Biggest Trading Prop Firms 2026: Largest Prop Trading Companies by Size
Discover the biggest prop trading firms in 2026. This comprehensive guide covers the largest proprietary trading companies by size, funding capacity, number of traders, payout volume, and market presence.
Largest prop trading firms by size and market presence. Source: Unsplash
Understanding Prop Firm Size
The biggest prop trading firms can be measured by various metrics: total funding provided to traders, number of funded traders, total payouts made, maximum funding per trader, company revenue, market presence, and industry reputation.
Different metrics may show different firms as 'biggest' depending on the measurement used. For example, a firm with the highest maximum funding per trader may differ from a firm with the most total payouts or the largest number of traders.
Size indicators: proven track record (large payouts indicate reliability), market presence (well-known firms), funding capacity (ability to provide large accounts), and operational scale (number of traders, support infrastructure). Learn more about prop firms and their characteristics.
Biggest Prop Firms by Different Metrics
1. FTMO
FTMO is one of the biggest prop firms by payout volume, having paid out over $100 million to traders. FTMO is also one of the most well-known and established prop firms in the industry.
Why FTMO is among the biggest: over $100M paid out to traders (industry-leading), maximum funding of $400K per account, thousands of funded traders, established market presence, proven reliability, and comprehensive platform support. FTMO's payout volume demonstrates its size and reliability.
Size indicators: massive payout volume ($100M+), large number of funded traders, maximum $400K funding per account, established since 2015, and industry-leading reputation. FTMO is clearly one of the biggest prop firms by multiple metrics.
2. FundedNext
FundedNext is among the biggest by maximum funding capacity, offering scaling up to $4 million per trader. This aggressive scaling makes FundedNext one of the largest prop firms by maximum funding potential.
3. The5%ers
The5%ers is among the biggest by maximum funding, offering scaling up to $4 million per trader. Known for conservative risk management and large funding capacity, The5%ers is a major player in prop trading.
4. Apex Trader Funding
Apex Trader Funding is among the biggest futures prop firms, with accounts up to $300K+ and a large number of funded traders. Apex is a major player in the futures prop trading space.
5. TopStep
TopStep is one of the biggest and most established futures prop firms, with a long history and large number of funded traders. TopStep is a major player in the futures prop trading industry.
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Measuring Prop Firm Size
By Payout Volume
Measuring by total payouts made shows firms that have successfully paid out large amounts to traders. FTMO leads with over $100M paid out, demonstrating massive scale and reliability.
Payout volume indicates: proven track record, reliable operations, large number of successful traders, and financial stability. High payout volume is a strong indicator of firm size and reliability.
By Maximum Funding
Measuring by maximum funding per trader shows firms offering the largest individual accounts. FundedNext and The5%ers lead with scaling up to $4M per trader, making them among the biggest by funding capacity.
Maximum funding indicates: funding capacity, ability to support large traders, and operational scale. High maximum funding shows firms can handle large accounts and significant capital.
By Number of Traders
Measuring by number of funded traders shows firms with the largest trader base. Firms like FTMO, Apex Trader Funding, and TopStep have thousands of funded traders, indicating large scale operations.
Number of traders indicates: market presence, operational capacity, and scale of operations. Large trader bases show firms can support many traders simultaneously.
By Market Presence
Measuring by market presence shows firms that are well-known, established, and have strong industry reputation. FTMO, TopStep, and other major firms have significant market presence and recognition.
Market presence indicates: industry recognition, established reputation, and brand strength. Strong market presence shows firms are major players in the industry.
Do Bigger Prop Firms Mean Better?
Advantages of Bigger Firms
Bigger prop firms often indicate: proven track record (large payouts demonstrate reliability), established operations (years of experience), financial stability (ability to pay large amounts), comprehensive support (resources for many traders), and market presence (well-known and trusted).
Bigger firm benefits: proven reliability, established operations, financial stability, comprehensive support, and strong reputation. These advantages make bigger firms attractive to many traders.
Size vs Quality
However, size alone doesn't guarantee quality. Traders should consider: payout reliability (do they pay on time?), trading rules (are they fair and reasonable?), profit splits (competitive percentages?), customer support (responsive and helpful?), and overall reputation (what do traders say?).
Important considerations: verify payout reliability regardless of size, check trading rules for fairness, compare profit splits, test customer support, and research overall reputation. Size is one factor, but not the only factor to consider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the biggest prop trading firms?
The biggest prop trading firms are typically measured by factors like: total funding provided, number of funded traders, market presence, payout volume, and company size. Top firms include FTMO (over $100M paid out), FundedNext (scaling to $4M per trader), The5%ers (scaling to $4M), and other major players in the industry.
What is the biggest prop firm?
The biggest prop firm depends on the metric used. FTMO has paid out over $100M to traders, making it one of the largest by payout volume. FundedNext and The5%ers offer scaling up to $4M per trader, making them among the largest by maximum funding. Different metrics show different firms as 'biggest'.
Do bigger prop firms mean better?
Bigger prop firms often indicate: proven track record, reliable payouts, established operations, and market presence. However, size alone doesn't guarantee quality. Traders should consider: payout reliability, trading rules, profit splits, customer support, and overall reputation, not just size.