Our editorial team compared every key metric — fees, rules, profit split, payouts — so you can pick the right firm.
| Feature | ThinkCapital | Earn2Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Payout | ||
| Profit Split | Up to 90% | 50% (payouts under $1,500), 80% (payouts over $1,500) |
| First Payout | 14 | 14 |
| Payout Frequency | Bi-weekly (weekly add-on available) | Weekly |
| Max Account Size | $600,000 | $200,000 |
It's a Tie!
In this independent head-to-head comparison of ThinkCapital vs Earn2Trade, 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.
ThinkCapital: Backed by ThinkMarkets Broker. 4.6/5 Trustpilot. Fee Refunded on First Payout. Scales to $1.5M.
Earn2Trade: Futures prop trading with a subscription career path and one-time Gauntlet Mini evaluation.
Both firms score equally in our independent methodology. The best choice depends on which specific features matter most to your trading style.
BestProp Score: ThinkCapital scores 8.8/10 vs Earn2Trade at 8.8/10.
Minimum Fee: ThinkCapital starts from $39; Earn2Trade starts from $68. ThinkCapital is cheaper at entry level.
Profit Split: ThinkCapital offers Up to 90%; Earn2Trade offers 50% (payouts under $1,500), 80% (payouts over $1,500). Earn2Trade has the higher split.
Platforms: ThinkCapital supports ThinkTrader, TradingView, MT5; Earn2Trade is on Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Rithmic, TradingView, Finamark.
Tradeable Markets: ThinkCapital covers Forex, Metals, Commodities, Crypto, Indices; Earn2Trade offers Futures (CME, COMEX, NYMEX, CBOT).
Challenge fees are typically the biggest factor when choosing a prop firm. Here is how ThinkCapital and Earn2Trade compare on pricing.
ThinkCapital challenge fees start from $39. They have funded over 20,000+ traders. Total payouts to date: $4,000,000+.
Earn2Trade challenge fees start from $68. The firm has operated since 2016.
On entry-level pricing, ThinkCapital offers a lower starting fee — an important factor if you are testing with a smaller account first.
ThinkCapital profit split: Up to 90%. Earn2Trade profit split: 50% (payouts under $1,500), 80% (payouts over $1,500). Earn2Trade delivers the higher cut to traders.
Payout frequency: ThinkCapital pays Bi-weekly (weekly add-on available); Earn2Trade pays Weekly. Faster payouts are better for cash flow management.
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.
Here is our full independent review of Earn2Trade:
Earn2Trade was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Sheridan, Wyoming, USA. It is a futures-only prop firm offering two distinct evaluation models: the Trader Career Path® (TCP), a monthly subscription program, and the Gauntlet Mini™, a one-time fee evaluation. Both programs provide access to real futures markets via established platforms including Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Rithmic, TradingView, and Finamark.
TCP is a subscription-based evaluation at $150/month for a $25,000 virtual account. After passing (hitting the $1,750 profit target while staying within drawdown limits), traders receive a funded LiveSim® account with no additional subscription fee. The funded account then scales through four capital tiers: $25K → $50K → $100K → $200K by repeatedly meeting profit targets at each stage. No monthly fee is charged at any funded tier — only the evaluation subscription applies.
The Gauntlet Mini is a one-time fee evaluation program starting at $50,000 virtual accounts and available up to $200,000. Fees start from $68. Unlike TCP, passing the Gauntlet Mini grants a funded account matched to the evaluation size rather than a scaled entry point. Full fee details are available at earn2trade.com/the-gauntlet-mini.
TCP uses an end-of-day (EOD) drawdown calculation during evaluation — losses are measured at day close rather than intraday. Daily loss limits apply: $550/day on the $25K account, scaling proportionally through the tiers. A 30% consistency rule applies during evaluation only — at least 30% of trading days must be profitable. This requirement is dropped once funded.
Payouts are made weekly. The profit split is 50% for withdrawals under $1,500 and 80% for withdrawals over $1,500 — an unusual tiered structure that rewards larger payouts. An activation fee is deducted from the first funded withdrawal (no upfront charge). News trading is unrestricted across all programs.
Both ThinkCapital and Earn2Trade 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.
ThinkCapital offers a lower entry-level challenge fee. However, always compare the full account sizes you plan to trade before deciding purely on price.
Earn2Trade offers the higher profit split. ThinkCapital: Up to 90%. Earn2Trade: 50% (payouts under $1,500), 80% (payouts over $1,500).
EA policies: ThinkCapital — check the review. Earn2Trade — check the review. Always verify the latest policy directly with the firm.
News trading: ThinkCapital — check the review. Earn2Trade — check the review.
Read the full ThinkCapital review → · Read the full Earn2Trade review →
Both ThinkCapital and Earn2Trade 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.
ThinkCapital offers Up to 90% profit split, while Earn2Trade offers 50% (payouts under $1,500), 80% (payouts over $1,500) profit split. Check each firm's current terms as these can change.
Check our offers page for the latest verified deals on both firms.
ThinkCapital processes first payouts in 14 day(s), while Earn2Trade takes approximately 14 day(s). Always verify current payout timelines on the firm's website.
Neither ThinkCapital nor Earn2Trade 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.
