Trade The Pool is a stock and ETF prop firm that scored 70/100 after testing and analysis. It offers four one step challenges across day and swing accounts, giving you a choice between intraday rules or multi-day holding. The firm is operated by Five Percent Online Ltd (ie The 5%ers), but this branch focuses on US stock markets and exchange traded funds (ETFs) only, rather than forex, crypto or commodity CFDs.
It isn’t broker backed, but you still get real exchange data, clear risk limits, and access to more than 12,000 tradable symbols. The trading rules can feel strict at first, yet they’re consistent, which helps anyone who prefers a straightforward evaluation without hidden conditions that’ll catch them out.
Trade The Pool runs four one step challenges for stocks and ETFs across day and swing accounts. Each model uses the same core structure but differs in time limits, risk tolerance and minimum activity. Fees range from $47 to $1,475 and you can choose account sizes between $2,000 and $200,000, with 70% profit payouts across the board once funded.
Every trading account uses real exchange data and applies the same basic trade requirements, so the main choice is whether you want intraday rules or the ability to hold positions longer.
| Trade the Pool Challenge | Day Trade Beginner | Day Trade Advanced | Swing Beginner | Swing Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Account Sizes | $5,000 – $200,000 | $5,000 – $200,000 | $2,000 – $40,000 | $2,000 – $40,000 |
| Fee Range | $59 – $1,475 | $47 – $1,100 | $87 – $1,240 | $69 – $800 |
| Profit Target | 6% | 6% | 15% | 15% |
| Daily Pause | 2% | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| Max Loss | 4% | 3% | 7% | 7% |
| Minimum Positions | 10 | 20 | 5 | 5 |
| Trading Period | Unlimited | 60 days | Unlimited | 100 days |
| Profit Split | 70% | 70% | 70% | 70% |
The Day Trade Beginner program is the most flexible option in TTP’s day-trading lineup. Every account size follows the same rules, so all you focus on is reaching the profit target while staying inside the built-in risk limits.
It’s a lighter version of the Advanced program, with fewer required positions and more room to manage intraday swings, which suits traders who prefer a steady, low-pressure evaluation.
| Account Size | Profit Target (6%) | Daily Pause (2%) | Max Loss (4%) | Minimum Positions | Trading Period | Payout Split | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $300 | $100 | $200 | 10 | Unlimited | 70/30 | $59 |
| $25,000 | $1,500 | $500 | $1,000 | 10 | Unlimited | 70/30 | $120 |
| $50,000 | $3,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | 10 | Unlimited | 70/30 | $285 |
| $100,000 | $6,000 | $2,000 | $4,000 | 10 | Unlimited | 70/30 | $545 |
| $200,000 | $12,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 | 10 | Unlimited | 70/30 | $1,475 |
The Day Trade Advanced program is better if you want a more structured evaluation with tighter risk limits and a higher activity requirement. It runs on the same single-phase layout as the Beginner version but demands more consistency across trades, which makes it better suited to active intraday traders who place frequent positions and can manage risk day-to-day.
| Account Size | Profit Target (6%) | Daily Pause (1%) | Max Loss (3%) | Minimum Positions | Trading Period | Payout Split | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $300 | $50 | $150 | 20 | 60 days | 70/30 | $47 |
| $25,000 | $1,500 | $250 | $750 | 20 | 60 days | 70/30 | $97 |
| $50,000 | $3,000 | $500 | $1,500 | 20 | 60 days | 70/30 | $230 |
| $100,000 | $6,000 | $1,000 | $3,000 | 20 | 60 days | 70/30 | $435 |
| $200,000 | $12,000 | $2,000 | $6,000 | 20 | 60 days | 70/30 | $1,100 |
The Swing Beginner program is ideal for traders who hold positions longer and need the space to manage multi-day moves.
It keeps a single-phase structure but uses a larger profit target and wider loss limits to accommodate the volatility that comes with holding stocks and ETFs overnight or across weekends. The unlimited trading period also suits slower, trend-based trading styles.
| Account Size | Profit Target (15%) | Daily Pause (3%) | Max Loss (7%) | Minimum Positions | Trading Period | Payout Split | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $300 | $60 | $140 | 5 | Unlimited | 70/30 | $87 |
| $10,000 | $1,500 | $300 | $700 | 5 | Unlimited | 70/30 | $420 |
| $20,000 | $3,000 | $600 | $1,400 | 5 | Unlimited | 70/30 | $670 |
| $40,000 | $6,000 | $1,200 | $2,800 | 5 | Unlimited | 70/30 | $1,240 |
The Swing Advanced program keeps the same higher target and wider risk limits as Swing Beginner but introduces a 100-day deadline.
This makes it a better fit for swing traders who already place trades regularly and can work within a defined evaluation window while still holding positions across sessions.
| Account Size | Profit Target (15%) | Daily Pause (3%) | Max Loss (7%) | Minimum Positions | Trading Period | Payout Split | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $300 | $60 | $140 | 5 | 100 days | 70/30 | $69 |
| $10,000 | $1,500 | $300 | $700 | 5 | 100 days | 70/30 | $297 |
| $20,000 | $3,000 | $600 | $1,400 | 5 | 100 days | 70/30 | $447 |
| $40,000 | $6,000 | $1,200 | $2,800 | 5 | 100 days | 70/30 | $800 |
Trade The Pool uses a consistent rule set across all challenge types and trading strategies, built to keep things realistic around stock and ETF liquidity. Every position must meet the minimum hold and movement requirements, and your trade distribution is checked to make sure results aren’t driven by one outsized win.
Volume limits also apply, meaning you can only trade a small percentage of the previous one-minute volume on any symbol, which restricts size on thin tickers and most penny stocks.
Trade The Pool’s scaling plan is tied to realised profit milestones, increasing your buying power and daily loss allowance each time you grow the funded account by 10%.
These increases are proportional rather than fixed, so the account expands gradually as you hit each step. The system applies the adjustments automatically.
For example, if a $50,000 account reaches $55,000, the buying power and daily loss limit move to the next tier, and the following scale occurs once the balance reaches $60,500. Any breach of the account’s loss limits resets all scaling progress.
Challenges score 8/10 because Trade The Pool’s one step challenge, modest targets on day accounts and clear drawdown rules make the trading programs straightforward to navigate. You get a choice between day and swing models, unlimited time on the beginner tiers and multiple account sizes, which keeps the entry barrier reasonable. The score isn’t higher because the consistency rule and volume caps introduce extra limitations that can make certain strategies harder to execute cleanly.
Trade The Pool charges a flat stock and ETF commission of $0.005 per share with a $0.75 minimum per order, and pricing is based on real-time Nasdaq order book data rather than a synthetic feed.
That means the spread you see on TraderEvolution closely matches the underlying exchange, but it can still widen around opens, halts and news, and stop orders will fill at the next available price rather than at a guaranteed level.
In practice, this commission model is cheap for small or medium ticket sizes but gets expensive if you run very high share counts. A 50-share order hits the $0.75 minimum, while a 2,000-share order will cost $10 in commission, which is more than the flat per-trade fee some CFD-style stock props charge.
You’ll want to factor that into any scalping or high-frequency style that leans on many entries and exits, because trading costs can eat into a 6–15% target quickly if your average win size is small.
There are no separate platform or market data fees on the evaluation accounts, and real-time US stock and ETF prices are included as part of the program. Outside of trading costs, the main extra charges sit around payouts and general account administration, where the terms note that withdrawals and some transactions may carry processing fees.
Those sit in the background for most traders, but the per-share commission and variable exchange spread are the costs that will shape your day-to-day performance.
Spreads and trading fees score 7/10 because Trade The Pool uses real exchange data from Nasdaq, NYSE and CBOE, giving you accurate pricing and no hidden mark-ups. The per-share commission is transparent and fair for normal position sizes, and there are no extra platform or data fees added on top. The score doesn’t go higher because the $0.005 per-share model becomes expensive for high-volume traders, and large share counts can make costs stack up faster than at CFD-style props with capped or all-in fees.
Trade The Pool gives access to over 12,000 + US stocks and ETFs only, using a risk-based buying power system instead of fixed leverage. You trade with a set buying-power figure and daily loss limit, and those limits control your maximum exposure rather than a 1:30 leverage number like forex trading.
TTP product list includes large caps like Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT), hig -volatility names such as Tesla (TSLA), smaller companies and penny stocks like ATA Creativity Global (AACG), plus hundreds of sector and thematic ETFs ranging from SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) and Invesco QQQ (QQQ) to more niche products like Goldman Sachs Physical Gold ETF (AAAU).
All pricing comes directly from NASDAQ, NYSE and CBOE feeds, so spreads and depth track the underlying exchange rather than CFD-style synthetic books.
Day accounts must be flat before the closing bell, but you can still trade pre-market and after-hours. Swing accounts extend that access by allowing full overnight and weekend exposure.
Position sizing is shaped by TTP’s risk controls: your maximum size is whatever keeps you within your buying power and drawdown limits, and you must stay under the 5% one-minute volume rule. In practice, most traders keep each position to roughly 30% of the daily loss limit to avoid clipping the pause trigger.
Compared with stock prop firms with CFD trading that offer fixed 1:5 or 1:10 leverage, TTP’s risk-based model is steadier and closer to real exchange trading. You get far broader symbol access than firms that only offer a few hundred synthetic tickers, but raw position size is more controlled, especially in thin or fast-moving names.
Markets score 8/10 because Trade The Pool offers one of the largest stock and ETF selections available, with 12,000+ US-listed symbols covering large caps, small caps, penny stocks and every major sector. Extended-hours access and overnight holding on swing accounts make it flexible for multiple strategies. It doesn’t earn a higher score because everything is limited to US equities only, with no forex, crypto, indices or futures, which reduces appeal for multi-asset traders.
Trade The Pool uses the TraderEvolution platform for stocks and ETFs, giving you direct exchange data and a stock-focused execution environment rather than a CFD setup.
TraderEvolution is a full-feature desktop platform with ladder trading, Level 2 depth, charting tools, hotkeys and advanced order types, which makes it comfortable for active stock traders coming from brokers like IBKR or Lightspeed. You also get a web platform and mobile apps, but the desktop terminal is the only version with full functionality. Pricing comes straight from NASDAQ, NYSE and CBOE, so spreads, queues and liquidity display as they do on the exchange.
Execution is routed through TTP’s internal environment, and fills reflect the live order book and stock market activity. Stop loss orders trigger at market once reached, so you can experience slippage around fast moves, halts or thin names.
The platform supports equities and ETFs only, no futures, crypto or options, and the trading program rules prohibit scaling into illiquid symbols beyond the one-minute volume cap.
Unfortunately, automated trading is not allowed at all during the evaluation process. TTP is trialling a SignalStack integration exists in beta for funded accounts, but it isn’t guaranteed and can be revoked at any time, so all challenge phases should be treated as manual-trading only. You can switch between desktop, web and mobile, but only one connection per device type is allowed at a time, which avoids duplicate orders or accidental triggers.
Platforms score 6/10 because TraderEvolution provides strong stock trading tools like Level 2, hotkeys, ladder trading and advanced order types, giving manual equity traders everything they need to operate efficiently. The drawback is that it’s the only platform available, with no support for MT4/MT5, cTrader, TradingView or third-party terminals. Automation is also blocked during evaluations, so algorithmic or multi-platform traders will find the setup restrictive.
Trade The Pool pays funded traders on a 14 day profit payout cycle with a $300 minimum balance required for each withdrawal.
You can pay for your initial challenge fee with major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), as well as Maestro, SEPA, EPS, iDeal and PayPal, but there’s no fee refund on challenges, and the terms state that some payout requests may include processing fees depending on the method used.
Payouts are processed once all positions are closed and the account passes a brief risk review, which is standard across stock market prop firms. Payments are sent through the usual online processors TTP (PayPal style services or direct payment partners) and every withdrawal requires standard KYC checks before funds are released.
Once funded, Trade the Pool offers a profit split of 70% for all accounts, and payouts don’t affect your ability to scale unless you withdraw so much that the remaining balance drops below the account’s safety buffer. Otherwise, the 14-day rhythm stays consistent, and you can request withdrawals as often as your balance meets the minimum requirement.
Payouts score 6/10 because the 14 day payout cycle, $300 minimum and 70% split are all standard for US-stock prop firms, and the process is generally reliable once the account passes a quick risk review. The score isn’t higher because the withdrawal minimum is relatively high, challenge fees aren’t refunded, and some payout methods may include processing fees. It’s a functional system, just not one of the more generous payout structures on the market.
Trade The Pool’s customer support team is available during standard business hours and handled mainly through email, their FAQ, and platform guidance.
You can contact the team through their helpdesk email, and responses during testing were steady but not instant, which is typical for stock-focused firms. The platform section inside the Trader’s Area includes basic guides on using TraderEvolution, plus walkthroughs for order types and risk settings, so most setup issues can be solved without waiting for support.
Trading rule explanations are also covered in detail through the Program Terms pages, which outline consistency, volume limits and overnight policies clearly enough for new traders.
Educational materials are light but practical, you can freely access to short articles, a blog, and occasional trading tips, along with optional third-party tools like Tradersync or TrendSpider through their partner trials.
There’s no large Discord community which is unusual for a prop firm, but The 5%ers offers more in-depth educational resources and huge Discord channel if you want to work on your trading skills. But, TTP’s funded trader interviews and platform resources give you the basics to understand how the program expects you to trade.
Support and education score 6/10 because Trade The Pool covers the basics well with email support, FAQs and platform guides, but doesn’t go much beyond that. Response times are reasonable for a stock-focused firm, and the Trader’s Area plus Program Terms do a solid job of explaining platform use and risk rules. However, there’s no 24/7 live chat, no large in-house community like Discord, and educational content is fairly light, so traders who want coaching, webinars or very hands-on support will need to look elsewhere.
Trade The Pool shows a solid level of transparency for a stock-focused prop firm, with clear risk management rules and real exchange data underpinning every evaluation.
The company operates under Five Percent Online Ltd, the same group behind The5ers, and there is no broker backing, meaning all trading is done inside TTP’s own simulated environment rather than through a regulated brokerage partner. Pricing comes directly from NASDAQ, NYSE and CBOE, so quotes, volume and spreads match the underlying exchanges, which helps keep rule enforcement consistent around volatility and liquidity.
The main limitations sit around the evaluation model – all trading is simulated, automation is restricted, and the volume caps can make certain small-cap or thin ETFs harder to trade. Still, TTP is upfront about these constraints in its Program Terms, and the rules are published in full rather than split across scattered pages like some firms do.
What do users say in their Trade the Pool reviews?
Public reputation and online reviews for tradethepool.com are generally positive, and there’s also trader support groups on social media platforms like Facebook. Trade The Pool has a 4.5/5 Trustpilot score from more than 500 reviews, with most feedback focused on fair rule enforcement and the clarity of their risk management structure.
Their track record isn’t flawless, users occasionally highlight slow responses or confusion around consistency check, but overall transparency is stronger than many stock-only prop firms.
Trust and transparency scores 7/10 because Trade The Pool provides clear rules, full program terms, and real exchange data from Nasdaq, NYSE and CBOE. Its association with Five Percent Online Ltd (The 5%ers) and a strong Trustpilot rating help reinforce credibility. It doesn’t score higher because trading is entirely simulated with no regulated broker backing, automation restrictions still apply, and some users report slower response times or confusion around certain rules.
Trade The Pool ends up at 70/100 because it does a lot right, especially around stock access, real exchange data and simple one-step evaluations. Those strengths push up its overall score and make it a solid choice if you want a realistic US equities environment without the usual CFD limitations.
It doesn’t score higher because trading costs add up on high-volume styles, payouts aren’t the most flexible, and you’re limited to a single platform with no automation during evaluations. Those factors pull down the Spreads, Platforms and Payouts categories.
Overall, TTP suits manual stock and ETF traders who want depth, clarity and real data. It’s less ideal for scalpers, algo traders or multi-asset traders who need tighter costs or more platform options. If you’re focused on US equities and trade manually, pick the day or swing challenge that matches how long you like to hold positions and you’ll settle in easily.
Yes, Trade The Pool is considered legitimate as a stock and ETF prop firm with a clear rule set and transparent risk management. It operates under Five Percent Online Ltd, the same company behind The 5%ers, and uses real exchange data from NASDAQ, NYSE and CBOE, which helps keep pricing and executions consistent with the underlying markets.
The prop trading program runs entirely in a simulated environment, so it isn’t a brokerage, but its rules, evaluation criteria and funded account structure are fully published and easy to verify.
No, very few prop firms offer the same access to stock and ETF access as Trade The Pool. Most stock prop trading firms rely on CFD style feeds with a few hundred synthetic tickers, while TTP gives you more than 12,000 real US listed stocks and ETFs with exchange data from NASDAQ, NYSE and CBOE. That includes penny stocks, small caps, sector ETFs and leveraged products, which is wider than what most prop firms offer.
The only close alternatives are firms partnered with full US equities brokers, but even those typically limit trading to a few thousand symbols and often exclude low-volume names.
Yes, Trade The Pool pays funded traders on a 14 day cycle once the account has at least $300 in profit. Payouts are processed after you close all open positions and the risk team completes a quick review, which is standard for stock prop firms. Payments are then sent through the same processors used for initial challenge fee payments, including major credit cards, PayPal and regional methods like SEPA or iDeal.
How prop firms pay you can range from instant payouts to monthly, they each have a set schedule.
No, you cannot use the Interactive Brokers platform with Trade The Pool, your only option is TraderEvolution, which is their in-house equities platform built around real exchange data.
Even though Trade The Pool uses pricing from NASDAQ, NYSE and CBOE, all trading must happen inside their own environment because the evaluation and funded stages run on simulated accounts rather than a live brokerage. That means no connection to Interactive Brokers, no third-party platforms, and no external routing.