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Summary

I registered in May 2024 and purchased a challenge on the same day. There were some issues, and I have never received a payout.

Timeline

May 2, 2024

I purchased my first challenge account.

November 27, 2024

I passed a challenge for the first time. I also passed another account on December 3.

January 6, 2025

I was unable to log in to the official site, so I contacted support. It turned out to be related to a system migration and was resolved quickly.

January 27, 2025

Regarding a payout issue — I was immature at the time and unable to control my emotions. My language was unpleasant, and I sincerely apologize for that.

To summarize what happened: the payout date had been changed on their end. I was not aware of this. I was told to fulfill the payout requirements again. I objected. At the same time, I pointed out that my trading account had been deactivated for some reason. I became emotional and, without waiting for a proper response, requested that my account be closed. They offered to make an exception and process the payout for this case. However, my frustration did not subside, and I proceeded with the account closure. They then offered to process a refund, but I refused even that and stopped responding.

To be honest, I do not remember why I was so frustrated at the time. I may have been on a losing streak, or it may have been something else entirely. In any case, looking back now, my behavior was extremely immature. It is true that there were issues on their side as well, but I feel genuinely sorry toward them. And looking at the exchange again, I can see that their responses were very prompt and polite — please pay attention to the timestamps on the emails.

If they would allow it, I would like to work with them again.

Summary

I first purchased a challenge account from Maven on June 2, 2024. To be honest, I have barely used them. If I use them more in the future, I plan to expand this section with further details.

My preferred platform is MT5, followed by cTrader. I do not use any other platforms. Maven had very high reviews and I was interested, but at the time, Match Trade was the only platform option available. It appears that MT5 is now supported as well.

I purchased one challenge as a test and tried Match Trade, but I found it difficult to work with, so I stopped using the firm for the time being. That challenge ended in failure.

Now that MT5 appears to be available, I am considering using Maven again.

Summary

This firm is no longer in operation.

I registered on May 29, 2024, and purchased one 50k challenge on June 22, 2024. I don’t remember exactly, but at the time, Smart Prop Trader had very high review ratings on Prop Firm Match.(although the number of reviews was somewhat limited). The atmosphere in their Discord was also positive, which led me to make the purchase. Unfortunately, I failed during Phase 1.

After that, while I was considering whether to purchase again, complaints about the firm gradually began to increase, and they were eventually delisted from Prop Firm Match. Even at that point, based on what I saw from their posts on X and their responses in Discord, I still thought the company was probably fine. However, since problems were clearly emerging, I decided to wait and observe.

Before long, the site went down entirely.

What this experience taught me is that no matter how well a company presents itself in words, there is no guarantee that those words reflect the truth. In other words, we should evaluate a firm’s reliability not by what they say, but by what they do — whether payouts are processed promptly, whether support is responsive and substantive, and how they handle traders who are flagged for violations.

Summary

I first purchased a challenge account on August 8, 2025. By that point, I had come to understand that what matters most in a prop firm is not cheap challenge fees, but reliability. So after doing my own research, I chose The Trading Pit — a firm run by a management team with a solid track record. However, the outcome was the most disappointing of all 22 firms I have used.

Specifically, I asked support twice whether my trading — including lot sizes, trade frequency, and risk — was acceptable. Both times, I was told there were no issues. I followed their guidance, respected all the rules, and produced very strong results. Out of six challenges purchased (all 100k), three passed and received funding, one reached Phase 2, one was in Phase 1, and one was disqualified. But ultimately, I lost all of them.

They refunded five of my six challenge purchases. However, all funded accounts, profits, and future access were permanently lost.

Timeline

July 11, 2025

I registered on this date and asked two questions. One was about risk management. They told me there were no issues.

August 8, 2025

Based on the quality of the previous support interaction, I judged them to be trustworthy and purchased my first challenge.

August 9, 2025

As a precaution, I asked about risk management once more. Again, they told me there were no issues.

September 23, 2025

I received a warning. I pointed out that I had confirmed in advance that my trading was acceptable. They responded that the warning was triggered because my lot sizes were too large.

October 8, 2025

I was told that there were problems with my trading. All of my accounts were terminated — three funded 100k accounts, one 100k account that had passed Phase 1 and was awaiting a Phase 2 account, and one 100k account still in Phase 1. Every account was lost.

October 11, 2025

I contacted them regarding this decision.

October 13, 2025

I received another email confirming the suspension. I was extremely frustrated at this point, and I apologize if my language was not as polite as it should have been. I submitted proof that I had previously been told my trading was acceptable, along with the full trade history of every account. But their decision did not change.

They also stated: “The challenge here is that while you did achieve strong gains, you also experienced equally large losses.” However, I never risk more than 1% per trade. And out of six accounts, only one was disqualified (−10%). Three passed with +13% each, and one passed Phase 1 at +8%. The combined result across all accounts was +37%.

October 15, 2025

Having received no reply, I submitted all evidence once more in chronological order and requested another review. The result did not change.

To summarize

I confirmed in advance that my trading was acceptable. They said it was. I traded accordingly and generated strong profits. They issued a warning citing excessive leverage and risk. Since it was a warning, I accepted it. After that, I reduced my lot sizes further and continued to trade profitably. They permanently banned me. I submitted evidence and appealed. The decision was not reversed.

In over two years of using prop firms, this is the only firm where something like this has happened.

Summary

This was one of the best firms I have ever used, but unfortunately it is no longer in operation.

I started using them in May 2024 and received a total of 15,770 USD in payouts. Payouts were approved within just a few minutes. At the time, they offered a plan called “MAX,” which limited both daily profit and daily loss to 2%. This plan helped me develop a much deeper understanding of the importance of risk management. I am truly grateful.

Timeline

May 30, 2024

I purchased my first challenge account.

I had been using prop firms since January 2024, but I only started taking them seriously around April 2024, so My Funded FX was one of the very first firms I used. At that time, my risk management was extremely poor — I was risking 3% to 4% per trade. Naturally, I blew through accounts very quickly. It is hard to believe now, but within a span of about 10 days, I purchased 15 accounts from Fintokei and 14 of them were disqualified almost immediately.

After that, I discovered the “MAX” plan offered by My Funded FX (later renamed Seacrest Funded) and decided to try it. This plan was incredibly helpful in teaching me the importance of risk management. Even when I felt frustrated, my account would be temporarily paused, which forced me to cool down before I could trade again. I believe this is when my trading skills and mental discipline truly began to improve.

They also sent notifications when a payout date was approaching. ATFunded offers a similar feature, and I find this kind of proactive communication very appreciated.

Their payout approval speed was remarkable — requests were approved within just a few minutes of submission. This may be hard to believe, so I am including some evidence below.

It is truly unfortunate that they have shut down. But the profits I earned through them, and more importantly the mindset toward risk that I developed, continue to shape the way I trade today.

Thank you.

Summary

I first purchased a challenge account on March 23, 2025. I ultimately received approximately 8,000 USD in payouts. Both payouts and support were extremely smooth. However, around August 1, 2025, I lost access to the site and new purchases were suspended. I do not know the detailed reason. The accounts that were still active at the time remained usable, and payouts continued to be processed. I was very satisfied with their payouts and support, so this was a truly disappointing outcome.

Timeline

March 23, 2025

I purchased my first challenge account.

May 24, 2025

I submitted my first payout request. The following day, I received a notification from them informing me that my Rise registration had not been completed. I had assumed everything was set up, so this was extremely helpful. I think it is very considerate when a firm proactively notifies traders about things they may have overlooked. My Funded FX and ATFunded also send payout date reminders, which I appreciate.

I was generally communicating with them through the site’s live chat, and their response times were remarkably fast — often within minutes, sometimes under a minute. Since the chat does not display timestamps, I am attaching one email as an example. It shows a detailed and polite response sent within just 3 minutes.

I would also like to draw attention to the content of their reply. My question (dated July 22) was one that could easily have been answered with a template response. But instead, they clearly read my specific message and tailored their answer accordingly. This may seem like a small detail, but it left a very positive impression.

August 1, 2025

Something very unfortunate happened. I was unable to log in to the site. At first, I assumed it was a network error, but it turned out that my access had been individually suspended. I had followed all the rules, managed my risk properly, and had never engaged in anything resembling gambling — no excessive leverage, no news trading, nothing of that nature. Yet somehow, I had triggered one of their restrictions. Fortunately, the accounts I was already holding remained tradable, and payouts continued to be processed promptly.

August 30, 2025

I was genuinely satisfied with their support at a very high level. Because of that, I really wanted to continue working with them, so I reached out — but the decision was not reversed.

I truly do not know what caused the suspension. Was it because I requested large payouts? No — at the time of the suspension, I had only received approximately 3,000 USD. The remaining approximately 5,000 USD was paid out after the suspension.

Based on the quality of their support, I find it difficult to believe that the suspension was done with any malicious intent. And it seems unlikely that a firm would deliberately suspend a trader over just 3,000 USD.

I personally believe it was some kind of misunderstanding, but I do not know the truth.

Summary

I registered with E8 Markets on June 7, 2024, and purchased my first challenge account on July 18, 2024. I have received a total of 36,435 USD in payouts, all without any issues.

I am not currently using E8 Markets because they no longer offer a plan with a static maximum drawdown. However, their support has always been polite and genuinely kind, and I have never had any problems with payouts. If they introduce a plan that suits my style, I will certainly use them again.

Timeline

July 18, 2024

I purchased my first challenge account.

I was using a plan called “Pro,” which is no longer available. It limited both daily profit and daily loss to 2%. On social media and Discord, I remember many traders opposing the idea of capping profits. However, at that time, I was risking 3% or sometimes even 4% per trade — and blowing up most of my accounts as a result. This rule was extremely beneficial for me. Because losses were capped at 2% per day, I could return the next day with a clear head. And because profits were also capped at 2%, I was prevented from being too greedy and giving back all of my unrealized gains. Of course, there were cases where a potential 5%+ gain was limited to just 2%.

Regardless, trading with this type of account gradually taught me how to manage risk. In that sense, E8 Markets significantly improved both my trading skills and my mindset.

March 14, 2025

I received an email stating that my trading risk was excessive. By this point, I was managing risk better than before, but I was still risking 2% per trade (sometimes 1% or 1.5%). Despite this, they processed all of my payouts in full. They also did not close my account, and instead offered me several options going forward.

Their support and payout handling are truly excellent. As of March 4, 2026, their reviews on Prop Firm Match stand at 372 five-star, 54 four-star, 8 three-star, 1 two-star, and 3 one-star — out of 439 reviews, only 0.9% are one or two stars. This is likely the highest rating among firms with a substantial number of reviews.

Summary

I first purchased a challenge account on April 26, 2024.

Over the approximately two years since then, through March 2026, I have received a total of approximately 24,000 USD in payouts. There has never been a single rejection or delay. In fact, recently, payouts have been approved almost instantly (details below).

Timeline

Funding Pips was one of the first prop firms I started using, thanks to its affordable pricing and well-established brand. However, during the approximately two years I have been using them, there was one minor issue.

Around April 2025, I passed two accounts at almost the same time. At that time, Funding Pips’ rules prohibited copy trading. I was aware of this, so although I was running two to three accounts simultaneously, I made sure never to trade the same currency pair on the same day across accounts. Despite this, I was flagged for suspected copy trading — likely due to a system error — and was told that only one of the two accounts would be approved.

I tried to explain that my trades were not copies, but perhaps due to my limited English at the time, I was unable to communicate this effectively. After several exchanges and submitting my trade history to prove there was no overlap, the misunderstanding was resolved and both accounts were approved. The entire process took four days.

To be honest, this experience left me feeling that Funding Pips’ support was somewhat lacking in quality. But looking at it objectively, the issue was fully resolved within four days. When I recently re-read my messages from that time, while my language was polite, the tone was clearly one of frustration. (I feel genuinely sorry for directing that frustration at the support staff.)

Why did I react that way? Simply because I was accused of something I had not done. But this is also understandable on their end — when a firm is monitoring a large number of clients and trades, errors are inevitable.

I would encourage anyone who encounters a similar situation to stay calm and focus on resolving the issue. Rather than immediately posting on social media or review sites, wait until the matter is actually resolved — or confirmed unresolved — before writing about it. That way, your review will be far more reliable. I am gradually learning to do the same. It is just like trading — acting on emotion is never rational.

Payouts

If I remember correctly, Funding Pips was already fast with payouts from the beginning, processing most within a single day. However, recently, the speed has become almost unbelievable.

January 21
Approved instantly. Arrived in Rise within 3 minutes. 904 USD.

January 27
Approved instantly. Arrived in Rise within 3 minutes. 907 USD.

January 29
Approved instantly. Arrived in Rise within 3 minutes. 1,624 USD.

February 2
Approved in 8 hours 31 minutes. Arrived in Rise 4 minutes later.
2,594 USD.

February 5
Approved instantly. Arrived in Rise within 3 minutes. 897 USD.

To be completely honest, even after receiving multiple payouts and having built trust with a firm, the waiting period is always nerve-wracking. Funding Pips currently has by far the fastest payout approval of any firm I have used. That alone makes them worth choosing.

Summary

I registered with Alpha Capital Group in May 2024, but did not purchase my first challenge until December 2024. As of February 2026, I have received approximately $31,000 in total payouts — with no rejections. Payouts typically take around two days to process.

I believe their trading costs are among the best in the industry. I personally track trading costs across multiple firms, and they consistently rank very well.

Timeline

May 29, 2024

 I registered with Alpha Capital Group. 

December 25, 2024

 I purchased my first challenge with Alpha Capital Group. 

January 31, 2025

 I passed the challenge, but was notified that I would be placed in a risk group due to excessive risk-taking.

At the time, I was risking around 2% per trade and sometimes losing as much as 4% in a single day. I had been following a well-known risk management guideline from a popular trading book that recommended 2% per trade, and I believed it was sufficient. However, I learned that for prop firm trading, this level of risk is considered excessive. I now trade at half that level or less.

Being placed in the risk group means reduced leverage and a cap on the maximum lot size you can hold. That said, the restrictions are not severe. On a 100k account, you can still hold up to 20 lots, and the leverage is 30:1 — which is more than enough for my trading style. For the latest rules, please refer to their official website.

February 18, 2025

 I was contacted by the risk team and informed that I would need to complete a video interview. Whether I was randomly selected or whether there was a concern about my trading, I do not know — though by this point, I had already limited my risk to 1% per trade.

They offered support in around nine languages, but unfortunately Japanese was not among them. When I explained this, they said they would arrange a translation tool and that it would not be a problem.

February 25, 2025

 I completed the interview. I will not go into the specific details, but as with The5ers and other firms, the questions were ones that any real trader could answer without difficulty. It has been over a year now, so I do not remember all the details, but I do remember that they were very friendly throughout the process.

April 16, 2025

 A system error occurred — possibly because two accounts were approved at the same time. One of the funded accounts I had been given was deleted, but a replacement was issued immediately. There was no financial or time-related loss on my end.

As I have mentioned in other articles, I do not consider this type of error a reason to lose trust in a company. Their response was quick and considerate, so I have no complaints.

June 30, 2025

 I applied to have my risk group status removed. The requirement for removal is two completed payouts. I had not felt any urgency to apply since the restrictions did not bother me, but by this point I had already completed five payouts and returned over 20% in profit on the same account — well beyond the requirement — so I decided to submit the request. A few days later, I received confirmation that the restriction had been lifted.

However, my other account remained in the risk group.

It is clear to me that Alpha Capital Group’s strong track record and reputation are not just marketing — they are backed by real experience. I will continue using them going forward, and if anything new comes up, I will document it here honestly.

To be frank, I have not found any real shortcomings worth mentioning — and that is my genuine experience. I do not have any affiliate relationship with them, and I have received no compensation of any kind.