How We Rank Brokers and Prop Firms
Every score on WizardTrader comes from the same published criteria. Payment never changes a score or a rank.
Broker scores (out of 100)
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation and safety | 35 | Top-tier licences (FCA, ASIC, CySEC, CFTC/NFA, BaFin and similar), which entity international clients are actually signed with, client money protections, regulatory history |
| Trading costs | 25 | Published average EUR/USD spread plus commission on standard and raw accounts, non-trading fees |
| Platforms and tools | 15 | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, TradeLocker and proprietary platforms, ease of use |
| Access | 10 | Minimum deposit, availability to US and international clients, funding methods |
| Track record | 15 | Years operating, ownership, transparency, patterns in public complaints |
Prop firm scores (out of 100)
| Criterion | Weight | What we look at |
|---|---|---|
| Track record and transparency | 30 | Years operating, legal entity disclosure, published statistics, rule stability |
| Rule fairness | 25 | Static vs trailing drawdown, daily loss rules, consistency and news rules, clarity of terms |
| Cost | 15 | Challenge price for comparable account sizes, refund policy, subscriptions and activation fees |
| Payout record and reviews | 20 | Trustpilot status and score, patterns in payout complaints |
| Platforms | 10 | Platform choice and reliability |
Minimum standards
To appear in a broker ranking, a provider must hold at least one licence from a top-tier regulator. Prop firms with an active Trustpilot warning or withheld rating are scored, with the issue shown in a caution note. Providers that don't meet our standards may still appear as labeled partners, but never inside the ranking.
How we verify data
- Official sources first: regulator registers, the provider's own fee pages, help centers and legal documents.
- Reputable aggregators second, labeled as secondary where we rely on them.
- Every review shows its sources and a "data last verified" date. We re-check each listing at least every 90 days, and sooner when rules change.
- Where sources conflict, we say so in the review rather than picking the more flattering number.
Sponsored and affiliate listings
Affiliate partners are marked with a Partner label. Paid placements are marked Sponsored and appear in a separate section. Neither affects the editorial score. See our advertiser disclosure.
Corrections
If you believe a figure is wrong or out of date, contact us with a link to the source and we'll review it.