What trading strategies are prohibited at The 5%ers, is martingale allowed, and are there any lot size limits?
💡 Answer
Martingale Allowed?No
Prohibited Strategies
The 5%ers forbids practices such as one-sided betting without regard to market conditions, exploiting price discrepancies (arbitrage), trading bracket strategies around high-impact news, and exploiting system errors like price display inaccuracies or update delays. These behaviours are considered abusive and can lead to immediate account closure.
Lot Size Limits:
The 5%ers does not publish a fixed maximum lot size, but it enforces risk and behaviour checks. Oversized positions relative to account size or historical behaviour, or using extreme lot sizes to hit targets quickly, may be flagged and can lead to violations under the firm’s risk and conduct rules.
The complete list of allowed and prohibited trading strategies is available on The 5%ers official website.
More FAQs about The 5%ers
- Are expert advisors (EAs), news trading, weekend trading, and copy trading allowed at The 5%ers, and which strategies are prohibited?
- What payment methods does The 5%ers accept, and what is its refund policy?
- How do payouts work at The 5%ers, including minimum payout, payout frequency, processing time, and payout methods?
- What is the maximum profit split offered by The 5%ers?
- What assets and markets can traders trade at The 5%ers?
- What leverage does The 5%ers offer for forex, indices, metals, and crypto trading?
- What trading platforms does The 5%ers support, and which broker does it use?
- What are the trading conditions at The 5%ers regarding spread quality, commissions, and slippage policy?
- What type of drawdown does The 5%ers use for its trading accounts?
- What risk management and consistency rules must traders follow at The 5%ers?
- What program types does The 5%ers offer to traders?
- What challenge structure does The 5%ers use for its evaluation process?
- What is the maximum funding offered by The 5%ers, and is a scaling plan available for traders?
- What is the current Trustpilot rating and number of reviews for The 5%ers?
- What program types are available at The 5%ers?
- What are the account limits at The 5%ers, including the maximum number of accounts, account merging rules, and lot size limits?
- Is KYC required at The 5%ers, and at which stage does identity verification take place?
- Are there any restricted countries at The 5%ers?
Guides Where The 5%ers Is Featured
- Prop Firms Offering Metals Trading
- Prop Firms With cTrader Platform
- Prop Firms with More Than 250 Trustpilot Reviews
- Prop Firms With Trustpilot rating of 3.7 or higher
- Top Prop Firms That Accept Clients From Chile
These guides include The 5%ers alongside other prop firms, grouped by trading features, platforms, availability, and trader requirements.
The 5%ers vs Top One Trader vs DNA Funded - Prop Firm Comparison (April 2026)
Side-by-side comparison of The 5%ers vs Top One Trader vs DNA Funded. Quickly scan maximum funding, profit splits, risk rules, leverage, platforms, instruments, payout schedules, payment options, trading permissions and KYC restrictions to narrow down your prop trading firm shortlist. Data updated April 2026.
|
The 5%ers
The 5%ers is an established prop firm offering Bootcamp, High Stakes, and Hyper Growth programs, combining structured evaluations, strong education and community, scaling up to $4M, and profit splits that can reach 100%, with varied rule sets and limited spread...
|
Top One Trader
Top One Trader is a fast-growing prop firm offering simple 1-step and 2-step evaluations plus instant funding and Instant Prime accounts, with low-cost challenges, straightforward rules, EquityShield risk protection and profit splits that can reach 100% while scaling up to...
|
DNA Funded
DNA Funded is a broker-backed Australian prop firm partnered with DNA Markets that lets traders choose between 1-step, 2-step, rapid 10-day challenges and instant funding, with 80%–90% profit splits, access to 800+ CFD markets via TradeLocker, and combined simulated funding...
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 24,852 | 3,109 | 86 |
| Headquarters | ISRAEL | United States | Australia |
| Age (Years) | N/A | 3 | N/A |
| Max Funding | $4,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $600,000 |
| Profit Split Start | 50% | 60% | 80% |
| Profit Split Max | 100% | 100% | 90% |
| Platforms | MT5 cTrader Match-Trader | MT5 cTrader Match-Trader TradeLocker | TradeLocker |
| Assets | FX Metals Indices Energy Crypto | FX Metals Indices Commodities Crypto | FX Commodities Indices Stocks Crypto |
| Leverage | |||
| FX Leverage | 100 | 50 | 50 |
| Metals Leverage | 25 | 10 | 10 |
| Crypto Leverage | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Risk & Drawdown Rules | |||
| Max Daily Loss | Maximum Daily LossDaily loss limits at The 5%ers focus on controlling intraday risk, especially within the High Stakes and Bootcamp structures.High Stakes: Daily drawdown limit of 5%, typically calculated from the previous day's closing balance, including both closed and floating PnL.Bootcamp: While the program emphasises a 5% max loss per stage rather than a separate daily cap, traders must still stay comfortably within this limit to avoid breaching.Hyper Growth: Uses a 6% overall loss cap with no separate published daily... | Maximum Daily LossDaily loss limits at Top One Trader are simple but strict: 1-Step and 2-Step accounts usually have a 4% daily loss cap, Instant Funding has a 3% daily loss limit and Instant Prime applies an even tighter 2.5% profile tied to the ESS metric.The daily limit is generally calculated on equity and includes both closed and floating losses; if equity falls beyond the allowed percentage in a single day, the account is considered in breach even if the loss is later recovered. | Maximum Daily LossDaily loss limits at DNA Funded depend on the program. Single Helix uses a 5% max daily drawdown, Double Helix typically applies 6% in Phase 1 and 5% in Phase 2, Rapid Challenge runs with a 4% daily loss cap and Instant Funding does not apply a separate daily limit but is constrained by a tight trailing overall drawdown.The daily loss check is balance- or equity-based around the end-of-day snapshot, and breaching the permitted percentage at any point in the trading day constitutes an account violation. |
| Max Total Loss | Maximum Overall LossThe 5%ers defines maximum overall loss per program to cap total drawdown across each phase or funded account.Bootcamp: 5% max loss at each evaluation step and 4% max loss once funded, measured from the starting balance of the stage.High Stakes: 10% maximum overall loss for each evaluation phase and funded account, with 5% daily drawdown included.Hyper Growth: 6% maximum overall loss throughout the evaluation and funded stages, with positions allowed to be held overnight and over weekends.Breaching the... | Maximum Overall LossOverall loss caps depend on the program: 1-Step FLASH uses a 7% trailing max drawdown, 2-Step PRO uses an 8% static max loss from the starting balance, Instant Funding runs with a 6% trailing drawdown and Instant Prime typically keeps a 5–6% trailing max loss.For trailing accounts, the max loss tracks the highest equity until a payout is taken, at which point the level locks at the initial balance; breaching the max loss at any time results in losing the account. | Maximum Overall LossFor Single Helix, Double Helix and Rapid Challenge, DNA Funded uses static lifetime loss caps, typically around 10% for the main 1-phase and 2-phase models and 5% for Rapid.Instant Funding accounts instead use a 4% trailing overall drawdown that ratchets up as new equity highs are made; if balance or equity falls below this trailing line the account is breached, even if it remains above the initial starting balance. |
| Drawdown Type | Drawdown ModelThe 5%ers uses fixed percentage loss limits rather than trailing equity models. Each program specifies a static maximum loss relative to the starting balance of the phase or funded stage (e.g., 5% or 10% for Bootcamp and High Stakes, 6% for Hyper Growth).Static Limits: Maximum loss is typically defined as a fixed percentage of the starting balance, and includes both closed and floating losses.Program-Specific Caps: Bootcamp and Hyper Growth are structured around relatively conservative overall loss thresholds (4–6%), while... | Drawdown ModelTop One Trader combines static and trailing drawdown models. 2-Step PRO accounts use a simple static 8% max loss from starting balance, while 1-Step FLASH, Instant Funding and Instant Prime rely on trailing max drawdown that follows peak equity and then locks at the starting balance when a payout is requested (Lock Upon Payout rule).The EquityShield risk engine helps enforce these limits by monitoring symbol-level and overall open risk and automatically closing trades if thresholds are exceeded. | Drawdown ModelThe evaluation challenges primarily rely on static drawdown limits calculated from either the initial balance or an end-of-day balance snapshot, while the Instant Funding program uses a classic trailing drawdown that tracks new highs and never resets upward after a payout.In practice this means evaluation traders can stabilise their static loss buffers by growing the account gradually, whereas Instant Funding traders must protect profits more aggressively because the allowed loss band follows their performance. |
| Payouts | |||
| Payout Frequency | Payout FrequencyThe 5%ers provides regular and scalable payout options across its programs.Payouts are generally available on a bi-weekly basis once funded.The minimum withdrawal amount is $150 after the profit split has been applied.Profit splits start around 50% on Bootcamp and 80% on High Stakes and can scale up to 100% as traders progress through the scaling plan.Profits can be left in the account to increase the effective drawdown buffer and support larger position sizes.At higher High Stakes and Bootcamp tiers,... | Payout Frequency1-Step and 2-Step challenge accounts pay out bi-weekly by default, with add-ons available for weekly or instant payouts after the first withdrawal. Instant Funding normally pays monthly, while Instant Prime offers bi-weekly payouts, again with minimum profit of 2% of the initial balance required to request a withdrawal.Profit splits typically start at 80–90% on challenge accounts, 60% on Instant Funding and 80% on Instant Prime, stepping up over successive payouts until they reach as high as 90–100% for long-term, consistent traders. | Payout FrequencyFunded traders at DNA Funded can usually request a payout every 14 days, provided they have traded on at least three separate days and finished the period with a positive balance.With the optional Early Payout Booster, that payout frequency can be shortened to every 7 days on eligible challenges, offering weekly cash flow for consistent performers. |
| Days to First Payout | 14 | 30 | 14 |
| Payout Processing Time | Payout ProcessingThe 5%ers typically processes profit withdrawals on a bi-weekly cycle, with payments sent after approval via Rise, The5ers Visa Card, bank transfer, or cryptocurrencies. Processing times are designed to be prompt, with most payouts completed within a few business days depending on the chosen method and any required compliance checks. | Payout ProcessingPayouts are requested through the Top One Trader dashboard and are routed via Rise (Riseworks) to bank transfer or cryptocurrency. Approved withdrawals are often processed within about 24 hours, although exact timing can vary with the chosen method, weekends and additional compliance checks. | Payout ProcessingPayouts are requested through the DNA Funded dashboard and, once approved, are typically processed within about 1–4 business days, after which arrival time depends on the chosen payment rail.The firm warns that additional time may be needed for bank wires, compliance checks or during periods of high demand, but most crypto withdrawals are completed relatively quickly once released. |
| Payout Methods | Bank Transfer Crypto Rise Platform The5ers Visa Card | Bank Transfer Crypto via Rise (Riseworks) | Crypto International Bank Transfer |
| Payments | |||
| Payment Methods | Apple Pay Bank Transfer Credit/Debit Card Crypto Google Pay PayPal | Credit Card Crypto | Credit Card (Visa Mastercard) Crypto (TRC20 ERC20 BTC) |
| Trading Permissions | |||
| News Trading | News trading is allowed on most The 5%ers programs with important restrictions.Bootcamp and Hyper Growth: News trading is permitted, but placing bracket orders (pending orders around major news purely to capture spikes) is prohibited.High Stakes: Executing orders from 2 minutes before until 2 minutes after high-impact news is not allowed.These rules are intended to prevent abusive event-driven strategies while still allowing normal trading around news where permitted. | News trading rules depend on the program. Evaluations are typically more flexible, but on funded and instant accounts it is prohibited to open, modify or close positions within 5 minutes before or after designated high-impact news on the affected instrument. Instant Prime provides more flexibility when combined with relevant add-ons, but bracket-style and pure spike-catching news strategies are still not allowed. | News trading is permitted in principle, but traders must avoid opening, modifying or closing positions within roughly 10 minutes before and after high-impact economic releases or other designated major events, as defined by calendars such as FXStreet.Pure news scalping, latency or gap exploitation around data releases is prohibited, and violations can lead to profit removal or account closure, especially on funded accounts. |
| Weekend Trades | The 5%ers allows overnight and weekend holding on most instruments across Bootcamp, High Stakes, and Hyper Growth programs, subject to normal market hours and swap rates. Indices may carry higher swaps when held over weekends, and traders should monitor rollover costs carefully. | Overnight and weekend holding is allowed on 1-Step FLASH and 2-Step PRO accounts subject to normal swap charges. Instant Funding accounts require a weekend add-on to hold trades over the close; without it, positions should be closed before markets shut to avoid soft or hard breaches. | Weekend trading rules differ by instrument and program. For most challenges, crypto positions can be opened and managed over the weekend, while positions on other markets may be held but not actively traded while markets are closed.The Rapid and Instant Funding challenges are stricter and generally do not allow weekend trading at all, so traders on these products should ensure positions are closed before the weekly market close. |
| Copy Trading | The 5%ers permits copy trading with clear limitations.Copy trading is allowed for High Stakes and Hyper Growth accounts under defined conditions.Once total managed capital exceeds about $500K, taking identical trades across multiple accounts is no longer allowed.Copying from an external account is only allowed if that account belongs to the same trader; third-party copy trading is not permitted.Copy trading is not allowed between two Bootcamp accounts.The firm also integrates with Prop Firm One, enabling traders to mirror their own strategies... | Manual copy trading is allowed only between your own challenge accounts on supported platforms, and not on funded or instant funded accounts. Copying between different users, mirroring trades across large groups of accounts or hedging between accounts and firms is prohibited. Violations can lead to profit removal, account resets or termination. | Copy trading is tightly controlled at DNA Funded. Copying or mirroring trades from non-DNA accounts, between different users or across multiple profiles is prohibited, and managing other people's accounts is considered a breach.Within a single user's own DNA Funded accounts, limited internal copying may be acceptable, but traders must still respect all risk rules and avoid patterns that resemble large-scale account netting or group trading. |
| EA Allowed | Expert Advisors (EAs) are allowed at The 5%ers as long as they comply with the firm’s terms.EAs must place a stop-loss on every position.EAs must not copy trades from other people’s signals or third-party systems.Tick scalping, latency arbitrage, reverse arbitrage, hedge arbitrage, and emulator-based trading are not allowed.Any account found using EAs that violate these rules can be cancelled, banned, and not refunded across all programs, including Bootcamp and Hyper Growth. | Expert Advisors are allowed on 1-Step FLASH and 2-Step PRO evaluation accounts provided they are customised to the trader, fully disclosed and not commercial grid, martingale, latency or arbitrage systems. EAs are not permitted on funded and instant accounts, where trading is expected to be manual or semi-manual under the firm’s risk rules. | Expert Advisors and algorithmic strategies are allowed on 1 Phase, 2 Phase and Rapid challenge accounts, provided they do not implement banned behaviours such as high-frequency scalping, latency arbitrage, martingale or grid systems.On Instant Funding accounts, EAs and fully automated algos are not permitted; these programs are meant to be traded manually or with very light automation that still reflects the trader's own discretion. |
| KYC & Restrictions | |||
| KYC Required | No | No | Yes |
| KYC Stage | The 5%ers requires standard KYC verification and account checks, particularly before funding accounts and processing withdrawals. Traders should expect to provide identification and relevant documentation in line with regulatory and payment-provider requirements. | Top One Trader applies standard KYC and AML checks. Traders must complete identity verification and, where required, provide proof of address or other documents before receiving funded accounts and before withdrawals are processed through Rise and other payment providers. | DNA Funded applies full KYC for larger withdrawals, requiring a government-issued photo ID, proof of address and a selfie or likeness check through its third-party verification provider.KYC is typically required once withdrawals exceed about $1,000, and failed or unverifiable KYC will result in account closure without refund, as decisions from the external provider cannot be manually overridden. |
| Restricted Countries | Afghanistan Belarus Burundi Central African Republic Crimea Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea Guinea Guinea-Bissau Iran Iraq Israel Laos Lebanon Liberia Libya Myanmar North Korea Palestinian Territory Papua New Guinea Republic of the Congo Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Vanuatu Venezuela Yemen | Afghanistan Albania Algeria Armenia Azerbaijan Crimea (Region of Ukraine) Cuba Iran Iraq Kazakhstan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Macedonia Morocco Pakistan Russia Somalia Sudan Syria Turkey Ukraine Vietnam | Australia Cuba Iran Iraq North Korea Myanmar Russia (including Crimea Donetsk Luhansk and Sevastopol) Somalia Syria Central African Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Guinea-Bissau Sudan South Sudan Afghanistan Lebanon Yemen Zimbabwe Libya |
The 5%ers
Top One Trader
DNA Funded