What does "trading platform" mean for a prop firm?
Quick answer
For a prop firm, the trading platform is the software traders use to trade and the server side behind it: the terminal with charts and an order ticket, the execution engine that fills orders against market prices, and account management. In most prop firms the execution is simulated rather than sent to a market.
Detailed answer
The platform has three layers:
- Front end: the terminal in a browser, desktop app or mobile app, with watchlist, charts, order ticket, positions and history.
- Execution: matches orders against live prices, calculates profit and loss, margin and equity.
- Back office: creates accounts, sets balances and leverage, manages credentials.
What makes a platform suitable for prop trading is the layer above: rules, evaluation status and dashboards. General brokerage platforms often need add-ons for this. PropExecutor was built specifically for prop evaluation, so rules, pass and breach status and the trader dashboard are part of the platform rather than plugins.
What to evaluate
- How the terminal feels to traders on desktop and mobile.
- Whether rules and pass status are built in or added on.
- How accounts are created and credentials managed.
- Whether there is an API for your website and back office.
Trying the trader side of a platform yourself for a few days is the best evaluation.
PropExecutor team · Updated
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