What is the cheapest prop firm challenge?

In our data, Blue Guardian's 10k 2-Step is the cheapest at $56, and the fee is refundable. FundedNext starts at $59.99, but for a smaller 6k account.

Which cheap prop firm challenges have a refundable fee?

Blue Guardian, FundedNext, The5ers and FTMO list refundable fees. Funding Pips does not refund its $66 fee.

How much is the FTMO challenge?

FTMO's 10k 2-Step costs €89 / $99, and the fee is refunded with your first reward.

Is a cheaper prop firm challenge better?

Not always. Blue Guardian's $56 challenge has an 8% trailing drawdown and a 4% hard daily limit, while The5ers, Funding Pips and FTMO allow 10% and 5% on 10k for $10–$43 more.

How much does Topstep cost per month?

Topstep's 50k Combine costs $49 a month plus a $149 activation fee, so three months comes to $296. The fee is not refundable.

Cheapest Prop Firm Challenges 2026

The cheapest prop firm challenges

On headline price, Blue Guardian has the cheapest challenge we track at $56 for a 10k 2-Step, and its fee is refundable. But cheapest is not the same as best value. Compared like for like at 10k, Funding Pips ($66) and The5ers ($69) cost only a little more with a 10% drawdown instead of 8% trailing, and The5ers refunds the fee. FTMO costs $99 but scores highest overall, and FundedNext has the second-lowest entry price ($59.99) on a smaller 6k account. All figures were verified November 2026.

Our picks

Blue Guardian: $56 for 10k, refundable fee, 90% split, but trailing drawdown and review concerns.
FundedNext: $59.99 for 6k, refundable fee and static drawdown; the dearest per $1k of our picks.
Funding Pips: $66 for 10k with a static 10% drawdown, but the fee is not refundable.
The5ers: $69 for 10k, refundable fee and a track record back to 2016.
FTMO: €89 / $99 for 10k, the highest price here but the top-ranked firm, with a refundable fee.

Challenge prices compared

Price per $1k is the entry price divided by the account size in thousands. It is our arithmetic, not a published figure, and larger accounts may not be priced in proportion.

	Price from	Account	Per $1k	Refundable	Max drawdown	Daily loss	Score
Blue Guardian	$56	10k, 2-Step	$5.60	Yes	8% trailing, locks at initial balance	4% (hard breach)	70/100
FundedNext	$59.99	6k, Stellar 2-Step	$10.00	Yes	10% static	5%	85/100
Funding Pips	$66	10k, 2-Step Standard	$6.60	No	10% static	5%	79/100
The5ers	$69	10k, High Stakes	$6.90	Yes	10% (static or trailing: sources disagree)	5%	86/100
FTMO	€89 / $99	10k, 2-Step	$9.90	Yes	10% static	5% of initial balance	91/100

1. Blue Guardian: lowest headline price

Blue Guardian's 10k 2-Step costs $56, the lowest 10k price in our data, and the fee is refundable. It pays a 90% split bi-weekly and offers MT5, TradeLocker, Match-Trader, NinjaTrader and Tradovate. Targets are 8% then 4%.

Drawback: the 4% daily limit is a hard breach and the 8% drawdown trails until it locks at the initial balance. Reviews mention payout denials over copy trading or shared devices and an auto-close feature that closes trades at a floating loss. Its Trustpilot data is mixed (around 3.6–4.1 for CFD from secondary sources; 3.8 for futures), and its minimum trading days are not verified.

2. FundedNext: low entry, small account

FundedNext's Stellar 2-Step starts at $59.99, but for a 6k account. That is about $10.00 per $1k, the highest of our picks, so it is cheap to try rather than cheap per dollar of capital. In return you get a 10% static drawdown, a 5% daily limit, an 8% then 5% target, a fee refunded with your first reward and a 4.5 Trustpilot rating from 81,087 reviews.

Drawback: some pricing differs between FundedNext's help center and checkout, rules change often, and sources conflict on minimum trading days (5 vs none).

3. Funding Pips: cheap with static drawdown

Funding Pips charges $66 for a 10k 2-Step Standard, with an 8% then 5% target, a 5% daily limit, a 10% static drawdown and 3 minimum days per phase. You can choose payout frequency, from 60% weekly to 100% monthly. Its Trustpilot rating is 4.5 from 71,489 reviews.

Drawback: the fee is not refundable, so $66 is a sunk cost even if you pass. Its Trustpilot profile was suspended in June 2024 after a review surge, and recent reviews mention device-ID terminations and rule changes after passing. Funded accounts are closed before weekends.

4. The5ers: best value at 10k

The5ers costs $69 for a 10k High Stakes account, just $3 more than Funding Pips, with a refundable fee. The first-phase target is 10% (New) or 8% (Classic), then 5%, with a 5% daily limit, a 10% maximum drawdown and 3 profitable days. The split starts at 80% and rises to 100% with scaling. It has operated since 2016.

Drawback: sources disagree on refund mechanics and on whether the drawdown is static or trailing, and EAs are reportedly not allowed.

5. FTMO: highest price, highest score

At €89 / $99 for a 10k 2-Step, FTMO is the most expensive pick here. It earns its place because the fee is refunded with your first reward, the 10% drawdown is static, and it ranks first in our scoring (91/100) with a 4.8 Trustpilot rating from 55,571 reviews.

Drawback: its targets (10% then 5%) are higher than Funding Pips' or FundedNext's (8% then 5%), and a new consistency rule on orders applies from 12 October 2026.

Worked example: what a failed attempt really costs

Say you fail your first 10k challenge and pass on the second. You pay twice: Blue Guardian $112, Funding Pips $132, The5ers $138 and FTMO $198. If you then reach a first reward, the refundable firms return one fee, so your net spend falls to $56, $69 and $99 respectively, while Funding Pips stays at $132.

The cheapest fee can also buy less room. On 10k, Blue Guardian's 8% drawdown allows $800 of loss and its 4% daily limit $400, compared with $1,000 and $500 at Funding Pips, The5ers and FTMO. Check your own numbers with the drawdown calculator.

Cheap options we did not pick

Topstep (futures): $49 a month for a 50k Combine plus $149 activation, so $198 for the first month and $296 if you take three months. The subscription runs until you pass and is not refundable. See best futures prop firms.
E8 Markets: $260 for a 100k Signature looks cheap per $1k ($2.60), but drawdown is only about 3–4% end-of-day trailing, Trustpilot has withheld its rating and reviews allege denied or delayed payouts.
Alpha Capital Group: $97 for 10k, not refundable, with a withheld Trustpilot rating, a high-risk PropFirmMap grade and alleged rejected payouts.
Apex Trader Funding: sources conflict on its price, so we could not compare it.

How we chose

We ranked firms by the challenge-price-from figure in our data, then compared 10k accounts where possible and flagged refundable fees and caution notes. Firms with withheld Trustpilot ratings or unverifiable prices were excluded. Scores weigh track record (30), rules (25), cost (15), payouts and reviews (20) and platforms (10); see the methodology.

What to check before you buy a challenge

Account size. Compare prices at the same size, not headline "from" prices.
Refund terms. A refund usually arrives only with your first reward.
Drawdown and daily limit. A cheaper challenge with tighter limits may cost more in retries.
Checkout price. Discounts and add-ons change the final price.

Read how to pass a prop firm challenge and trailing vs static drawdown before buying.

Sources

Provider data on this page was verified November 2026 against these sources:

Blue Guardian

FundedNext

Funding Pips

The5ers

FTMO

Trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. A challenge fee is money at risk, and passing an evaluation does not guarantee payouts. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This page is general information, not financial advice. Rankings are editorial and not paid. Read our risk disclaimer and advertiser disclosure.

Cheapest prop firm challenges in 2026