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The5ers $1.9 100K Challenge vs. Industry Standards: Is This the Best Prop Firm Entry in 2026?

The5ers' Summer Plan offers a $100K account from $149 — see how it compares to FTMO's 2026 fees, drawdown rules, scaling, and payout structure.

July 28, 20267 min read

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Riddhika Chakrabarti

Best Prop Firm Discounts Summer 2026: The5ers' $1.9 100K Summer Plan Explained

The decision to evaluate a prop firm in 2026 hinges on one difficult question – How much do you want to risk as entry fee without knowing whether the firm's rules suit your trading style or not? To those traders who lost an account owing to the drawdown rules, the question carries a lot more weight than any other detail written on the paper. The5ers' Summer Plan, launched in July 2026, is one of the more talked-about answers to that problem, offering a $100,000 account structure at a fraction of typical evaluation pricing. This guide breaks down the pricing, the rules, and how it stacks up against FTMO, one of the industry's most established firms, so you can decide which structure actually fits how you trade.


The5ers Summer 2026 Pricing Breakdown

What does the $149 entry actually unlock on the 100K account?

The $149 entry fee unlocks a two-step evaluation path on a simulated $100,000 account, known internally as the 10/5 plan. Phase 1 requires a 10% profit target, and Phase 2 requires 5%, with a maximum loss limit of 10% of the initial balance and a daily loss limit calculated at 3% of the account's end-of-day equity or balance, whichever is higher. According to The5ers' own Summer Plan page, this two-step structure carries no consistency rule during the evaluation phases, which matters for traders whose strategy depends on a handful of large winning days rather than steady daily gains.

The Summer Plan is not a single offer but three separate entry points, each priced for a different trading style and risk appetite:

Evaluation PathEntry FeeStructure
2-Step (10/5)$149Phase 1: 10% target / Phase 2: 5% target
2-Step (8/5)$179Phase 1: 8% target / Phase 2: 5% target
1-Step$249Single phase, 10% target, reach in one trade if conditions allow

The traders that will manage to take any of the two paths above will be entitled to get Hub Credits in 10 percent after phase one and 20 percent after phase two, which are redeemable against future purchase of their services. Reports indicate there is a partial refund of the entry fee in relation to the third profit payment – the percentage varies from source to source.

How does this pricing compare to The5ers' standard fee structure?

Outside of the Summer Plan promotional window, a $100,000 evaluation at The5ers under its regular High Stakes program has historically carried a noticeably higher entry cost. The Summer Plan represents a limited-time reduction, not a permanent repricing, so traders interested in this specific cost structure should treat the promotional window as time-sensitive. The5ers has described Summer Plan as a limited-time offer, which means the standard, non-promotional pricing is expected to apply once the promotion ends.


The5ers vs FTMO: Evaluation Cost Comparison Summer 2026

How do FTMO's current challenge fees stack up against The5ers' Summer Plan?

FTMO's $100,000 account currently carries a one-time challenge fee in the range of €540 (roughly $560), based on 2026 pricing data, after fee increases earlier this year pushed the popular 100K tier up from its previous rate. That is a meaningful gap compared to The5ers' Summer Plan pricing at $149 to $249 for the same account size. FTMO's fee is refundable when the trader makes his first profits through the split after completing both the Challenge and Verification process, which makes its cost less burdensome for those who pass the evaluation process. However, the upfront capital required is considerably greater than that of The5ers' Summer Plan offerings.

What is important to remember is that FTMO periodically runs down its promotions, so the cost for a trader can vary due to the ongoing discounts. As the pricing from prop firms changes frequently, one should always use the current price from their order page.

What's included in each firm's evaluation price point?

The5ers' Summer Plan entry fee covers access to the evaluation account itself, the Hub Credits incentive structure, and (per public reporting) a partial fee-refund mechanic tied to funded-stage payouts. FTMO's challenge fee covers both the Challenge and Verification phases in a single upfront payment, with the entire fee refunded upon passing and reaching the first profit split. Neither firm's headline fee typically includes add-ons like extended time limits as standard; FTMO, for example, offers a separate 'Swing Trader' package at an additional cost for traders who want an extended window to complete Phase 1, while The5ers' Summer Plan structure is generally evaluated within its own defined risk parameters rather than a separate paid extension.


Scaling Pathways After the Discounted Entry

How does The5ers' account growth pathway work once funded?

After passing through either the Summer Plan program and attaining a funded status, The5ers will apply their usual profit split and scaling framework over the promotional entry point. According to public data, the initial profit split will be somewhere around 75%, and the scaling will increase the account progressively as the trader demonstrates continuous performance in compliance with their rules. In relation to the growth trajectory under the current promotion, the data shows that the scaling limit is capped at $175,000 in simulated funds, although their other funded models have had higher limits before.

What makes The5ers' scaling plan different from FTMO's scaling model?

The core difference is how growth is triggered. The5ers has generally structured its scaling around demonstrated consistency and risk discipline over a defined performance window, rewarding traders who avoid large drawdowns as much as those who hit profit targets quickly. FTMO's scaling plan, by contrast, has historically been tied to reaching specific profit thresholds over consecutive months, with a scaling cap reported at up to $2 million in simulated capital for traders who scale all the way up. Both approaches reward consistency, but traders who prefer a growth path explicitly built around risk discipline rather than pure profit velocity may find The5ers' framework easier to plan around.


Evaluation Structure and Flexibility

Does The5ers' Summer Plan include time-limit-free evaluation options?

Yes. As with many aspects of The5ers' general evaluation package, there is no hard evaluation deadline when it comes to the two-step approaches of the Summer Plan – unlike in some other competing challenges where there is a strict evaluation deadline. This is an important factor from the structural side of things when it comes to swing traders who do not have the luxury of trading during the day.

How many program paths can traders choose between at The5ers?

The Summer Plan offers three distinct paths: the 1-Step ($249) for traders who want the fastest route to funding, and two 2-Step variants ($149 and $179) that trade a lower entry cost for an additional evaluation phase. This tiered structure lets traders match their budget and risk tolerance to the plan rather than being forced into a single one-size-fits-all evaluation format.


Payouts, Profit Splits, and Drawdown Rules

What profit split progression applies to the discounted 100K account?

The traders that have been financed by Summer Plan begin with a profit split ratio of 75%, which is consistent with The5ers' funding program for all accounts, and there is some more scope for increasing this percentage with the growth in the size of the account. It would be best to confirm the profit split increase based on account growth directly with The5ers because of any promotional program difference.

How do drawdown mechanics differ between The5ers and FTMO at this account size?

The5ers' Summer Plan applies a 10% maximum loss limit and a 3% daily loss limit calculated against end-of-day equity or balance, whichever is higher, with no added consistency requirement during the evaluation phases. FTMO's $100,000 Challenge, by comparison, typically applies loss limits in the 5% to 10% range depending on account type, calculated as a trailing or static drawdown depending on the specific program selected. The practical difference traders tend to notice is in how the daily loss calculation reference point is set, which can matter significantly for strategies that rely on holding open positions overnight.


Is the Discounted Entry Worth It for Different Trader Types?

Who benefits most from a lower-cost entry: beginners or experienced traders?

The fact that there is low entry cost works to the advantage of all participants, though for different reasons. New traders get an opportunity to have a low-risk way of trying themselves in an actual evaluation process without putting in a large amount of money into the company and system that they do not know anything about. The more experienced traders, on the other hand, utilize the low-cost entry for running evaluations simultaneously through various accounts or companies.

What trade-offs, if any, come with a discounted evaluation price?

The main trade-off is time-sensitivity: promotional pricing structures like the Summer Plan are explicitly limited-time offers, meaning the terms, scaling ceiling, or fee could differ once the promotion ends or if the trader needs to retake an evaluation outside the promotional window. Traders should also confirm whether promotional-plan terms carry any differences in payout timing or scaling ceiling compared to the firm's standard funded program, since promotional structures occasionally carry adjusted terms relative to the flagship offering.


Summary

The5ers' Summer Plan gives traders a meaningfully lower-cost way to attempt a $100,000 evaluation compared to FTMO's current 2026 pricing, with three flexible entry paths, no consistency rule during its two-step evaluation phases, and a scaling and profit-split framework built around rewarding disciplined, rule-compliant trading. FTMO is still an established platform with a ten-year reputation behind it and a totally refundable fees structure – but with a higher initial investment cost for the same size of trading account. The final decision will depend on the amount of capital a trader can afford to invest initially, his trading style and his perception of a proven track record.

For more prop firm comparisons, scaling guides, and trader education, explore Prop Firm Insider.

The5ers $1.9 100K Challenge vs. Industry Standards: Is This the Best Prop Firm Entry in 2026? FAQ

The5ers $1.9 100K Challenge vs. Industry Standards: Is This the Best Prop Firm Entry in 2026?