Best Prop Firms for US Traders in 2026: 12 Firms That Actually Accept Americans
Most prop firms quietly reject applicants living in the United States, and the reason has nothing to do with skill - it is regulatory exposure for the firm, not risk from the trader. We checked the acceptance policy of every firm in our database against its own terms and support responses, not just its marketing copy. This is the list of prop firms that actually accept US traders, ranked on the same profit split, drawdown, payout speed and cost model we use everywhere else on this site.
The short answer
- Best overall: Lucid Trading — EOD drawdown, 90% split, ~15-minute payouts, no VPN required.
- Most established: Topstep — paying US traders since 2012, more than $1.4B reported paid out.
- Still trading forex: FTMO review — the only forex firm we confirm accepts US residents, via its OANDA acquisition.
Best prop firms for US traders 2026 at a glance
| # | Firm | Market | Split | Drawdown | Payout | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucid Trading | Futures | 90% | EOD | 15 min | Best Overall for US Traders |
| 2 | Topstep | Futures | 90% | $2,000-$4,500 trailing | Same day-3 days | Most Established for US Traders |
| 3 | Tradeify | Futures | 90% | EOD Trailing | 1 hour | Best Value for US Traders |
| 4 | TopOne Futures | Futures | 100% first $20,000, then 90% | EOD trailing, locks | Under 24 hours | Best Profit Split for US Traders |
| 5 | FundedSeat | Futures | 90% | $1,000-$4,500 EOD | ~5 hours | Fastest Payouts for US Traders |
| 6 | FTMO | Forex | 80%, up to 90% | 10% (5% daily) | ~8 hours | Best US-Friendly Forex Firm |
| 7 | MyFundedFutures | Futures | 80-90% | $1,100-$4,600 EOD | Daily (Rapid) | Best Reviewed by US Traders |
| 8 | Apex Trader Funding | Futures | 100% | $1,000-$4,000 trailing | 5-11 business days | Highest Volume for US Traders |
| 9 | TradeDay | Futures | Up to 95% | Trailing or static | Next business day | Best for Consistency Traders |
| 10 | Earn2Trade | Futures | 80% above buffer | EOD Trailing | Weekly | Best Track Record & Education |
All firms shown explicitly accept US-based traders. Figures update automatically from our firm database.
The 10 best prop firms for US traders, reviewed
Lucid Trading tops this list for the same reason it tops our futures ranking: an end-of-day drawdown that only judges you on where the session closes, a 90% profit split, and payouts that clear in roughly 15 minutes. For a US trader specifically, the appeal is simplicity - accounts fund in USD, checkout accepts US cards without friction, and there is no VPN or workaround required anywhere in the signup flow. Lucid has published more than $400 million paid to traders and holds a 4.8 Trustpilot rating, though it only launched in early 2025, so its track record is shorter than Topstep's or Apex's.
Best for: US-based day traders who want the most forgiving drawdown rule and the fastest payout on this list.
Watch out: Futures only, and the firm's short operating history means less multi-year payout evidence than the oldest names here.
Topstep has been paying American futures traders since 2012, longer than any other firm on this page, and reports more than $1.4 billion paid out over that period. That track record is the entire pitch: conservative rules, a $2,000-$4,500 trailing drawdown depending on account size, and a 90% split that now matches the best in the sector. The catch is billing - Topstep charges monthly rather than a one-time fee, so a slow Combine gets expensive - and its Trustpilot score slipped from roughly 4.5 to 3.6 during the 2025 migration to its own TopstepX platform. For a first funded account, the brand recognition and history still outweigh that dip.
Best for: First-time US traders who want the most recognized name and the longest verifiable payment history.
Watch out: Monthly billing punishes a slow evaluation, and the consistency rule blocks traders whose edge is a few big days.
Tradeify sells the same 90% split and end-of-day trailing drawdown as Lucid at roughly a third of the price - a $100K account runs $159, discounted from $265 with code AUG. Payouts process in about an hour, and the Lightning instant-funding route lets a US trader skip the evaluation entirely and buy straight into a funded account. It is the firm we'd point a budget-conscious American trader to first, specifically because the low entry price makes running two or three accounts in parallel realistic rather than theoretical.
Best for: US traders on a budget who want to run multiple funded accounts instead of committing everything to one.
Watch out: The Select evaluation track enforces a consistency rule, and instant funding costs more per dollar of buying power.
TopOne Futures is a Wyoming-registered entity, which matters more to a US trader than it sounds - it is one of the few firms on this list actually incorporated inside the country whose traders it serves. Commercially, it backs that up with the most generous terms we found anywhere: 100% of your first $20,000 in profit, then a flat 90% split on every account after that, with no minimum trading days during the evaluation. Withdrawals clear in under 24 hours and it holds a 4.8 Trustpilot rating, though it only launched in 2025, so treat the current 25%-off pricing as promotional rather than fixed.
Best for: US traders who want the largest possible first payout and the reassurance of a domestically registered firm.
Watch out: Young firm - confirm pricing at checkout, and the generous terms have not yet been tested through a full market cycle.
FundedSeat guarantees payouts in roughly five hours, daily from day one, on a consistent end-of-day drawdown that scales from $1,000 to $4,500 by account size and locks permanently once profit clears it by $100. For a US trader who treats a funded account as regular income rather than a lottery ticket, that predictability is the entire value proposition - you know when the money lands, every time. The 90% split applies from the first payout and news trading is permitted across every model.
Best for: US traders who withdraw often and need to know exactly when a payout will clear.
Watch out: Launched around 2025, the youngest firm in this top five, and only the $50K price is published upfront.
FTMO is the one genuine forex option on this page, and it only qualifies because of a structural change: its December 2025 acquisition of OANDA routes the US offering through NFA-regulated infrastructure for the first time in the firm's history. If your edge is currency pairs rather than futures contracts, FTMO is the only forex name we can currently confirm accepts American residents, backed by the deepest track record and largest scrutinized history in forex prop trading. The 2-Step Challenge fee is refunded once you pass and take a payout, which makes it effectively free for a trader who succeeds.
Best for: US-based forex traders who want the biggest, most established brand and a refundable challenge fee.
Watch out: Confirm the current US onboarding flow directly with FTMO before paying, since the OANDA route is new and still settling.
MyFundedFutures carries the strongest independent review profile of any US-accepting firm we track: 4.9 on Trustpilot across more than 21,000 reviews, a larger and higher-scoring base than Topstep or Apex. It sells four plan families rather than one evaluation - Rapid pays 90/10 with daily payout access, Pro pays 80/20 with a 14-day hold - and every plan runs a single-step evaluation with no activation fee. For a US trader who wants social proof before committing, this is the deepest evidence base on this list.
Best for: US traders who weigh independent reviews heavily before choosing where to fund an account.
Watch out: Standard plans renew every 30 days rather than as a one-time fee - only Rapid EOD is genuinely one-time.
Apex is the highest-volume futures prop firm serving the US market, with more than $700 million reported paid to traders since 2021 and a 4.2 Trustpilot rating across roughly 20,000 reviews - the largest review base in the sector. Its evaluation is the most permissive here: one step, no minimum trading days, a 100% profit split, and a one-time fee that goes on sale for 50-90% off roughly twice a month. The tradeoff sits on the funded side - a hard ceiling of six payouts per account before it closes, and processing that runs 5 to 11 business days.
Best for: US traders who expect to need a few attempts, or who want to run several accounts at once - Apex allows up to 20.
Watch out: Six payouts per account then it closes, and payout processing is the slowest among the firms ranked here.
TradeDay strips its rulebook down to one hard requirement - do not breach the trailing maximum drawdown - and applies no daily loss limit on any account, evaluation or funded. It also offers a static drawdown option, rare among US-accepting firms, and drops the consistency rule entirely once funded. The split tiers up to 95%, the highest on this page, and it holds a 4.6 Trustpilot rating across more than 1,200 reviews. Billing is monthly, so a slow evaluation compounds in cost.
Best for: Methodical US traders who want the widest drawdown buffer and the fewest hidden rules.
Watch out: Monthly billing means a slow pass costs more than the sticker price suggests.
Earn2Trade has operated since 2016, the second-longest run of any US-accepting firm behind Topstep, and pairs its evaluation with the most complete trader education program in the sector. The Gauntlet Mini uses an end-of-day trailing drawdown and the Trader Career Path scales accounts from $50K to $400K. The tradeoff is economics: both products bill monthly, and the split is 80% above your buffer but only 50% below it - noticeably less generous than the firms ranked above it.
Best for: US traders who want structured education alongside the evaluation, not just a pass/fail test.
Watch out: Weekly payout cycle and a below-buffer split of only 50% make this a track-record pick, not a value pick.
Why so few prop firms accept US traders
The exclusion has nothing to do with an American trader's skill or risk profile. It is regulatory exposure for the firm. Most prop firms sell an over-the-counter CFD-style product through an offshore or European entity, and offering that product to US residents can trigger CFTC and NFA registration requirements that most firms are not licensed for. Rather than pursue that licensing, most forex-style firms simply exclude US applicants outright - The5ers, SpiceProp, FundedNext, FTMO's own older policy and dozens of others all carry the same blanket restriction.
Futures prop firms sidestep the problem entirely, because the product itself is different. A funded futures account trades contracts listed on a regulated US exchange - the CME being the obvious example - through the same simulated or live infrastructure regardless of where the trader lives. There is no separate CFTC filing required to let a US resident trade a CME-listed contract in a sim account, which is why the large majority of the firms on this page are futures specialists rather than forex firms.
Forex vs. futures: which route actually works if you live in the US
If you already trade currency pairs and want to stay in that market, your options are genuinely narrow. FTMO is currently the only forex firm on this list we can confirm accepts US residents, and only since its December 2025 acquisition of OANDA gave it NFA-regulated US infrastructure. Every other well-known forex prop firm we track - FTMO's older policy included, FundedNext, FundingPips, FunderPro, The Concept Trading, The5ers, SpiceProp - excludes US traders outright, some alongside Canada and Japan as well.
If you are willing to trade futures instead, the field opens up dramatically. Roughly two dozen futures firms in our database accept US traders as a default policy rather than an exception, and the best of them - Lucid Trading, Topstep, Tradeify, TopOne Futures - now match or beat forex firms on profit split and payout speed while trading on a centrally cleared exchange rather than an OTC dealer book.
Only trading futures? Read the deeper ranking
This page covers every US-friendly firm across both markets. If futures is your instrument and you want the full breakdown - all 20+ futures firms scored on the same formula, plus drawdown models and platform coverage - we cover it in more depth on our dedicated futures ranking.
Read Best Futures Prop Firms 2026 →What to check before you fund an account as a US trader
- Confirm the firm's acceptance policy directly on its own terms page, not just marketing copy - policies change, and FTMO's 2025 reversal is proof they can change in your favor without warning
- Verify accounts fund and pay out in USD, so you are not absorbing a currency conversion spread on every withdrawal
- Check whether the firm requires a US bank account, accepts crypto payouts, or supports both
- Ask what identity verification is required - a US Social Security Number is standard, but confirm before you pay an evaluation fee
- Understand that funded-account profit is trading income you are responsible for reporting to the IRS - this is not tax advice, and you should confirm the correct treatment with a qualified tax professional
Profit splits and payout speed for US-friendly firms
90% is now the working standard among firms that accept US traders, matching the broader prop trading market. Lucid Trading, Tradeify, TopOne Futures (after your first $20,000), FundedSeat, Legacy Funded Futures and Bulenox all pay 90%, TradeDay tiers to 95%, and Apex advertises 100% on its current structure - though its six-payout ceiling per account is the real limit on total earnings, not the headline split.
Payout speed is where the real gap sits. Lucid Trading and Legacy Funded Futures both clear in roughly 15 minutes, Tradeify in about an hour, FundedSeat guarantees five hours, and TopOne Futures processes in under 24 hours. FTMO, the one forex option, pays in about 8 hours. At the slower end, Apex runs 5 to 11 business days and Earn2Trade pays weekly. If you plan to treat a funded account as regular income, that spread affects your cash flow more than a five-point difference in profit split.
Which US-friendly prop firm should you choose?
Match the firm to how you actually trade and what you value, not to the biggest headline number:
You want the single most forgiving rule set
EOD drawdown, 90% split, 15-minute payouts
This is your first-ever funded account
Since 2012, $1.4B+ paid, the most recognized US brand
You want the same terms at a third of the price
90% split from $159 for a $100K account
You still trade currency pairs, not futures
The only confirmed US-accepting forex firm
You want a domestically registered US entity
Wyoming-registered, 100% of your first $20,000
Independent reviews matter most to you
4.9 Trustpilot across 21,000+ reviews
Red flags to check before you pay
Before you buy an evaluation as a US trader
Also worth considering
These firms missed the top ten but win on one specific dimension. Every US-accepting firm we track is filterable on the comparison table.
UK-based but accepts US traders, and carries a 4.9 Trustpilot rating - level with MyFundedFutures at the top of the sector by review score. Its Zero plan removes the consistency rule and the activation fee entirely, one of very few evaluations anywhere without one. Founded in 2024, so the track record is short next to Topstep's or Earn2Trade's.
The most permissive payout terms among US-accepting firms - withdraw from day one with no window and no cap. PRO pays 80/20 on an intraday drawdown; PRO+ moves to 90/10 with an end-of-day drawdown and no buffer. Billed monthly rather than as a one-time fee.
One of the cheapest routes to a funded US account, with evaluations from around $50, and pays 100% of your first $10,000 on sim-funded accounts before moving to 90/10. Also one of the few firms here permitting overnight holds and news trading on sim-funded accounts.
Six account types and a 4.4 Trustpilot rating, with daily payouts Monday through Friday on an EOD trailing or static drawdown. The Direct 2 Funded route starts at only a 50% split before scaling to 80%, well below the evaluation-route terms.
A 90% split with payouts processing in roughly 15 minutes, joint-fastest with Lucid Trading, plus crypto withdrawal support and acceptance in 160+ countries. Billed monthly, and the evaluation carries a hard 60-day expiry rather than just costing more.
A cheap entry point at $59 for a $50K Starter account with an 80% split rising to 90% on $100K and larger, and payouts clearing in about 24 hours through Rise. A 4.1 Trustpilot rating on a smaller review base than the firms ranked above.
A 4.7 Trustpilot rating across roughly 1,700 reviews and a 90% split, with weekly Wednesday payouts. Smaller review volume than Apex or MyFundedFutures, so there is less public evidence to draw on, though what exists is consistently positive.
The cheapest US-accepting account on this page - a $100K evaluation runs about $29.90 with the standing BOGO90 code. It is a multi-asset firm with forex-style percentage drawdowns rather than the fixed-dollar thresholds futures specialists use, and a 20% best-day payout cap is a strict consistency rule. Worth thirty dollars as an experiment, harder to justify as a primary account.
Best prop firms for US traders 2026: FAQ
What are the best prop firms for US traders in 2026?
Lucid Trading ranks first for US traders on our scoring model, with an end-of-day drawdown, 90% profit split and roughly 15-minute payouts. Topstep is the most established option with the longest US track record since 2012, and Tradeify is the better pick if price is the deciding factor, at $159 for a $100K account with the same 90% split.
Which prop firms accept US traders?
Roughly two dozen firms in our database accept US-based traders as standard policy, and almost all of them are futures specialists - Lucid Trading, Topstep, Tradeify, TopOne Futures, FundedSeat, Apex Trader Funding, MyFundedFutures, TradeDay and Earn2Trade among them. FTMO is currently the only forex firm we can confirm accepts US traders, following its December 2025 acquisition of OANDA.
Why do so many prop firms reject American traders?
It is a regulatory decision by the firm, not a reflection of the trader. Offering an OTC forex or CFD-style product to US residents can trigger CFTC and NFA registration requirements that most European and offshore prop firms are not licensed for, so they exclude US applicants entirely rather than pursue that licensing. Futures prop firms avoid this because the underlying product trades on a regulated US exchange regardless of where the trader lives.
Are prop firms legal for US residents to use?
Yes. Trading a funded simulated or live futures account through a firm that explicitly accepts US residents is legal. What varies is which specific firms are open to you - always verify the acceptance policy on the firm's own terms page rather than a third-party blog, since policies do change.
Do US traders need a VPN to use a prop firm?
No, and you should not use one. Every firm ranked on this page accepts US traders openly, with no VPN or workaround required at signup. Using a VPN to access a firm that explicitly excludes US residents violates that firm's terms and can void a payout, so it is not a workaround worth taking.
Can US traders trade forex prop firms, or only futures?
Overwhelmingly futures. FTMO is the only forex prop firm on our list currently confirmed to accept US residents, through its December 2025 acquisition of OANDA and the NFA-regulated infrastructure that came with it. Every other major forex firm we track, including FundedNext, FundingPips, FunderPro and The5ers, excludes US traders outright.
How is prop firm funded-account profit taxed for US traders?
Funded-account payouts are trading income and are generally your responsibility to report to the IRS, though the exact treatment depends on your individual situation and the firm's structure. This is not tax advice - confirm the correct reporting approach with a qualified US tax professional before you rely on any generalization, including this one.
Which US-friendly prop firm has the fastest payouts?
Lucid Trading and Legacy Funded Futures both process in roughly 15 minutes, the fastest among firms confirmed to accept US traders. Tradeify follows at about an hour and FundedSeat guarantees five hours. FTMO, the one US-accepting forex firm, pays in about 8 hours.
Is FTMO available to US traders now?
Yes, as of its December 2025 acquisition of OANDA, which routes FTMO's US offering through NFA-regulated infrastructure for the first time. FTMO historically excluded US traders entirely, so if you were rejected before, it is worth checking current terms directly with FTMO rather than assuming the old policy still applies.
Our verdict for 2026
If you want one answer: start with Lucid Trading for the most forgiving rules and the fastest payout, or Topstep if you want the longest verified history of paying American traders. Either way, confirm the acceptance policy on the firm's own terms page before you pay - it is the one detail that changes without warning.
Compare all 24 US-friendly firms →Keep reading
Best futures prop firms 2026
The full futures-only ranking, if that's your specific market.
Firm reviewLucid Trading review 2026
EOD drawdown, 90% split and 15-minute payouts, tested.
Firm reviewTopstep review 2026
The most established US prop firm, rules and pricing.
Firm reviewFTMO review 2026
What the OANDA acquisition changed for US traders.
How we scoreOur ranking methodology
The weighted formula behind every position on this page.
DealsVerified prop firm coupon codes
Every active discount we have confirmed this month.