You're in the right place — start here

New to Prop Firms?
Start Right Here.

Everything on PropHub is free — but it can feel overwhelming when you're starting from zero. This page gives you the exact order to read things, what to skip for now, and precisely when to spend your first penny.

20 min read — this page
🎯 Guided path — no guesswork
💰 Don't spend anything until Step 4
Let's Start → Step 1
Your journey to funded trader
1
Understand
the basics
2
Learn the
psychology
3
Find your
strategy
4
Choose
your firm
5
Pass the
challenge
6
Get funded
& paid
1
Step One — Read These First
Understand How Prop Firms Actually Work
Don't spend a penny until you've read these three articles. Seriously.
⏱ 30 min

A prop firm gives you access to their capital — you trade their money, keep 80–100% of profits, and only risk a small challenge fee. Simple concept. But the details matter enormously. The three articles below will give you everything you need to understand the model, the terminology, and whether this is right for you — before you spend anything.

⚠️
Don't Skip This Step
The single most common reason new traders lose their challenge fee is not understanding the rules before they start. 30 minutes reading here saves you £100–200 in preventable mistakes.
Next: Step 2 — Psychology →
2
Step Two — The Bit Most People Skip
Understand Why Most Traders Fail
Not strategy. Not bad luck. Psychology.
⏱ 20 min

The industry-wide challenge pass rate is 10–15%. That's not because 85% of people have bad strategies. It's because the pressure of a challenge — a profit target, a drawdown limit, real money — triggers psychological responses that destroy execution. Revenge trading after a loss. Oversizing because you're close to the target. Holding a loser because you can't face being wrong. Mark Douglas spent 30 years studying exactly this. Our education section is built on his work.

💡
Why This Comes Before Strategy
A trader with an average strategy and exceptional psychology will outperform a trader with an exceptional strategy and average psychology. Every time. The psychology determines whether you can execute your strategy when it matters — under pressure, after a loss, when you're close to a target.
Next: Step 3 — Find Your Strategy →
3
Step Three — Build Your Edge
Find a Strategy That Suits You
Then practice it on a demo account until it's consistent.
⏱ Weeks–months

You don't need a complicated strategy. You need a consistent one. A simple 20/50 EMA crossover that you execute perfectly every time will outperform a sophisticated multi-indicator system that you second-guess. Our strategies hub has 20 free strategies — from beginner-friendly setups to advanced techniques. Pick one. Learn it deeply. Practice it on a demo account for at least 3 months before attempting a real challenge.

🚨
The Rule Everyone Ignores
Do not buy a challenge until you can consistently hit the profit target on a demo account without breaching the drawdown rules — for at least one full month. If you can't pass your own simulated challenge on a free demo account, you won't pass the real one under pressure. The demo stage is not optional.
Next: Step 4 — Choose Your Firm →
4
Step Four — Now You Can Spend Money
Find the Right Firm & Get a Discount
Only once you've done Steps 1–3 should you consider spending anything.
⏱ 30 min research

There are over 100 prop firms in 2026. They're not all equal — and not all of them suit your specific trading style. The right firm depends on: what you trade (forex vs futures), your strategy type (scalping, swing, automated), your drawdown preference (EOD is most forgiving), and your budget. Let the quiz match you in 60 seconds, or use the tools below to research yourself.

🎯
Let the Quiz Match You in 60 Seconds

Answer 7 questions about your trading style and budget. Get your top 3 firm matches with a personalised explanation and your discount code pre-loaded.

Take the Firm Finder Quiz →

— or research manually using these tools —

🏷️
Always Use a Discount Code — Never Pay Full Price

These codes work right now at checkout. Click to copy, paste at payment.

ATF
Apex Trader Funding
Futures · 100% split · EOD drawdown
PROPHUB 80% OFF
FN
FundedNext
Forex · From £25 · 15% on failed challenges
PROPHUBFN 20% OFF
5ERS
The5ers
Forex · Same-day payouts · Up to 100% split
PROPHUB5ERS 10% OFF
TFY
Tradeify
Futures · 93/100 payout score · Unlimited accounts
PROPHUBTR 40% OFF
View all 47 discount codes →
Next: Step 5 — Pass the Challenge →
5
Step Five — The Challenge
How to Approach Your First Challenge
This is a consistency test, not a profit sprint.
⏱ 30 days

Most first challenges fail not because of bad strategies — but because the pressure changes how people trade. The three most common killers: revenge trading after a loss, increasing size to hit the target faster, and breaking their own rules on a bad day. Read these before you start trading.

The Pre-Challenge Checklist
Before trading day one: (1) Read every rule in full ✓ (2) Set a personal daily loss limit at 60% of the firm's limit ✓ (3) Calculate your position size for 0.5% risk ✓ (4) Check the week's economic calendar ✓ (5) Commit to the two-loss rule ✓. If any item is missing — don't start yet.
Next: Step 6 — Get Funded & Paid →
6
Step Six — You're Funded
Get Paid & Start Scaling
First payout, then multiply.
⏱ Ongoing

You passed. You have a funded account. Now the real work begins — executing consistently on real capital and building the multi-account income that makes prop trading genuinely life-changing. Here's what to read next.

🚀
The Scaling Strategy in One Sentence
Pass one challenge → get funded → make 3 consistent payouts → use those profits to fund 2 more challenges → repeat across 2–3 firms → run 5–8 funded accounts simultaneously using copy trading → that's how full-time prop income actually works.
Explore the Full Site

Every section of PropHub is free. Here's everything available to you.

New to Prop Firm Trading? Here's Everything You Need

PropHub's Start Here page is designed for traders who are completely new to prop firm trading — people who may have just heard about the concept and want to understand whether it's legitimate, how it works, and what the realistic path to a funded account looks like. The guided pathway takes you from the fundamental concepts through to your first payout, in the order that makes the most sense.

The most important thing to understand before spending any money: prop firm trading rewards consistency and psychological discipline far more than trading skill or strategy complexity. The traders who consistently get funded and build sustainable income are not the ones with the best indicators or the most complicated systems — they're the ones who understand risk, follow their rules, and treat each challenge as a process test rather than a profit sprint.