Payouts & Profits

Profit Split

Definition

The percentage of trading profits that a trader keeps vs what the prop firm retains.

How It Works

Profit split is one of the most important factors when choosing a prop firm. Common splits range from 70/30 to 90/10 (trader/firm), with some firms offering up to 100% profit splits.

For example, with an 80/20 split on $10,000 in profits, you keep $8,000 and the firm keeps $2,000. Some firms offer tiered splits that increase as you prove yourself - starting at 75% and scaling to 90% over time.

Higher profit splits directly impact your income, so always compare this alongside challenge fees and rules.

Free tool Profit Simulator Project your take-home earnings after the profit split.

What does a "profit split" actually mean in dollars?

A profit split is the percentage of trading profit you keep after passing a challenge and generating a gain on a funded account - the rest goes to the firm. If you make $10,000 in profit on a funded account with an 80% split, you keep $8,000 and the firm keeps $2,000. The math is the same at any account size: multiply your profit by your split percentage.

The split is separate from the challenge fee - a firm can charge a low fee and offer a low split, or a high fee and a high split, and the combination determines your real cost of capital over time, not either number alone.

What is the real distribution of profit splits across the industry in 2026?

We track 177 firms with a stated maximum profit split. Here is exactly how they break down (verified live against our firms database this session):

Max Profit Split	# of Firms	Examples
100%	44	E8 Markets, Elite Trader Funding, Apex Trader Funding, Aqua Funded, Bulenox, The5ers, Fintokei, Funding Pips
90%	87 (the most common tier)	Phoenix Trader Funding, Topstep, MyFundedFutures, FTMO, Take Profit Trader, Alpha Futures, BluSky
95%	19	Varies - check individual firm pages for current promotions
80% or below	26 (80%: 22, 85%: 3, 70%: 1)	Earn2Trade, The Trading Pit, Traders Launch, Alpha Capital Group, Maven Trading, Trade The Pool

Key insight: 90% is the true industry standard - almost half of all firms with published split data cap out there. A firm advertising "100%" is a genuine outlier (about 1 in 4 firms), and the fine print usually shows it applies to a first payout or a limited tier before dropping toward the 90% norm.

Does a higher profit split always mean more money?

Not necessarily. A profit split is only one variable in your actual take-home pay. Two firms can advertise the same 90% split and still leave you with very different money in hand once you account for:

Challenge and activation fees - a firm with a higher split but a pricier or recurring activation fee can cost more overall.
Payout minimums and frequency - a 100% split you can only withdraw from monthly is worth less to your cash flow than a 90% split available on demand.
Consistency and drawdown rules - stricter rules can shrink the profit you are able to safely bank before the split is even applied.

Warning: Never pick a firm on profit split alone. Compare it against the challenge fee, payout frequency, and the PropFirmMap Safety Grade for the full picture - a 100% split from an unreliable payer is worth less than 90% from a firm with a track record of paying out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good profit split for a prop firm?

90% is the industry standard - it is the single most common maximum split among the 177 firms we track with published split data (87 firms). Splits of 100% exist at 44 firms but often apply only to a first payout or limited tier before dropping toward 90%.

How much money do I keep with an 80% profit split?

With an 80% split, you keep $8 for every $10 of trading profit and the firm keeps $2. On $10,000 in profit, that is $8,000 to you and $2,000 to the firm.

Which prop firms offer a 100% profit split?

We track 44 firms with a maximum profit split of 100%, including E8 Markets, Elite Trader Funding, Apex Trader Funding, Aqua Funded, Bulenox, The5ers, Fintokei, and Funding Pips. Check each firm profile for the exact conditions, since a 100% split is frequently capped or time-limited before reverting to a lower tier.

Is a higher profit split always better?

No. The profit split is only one factor - challenge fees, payout frequency, payout minimums, and the firm's track record for actually paying out all affect your real take-home pay. A firm with a lower split but faster, more reliable payouts can leave you better off than one with a headline 100% split.