The5ers Review 2026: A Decade of Trust, 23,000 Reviews, and Up to 100% Profit Split — Is It the Safest Bet in Prop Trading?
Founded in 2016 by Gil Ben-Hur, The5ers has quietly become one of the longest-running prop trading firms in the industry. While newer firms grab headlines with flashy discounts and aggressive marketing, The5ers has built something most competitors never achieve: a decade of continuous operation, 23,105 TrustPilot reviews at a 4.8 rating, and an A+ safety grade on PropFirmMap.
In an industry where firms regularly shut down, rebrand, or get caught buying fake reviews, The5ers's track record is genuinely rare. But does longevity alone make it the right choice for your money? We analyzed every data point we have to find out.
The Trust Factor: Why 10 Years Matters
Let's start with what makes The5ers unique in 2026. Of the 51 active firms on PropFirmMap, only a handful have been operating since before 2020. The5ers was founded in January 2016 — before the prop firm industry even existed in its current form.
Their 23,105 TrustPilot reviews at 4.8/5 places them among the top 5 most-reviewed prop firms globally. For context, only FTMO (~41K), FundedNext (~64K), Funding Pips (~52K), and The Funding Kingdom (~22K) have more reviews — and two of those firms have significantly lower ratings.
Challenge Structure: From Instant Funding to 3-Step
The5ers offers one of the most comprehensive challenge lineups in the industry, with three distinct evaluation paths:
The standout here is the 3-Step Challenge with no daily loss limit. Most prop firms enforce a daily drawdown that forces traders to stop trading after a bad session. The5ers' 3-Step path removes this restriction entirely, giving swing traders and position traders the flexibility they need — you only need to respect the 5% maximum overall drawdown.
The Instant Funding option is also notable. Instead of passing an evaluation, you get a funded account immediately and prove yourself on live capital. The trade-off: a tighter 3% daily drawdown and 6% max drawdown. But for experienced traders who know they're profitable, this eliminates weeks of evaluation time.
Profit Split: Up to 100% — With a Path to Get There
The5ers advertises up to 100% profit split, which puts them in elite company. Of 51 active firms on PropFirmMap, only 12 offer a 100% split at any tier. But the key question is always: what does it take to get there?
The5ers uses a scaling plan — you start at a lower split and increase it as you prove consistency. This contrasts with firms like Phoenix Trader Funding (100% on first $10K) or Elite Trader Funding (100% from day one). The5ers' approach rewards long-term consistency over short-term results, which aligns with their overall philosophy of being a firm built for serious traders.
Head-to-Head: The5ers vs FTMO vs Alpha Capital Group
These three firms represent the gold standard of CFD prop trading — all A+ safety rated, all with 4.7+ TrustPilot scores, all with years of track record. Here's how they stack up:
Each firm has distinct strengths: FTMO leads on platform variety (3 platforms including MT4), Alpha Capital wins on payout speed (on-demand) and drawdown flexibility (4% static), while The5ers stands alone with instant funding and 100% profit split potential. See the full side-by-side at The5ers vs FTMO.
Platforms: MT5 and cTrader
The5ers supports two platforms: MetaTrader 5 and cTrader. This is a solid combination — MT5 is the industry standard for indicator-heavy traders and EA users, while cTrader is increasingly preferred by manual traders for its cleaner interface and faster execution.
The absence of MT4 may matter to traders with existing MT4-only Expert Advisors, but for 2026, MT5 has functionally replaced MT4 at most prop firms. Of the 51 active firms on our platform, only 8 still support MT4. For a deeper comparison, see our guide on MT5 vs cTrader vs Match Trader.
Drawdown Rules: Flexible but Structured
Drawdown is where The5ers gets interesting. Their balance/equity-based drawdown system means the drawdown threshold adjusts based on your account balance. This is more forgiving than a static drawdown during winning streaks (your cushion grows) but less forgiving during drawdowns from new highs.
The 3-Step Challenge removes the daily loss limit entirely — only the 5% max drawdown applies. This is a significant advantage for swing traders who sometimes see positions move against them intraday before recovering. If you're curious how different drawdown types affect your trading, try our Drawdown Calculator.
Who Should Choose The5ers?
- Risk-averse traders — A+ safety, decade of operation
- Swing traders — 3-Step has no daily loss limit
- Experienced traders — Instant funding option
- Long-term thinkers — scaling to 100% profit split
- cTrader users — one of few firms supporting it
- You need daily payouts — MyFundedFutures or BluSky
- You trade futures — The5ers is CFD-only
- You want 100% split immediately — Phoenix Trader Funding
- You need MT4 — FTMO still supports it
- Budget is ultra-tight — cheaper options at /deals
The Bottom Line
The5ers is one of the safest choices in prop trading. A decade of clean operation, 23K+ TrustPilot reviews at 4.8/5, an A+ safety grade, and the flexibility of three evaluation paths (including instant funding) make it a top pick for traders who prioritize reliability over rock-bottom prices. The scaling profit split up to 100% rewards loyalty, and the 3-Step challenge's absence of a daily loss limit is a genuine differentiator for swing traders.
If you're choosing between The5ers and a newer, cheaper firm — ask yourself: is saving $50 on a challenge fee worth the risk of a firm that might not exist in 6 months? The5ers has answered that question for 10 years running.
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