding supports MT5, TradeLocker; ThinkCapital is on ThinkTrader, TradingView, MT5.
Tradeable Markets: Elites Funding covers Forex, Crypto (BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP), Indices, Commodities, Gold; ThinkCapital offers Forex, Metals, Commodities, Crypto, Indices.
Challenge fees are typically the biggest factor when choosing a prop firm. Here is how Elites Funding and ThinkCapital compare on pricing.
Elites Funding challenge fees start from $95. The firm has operated since 2023. They have funded over 40,000+ traders. Total payouts to date: $12,000,000+.
ThinkCapital challenge fees start from $39. They have funded over 20,000+ traders. Total payouts to date: $4,000,000+.
On entry-level pricing, ThinkCapital offers a lower starting fee — an important factor if you are testing with a smaller account first.
Elites Funding profit split: 80% (up to 90%). ThinkCapital profit split: Up to 90%. Elites Funding delivers the higher cut to traders.
Payout frequency: Elites Funding pays Daily (after 10 trading days funded); ThinkCapital pays Bi-weekly (weekly add-on available). Faster payouts are better for cash flow management.
Here is our full independent review of Elites Funding:
Elites Funding was founded in 2023 and is operated by MASTERLABS LIMITED (Registration #123237), headquartered in Gibraltar. The firm has paid out $12M+ to 40,000+ traders across 140+ countries, and holds a 4.6/5 Trustpilot rating from 240+ reviews. Maximum initial account size is $200,000, scaling to $300,000 with performance milestones. All accounts operate on MetaTrader 5 or TradeLocker. Challenge fees are fully refunded upon successful challenge completion.
A standout operational feature: Elites Funding offers a 24-hour payout guarantee — if processing exceeds 24 hours, the firm pays an extra $1,000. Payouts are available daily after 10 trading days on funded accounts.
Standard 2-Phase ($95-$949 for $10K-$200K): Phase 1: 9% profit target. Phase 2: 5% profit target. Daily loss: 5%. Max drawdown: 10% static. No consistency rule. News trading permitted. Fee refunded on passing. Up to 90% split. Best for traders who prefer two-phase evaluation with wider drawdown buffers and a lower Phase 1 target than single-phase programs.
Express 1-Phase ($105-$1,090 for $10K-$200K): Single phase, 10% profit target. Daily loss: 3%. Max drawdown: 6% static. No consistency rule. News trading permitted. Fee refunded on passing. Up to 90% split. Tighter drawdown parameters than Standard, but single-phase completion and a slightly higher entry fee premium.
Instant Funding ($157-$525 for $10K-$50K): No evaluation required. No profit target. Daily loss: 3%. Max drawdown: 5% trailing (not static — the drawdown ceiling moves with equity peaks). On-demand funded access. Up to 90% split. The trailing drawdown means traders must be careful not to give back profits — the ceiling locks at the highest equity reached.
Platforms: MetaTrader 5, TradeLocker. Instruments: Forex, Crypto futures (BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP), Indices (NAS100, SPX500, JPN225), Commodities (USOIL, Gold, Silver, Copper). Both MT5 and TradeLocker are accessible at no extra cost within the same program.
Elites Funding earns a 7.0 BestProp score. Founded in 2023 by Gibraltar-registered MASTERLABS LIMITED, the firm has built a credible early track record: 4.6/5 Trustpilot, $12M+ paid, 40,000+ traders. The 24-hour payout guarantee with $1,000 penalty is a meaningful accountability commitment. Fee refund on successful challenge completion removes downside risk. No consistency rule and news trading permitted on all programs add flexibility. Daily payouts after 10 days is fast for the industry.
Key limitations: EAs are completely prohibited — making Elites Funding unsuitable for any algo or semi-automated trader. Payouts are issued exclusively in USDT ERC20 — traders who prefer bank wire or other crypto must convert after withdrawal. The 240+ Trustpilot review count, while positive, is modest for a firm claiming 40,000+ traders. The $200K account ceiling (before scaling) and Gibraltar registration place this in the mid-tier. A solid choice specifically for manual traders who prioritise daily payouts and guaranteed processing speed.
Here is our full independent review of ThinkCapital:
ThinkCapital is the proprietary trading arm of ThinkMarkets — a multi-regulated institutional broker with global operations. The prop firm is headquartered in London, UK, and is led by CEO Faizan Anees. ThinkCapital holds a 4.6/5 Trustpilot rating from 470+ reviews and has funded 20,000+ traders with $4M+ in verified payouts. Maximum initial account is $600,000, scaling to $1,500,000. Platforms: ThinkTrader, TradingView, and MetaTrader 5.
The backing of ThinkMarkets is a meaningful structural advantage: unlike standalone prop firms, ThinkCapital operates within an established, multi-regulated broker’s infrastructure. Challenge fees are refunded with the first funded payout across all evaluation programs.
Lightning – 1-Step ($59-$1,099 for $5K-$200K): Single phase, 10% profit target. Daily loss: 3%. Max drawdown: 6% trailing. Minimum 3 profitable trading days. Up to 90% split. News trading: restricted. A 4-minute trading blackout applies around ForexFactory red-folder events on Lightning accounts. EAs not permitted during evaluation; supported on funded MT5/TradingView accounts. Fee refunded on first payout. Best for structured traders comfortable with tighter drawdown and news restrictions.
Dual Step – 2-Step ($59-$1,099 for $5K-$200K): Phase 1: 8% target. Phase 2: 5% target. Daily loss: 4%. Max drawdown: 8% static. Up to 90% split. Dynamic leverage up to 1:100. Dual Step Swing variant allows news trading. Fee refunded on first payout. The most popular program — wider drawdown than Lightning, two-phase structure builds consistency. Optional Swing add-on enables event-driven trading strategies.
Nexus – 3-Step ($39-$749 for $5K-$200K): Phase 1: 7%. Phase 2: 6%. Phase 3: 5%. Total combined target: 18%, achieved across three progressively confirmed stages. Daily loss: 4%. Max drawdown: 8% static. Leverage 1:100. Up to 90% split. News trading restricted. Lowest entry fee in the lineup — $39 for a $5K account. Suited for methodical traders who want the lowest upfront commitment and three-stage consistency verification.
Bolt – Instant Funding ($49 for $2.5K, up to $50K): No evaluation required. Direct funded access from $2.5K with leverage up to 1:50. Up to 90% split. No profit target to begin trading; scaling requires meeting performance milestones. Verify full drawdown parameters and rules on the ThinkCapital website for Bolt accounts.
ThinkCapital offers purchasable add-ons for additional features including: weekly payouts (base is bi-weekly), EA allowance on challenge accounts, 90% profit split uplift (base varies), and Swing mode (news trading). These add-ons carry an additional cost of approximately 25% per feature on top of the base challenge fee. This modular structure lets traders pay only for features they need — but traders wanting news trading and EAs should factor the add-on costs into total outlay.
Platforms: ThinkTrader (proprietary), TradingView (integrated), MetaTrader 5. Instruments: Forex, Metals, Commodities, Crypto, Indices. The ThinkMarkets infrastructure provides institutional-grade liquidity and execution across all instrument categories.
ThinkCapital earns a 7.8 BestProp score. The ThinkMarkets backing is the defining differentiator: an established multi-regulated institutional broker providing infrastructure, counterparty credibility, and execution quality that standalone prop firms cannot match. 4.6/5 Trustpilot from 470+ reviews. Three evaluation tracks (1-Step, 2-Step, 3-Step) plus instant access, with Nexus starting at just $39. Fee refund on first payout. Scales to $1.5M. The modular add-on system lets traders pay for exactly the features they need.
Key considerations: news trading is restricted on Lightning and Nexus without the Swing add-on (4-minute blackout around red events), EAs require a funded account or an add-on purchase, and the base bi-weekly payout cycle requires an upgrade for weekly cash flow. Add-ons at ~25% per feature can push the effective cost meaningfully above the base fee for traders wanting full flexibility. Overall ThinkCapital is an excellent choice for traders who value institutional broker backing and a structured, transparent program — particularly on the Dual Step and Nexus tracks.
Overall, our independent scoring gives ThinkCapital the edge in this 2026 comparison. However, both firms have their merits. If Elites Funding 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, ThinkCapital scores higher overall (8.8/10). The best choice depends on your trading style, preferred instruments, and account size.
ThinkCapital offers a lower entry-level challenge fee. However, always compare the full account sizes you plan to trade before deciding purely on price.
Elites Funding offers the higher profit split. Elites Funding: 80% (up to 90%). ThinkCapital: Up to 90%.
EA policies: Elites Funding — check the review. ThinkCapital — check the review. Always verify the latest policy directly with the firm.
News trading: Elites Funding — check the review. ThinkCapital — check the review.
Read the full Elites Funding review → · Read the full ThinkCapital review →
Based on our scoring methodology, ThinkCapital 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.
Elites Funding offers 80% (up to 90%) profit split, while ThinkCapital offers 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.
Elites Funding processes first payouts in 10 day(s), while ThinkCapital takes approximately 14 day(s). Always verify current payout timelines on the firm's website.
Neither Elites Funding nor ThinkCapital 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.
