Prop firm vs self-funded cost
Prop challenges look cheap until you count the resets. This calculator runs the actual math: expected attempts, total eval cost, and how long the funded-account profit takes to pay it back vs trading your own money.
Prop path
Expected attempts: 4.0
Total eval cost: $2,000
Monthly profit (after split): $3,200
Months to recover eval cost: 0.6
Self-funded path
Lump-sum required: $100,000
Monthly profit (100% yours): $4,000
Profit advantage vs prop: $800/mo
Months until self-funded edge equals total eval cost: 2.5
Prop is cheaper when months-to-recover-eval-cost is shorter than what you can wait for. Self-funded wins on capital-light operators with patience and on operators with a long runway of profitable attempts.
How to use this calculator
- Enter target funded capital. The account size the prop firm gives you after you pass. e.g. $100,000.
- Enter the eval fee. What one attempt costs. Most $100k challenges run $400–$600.
- Enter your realistic pass-rate. Not the firm-quoted pass-rate — your honest historical rate. Most operators land 20–35% per attempt.
- Enter the firm split. Default 80% reflects most live firms in 2026. Some scale higher with consistency.
- Enter expected monthly return. On the funded account. 2–5% monthly is the realistic range; anything above is exceptional.
FAQ
- Why does my pass-rate matter so much?
- A 50% pass-rate doubles the expected attempts and roughly doubles total eval cost. A 25% rate quadruples it. Most operators underestimate this.
- Should I just trade my own money instead?
- If you have it. Self-funded keeps 100% of profit but risks 100% of capital. Prop limits downside to the eval fee but caps upside at the split.
- What about scaling plans?
- Most firms scale account size on consistency. This calculator measures the time-to-breakeven on the first funded account, not the lifetime value of scaling.
- Does this account for the fact that I might never pass?
- Indirectly — your pass-rate input drives the expected attempts. If you input 5%, expected attempts is 20 and total cost is 20× eval fee.
- What's a healthy months-to-breakeven number?
- < 3 months: prop is clearly cheaper. 3–9 months: it depends on your capital availability. > 9 months: self-funded with patience often wins.
sections.relatedTitle
Share this calculator with the current inputs: copy the URL above. To embed in your own blog or site, append ?embed=1 to the URL and use it as an iframe src, or grab a ready-to-paste snippet from the embed snippet page.