Question 1

Is Flow Pips a prop firm?

Accepted Answer

No. Flow Pips is an independent research and comparison directory. We do not fund traders, sell evaluations or process payments. Every purchase happens on the firm's own website.

Question 2

Where does your data come from?

Accepted Answer

Pricing, targets, drawdown limits, splits and payout terms are collected from each firm's public pricing pages and rule documents, then reviewed when firms announce changes. Always confirm the current terms on the firm's site before you buy.

Question 3

How are ratings decided?

Accepted Answer

Ratings weigh rule clarity, payout reliability, platform quality, support responsiveness and community feedback. Firms cannot pay for a higher rating.

Question 4

Do you earn money from the firms you list?

Accepted Answer

Some links may be partner links, and promo codes are listed when a firm publishes one. That never changes a firm's rating, ranking or the rules we publish.

Question 5

What is the difference between one-step, two-step and instant funding?

Accepted Answer

Two-step evaluations split the profit target across two phases and are usually the cheapest entry. One-step gets you to a funded account after a single target. Instant funding skips the evaluation entirely and normally adds a consistency rule and a lower initial split.

Question 6

How do I choose an account size?

Accepted Answer

Match it to your normal risk per trade, not to the headline balance. On every firm profile you can pick a program type and account size to see the exact price, target, drawdown and payout rules for that tier.

Question 7

Do futures and forex programs work the same way?

Accepted Answer

No. Forex programs are priced per evaluation with percentage drawdown and leverage such as 1:100. Futures combines are usually billed monthly, capped by contract limits and often use a trailing drawdown.

Question 8

Is there a time limit on evaluations?

Accepted Answer

Most modern firms removed hard deadlines, but many still require a minimum number of trading days. Both are shown per program in the rule breakdown.

Question 9

Static, trailing or EOD drawdown — what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

Static drawdown is fixed from your starting balance and never moves. Trailing drawdown follows your highest equity or balance, so profits raise the loss limit. End-of-day trailing only updates once the session closes, which is usually more forgiving intraday.

Question 10

Does floating loss count toward the daily limit?

Accepted Answer

At most firms, yes — the daily limit is measured on equity, so open floating loss counts in real time. Firms that measure on closed balance only are the exception.

Question 11

What is a consistency rule?

Accepted Answer

A cap on how much of your total profit a single day or trade may represent, commonly 20–50%. It is most often applied to instant funding accounts and checked at payout time.

Question 12

Can I use expert advisors, copy trading or hold through news?

Accepted Answer

It varies by firm and program. Each program in our rule breakdown states whether news trading, weekend holding, expert advisors and copy trading are allowed.

Question 13

How much of the profit do traders keep?

Accepted Answer

Typically 80–100%. Some firms start lower and scale up, and instant funding accounts often begin below their headline split.

Question 14

How fast are payouts?

Accepted Answer

Payout speed in our directory shows the typical processing time after approval, from same-day up to a few business days. Payout frequency — weekly, bi-weekly or on demand — is listed per program.

Question 15

Do I need KYC to get paid?

Accepted Answer

Almost always. Firms verify identity before the first withdrawal, so keep a valid ID and proof of address ready.

Question 16

Where can I find current discounts?

Accepted Answer

The Deals page lists active promotions and promo codes published by the firms we track, with their expiry dates when available.

Frequently asked questions

About Flow Pips

Program models

Rules & risk

Payouts & splits