Searching for the cheapest crypto prop firm usually starts with a list of headline prices. The trouble is that those prices describe different products: different account sizes, one phase or two, monthly or one-time billing, a fee now or a fee when you pass. The lowest price can become the highest total once you count the attempts you need.
This guide shows the entry prices we have recorded for crypto-focused firms, explains why they do not rank cleanly, and gives a method for working out your own total cost to get funded. We do not rank firms by estimated totals; the worked arithmetic below uses only published QATS prices.
Cheapest crypto prop firm entry prices, as published
The table lists the entry price recorded for each crypto-focused firm on our comparison pages. It is in no particular order, because the figures describe different products, as the next section explains.
| Firm | Entry price in our record | Account types |
|---|---|---|
| QATS | $10K Crypto: $69/month, or $49/month + $149 on pass, or $95 once | 1-step evaluation (Crypto and TradFi) |
| HyroTrader | From $59 (Two-Step), $69 (One-Step), $89 (Zero-Step) | Zero-Step (instant), One-Step, Two-Step |
| Breakout | Accounts $5K–$100K; per-size prices not published on pages we could read | 1-Step: Classic, Pro, Turbo |
| Crypto Fund Trader | About $110 for $10K 2-Phase (approximate) | 1-, 2- and 3-Phase, Instant, Break and more |
| BitFunded | $99 for $10K 2-Step · $149 for $10K 1-StepReported | 2-Step, 1-Step, 1-Step Express, Instant, Day Trader |
| Hola Prime | $69 for $10K 2-Step Prime · $89 for $10K 1-Step Prime (list)Reported | 1-Step Prime, 2-Step Prime, 2-Step Pro, Direct |
| FTMO | €89 for $10K 2-Step · €79 for $10K 1-StepReported | 2-Step, 1-Step, Instant Account |
| FundedNext | $59.99 for $6K Stellar 2-Step (list; no $10K size) | Stellar 2-Step, 1-Step, Lite, Instant |
| The5ers | $2.5K High Stakes from $19; larger sizes not published on pages we read | High Stakes (2-Step), Hyper Growth (1-Step) |
| E8 Markets | $88 for $10K E8 One, standard configuration (list) | E8 One (customizable 1-step), E8 Zero (futures) and other programs |
Why the sticker price misleads
- Account size. The5ers’ entry figure reads “$2.5K High Stakes from $19; larger sizes not published on pages we read” and FundedNext’s “$59.99 for $6K Stellar 2-Step (list; no $10K size)”, so neither compares directly with a price for a larger account.
- Currency. FTMO’s figure is in euros: “€89 for $10K 2-Step · €79 for $10K 1-Step (reported)”.
- Phases. A 2-step challenge is often cheaper per attempt, but either phase can end it, and the second phase adds days before funding.
- Account type. HyroTrader lists “From $59 (Two-Step), $69 (One-Step), $89 (Zero-Step)”, so the price depends on the model as much as on the firm.
- Data quality. Some figures are approximate, reported by review sites or not published, as with Crypto Fund Trader (“About $110 for $10K 2-Phase (approximate)”) and Breakout (“Accounts $5K–$100K; per-size prices not published on pages we could read”).
- Billing model. A monthly price and a one-time price are different units: one is per month, the other per attempt.
The four costs that add up to getting funded
Four kinds of payment decide what getting funded really costs, and the mix changes over time. Apex moved new evaluations from monthly subscriptions to one-time fees on March 1, 2026, according to review sites. Re-check a firm’s billing model before you budget.
- Entry price: the first payment, for one attempt or one month.
- Resets: what a new attempt costs after a breach, and how long the offer lasts. Some firms sell a discounted reset, some include resets in a subscription and some offer none.
- Activation fee: a fee charged when you pass. Topstep, for example, lists “$49/month for the 50K Combine; $149 Express Funded activation fee”; QATS sells activation-fee options with a $149 fee charged only after a confirmed pass.
- Renewals: on a monthly plan, every month the evaluation stays open is another payment.
What getting funded costs on QATS
QATS sells 1-step Crypto evaluations from $49 a month or $69 once, and TradFi evaluations from $59 a month or $79 once. Every size is sold four ways: monthly or one time, each either with free funded activation or with a lower price plus an activation fee ($149 on Crypto) charged only when you pass.
Monthly plans add one reset credit to each paid renewal. One-time plans have a set reset price per size, $75 on the $10K Crypto account, and a reset offer has an availability window shown in Risk center.
| Path | Monthly | Monthly + $149 on pass | One time | One time + $149 on pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass on the first attempt | $69 | $198 | $95 | $218 |
| One breach and a reset, then a pass | $138 | $247 | $170 | $293 |
| One breach and a reset, not passed yet | $138 | $98 | $170 | $144 |
Price your plan across the attempts you expect
The useful question is not what one attempt costs but what you will spend before you pass. Nobody can tell you your own number of attempts, and published pass rates are rare and hard to verify. You can estimate it honestly from your own record: how often your strategy has stayed inside a daily loss limit and a trailing floor over a few weeks of practice.
Then price each plan across that many attempts. If you expect to pass first time, a one-time plan or the first month of a subscription keeps the cost low. If you expect two or three attempts, look hard at reset prices and at monthly plans that include a reset with each renewal. As the table shows, an activation-fee option costs more on the attempt that passes and less on the attempts that do not.
Costs that come after you pass
Getting funded does not end the bill. An activation fee falls due at the pass on plans that use one, the profit split decides how much of each approved payout you keep (80% on QATS), and a payout can carry a transfer fee for the chosen method, which the QATS request quote shows before you confirm. A monthly evaluation left unpaid pauses trading, and one left unpaid for 30 days is closed, so a missed month can cost an attempt.
A checklist for comparing total cost
- Compare plans at the same account size and in the same currency.
- Count phases: price a 2-step challenge as two chances to fail.
- Write down the reset price, the reset window and whether resets come with a subscription.
- Note any activation fee and when it is charged.
- For monthly plans, estimate how many months you will need and what happens if a payment is missed.
- Check how soon the first payout can be requested; a cheap evaluation with a long wait costs time.
- Rehearse on a free sandbox or demo, logging the paid plan’s limits yourself, so your estimate of attempts rests on evidence.
Frequently asked questions
01What is the cheapest crypto prop firm?
There is no single answer, because entry prices are quoted for different sizes, phases and billing models. The cheapest firm for you is the one with the lowest total cost across the attempts you realistically expect, including resets and activation fees.
02Is a monthly prop challenge cheaper than a one-time fee?
For a quick pass, the first month of a subscription or a one-time fee usually costs the least. Over several attempts, a monthly plan that adds a reset credit with each renewal can cost less than buying resets one by one.
03Are activation fees worth it?
They lower the price of attempts that fail and raise the price of the one that passes. On QATS the activation-fee options charge $149 only after a confirmed pass.
04What does the smallest QATS evaluation cost?
The $10K Crypto evaluation is $69 a month with free activation, $49 a month plus $149 on pass, $95 once, or $69 once plus $149 on pass.
Educational content, not investment advice. QATS evaluations and initial funded accounts are simulated; payouts depend on eligibility, verification and the applicable agreement.