Entry price
The cost of starting varies significantly depending on the evaluation model you choose. forTraders offers a unique "Pay After Pass" system that minimizes initial risk, whereas The Trading Pit follows a more traditional fee structure.
- The Trading Pit $100,000 (1 Phase): $569.
- The Trading Pit $100,000 (2 Phases): $569.
- The Trading Pit $10,000 (1 Phase): $99.
- forTraders $100,000 (Fast - 1 Step): $469.
- forTraders $100,000 (Pay After Pass): $49 upfront plus an activation fee of $489 only after passing.
- forTraders $6,000 (Fast - 1 Step): $49.
The Trading Pit includes a refund of the challenge fee after the first reward (for older accounts) or the third reward (for newer ones). forTraders does not offer a traditional refund because their "Pay After Pass" model is designed to avoid the initial cost altogether.
What you pay while trading
The cost of executing your strategy is where forTraders takes a clear lead, especially for high-volume traders. Every lot traded has a direct impact on your bottom line.
- Forex Commissions: The Trading Pit charges $5 per lot, while forTraders charges $3 per lot.
- Indices Commissions: The Trading Pit charges $5 per lot, whereas forTraders offers $0 commissions on indices.
- Crypto: The Trading Pit charges 0.2%, which can be expensive for large positions.
- Platform choice: Both offer Metatrader 5 and cTrader, but forTraders adds TradeLocker, which may influence your execution speed and costs.
What mistakes cost you
In prop trading, a mistake is not just a losing trade; it is the cost of losing the account and the time invested. The risk rules define how much "breathing room" your money has.
- Daily Drawdown: The Trading Pit is strict at 3% on most accounts. forTraders also uses 3% for most models, but some accounts like the Classic allow up to 4%.
- Maximum Drawdown: The Trading Pit offers 6% (1 Phase) or 10% (2 Phases). forTraders ranges between 5% and 10% depending on the specific challenge.
- Inactivity Rule: If you stop trading for 21 days, The Trading Pit will breach your account. forTraders is more flexible with 30 days on evaluation accounts, but very strict on Instant accounts with only 7 days.
- Stop Loss: The Trading Pit requires a mandatory Stop Loss, which prevents "all-in" mistakes but might force exits during high volatility. forTraders does not mandate one.
What it costs to get paid
Getting your profit to your bank account isn't free. Both firms have different ways of taxing your success.
- Profit Split: Both firms start at a competitive 80%. However, forTraders allows its Instant accounts to scale up to 90% over time.
- Payout Fees: The Trading Pit charges a flat 1% fee. forTraders charges $25 for crypto payouts under $400, or $50 via Rise for larger amounts.
- Minimum Payout: Both require a minimum of $100.
- Payout Frequency: Both firms process rewards every 14 days.
- Payout Guarantee: forTraders offers a unique "48-hour guarantee"; if they fail to pay within that window, your profit split increases to 100% for that cycle.
Where each one hides its cost
The real cost often lies in the rules that prevent you from reaching a payout.
The Trading Pit hides its cost in the consistency rule for large accounts. For $100k and $200k 1-Phase accounts, your "best day" cannot exceed 50% of your total profit. If you have one exceptionally good day, you are forced to keep trading and risking your balance to "balance out" the profits before you can withdraw.
forTraders hides its cost in its commission structure for small payouts. Charging $25 to withdraw $100 is effectively a 25% tax on your earnings, which is significantly higher than the 1% charged by The Trading Pit. Additionally, their "Drawdown Protection" on Master accounts drops your profit split to 50% if you hit a floating loss of -2%, significantly reducing your future earning potential.
Cheapest for whom
forTraders is the cheapest option for scalpers and index traders who want to minimize execution costs ($0 commissions on indices) and for those who want to "test" a large account for less than $50 using the Pay After Pass model.
The Trading Pit is the better financial choice for swing traders and stock traders who value a wider range of assets and want their initial investment back. If you plan to hold an account for the long term, the 1% payout fee is much cheaper than the flat fees of its competitor once your withdrawals exceed $5,000.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to get a $100,000 account, The Trading Pit or forTraders?
If you want to pay the lowest amount to start an evaluation, forTraders is cheaper with its Pay After Pass model at $49, though you must pay $489 later to activate the Master account. If you prefer a single upfront payment for a standard 2-step evaluation, forTraders is also cheaper at $469 compared to the $569 charged by The Trading Pit.
Which firm has lower trading commissions, The Trading Pit or forTraders?
forTraders is significantly cheaper for active trading. They charge $3 per lot on Forex and $0 on indices. In contrast, The Trading Pit charges $5 per lot for both Forex and indices, which can significantly eat into the profits of a high-frequency trader over time.
Does The Trading Pit or forTraders have a more restrictive consistency rule?
forTraders is generally more restrictive on its Instant and Pay After Pass Master accounts, where the best day cannot exceed 15% or 20% of total profit respectively. The Trading Pit only applies a consistency rule to its larger 1-Phase accounts ($100k/$200k), setting the limit at 50%, which is much more generous for traders who occasionally have large winning days.
Which firm allows more freedom with EAs and automation, The Trading Pit or forTraders?
The Trading Pit offers more freedom as it fully allows EAs and automated trading. forTraders is much more restrictive, prohibiting fully autonomous trading bots and only allowing EAs as "decision-support tools" for alerts or partial management. If your strategy relies on a bot, The Trading Pit is the only viable option between the two.
