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The5ers Review 2026: The OG Prop Firm That Just Dropped Futures
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The5ers
Overview
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What I Like & What Could Be Better
My Experience
When I started researching The5ers, one thing stood out immediately: they've been around since 2016. That's a decade in an industry where most firms don't survive two years. I've tested over 50 prop firms at this point, and The5ers is the only one that predates the entire modern prop firm wave. Every other firm I've reviewed — FundingPips, FundedNext, Lucid Trading, Tradeify — launched years after The5ers was already paying traders.
The live capital model is what actually pulled me in. Most prop firms run you on sim accounts even after you're "funded." The5ers puts you on real capital once you pass. Your fills interact with actual market liquidity. That's a genuine structural difference, not marketing fluff.
Running the High Stakes Evaluation
I went with the High Stakes program — the 2-Step evaluation with 1:100 leverage. At $545 for a $100K account, the pricing sits in the middle of the FX prop firm market. Phase 1 requires an 8% profit target. Phase 2 drops to 5%. No time limit on either phase, which meant I could trade at my own pace without the pressure of a deadline hanging over every position.
The 10% static max drawdown and 5% daily loss limit felt generous compared to trailing drawdown firms. Static means the floor never moves — if I start at $100K, my blow-up level is $90K regardless of how high my equity runs. On a trailing drawdown account, hitting $110K would move the floor to $100K. Static just sits there. That distinction matters when you're swing trading and equity fluctuates overnight.
What surprised me was how clean the execution felt on cTrader. The5ers added cTrader support in late 2025, and the fills were tight on major pairs during London session. No weird slippage spikes, no phantom wicks. On a live capital account, that execution quality makes sense — you're interacting with real liquidity providers, not a price feed controlled by the firm.
No Payouts Yet — Here's What I Know
I'm currently in the evaluation phase, so I can't personally verify payout speed, processing reliability, or whether the bi-weekly cycle works as advertised. That's important context.
What I can tell you is what the data shows. The5ers has processed $43M+ in verified payouts through Riseworks since launch. Their Trustpilot sits at 4.9/5 across 20,636 reviews with 93% five-star — that's the highest review volume of any prop firm I've covered. Traders in their community consistently share payout confirmations, and the complaints I've found center around processing time (bi-weekly, not daily) rather than payout denials. I'll update this review with specific payout data once I pull money out myself.
The Futures Beta That Just Launched
The5ers launched their futures program on February 19, 2026 — literally the day I'm writing this review. It runs on the Black Arrow platform, allows overnight holding, and is open to US traders. That last part matters because most of The5ers' FX programs restrict US access due to MetaQuotes limitations on MT5.
Here's my honest take: it's too new to recommend over established futures firms. Lucid Trading, Tradeify, and TakeProfitTrader all have months or years of proven futures payout history. The5ers futures is a beta with no public pricing, no detailed drawdown rules, and no payout track record. Strategic move? Absolutely — they're going after the US market. But I wouldn't put money into it until there's real community data on the experience.
Where I Am Right Now
Early evaluation stage on the High Stakes $100K account. I'm trading GBP/USD and EUR/USD during London and New York sessions, keeping position sizes conservative to stay well inside the 5% daily loss limit. The zero consistency rule means I can have one massive winning day and then sit on my hands for a week without penalty. That flexibility is rare in FX prop firms and matches how I actually trade — concentrated opportunities, not forced daily activity.
Account Types & Pricing
The5ers runs three completely different programs. They're not just different account sizes — they have different rules, different leverage, different profit splits, and different scaling paths. Choosing the wrong one wastes your money.
Why I Picked High Stakes
The 1:100 leverage is the deciding factor. Hyper Growth and Bootcamp cap you at 1:30, which severely limits how you size positions on major pairs. On a $100K High Stakes account with 1:100 leverage, I can run a full lot on EUR/USD with comfortable margin. At 1:30, that same position eats a disproportionate chunk of available margin and leaves no room for scaling into trades.
The 80% starting profit split also beats both alternatives. Bootcamp starts at 50/50, which means half your profits go to the firm until you scale past $25K funded. Hyper Growth also starts at 50%. High Stakes gives you 80% from day one and climbs to 100% at scale.
The tradeoff is the scaling cap. High Stakes maxes at $500K funded capital. Bootcamp and Hyper Growth both scale to $4M. If you're planning to build a massive account over years, the Bootcamp or Hyper Growth paths offer more long-term upside. But for most traders, $500K with an 80-100% split and a $10,000 monthly salary is more than enough.
The $22 Bootcamp — What You're Actually Getting
Twenty-two dollars for a $20K funded account sounds insane. And it is — if you can navigate the rules. The Bootcamp is three evaluation phases at 6% profit target each, followed by funded trading with a 50/50 profit split, mandatory stop-losses on every trade, a 2% max risk per position, and a drawdown that shrinks from 5% to 4% once you're funded.
That drawdown reduction is the part nobody talks about. You pass three phases managing risk against a 5% max loss. Then you get funded and the rules get tighter. Your buffer drops by 20% without any compensating benefit. Traders who barely passed with a 4.5% drawdown in evaluation would be breached under funded rules. The $22 entry attracts people, but the funded conditions filter most of them out.
The mandatory stop-loss is the other dealbreaker for certain strategies. Every single trade needs a stop-loss, capped at 2% of account balance risk per position. Five violations — not five consecutive, five total ever — and the account is permanently terminated. If your strategy involves scaling into positions or managing risk without hard stops, the Bootcamp isn't for you.
Payment Methods and the Name-Match Rule
Challenge fees can be paid by credit card or crypto. Standard stuff. But here's the critical rule: your payment name must match your profile name exactly. Not close. Not a nickname. Exactly. Using a family member's card or a business account? Instant account disable. Email mismatches are fine. Name mismatches are not. I've seen this catch traders on Trustpilot who didn't read the fine print.
Trading Rules You Need To Know
The5ers has fewer rules than most firms, but the ones they do have carry real consequences. Zero consistency rules and unlimited time limits give you flexibility. But the drawdown mechanics and inactivity policy can end funded accounts without warning.
Static Drawdown That Shrinks When You Get Funded
The static drawdown across all programs is genuinely trader-friendly. Unlike trailing drawdowns at firms like TakeProfitTrader or Tradeify, your loss limit never moves up. Start a $100K High Stakes account, and your breach level is $90K whether your equity hits $105K or $150K. That means profitable traders never lose drawdown room — a massive advantage for swing trading.
But the Bootcamp plays a trick. During evaluation, you get 5% max drawdown. Pass all three phases. Get funded. And now it's 4%. On a $20K account, your drawdown room drops from $1,000 to $800. For a $100K account, it goes from $5,000 to $4,000. That $1,000 difference could easily be a single losing day on forex pairs. The rules change at the exact moment you're supposed to feel rewarded for passing.
The 30-Day Inactivity Rule That Kills Accounts Silently
Zero trades for 30 consecutive calendar days — on any account, evaluation or funded — triggers automatic closure. No email warning. No grace period. No appeal. The counter starts from the date you register, not from your last trade.
Every prop firm has some kind of inactivity policy. But 30 days with no warning is aggressive. If you go on vacation, take a break after a tough loss, or simply step back to work on strategy for a month, your account is gone. My approach: place at least one small position every two weeks, even if it's just a micro lot held for a day. The cost is negligible. The insurance is worth it.
News Trading and the 2-Minute Window
News trading is allowed on all programs. That's the good part. The catch: on High Stakes, there's a 2-minute restriction window around high-impact economic events. Trades opened or closed within that window don't count toward your profit — the gains get deducted. This isn't a ban. You can trade through news. But if your profit comes from a 30-second spike after NFP, they'll strip it.
My approach is simple: either be positioned well before the event and hold through it, or wait 3-5 minutes after the release. The 2-minute window is tight enough that normal swing positions aren't affected. Day traders who scalp the initial news spike should be aware, though — those profits won't count.
What Gets Your Account Killed
The banned strategies list is standard: HFT, arbitrage, coordinated trading across accounts, hedge/reverse strategies. Copy trading is allowed on your own accounts, but Bootcamp requires different strategies on each account if you hold multiples. EAs and automated systems are fine as long as they don't fall into the prohibited categories.
Weekend holding is allowed but comes with real costs. Swap rates on indices over weekends are brutal — one Trustpilot reviewer mentioned -$20 per lot on crude oil, multiplied by 10x over a weekend hold. If you're swing trading commodities or indices, factor swap costs into your position sizing.
Platforms You Can Trade With
cTrader Reopened The US Market
The5ers added cTrader in late 2025 specifically to re-enter the US market. MetaQuotes restricted MT5 access for US-based prop firm traders, which effectively locked Americans out of The5ers' primary platform. cTrader bypasses that restriction.
The execution on cTrader feels noticeably different from MT5. Order fills are faster on major pairs during London session. The interface is cleaner. Depth of market visualization actually shows useful liquidity information. If you're trading through The5ers on a live capital account, cTrader is where the real-exchange experience shines.
I should mention: the platform selection is still limited compared to futures prop firms. Tradeify gives you Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, and Quantower. Lucid Trading offers six platforms. The5ers gives you three for FX and one beta for futures. Not terrible, but not industry-leading either.
Futures on Black Arrow — Way Too Early
Black Arrow is the sole platform for The5ers' futures beta. I had never heard of it before this launch. The futures program allows overnight holding on gold, silver, and NASDAQ — all of which are attractive for US traders who can't easily access The5ers' FX programs.
But here's reality: the pricing isn't public. The drawdown rules aren't detailed. The payout mechanics aren't established. The platform has no meaningful track record with prop firms. Compare that to Tradovate (used by Tradeify, TakeProfitTrader, Lucid Trading) or Rithmic (used by Lucid Trading, multiple other firms) — platforms with years of proven prop firm integration.
If you want futures funding today, use an established futures prop firm. If you want to see where The5ers futures goes in 6-12 months, keep watching. I'll update this review as the beta matures.
Which Platform I Use and Why
cTrader for everything. The execution quality on a live capital account is the cleanest I've experienced across any prop firm platform. The Level II data is real, the fills match what you'd expect from an actual liquidity pool, and the charting tools are solid enough that I don't need TradingView running alongside it. MT5 works fine for non-US traders, but if you have the choice, cTrader is the move.
My Strategy To Regular Payouts
My approach on The5ers is built around one principle: exploit the zero consistency rule and static drawdown combination. Most firms force you to spread profits evenly across trading days. The5ers doesn't care. You can make 80% of your month's profit on a single Tuesday and coast for the rest.
On the $100K High Stakes account, the 5% daily loss means I can risk up to $5,000 in a single session. With 1:100 leverage on EUR/USD, that translates to multiple full lots with reasonable stop-loss distances. I typically trade 1-2 lots per setup during London open, targeting 40-80 pip moves on GBP/USD. If the setup doesn't appear within 90 minutes, I close the platform. No forced trades. No consistency requirement punishing me for sitting out.
Managing Static Drawdown on Forex Pairs
Static drawdown is more forgiving than trailing, but it's not infinite. The 10% max on High Stakes means a $10,000 loss from starting balance kills the account regardless of how much profit you've banked. My risk management targets a maximum 2% account loss per trade — $2,000 on a $100K account. That gives me five consecutive full losers before breach, which has never happened in my testing with any firm.
The daily loss limit is where discipline matters. The 5% daily cap resets at server midnight from the previous day's closing equity or balance (whichever is higher). That means if I'm up $3,000 from yesterday's close, my daily drawdown room is $5,000 from that new high, not from my original balance. Understanding this calculation prevents surprise breaches.
Why I Avoid the Bootcamp's Mandatory Stop-Loss
Some traders love the Bootcamp because it's $22. I avoid it because the mandatory stop-loss fundamentally changes how I trade. I manage risk through position sizing, correlation awareness, and time-based exits — not through hard stop-losses on every position. The 2% max risk per trade cap combined with mandatory stops means I can't scale into positions, can't use wider stops on volatile pairs, and face termination after five violations ever.
If you're a mechanical trader with fixed stop-losses on every trade anyway, the Bootcamp rules won't bother you. If you manage risk any other way, High Stakes is worth the extra money for the freedom alone.
Common Mistakes I See Traders Make With The5ers
The biggest one: treating the Bootcamp like a cheap lottery ticket. Twenty-two dollars feels like nothing, so traders rush through without reading the funded rules. They pass three phases at 5% drawdown, get funded, and immediately breach the 4% drawdown they didn't know about. That's not a system failure — it's a research failure.
Second mistake: ignoring the inactivity rule during losing streaks. After a tough week, stepping away to recalibrate is smart. Stepping away for 30 days without placing a single trade kills your account. Set a phone reminder for day 20. Place a micro lot. Continue your break.
Third: swing trading indices over weekends without calculating swap costs. The overnight financing on CFD indices and commodities is significantly higher than spot forex. A profitable trade can turn into a net loss if you hold through a weekend and eat -$200+ in swaps. Know the exact swap rate before you hold anything past Friday close.
Trust & Legitimacy: What You Need To Know
The5ers is operated by Five Percent Online LTD, registered at 2 Hatidhar St, Ra'anana, Israel, with a London office. Founded in 2016 by Gil Ben Hur and currently led by CEO Saul Lokier, it's the longest-running prop firm I've reviewed. They're part of the 5% Group, which includes Trade The Pool (stock trading), TradeDelicious (education), and TSG Brokers — a Cyprus-regulated CFD brokerage.
That Cyprus-regulated brokerage is an important trust signal. It means the parent group operates under actual financial regulatory oversight, not just a prop firm shell in an offshore jurisdiction. The5ers itself isn't regulated as a prop firm (no prop firm is), but having a regulated entity within the same corporate family adds a layer of accountability.
Trustpilot: 4.9 Rating Across 20,600+ Reviews
The review volume tells the real story: 20,636 reviews with 93% five-star is the largest Trustpilot dataset of any prop firm I've reviewed. FundedNext has 58,000+ reviews, but at 4.5/5. FundingPips has 39,000+ at 4.5. GoatFundedTrader has 3,579 at 3.4. The5ers' combination of high volume and high rating is exceptional.
Common positive themes: smooth payout processing, clear rules, responsive support, and the live capital distinction. Common complaints: bi-weekly payout speed (traders want daily), Bootcamp drawdown reduction when funded, and occasional support delays during peak periods.
The5ers responds to Trustpilot reviews consistently, including negative ones. The responses address specific complaints rather than copy-pasting templates. That engagement pattern matches firms like HyroTrader and Tradeify — firms that take reputation seriously.
Payout Track Record and Community Verification
The $43M+ payout figure is verified through Riseworks, but PayoutJunction notes their tracking isn't comprehensive. The real number is likely higher, but I'd like to see The5ers publish detailed monthly payout reports like some competitors do. Total transparency builds trust faster than aggregate numbers.
Payout methods include crypto (USDT TRC20, USDC ERC20, ETH, LTC) for amounts under $1,500 and Rise for larger amounts. Processing happens bi-weekly with 1-3 business days turnaround. Community confirmation across Discord, Reddit, and Trustpilot consistently validates that payouts land as expected — the complaints are about speed, not reliability.
Concerns I'm Monitoring
The futures beta is a wild card. Launching a new product vertical with an unknown platform is a risk for the firm's reputation. If Black Arrow has execution issues or the futures rules are poorly calibrated, it could damage The5ers' 10-year credibility with FX traders. I'd rather they nail the launch slowly than rush it.
The Bootcamp drawdown reduction (5% to 4% when funded) deserves more transparency. This rule should be highlighted during the purchase process, not buried in the terms. Traders who discover it after passing three phases feel misled — and several Trustpilot reviews confirm this.
Total verified payouts ($43M+) trail every major competitor despite operating for a decade. FundedNext hit $261M+ in roughly three years. FundingPips passed $180M+ in two years. Either The5ers is smaller than it appears, or the payout tracking doesn't capture everything. The Riseworks verification note about incomplete tracking suggests the latter, but the optics aren't great against newer firms with larger reported numbers.
How This Firm Compares To Other Ones
The5ers sits in an unusual position: it's primarily an FX/CFD firm with a brand-new futures addition. That means it competes against FX firms like FundingPips, FundedNext, and GoatFundedTrader on one side, and against futures specialists like Lucid Trading, Tradeify, and TakeProfitTrader on the other. No firm truly dominates both categories, so I've included all seven for a complete picture.
Where The5ers Wins
Longest track record in the industry. Ten years of operation through every market cycle, regulatory shift, and industry shakeout. When prop firms were shutting down in 2023 and 2024, The5ers kept paying. That stability matters more than most traders realize. If you're building a multi-year funded trading career, the firm's survival probability is a real factor.
Live capital accounts are a genuine differentiator. When your funded account trades on real capital with actual liquidity providers, execution quality and fill integrity improve. Most prop firms run sim accounts where the firm controls the price feed. The5ers puts real money on the line. That aligns their incentives with your success in a way sim accounts never can.
Zero consistency rules across all programs. FundedNext enforces 40% consistency on futures-funded accounts. GoatFundedTrader runs 15% consistency on most accounts. Even Lucid Trading applies 50% consistency during evaluation. The5ers doesn't restrict how you distribute your profits across trading days. Period. For swing traders or traders who concentrate on high-conviction setups, this is the strongest single feature.
Highest Trustpilot rating among major firms. 4.9/5 across 20,636 reviews beats every firm in this comparison on the quality metric. FundedNext has more reviews but a lower rating. Lucid Trading matches the quality but with fewer reviews. GoatFundedTrader sits at 3.4 with Trustpilot flagging guideline breaches — which should concern anyone considering them.
Where The5ers Loses
Payout speed is the weakest in the comparison. Bi-weekly processing in 1-3 business days puts The5ers dead last. Lucid Trading averages 15 minutes. Tradeify processes payouts within hours, including weekends. TakeProfitTrader pays daily. Even FundingPips offers weekly payouts with on-demand available. If payout speed matters to you, The5ers is the worst choice in this lineup.
Futures beta can't compete with established futures firms. Lucid Trading, Tradeify, and TakeProfitTrader each have months to years of proven futures payout history, multiple platform options, and detailed rule sets. The5ers futures is day one, one platform, no pricing data. Don't choose The5ers for futures in 2026.
Total verified payouts trail every major competitor. $43M+ sounds significant until you compare it to FundedNext's $261M+, FundingPips' $180M+, or Tradeify's $125M+. Ten years of operation with $43M in payouts raises a question about scale. The Riseworks verification note about incomplete tracking suggests the real number is higher, but the optics aren't great against newer firms with bigger reported numbers.
50% starting split on Bootcamp and Hyper Growth. FundingPips gives you 80% from day one. Lucid Trading starts at 90%. Even FundedNext's 60% starting split on FX is better than The5ers' budget programs. The High Stakes 80% is competitive, but the budget programs give away too much profit.
My Recommendation by Trader Type
Want the most established, lowest-risk FX prop firm? The5ers is the clear pick. Ten years, $43M+ paid, 4.9 Trustpilot, live capital accounts. No other FX firm matches that combination of trust signals.
Want cheap entry to test your FX strategy? The5ers Bootcamp at $22 gets you in the door for less than any alternative. Just know the funded rules are strict — read every line before you buy.
Want fast payouts and futures trading? Skip The5ers entirely. Lucid Trading, Tradeify, or TakeProfitTrader all process payouts faster and have established futures infrastructure. The5ers futures beta isn't ready.
Want zero rules and swing trading freedom? The5ers High Stakes with zero consistency and static drawdown is ideal for position traders who hold for days or weeks. FundedNext's 40% consistency on futures and TakeProfitTrader's day-trading focus would kill that approach.
I'm testing The5ers because I value the live capital model and ten-year track record above everything else. The bi-weekly payouts sting compared to my Tradeify and Lucid Trading accounts. But knowing my fills interact with real market liquidity — and that the firm has survived a full decade — gives me confidence that the money will be there when I need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The5ers and how does it work?
The5ers is an FX/CFD prop firm founded in 2016 in Israel, with a new futures beta launched February 2026. Pass a multi-step evaluation (Bootcamp, High Stakes, or Hyper Growth), get funded with live capital, and earn 50-100% of your profits. The firm has processed $43M+ in verified payouts through Riseworks.
How much does a The5ers challenge cost?
High Stakes: $39 (5K) to $545 (100K). Hyper Growth: $260 (5K) and up. Bootcamp: $22 ($20K) to $225 ($250K) upfront, plus an additional fee when funded. All fees are one-time and refundable with your first payout.
How do I start trading with The5ers?
Pick a program (High Stakes recommended), select your account size, pay the one-time fee, and start your evaluation. No time limit on any program. Pass the profit targets without breaching drawdown or daily loss limits, and you'll receive a funded live capital account.
What's the drawdown rule at The5ers?
All programs use static drawdown — the loss limit is calculated from your initial balance and never trails upward. High Stakes: 10%. Hyper Growth: 6%. Bootcamp: 5% during evaluation, dropping to 4% when funded. Static drawdown means profitable equity peaks don't reduce your remaining room.
Is there a daily loss limit at The5ers?
High Stakes has a 5% hard daily loss limit — breach it and the account is terminated. Hyper Growth and funded Bootcamp use a 3% daily pause, meaning trading stops for the day but the account survives. Bootcamp evaluation has no daily loss limit at all.
Does The5ers have a consistency rule?
No. Zero consistency rules across all three programs. No caps on best trading day percentages, no minimum profit-per-day requirements, and no forced distribution of profits. This is one of The5ers' strongest features and rare among FX prop firms.
How fast are The5ers payouts?
Payouts process bi-weekly with 1-3 business days turnaround. Crypto (USDT, USDC, ETH, LTC) for amounts under $1,500 and Rise for larger amounts. This is slower than most competitors — Lucid Trading averages 15 minutes, Tradeify processes within hours.
What's the profit split at The5ers?
High Stakes starts at 80% and scales to 100%. Bootcamp starts at 50%, climbing through 75% and 80% to 100% at the $2.5M funding level. Hyper Growth starts at 50% and increases through milestones. High Stakes offers the best starting split by far.
Can I withdraw daily from The5ers?
No. The5ers operates on a bi-weekly payout schedule. You can request a withdrawal every two weeks during the payout window, with processing taking 1-3 business days after approval. For daily payouts, look at Tradeify Select Daily or TakeProfitTrader instead.
Is The5ers better than FundingPips?
FundingPips offers lower pricing ($444 vs $545 for 100K), 80% starting split across all programs, and weekly payouts. The5ers wins on track record (10 years vs 3 years), Trustpilot rating (4.9 vs 4.5), and live capital accounts. Choose FundingPips for faster payouts. Choose The5ers for stability and live execution.
Is The5ers legit or a scam?
The5ers is one of the most established prop firms in the industry. Founded 2016, operated by Five Percent Online LTD (Israel), part of a group including a Cyprus-regulated CFD brokerage. Trustpilot: 4.9/5 across 20,636 reviews. $43M+ in verified payouts. Won FXEmpire's Best Prop Trading Firm 2025 award.
Can I scalp with The5ers?
Yes, scalping is allowed on all programs. The only restriction is the 2-minute news window on High Stakes where profits from trades opened during high-impact events get deducted. Standard scalping outside news events works fine with no minimum hold time.
What instruments can I trade at The5ers?
FX pairs (majors, minors, exotics), indices (US30, US100, US500, etc.), commodities (gold, silver, oil), and crypto CFDs. The futures beta adds gold, silver, and NASDAQ futures. Leverage varies by instrument and program — 1:100 on High Stakes FX, lower on everything else.
How many accounts can I have at The5ers?
High Stakes: 3 accounts maximum. Hyper Growth: 4 accounts maximum. Bootcamp: 3 accounts maximum. Different programs can run simultaneously. Bootcamp requires different strategies on each account if holding multiples.
Is The5ers futures program worth trying?
Not yet. The futures beta launched February 19, 2026 on Black Arrow — an unproven platform with no public pricing or detailed rules. For futures trading, I'd recommend Lucid Trading, Tradeify, or TakeProfitTrader until The5ers has at least 6 months of operational data and community payout confirmations.