Launch a firm
What does it cost to start a prop firm?
Choose a technology path, a company and a website, then adjust the lines you know. You get day-one cash, three budgets and the line that decides them, in about two minutes.
RUN THE NUMBERS · NO SIGN-UP
Build your launch budget, line by line.
Ranges are planning estimates, labelled as such. Replace any of them with a real quote and the budget updates.
On this path you need about $90,900 on day one and $124,425 to run for 6 months. The biggest single line is monthly marketing at $30,000 over the period, so marketing is where your budget is decided.
- Technology$26,000
- Website$6,450
- Legal and formation$9,600
- Payments and KYC$6,100
- Marketing$40,000
- Team and tools$11,400
- Payout reserve$20,000
- Contingency$4,875
| Line (typical) | One-off | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Trading platform, CRM and dashboard (fixed-fee white-label) | $8,000 | $3,000 |
| Website: PipValley Signature | $3,500 | $75 |
| Brand identity | $2,500 | - |
| Company formation: US LLC | $1,500 | - |
| Terms, policies and risk disclosures (lawyer) | $3,500 | - |
| Trademark filing | $1,000 | - |
| Accounting and compliance | - | $600 |
| High-risk payment processing setup | $2,500 | - |
| KYC checks and payout rails | - | $600 |
| Launch marketing | $10,000 | - |
| Monthly marketing | - | $5,000 |
| Support and operations | - | $1,500 |
| Software and tools | - | $400 |
| Payout reserve (two months of expected payouts) | $20,000 | - |
Turn on JavaScript to change the numbers. The result above uses the default inputs.
Estimates for planning only, not quotes. Not legal or financial advice. Your platform, processor and lawyer will give you the real figures.
How it works
Every step, in plain words.
- 01
Each line has a low, typical and high estimate. The technology path sets the platform setup and monthly fee; the company type sets formation cost; the website choice reads our own prices or an estimate for the alternatives.
- 02
One-off costs are added up and a contingency is applied to them, because launches rarely come in under budget.
- 03
Monthly costs (platform, website care, marketing, support, tools, payments and compliance) are multiplied by the runway you choose.
- 04
Unless the partner funds payouts on a revenue-share white-label, a payout reserve of about two months of expected payouts is held as cash from day one.
- 05
Day-one cash is one-off costs with contingency, plus the reserve, plus up to three months of running costs. The full budget uses the whole runway. Lean and comfortable budgets put every line at its low or high estimate.
METHODThe formulas and every default, with where it comes from
oneOff = Σ one-off lines monthly = Σ monthly lines reserve = path A ? 0 : 2 × expected monthly payouts (lean 1×, comfortable 3×) dayOneCash = oneOff × (1 + contingency) + reserve + monthly × min(runway, 3) totalBudget = oneOff × (1 + contingency) + reserve + monthly × runway lean / typical / comfortable = every line at its low / typical / high estimate
| Input | Default | Kind | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology: Revenue-share white-label | $2,500 + $0/mo | Estimate | Partner usually funds payouts and takes a revenue share. Range $0–$5,000 setup. |
| Technology: Fixed-fee white-label | $8,000 + $3,000/mo | Estimate | Licensed platform, CRM and dashboard for a monthly fee. Range $3,000–$15,000 setup. |
| Technology: Own stack (licensed parts) | $25,000 + $7,500/mo | Estimate | Platform, CRM, risk and dashboard contracted separately. Range $10,000–$40,000 setup. |
| Technology: Custom build | $150,000 + $12,000/mo | Estimate | Your own platform layer and back office. Range $60,000–$250,000 setup. |
| Company: UK limited company | $1,000 | Estimate | Formation, registered agent and first-year filings. Varies by provider. |
| Company: US LLC | $1,500 | Estimate | Formation, registered agent and first-year filings. Varies by provider. |
| Company: UAE free zone company | $9,000 | Estimate | Formation, registered agent and first-year filings. Varies by provider. |
| Company: Offshore company | $3,500 | Estimate | Formation, registered agent and first-year filings. Varies by provider. |
| Website: PipValley Launch | $1,490 + $49.99/mo | From our pricing | Read from our pricing configuration, not typed in. |
| Legal documents | $3,500 | Estimate | Lawyer-drafted terms, privacy, refund policy and risk disclosures. Not legal advice. |
| Monthly marketing | $5,000 | Your input | Paid, affiliate seeding and content. The biggest line for many white-label launches. |
| Expected monthly payouts | $10,000 | Assumption | Run the profit calculator for a figure based on your own volumes. |
| Contingency | 15% | Assumption | Applied to one-off costs only. |
Questions
Asked about this tool.
Can you start a prop firm with no money?
Not responsibly. Even on a revenue-share white-label, where the partner funds payouts, you still pay for a company, legal documents, a website and marketing before the first sale. This calculator's lean budget shows the floor for your choices. Treat anything that promises a launch for nothing as a cost you have not found yet.
What is the cheapest way to launch?
A revenue-share white-label usually needs the least cash because the partner provides the technology and often funds payouts, in exchange for a large share of revenue. It costs you more in a good month and protects you in a bad one. Compare paths in the day-one chart above.
How much should I keep for payouts?
If you fund your own payouts, hold enough cash for a bad run, not an average month. This tool uses two months of expected payouts as a typical reserve and three as comfortable. Your expected payouts depend on volume, pass rates and account sizes, which the profit calculator models.
Do I need a licence?
It depends on where you incorporate, where your traders live and whether any real capital is traded. Many firms operate simulated evaluations without a financial licence, but rules are changing in several countries. This is not legal advice: speak to a lawyer in your jurisdiction before you launch.
How much does a prop firm website cost?
It ranges from nothing extra for a platform-bundled site to five figures from an agency. PipValley builds start at $1,490 with care from $49.99 a month. The website cost calculator compares every option over three years, including your own time.
How long does it take to launch?
Usually weeks to a few months, set by the platform contract, payment processing approval and legal documents rather than the website. A PipValley Launch site goes live in 5 working days from design sign-off, so the website should never be what holds a launch back.
Next step
Launch with a site that looks like the firm is already big.
Our Launch plan is built for firms opening their first evaluation: $1,490, live in 5 working days from design sign-off.
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