The choice is not really "prop firm or broker." It is: do you have enough capital that an 80% split on someone else's account is worse than 100% of your own?
The break-even in capital
A $100,000 funded account at an 80% split produces the same reward as an $80,000 personal account, ignoring fees. So if you have $80,000 of risk capital you are genuinely willing to lose, the broker account wins outright — no rules, no split, no evaluation.
| Your capital | What a funded account gives you |
|---|---|
| Under $5,000 | 20–80× the position size. Transformative. |
| $5,000 – $25,000 | 4–20× the size. Usually worth the rules. |
| $25,000 – $80,000 | Marginal. Depends on whether you would size up personally. |
| Over $80,000 | Little advantage. Trade your own account. |
What you give up
- 20% of the upside at an 80% split.
- Rules you did not write — daily loss limits, maximum loss, and whatever else the firm applies.
- Account permanence. A breach ends the account; a personal account can be topped up.
What you gain
- A capped downside. The evaluation fee is the maximum you lose — $9.99 on a pay-after-pass entry.
- Enforced risk discipline. For many traders this is worth more than the 20%.
- Scale you would not otherwise risk. Most traders will not put $100,000 of their own money into a discretionary strategy, and should not.
Try the size for $9.99
Accounts to $400,000, with your downside capped at the entry payment.
Frequently asked questions
Is a prop firm better than trading your own account?
It depends on your capital. Below roughly $25,000 of risk capital a funded account gives you position size you could not otherwise access. Above roughly $80,000, an 80% split on someone else's account is worse than 100% of your own.
Do you keep all the profit at a prop firm?
No — you keep your reward split, typically 80–90%. FundedAxe funded accounts pay 80%, raisable to 100% with an add-on.
FundedAxe evaluations and funded accounts are simulated. Traders do not trade real client capital; rewards are paid on simulated performance under the terms of the FundedAxe trader agreement.