Platforms
What Trading Platform Should a New Prop Firm Use?
Choosing a trading platform for a new prop firm: what your traders use, where they live, how vendors charge, and why you need a second route.
- By PipValley Editorial
- Published
- 4 min read
The platform is rented, and the landlord can change the terms. That is the lesson of every platform event since 2024, and it should shape the choice more than any feature list.
Your platform choice also sets your rules vocabulary, your onboarding steps, your FAQ content and, for futures, your data costs. Changing it later means rewriting all of them, so treat the decision as a two-year commitment with an exit plan rather than a monthly subscription.
What do firms use today?
Among 245 firms with enriched platform data in PropFirmPal (a comparison site we own) in September 2026, MT5 appeared at 56 firms, cTrader at 30, TradeLocker at 28, Match-Trader at 19 and DXtrade at 9 on the CFD side, and NinjaTrader at 22 and Tradovate at 21 in futures. Firms list several platforms, so counts overlap.
What has gone wrong before?
- February 2024: MetaQuotes moved against prop firms with US clients; firms moved to cTrader, Match-Trader, DXtrade and TradeLocker.
- February 28, 2026: ProjectX ended third-party support and became Topstep-only.
- July 1, 2026: Spotware stopped onboarding US traders to cTrader through prop firms; firms moved them to Match-Trader, TradeLocker and Volumetrica.
How do you choose?
- Market: CFD platforms for forex, futures platforms with exchange data for futures, verified crypto support for crypto.
- Audience: what do your first 100 traders already use?
- Geography: can the platform serve your target countries, including the US if it matters?
- Pricing model: Match-Trader white label from $2,500 a month; TradeLocker Starter $3,000 a month up to 500 active accounts; profit-share bundles such as PropSuite's published $2,749 setup and a 50–70% founder share of net revenue.
- Exit: data export, notice period and what happens to active traders if you leave.
- Second route: which platform you would add within 12 months.
Questions
Is MT5 still available to prop firms?
Some firms offer MT5 through brokers or providers willing to serve prop firms, but access has been unreliable since MetaQuotes' February 2024 action. Don't make it your only route.
Which platform is best for a futures prop firm?
There is no single best. NinjaTrader and Tradovate Prop launched in October 2025; Rithmic routes suit order-flow traders. Start where your audience trades and add a second route.
Should a prop firm offer more than one platform?
Yes, within the first year. One vendor decision has stopped firms from onboarding traders for weeks; a second route keeps sales going.
How do platform vendors charge prop firms?
In four broad ways: fixed monthly licences, per-active-account plans, setup plus profit share, or enterprise quotes. The model matters more than the headline price, because it decides who pays traders when they win.
Sources
- Finance Magnates: Prop trading firms' renaissance: cutting US clients, integrating new trading platforms
- FX News Group: Funding Pips adding Match-Trader, cTrader, DXtrade platforms to replace MT4/MT5
- Finance Magnates: ProjectX to end its third-party service offering (Nov 17, 2025)
- Finance Magnates: cTrader restricts US prop firm access following internal regulatory assessment
- Match-Trader: White label as low as $2,500
- TradeLocker: Prop firm pricing
- PropSuite: homepage pricing (checked 12 Oct 2026)
- NinjaTrader: NT Technologies launches new platform experience for prop traders under new brands
Illustrative figures, not a forecast. Nothing on this site is legal, tax or financial advice. PipValley is a web design studio; we don’t sell challenges, run trading accounts or provide trading platforms. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it with the date.
Keep reading
Related guides.
What Software Does a Prop Firm Need?
White Label Prop Firm: How It Works and What It Costs (2026)
Why Are Prop Firms Banning US Traders?
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