Prop Firm Rankings

How Our Prop Firm Rankings Work

The Empire PropFirm ranking system is the most comprehensive and transparent leaderboard in the prop trading industry. Every firm listed on our platform is evaluated using a standardized, data-driven methodology that removes subjective bias and ensures traders can make informed decisions based on verifiable metrics. Our rankings are not sponsored, not pay-to-play, and not influenced by affiliate relationships. The position a firm occupies is determined entirely by its performance across our scoring criteria.

The Trust Index: Our Core Scoring Model

At the heart of our ranking system sits the Trust Index, a composite score ranging from 0 to 100 that distills four critical factors into a single, comparable number. Trader ratings contribute 40% of the score, reflecting the collective experience of the community. Years in operation account for 30%, ensuring that longevity and consistency are rewarded. Verified status adds 10%, confirming that our editorial team has independently validated the firm's regulatory standing, payout track record, and operational legitimacy. Finally, review volume contributes 20% on a logarithmic scale, meaning that the first hundred reviews carry far more weight than the next thousand, preventing manipulation through sheer volume.

Six Categories, Six Perspectives

Not every trader values the same attributes in a prop firm. A scalper cares deeply about strategy freedom, while a conservative swing trader might prioritize payout speed and profit split. That is why we rank firms across 6 distinct categories, each using a different sorting criterion:

• Trust Index — Ranked by our composite trust score based on ratings, experience, verification, and review volume
• Best Profit Split — Firms offering the highest profit share to traders
• Most Reviewed — The most popular firms based on community review count
• Best for Beginners — Firms with the most beginner-friendly offerings: low cost, flexible strategies, and high splits
• Fastest Payouts — Firms that process payouts the fastest after passing
• Strategy Friendly — Firms that allow the most trading strategies (EAs, scalping, news, hedging, etc.)

Why Rankings Matter for Traders

The prop trading industry has grown rapidly, and with that growth comes an overwhelming number of options. There are now over 100 prop firms operating globally, each with its own fee structure, challenge rules, profit split model, and payout policies. Without a standardized comparison framework, traders are left to rely on marketing claims, social media hype, or anecdotal recommendations. Our rankings solve this problem by applying the same objective criteria to every firm, giving you a clear picture of where each company stands relative to its competitors.

Rankings also serve as an early warning system. A firm that begins dropping in the Trust Index may be experiencing payout delays, accumulating negative reviews, or losing its verified status. By monitoring ranking movements over time, experienced traders can identify emerging risks before they become costly. Conversely, a rising firm signals improving service quality and growing trader satisfaction.

Methodology Transparency

We believe that a ranking system is only as valuable as the methodology behind it. That is why we publish our scoring formula openly: Trust Index = (Rating x 8) + (min(Years, 5) x 6) + (Verified x 10) + (min(log10(Reviews) x 10, 20)). The cap on years at five prevents legacy firms from coasting on history alone. The logarithmic scale on reviews ensures that quality feedback matters more than quantity. And the verification bonus rewards firms that voluntarily submit to our due diligence process, which includes confirming withdrawal proof, regulatory filings, and operational consistency.

Every data point feeding into the rankings is sourced from our own database of trader reviews, firm profiles, and editorial verification processes. We do not import scores from third-party aggregators, and we do not allow firms to self-report their metrics without independent validation. This closed-loop approach ensures data integrity and prevents the garbage-in, garbage-out problem that plagues other comparison sites.