What you are signing up for
A prop firm evaluation is a test where you trade with virtual capital to prove you are a disciplined trader. If you pass, the firm shares the profits you generate. Neither firm offers a free trial, so your first step is buying a challenge.
- Funded Trader Markets (FTM): Their entry-level "2 Step Plus" account of $5,000 costs $100.
- Goat Funded Trader (GFT): They offer more affordable entry points. A $5,000 "2 Step Standard" account costs $52, and they even have a "2 Step Goat" version for just $17.
In both cases, you are paying for the right to prove you can reach a profit target—a specific amount of money you must earn—without hitting the drawdown limit, which is the maximum loss allowed before your account is closed.
How hard each one is
Dificulty is measured by the margin of error the firm allows.
- Funded Trader Markets: In their two-step accounts, the drawdown is "static," meaning it is fixed at a specific price level and does not move. However, in their one-step and instant accounts, they use "trailing drawdown," which means the loss limit follows your highest account balance as you make profits, making it harder to keep the account.
- Goat Funded Trader: Most of their evaluation accounts (1, 2, and 3 steps) use "static drawdown," which is much friendlier for beginners. They also have "Goat Guard," a system that automatically closes your trades if you reach a 2% loss in a single day to try and save your account from a total breach.
How long it takes
Both firms offer unlimited trading days, meaning there is no deadline to reach your goal. This removes the pressure to overtrade.
- Steps to pass: FTM offers 1 and 2-step evaluations. GFT offers 1, 2, and even 3-step evaluations. A 3-step evaluation has lower targets per phase but requires more consistency over time.
- Minimum days: FTM requires 3 days of trading per phase. GFT requires 3 days with at least 0.5% profit on each for their evaluation accounts. If you don't trade for 30 days, both firms will close your account due to inactivity.
Where beginners fail
Most beginners lose their accounts because of risk rules they didn't understand.
- Consistency Rule: This rule prevents you from making all your profit in a single "lucky" trade. FTM has a 50% consistency rule on its Nitro accounts, meaning no single day can account for more than half your total profit. GFT applies a stricter 15% to 20% rule on its Instant accounts, requiring your profits to be spread across many days.
- News Trading: GFT limits the profit you can keep from trades opened during high-impact news to 1% of your balance. FTM is more flexible with news but prohibits "news scalping," which is opening and closing trades very quickly during a volatile event.
- Scalping: GFT will remove any profit from trades that last less than 2 minutes.
What happens if you make it
If you pass, you receive a "Profit Split," which is your percentage of the earnings.
- Earnings: FTM starts at 70% and can reach 100% on specific accounts. GFT usually starts at 80% and can go up to 95% through their scaling plan, which increases your capital as you prove success.
- Payouts: FTM offers a refund of your initial fee after your third payout. GFT refunds it after the fourth. Both support crypto and Rise as payment methods.
- Platforms: You can use MetaTrader 5, cTrader, MatchTrader, or TradeLocker on both.
If it is your first time
For a beginner, Goat Funded Trader is the better choice.
The primary reason is the cost: you can start a $5,000 challenge for as little as $17, which is a very low-risk way to learn how the industry works. Additionally, having "static drawdown" on their evaluation phases provides a safer environment than the "trailing" models often found in other firms. While FTM is a solid firm, its higher entry prices and trailing drawdown on one-step accounts create a steeper learning curve for someone who has never done this before.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to start a $5,000 account, Funded Trader Markets or Goat Funded Trader?
Goat Funded Trader is significantly cheaper, offering a $5,000 "2 Step Goat" account for $17, whereas the cheapest $5,000 option at Funded Trader Markets is the "Instant Pro" account for $69 or the "2 Step Plus" for $100.
Does Funded Trader Markets or Goat Funded Trader offer a better profit split for beginners?
Both offer competitive splits, but Goat Funded Trader starts most standard accounts at 80%. Funded Trader Markets starts its "2 Step Plus" at 70%, although they offer a "1 Step Nitro X" account that promises a 100% profit split, which is higher than GFT's initial offers.
Which firm has easier loss limits for a first-timer, Funded Trader Markets or Goat Funded Trader?
Goat Funded Trader is generally easier because it uses static drawdown (a fixed loss limit) on all its 1, 2, and 3-step evaluations. Funded Trader Markets uses trailing drawdown (a limit that moves up as your balance grows) on its Nitro and Instant accounts, which is much harder for a beginner to manage.
Can I use automated trading (EAs) on both Funded Trader Markets and Goat Funded Trader?
Yes, both firms allow the use of Expert Advisors (EAs). However, Goat Funded Trader prohibits using EAs for "all or nothing" strategies and has a 2-minute minimum trade duration rule, while Funded Trader Markets allows EAs but forbids using them for high-frequency trading or to exploit data feed errors.
