Editorial
Prop Firm Reset Fees Compared
Hidden cost of failing evaluations.
SiteBartar Research · Updated June 2026
Not sure between FTMO and Topstep? Read our FTMO vs Topstep comparison →
What reset fees are
A reset repurchases evaluation progress after rule breach or failure — without reset, you restart from zero with a new full challenge fee on some firms, or pay smaller reset on others.
Some firms charge reset lower than initial challenge; others charge nearly full price — read checkout page for reset explicitly.
Funded phase breaches may require entirely new evaluation — different from in-phase reset; don't conflate.
Promo codes often exclude resets — assume full reset price in conservative budgeting.
Why resets dominate ROI
Industry pass rates on first attempt are low — many experienced traders budget 2–3 attempts before funded status.
Example: $150 challenge + $100 reset + $100 reset = $350 effective cost before first funded dollar — prop-firm ROI math must include this.
Instant funding paths reduce evaluation resets but increase upfront fee — prop-firm-path-comparison-hub compares paths.
Denial after funded phase isn't fixed by reset — see prop-firm-payout-denied.
Get your personalized match
Lowest challenge fees in-stack.
Take the Cheap Prop Challenge Quiz quiz (~2 min)In-stack firm comparison approach
FTMO: tiered account sizes with published reset fees per size — verify ftmo.com checkout for your currency.
Topstep: combine resets priced by combine type — TopstepX vs legacy combine differ; verify topstep.com.
Apex: multiple PA tiers with different reset and activation fees — cheapest tier isn't always lowest total cost after two failures.
FundedNext and The5ers: program-specific — Stellar vs Bootcamp vs standard challenge reset differently; never assume one number.
How to minimize reset waste
Pass demo under identical rule constraints before paying — match daily loss, news restrictions, and hold times.
Trade smallest account size that supports your risk per trade — smaller tiers often mean lower reset dollars.
Avoid promo-chasing across firms — mastery on one rule set beats scattered attempts.
Track journal metrics: if demo can't hit target in 30 days, resets are likely donations.
Using reset data in firm choice
Pick firms where reset + initial still fits budget across three attempts — not just cheapest first purchase.
Pair with payout speed if trading for income — best-prop-firm-for-income.
Run cheap-prop-firm-challenge quiz with total-cost beliefs if available.
Verify live — reset fees change with sales and account sizes; updatedAt 2026-06-21.
Tools mentioned
Get your personalized match
Lowest challenge fees in-stack.
Take the Cheap Prop Challenge Quiz quiz (~2 min)Frequently asked questions
Which prop firm has cheapest reset?
Varies by account size and program — compare checkout pages for your tier on FTMO, Apex, FundedNext, Topstep, The5ers.
Is reset same as new challenge?
Firm-dependent — some resets preserve partial progress; others don't.
How many resets do traders need?
Highly individual — budget 1–2 conservatively; many need more.
Do sales apply to resets?
Often excluded — read promo terms.
Instant funding avoid resets?
Avoids evaluation resets but increases upfront cost and may have different breach fees.
Are resets refundable?
Rarely — read refund policy before purchase.
Sources
Disclosure: SiteBartar may earn commissions when you click partner links. Affiliate relationships never change match order or editorial scores. Full affiliate disclosure