The 5%ers review: the swing-trader's prop firm, with the strictest drawdown rules to match
The 5%ers is the strongest prop trading firm for swing traders and position traders. Israel-based, established 2018, the only major prop firm with weekend holds permitted as standard across all challenge programs. Profit splits scale from 75 percent to a 100 percent ceiling on the Hyper Growth program, the most aggressive scaling plan in the prop firm space. The trade-off is tighter drawdown rules than FTMO or FundedNext (6 percent max, 4 percent daily versus competitors' 10 percent / 5 percent). Rating: 4.4 out of 5. Best for swing strategies; not optimal for high-frequency or scalping where the tight drawdown becomes binding.
About The 5%ers
The 5%ers is a challenge-based prop trading firm headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel. The company has operated since 2018, making it one of the longer-tenured operators in the modern challenge-based prop firm wave (older than FundedNext, FunderPro, Funding Pips, and most of the post-2020 entrants; younger than FTMO, which dates to 2014-15).
Where most prop firms position themselves on cost or platform breadth, The 5%ers position is structural: programs explicitly designed for swing traders and position traders, with weekend and overnight holds permitted as standard across the product line. The firm's three flagship programs (Bootcamp, Hyper Growth, High-Stakes) are differentiated by entry capital, evaluation phase count, and profit-split ladder rather than by whether weekend holds are allowed; in that sense, the entire product is swing-friendly by design.
Trustpilot review base sits at over 15,000 entries averaging 4.7 out of 5, one of the strongest aggregate signals in the prop firm space. Documented payouts are published in the firm's trader dashboard with the running total visible to prospective challengers.
Corporate facts worth knowing
The 5%ers operates from an Israeli corporate entity. The firm holds no AFSL in Australia, no FCA authorisation, and no CySEC licence. As with FundedNext and the broader non-FTMO field, this is not a regulatory red flag for the challenge-based model; it is the default structure because the model does not require financial-services licensing. For Australian residents specifically, the practical consequence is that consumer recourse runs through reputational pressure (Trustpilot, Reddit, Discord), not AFCA or ASIC.
For Australian retail traders who specifically want an ASIC-licensed prop firm, FTMO Australia is the only such option. The 5%ers, like FundedNext, is the cost-or-feature-driven alternative for traders who do not require ASIC backing.
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Weekend holds standard. 100% profit split ceiling on Hyper Growth. Aggressive doubling-account scaling plan. Trustpilot 4.7/5 across 15,000+ reviews.
Who The 5%ers is for
First, swing traders and position traders. Holding overnight and over the weekend is permitted as standard, not as a special program variant. If your strategy needs to ride positions for days or weeks, this is the default-best fit in the prop firm space.
Second, traders who want the most aggressive scaling plan available. The Hyper Growth program doubles the funded account at each scaling milestone (5,000 to 10,000 to 20,000 and onward). No competitor matches this structure for accelerating funded capital.
Third, traders comfortable trading inside a tight drawdown. Six percent maximum and 4 percent daily are stricter than the 10 percent / 5 percent at FTMO and FundedNext. This works for considered swing entries with clear invalidation; it works less well for high-frequency or scalping where many small drawdown excursions can compound into rule breaches.
Fourth, traders who want a longer track record than the 2022+ value-tier prop firms. The 5%ers' 2018 establishment date predates FundedNext (2022), FunderPro (2022), and most newer entrants. Seven years of continuous operation is meaningful in this space.
For high-frequency or scalping styles, FTMO or FundedNext are better fits because their wider drawdown rules accommodate more trade variance. For futures, the FundedNext review covers the futures-specific options.
Challenge programs and pricing
The 5%ers runs three primary programs, each tuned for a different trader profile:
| Program | Evaluation structure | Starting profit split | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bootcamp | Three-stage progression with profit milestones | 50% rising to 100% | Beginners testing the model on smaller capital |
| Hyper Growth | Two-phase evaluation with account-doubling scaling | 50% rising to 100% | Traders pursuing maximum scaled capital |
| High-Stakes | One-step evaluation, 80% / 90% profit split | 80% rising to 90% | Faster funding, simpler rule set |
Indicative pricing
| Account size (USD) | Hyper Growth fee | High-Stakes fee | FTMO equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | ~$245 | ~$39 | ~$89 |
| $10,000 | ~$345 | ~$59 | ~$155 |
| $25,000 | ~$595 | ~$199 | ~$345 |
| $100,000 | ~$1,295 | ~$695 | ~$1,080 |
Pricing indicative at April 2026. Fees are credited toward funded-account scaling on most programs rather than refunded in cash. High-Stakes is cheaper than FTMO at every tier; Hyper Growth is more expensive but pairs the cost with the doubling-account scaling structure.
The Bootcamp program is structured for the smallest entrants, with three progression stages tied to profit milestones rather than time. Hyper Growth is the centrepiece, with the doubling-account scaling that defines the firm's positioning. High-Stakes is the simplest one-step evaluation.
Rules, drawdown, and weekend holds
Maximum drawdown: 6 percent of the starting balance, calculated as static (not trailing) on most programs. Daily drawdown: 4 percent, calculated on the equity at the start of each trading day. Both are stricter than FTMO and FundedNext, which sit at 10 percent / 5 percent.
Weekend and overnight holds: permitted as standard across all programs. This is the firm's defining feature.
News trading: permitted on most programs. Some programs restrict trading within 2 minutes of high-impact news releases; check the specific program's rule set before challenging.
Maximum leverage: typical forex leverage is 1:30 to 1:100 depending on instrument and program tier. Crypto and exotic pairs at lower leverage.
Profit target to pass: typically 6 percent on Hyper Growth phase 1 (versus 8 to 10 percent at competitors). Easier profit hurdle compensates for the tighter drawdown.
Time limits: generally none on the standard challenge programs, allowing swing traders to take whatever time the strategy needs to hit milestones. This is unusual in the prop firm space, where 30 to 60 day time limits are typical.
The combination of weekend holds, no time limits, easier profit targets, and the aggressive scaling plan makes The 5%ers structurally optimised for swing trading. The 6 / 4 percent drawdown is the tax you pay for those features.
Profit splits and the Hyper Growth scaling
The 5%ers' profit split structure is the most aggressive in the prop firm space:
- Bootcamp: starts at 50 percent, rises to 100 percent across the three progression stages
- Hyper Growth: starts at 50 percent on the funded account, rises to 100 percent at the highest scaling tier
- High-Stakes: 80 percent at start, 90 percent after meeting scaling milestones
The 100 percent split ceiling is real but reached only after sustained profitable performance. New funded traders do not start at 100 percent; the rate is earned through multi-tier scaling.
How Hyper Growth doubling works in practice
Hyper Growth scales the funded account at each profit milestone (typically a 5 percent profit hit). The progression:
| Tier | Funded capital | Profit split at this tier |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (start) | USD 5,000 | 50% |
| 2 | USD 10,000 | 60% |
| 3 | USD 20,000 | 70% |
| 4 | USD 40,000 | 80% |
| 5 | USD 80,000 | 90% |
| 6+ | USD 160,000+ | 100% |
A trader who genuinely produces 5 percent per scaling cycle on a USD 5,000 starter can sit on USD 320,000+ in funded capital after six successful cycles. No competitor structure delivers this kind of capital growth on the same fee base. The trade-off is that hitting the milestones consistently requires real edge; the structural reward only materialises for the minority who actually pass the early tiers.
Trading platforms
The 5%ers supports MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 as the primary platforms, with cTrader available on selected programs. TradingView integration is available indirectly via MT4/MT5 bridge tools but not as a native order-placement integration like at Pepperstone or Eightcap.
Execution quality is adequate. The firm routes through liquidity partners rather than running its own matching engine. EAs and algorithmic trading are permitted with the standard caveat that obvious gaming behaviour (sub-second arbitrage on stale quotes, latency manipulation) will trigger review.
For a trader whose workflow is anchored in MetaTrader, the platform support is sufficient. For TradingView-anchored traders, the lack of native integration is a real friction point versus FTMO (which supports cTrader natively) or competitors offering the bridge with full order placement.
Payout process and reliability
Payout cycle is bi-weekly by default on funded accounts. After internal processing, withdrawals to bank accounts typically arrive within 1 to 3 business days. Crypto withdrawals (USDT, USDC) usually clear within hours. The firm publishes payout reports on the trader dashboard, with the running total of distributions visible to prospective challengers.
The Trustpilot signal of 4.7 out of 5 across 15,000+ reviews is one of the strongest in the prop firm space, comparable to or better than FundedNext's 4.5 across 65,000+ reviews and approaching FTMO's reputation among long-term participants. Sample size is smaller than FundedNext's but the quality is consistent and the trajectory has been positive over the firm's seven-year operating history.
Israel regulation context
The 5%ers operates from a privately-held Israeli corporate entity. The firm holds no ASIC AFSL, no FCA authorisation, no CySEC licence. As with FundedNext and the broader non-FTMO challenge-based prop firm field, this is not a regulatory red flag; it is the default for the model.
What Israeli regulation means for an Australian trader
Practically, you contract with an Israeli legal entity. If a dispute cannot be resolved with the firm's support team, your escalation options are:
- Reputational pressure via Trustpilot, Reddit, and prop-firm community channels
- Israeli dispute resolution (limited practical recourse for non-resident retail customers)
- Credit card chargeback for the original challenge fee (within issuer-allowed window)
The 5%ers' Trustpilot pattern shows the firm responds substantively to documented complaints, which suggests the operational reality is closer to "support-driven resolution" than "regulatory backstop". For a USD 39 to USD 1,295 challenge fee, this is an acceptable trade-off for most retail traders. For a multi-thousand dollar relationship with substantial funded capital at stake, the absence of formal regulatory recourse is more material.
For Australian residents who specifically want an ASIC-backed product, FTMO Australia under AFSL 525757 is the only major option. Choose The 5%ers when the swing-trading and scaling-plan features outweigh the regulatory backstop.
The 5%ers sound like the right fit?
The 5%ers ratings breakdown
The 5%ers vs FTMO vs FunderPro
The three-way comparison Australian swing traders most often face:
| Category | The 5%ers | FTMO | FunderPro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years operating | Since 2018 | Since 2014-15 | Since 2022 |
| Headquarters | Tel Aviv, Israel | Prague, Czech Republic | Limassol, Cyprus |
| Australian entity | No | Yes (AFSL 525757) | No |
| Weekend holds | Yes (all programs) | Yes (most programs) | Yes (most programs) |
| Max drawdown | 6% | 10% | 10% |
| Daily drawdown | 4% | 5% | 5% |
| Profit split ceiling | 100% (Hyper Growth) | 90% | 80% rising to 90% |
| Scaling structure | Account doubling | +25% per 4 months | Linear scaling |
| Time limit on phase | None on most programs | Various, typically 30 days | Various |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.7/5 (15k+ reviews) | 4.8/5 (decade+ history) | 4.6/5 (smaller sample) |
Choose The 5%ers if: you swing trade or position trade; you want the most aggressive scaling plan available; the 6 / 4 percent drawdown is workable for your edge.
Choose FTMO if: ASIC-licensed entity matters; you want the longest verified track record; you trade across a wider range of styles where 10 / 5 percent drawdown gives more room.
Choose FunderPro if: you want a Cyprus-regulated EU adjacency, looser drawdown than The 5%ers, and a similar swing-trade orientation. FunderPro details in the best prop trading firms Australia pillar.
Choose two: counterparty diversification is sensible for traders running real capital through prop firms. The 5%ers + FTMO is a common pairing for traders who want one swing-optimised firm and one ASIC-backed firm.
The drawdown trade-off, addressed honestly
The 6 percent maximum and 4 percent daily drawdown are the most-flagged downside in The 5%ers community discussion. The fair framing:
- For swing strategies with clear invalidation: 6 percent maximum is workable. A swing trader who risks 1 percent per trade with a 2:1 reward ratio can absorb 6 consecutive losers without breaching, which is well inside normal drawdown tolerance for a quality strategy.
- For high-frequency or scalping: 6 percent maximum is binding. Strategies relying on many small trades with non-trivial variance will hit the limit through the natural noise of execution, not through strategic underperformance. These styles fit better at FTMO or FundedNext.
- For news-trading and event-driven entries: the 4 percent daily limit is the more constraining rule. A single misjudged entry around an FOMC release can hit it on its own. News traders should program around the daily limit explicitly.
The drawdown rule is not a flaw; it is the cost of access to the swing-trading flexibility. Traders who choose The 5%ers and then complain about the drawdown are in the wrong product. Traders who match their strategy to the drawdown profile find the firm performs well.
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Final verdict
The 5%ers is the strongest prop trading firm for swing traders and position traders in 2026. The structural features that define the product (weekend holds as standard, no time limits on most programs, easier profit targets, the aggressive Hyper Growth scaling that doubles funded capital at each milestone) work together to support a particular kind of disciplined, considered trading. Combined with the strongest Trustpilot signal in the value-tier prop firm space and seven years of continuous operation, the firm is a credible default for the swing-trader audience.
The trade-offs are real. The tighter 6 / 4 percent drawdown is binding for high-frequency styles. Israeli regulatory context provides less consumer backstop than FTMO Australia's AFSL. The 100 percent profit split ceiling is reached only after multi-tier scaling, not at the start.
For Australian swing traders, the choice between The 5%ers and FTMO comes down to whether you weight feature-fit-to-style (The 5%ers) over regulatory backstop and verified payout depth (FTMO). Many serious traders run challenges at both for counterparty diversification and program-fit optimisation. For the broader competitive landscape including FunderPro and the futures specialists, see the best prop trading firms Australia pillar.
Start a The 5%ers challenge
Weekend holds standard. Hyper Growth doubles capital at each milestone. 100% profit split ceiling. Trustpilot 4.7/5 across 15,000+ reviews. Israel-based since 2018.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The 5%ers is a legitimate Israel-based prop firm operating since 2018, with over 15,000 Trustpilot reviews averaging 4.7 out of 5 and a published payout track record. As with FundedNext and most non-FTMO challenge-based prop firms, no Australian AFSL is required for the model under typical legal interpretation; you contract with an Israeli legal entity.
Yes. Weekend and overnight holds are permitted as standard across all major challenge programs (Bootcamp, Hyper Growth, High-Stakes). This is the structural feature that distinguishes The 5%ers from most competitors and makes it the best prop firm for swing and position traders. Most major prop firms (FTMO, FundedNext, FunderPro) also permit weekend holds on at least some programs, but The 5%ers built its product around them from day one.
Maximum total drawdown is 6 percent of the starting balance across the account. Daily drawdown is 4 percent. Both are tighter than FTMO or FundedNext (10 percent and 5 percent respectively). The tighter limits are the trade-off for the weekend-hold flexibility and the aggressive scaling plan; they make swing strategies viable but make high-frequency or scalping strategies harder to execute without breaching.
Yes, on the Hyper Growth program after meeting scaling milestones. The 100 percent ceiling is real but is reached only after sustained profitable performance over several scaling tiers. New funded traders typically start at 50 percent on Hyper Growth or 75 percent on Bootcamp; the 100 percent rate is the result of demonstrated multi-tier consistency, not an entry rate.
Indicative pricing in 2026: Bootcamp from USD 95 (smallest tier), High-Stakes USD 39 to 1,295 depending on account size, Hyper Growth USD 245 (USD 5,000 starter) up to USD 1,295 (USD 100,000 starter). Challenge fees are not refundable in cash but are credited toward your funded-account scaling on most programs. Cheaper than FTMO at all comparable tiers; broadly similar to FundedNext.
Hyper Growth doubles the funded account at each milestone (typically 5 percent profit hit). Starting at USD 5,000 funded, a successful trader can scale to USD 10,000, then 20,000, 40,000, 80,000, 160,000, and 320,000 over consecutive milestones. The profit split also rises from 50 percent at start to 100 percent at the highest scaled tier. The combination of doubling capital and lifting the split is the most aggressive scaling structure in the retail prop firm space.
Yes by community-reported and Trustpilot evidence. The firm publishes payout reports on its trader dashboard and processes withdrawals on a bi-weekly cycle by default. Crypto withdrawals (USDT, USDC) typically arrive within hours of internal processing. Bank wires take 1 to 3 business days. The 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot rating across 15,000+ reviews is one of the strongest in the prop firm space.
No. The 5%ers operates under Israeli law and does not hold an ASIC AFSL, FCA authorisation, or CySEC licence. Like FundedNext and most challenge-based prop firms, the model is not financial-services regulated because the firm is not managing client funds. For Australian residents, this means consumer recourse is via Trustpilot reputational pressure, Israeli dispute resolution, or credit card chargeback. FTMO Australia is the only major challenge-based prop firm operating under an Australian AFSL.
FTMO if track record depth, an Australian-licensed entity, and the largest verified payout ledger matter most. The 5%ers if you swing trade or position trade and want weekend holds as standard, or if the Hyper Growth scaling plan's account-doubling milestones suit your style. Many serious traders run challenges at both for counterparty risk diversification. See the best prop trading firms Australia pillar for the full ranking.
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