Futures Prop Trading Grows Rapidly Outpacing Forex

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 27, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Prop Firm Compare, a futures prop trading comparison website, has released its first edition of The State of Futures Prop Trading 2026 report, revealing a significant shift in market dynamics. The report finds that futures prop trading firms now attract approximately 2.1 times the US search demand of forex prop firms, marking a substantial increase from 2024. Specifically, US search demand for futures prop firms has surged by 108% compared with 2024, according to the research.

The report, which examines search interest, evaluation pricing, and trading conditions across 29 active futures prop firms, highlights that between October 2025 and September 2026, monthly US searches across a matched basket of 20 futures prop firm keywords averaged 11,282. This is a significant increase from the 5,420 searches during the same period in 2024. In contrast, searches across the equivalent forex keyword basket fell by 10%, from an average of 6,125 to 5,490 per month. The report also noted that searches containing "best" for futures prop firms were approximately 1,800 monthly US searches, compared with 400 for "best forex prop firms."

Seven of the 29 active firms analysed, or 24%, originated in forex or CFD prop trading. These include well-known brands such as FTMO, FundedNext, E8 Markets, and Goat Funded Futures. The research also points out the relative youth of the market, with 11 of the 29 firms having launched in 2023 or later.

The report delves into the costs associated with evaluations, noting that the average cost for a $50,000 evaluation across 27 firms offering such a service was $135 before discounts. Applying published discount codes and current sales reduced this average to $95. List prices for evaluations ranged from $49 for Topstep’s monthly evaluation to $245 at IQ Capital. The cheapest single-attempt route to a funded $50,000 account, including evaluation and activation fees, cost $201. This excludes resets and monthly renewals, which can increase the amount a trader ultimately pays.

Activation fees remained present on at least one account at 59% of the firms analysed. Consistency rules, which limit how much of a trader’s total profit can come from a single trading day, were found at 27 of the 29 firms, representing 93% of the sample. End-of-day drawdown was offered by 90% of firms, while 28% offered intraday trailing drawdown on at least one account.

The report also calls for greater transparency on trader outcomes, highlighting limited public disclosure of evaluation pass rates and payout outcomes. Earn2Trade’s published 2025 figures showed an evaluation pass rate of approximately 8.9%, while 18% of funded accounts made at least one withdrawal. These figures relate to Earn2Trade and should not be treated as industry-wide averages.

The full report and downloadable datasets are available at Prop Firm Compare.