Do prop firms give traders real money to trade?
Quick answer
Usually not directly. Most online prop firms give traders a simulated account and pay real money as a share of the simulated profits. Some firms copy selected traders' positions to a real brokerage account, but the trader still trades the firm's simulated account. Terms should say this clearly.
Detailed answer
The structure in most firms:
- The trader trades a simulated funded account.
- Profits are calculated from simulated fills at live prices.
- The trader requests a payout and receives real money, their share of those profits.
Some firms describe accounts as "funded" or talk about "capital", which is why clear disclosure matters and why some regulators have scrutinised the wording. Describe what traders receive accurately: an account to trade, rules to follow and payouts on profits.
The quality of the simulation matters to traders because it decides whether their results are realistic. PropExecutor fills against live market prices with raw spreads, rather than a marked-up feed, so simulated results track the market closely.
Questions traders ask
Traders often ask whether their trades "go to the market". An honest answer, that trades are simulated against live prices and payouts are real money, builds more trust than vague wording. Put it in your FAQ.
PropExecutor team · Updated
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