Best Prop Firms for Swing Trading 2026

TLDR: The5ers is our top pick for swing traders in 2026 — it allows overnight and weekend holding on all programs, uses a high-watermark drawdown that gives your trades room to breathe, charges no time limit to hit profit targets, and scales to $4M with up to 100% profit splits. FTMO's dedicated Swing account is the runner-up with static drawdown and a 4.8 Trustpilot score, but requires you to specifically select the Swing account type to unlock weekend holding. Alpha Capital rounds out the top three with a purpose-built Alpha Swing plan. Full rankings, pricing, and rule breakdowns below.

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Most prop firm comparison articles rank firms by challenge price and profit split. That works if you day trade. If you swing trade, those rankings will mislead you, because the rules that actually matter are buried in the fine print: Can you hold positions overnight? Through the weekend? Does the drawdown trail your intraday equity high — punishing you for unrealized gains — or does it stay fixed against your starting balance?

A firm that forces you to close all positions before Friday's market close eliminates half the setups you would otherwise take. A firm with trailing drawdown can stop you out on a normal pullback that any experienced swing trader would ride through. And a 30-day time limit to hit a 10% profit target puts pressure on a strategy that naturally needs weeks to play out.

We reviewed the holding policies, drawdown structures, and pricing at 10 prop firms, then ranked the six that actually accommodate swing strategies.

Quick-Pick Comparison Table

Rank	Firm	Overnight Holding	Weekend Holding	No Time Limit	Price ($100K)	Profit Split
1	The5ers	✅ Yes	✅ Yes (all stages)	✅ Yes	$476 (2-Step)	80% → 100%
2	FTMO (Swing)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes (Swing only)	❌ No (unlimited for challenges)	€540 (~$580)	80% → 90%
3	Alpha Capital (Swing)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes (all stages)	❌ No	$577	80%
4	Blue Guardian	✅ Yes	✅ Yes (1-phase/2-phase)	✅ Yes	~$500 [UNVERIFIED]	85% → 90%
5	FundedNext	✅ Yes	⚠️ Challenge only	❌ No	$279	80% → 95%
6	Maven Trading	✅ Yes	✅ Yes [UNVERIFIED]	❌ No	~$379	80%

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#1: The5ers — Best Overall for Swing Trading

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The5ers takes the top spot because it removes almost every obstacle that swing traders run into at other firms. Overnight holding is permitted. Weekend holding is permitted on all programs, including funded accounts. There is no time limit to reach your profit target, which means you can wait for your setups instead of forcing trades to beat a deadline. And the drawdown calculation uses a high-watermark based on end-of-day balance — not real-time equity — so a temporary intraday pullback on an open swing position will not trigger a breach as long as your balance recovers by market close.

Pricing: The $100K High Stakes (2-Step) account costs approximately $476. The Bootcamp program is available from around $100, starting you at $25K with a path to $100K in live capital.

Drawdown structure: 5% daily drawdown and 10% maximum overall drawdown, calculated on end-of-day balance (high-watermark). This is the most swing-friendly drawdown model in this ranking. Your drawdown threshold adjusts upward based on the highest recorded end-of-day balance — but it does not trail intraday equity spikes. That distinction matters when you are holding a position through a session that moves 3% in your favor before pulling back 1.5%.

Profit split: Starts at 80% on the High Stakes program and scales to 100% as you hit milestones. Bootcamp traders start at 50% but reach 100% on the scaling path.

Trustpilot: 4.8/5 with 21,000+ reviews — one of the highest-rated firms in the industry.

Why The5ers beats FTMO for the #1 spot: At FTMO, you must specifically select the Swing account type to unlock weekend holding, and you accept 1:30 leverage. At The5ers, weekend holding is the default across every program. Combined with end-of-day drawdown and no time limit, The5ers gives swing traders more flexibility without requiring a separate product.

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#2: FTMO (Swing Account) — Best for Established Traders Who Want a Proven Brand

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FTMO is the most recognized name in prop trading, and its Swing account type is specifically designed for traders who hold positions for days or weeks. On the Swing account, you can hold trades overnight and through weekends with no forced closures. The standard FTMO account allows overnight holding but requires all positions closed before the weekend — so you must select "Swing" at checkout.

Pricing: The $100K Swing account costs €540 (roughly $580 USD). The fee is refunded after your first profit split.

Drawdown structure: 5% maximum daily loss and 10% maximum overall loss, calculated from your initial starting balance. This is a static drawdown — it does not trail upward. On a $100K account, your equity cannot drop below $90,000 at any point, regardless of how high your balance grows. Static drawdown gives you a fixed safety net rather than a moving target.

Leverage: Swing accounts are capped at 1:30 (vs. 1:100 on standard). For swing traders running multi-day positions, this is appropriate — but factor it in if your strategy uses higher lot sizes.

Profit split: 80%, scaling to 90% on the Scaling Plan. FTMO's payout consistency and track record are unmatched.

Trustpilot: 4.8/5 with over 40,000 reviews — the largest review count of any prop firm.

One limitation: FTMO requires trading on a minimum of 4 calendar days per evaluation phase. Swing traders who take only one or two trades per week may need to add small positions to satisfy this rule.

Best for: Swing traders who value reputation, payout reliability, and static drawdown, and who are comfortable with 1:30 leverage.

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#3: Alpha Capital Group (Alpha Swing) — Best Dedicated Swing Account

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Alpha Capital Group built a separate product for swing traders. The Alpha Swing account mirrors their Pro 10% challenge — 10% profit target in Phase 1, 5% in Phase 2, 10% static drawdown — but adds full weekend holding at every stage, including funded accounts. This is one of the few firms where weekend holding is explicitly guaranteed on the funded account without asterisks.

Pricing: $577 for the $100K Alpha Swing. Higher than the standard Alpha Pro ($497), but you are paying for guaranteed weekend holding on the funded side. The Alpha Three plan offers $100K at $397 with weekend holding, but requires three evaluation phases.

Drawdown structure: 5% daily and 10% overall static drawdown. Same model as FTMO — fixed at initial balance, does not trail.

Leverage: 1:30 on the Swing account. Standard Alpha accounts offer 1:100 but restrict weekend holding.

Profit split: 80% across all account types. No scaling beyond 80%.

Trustpilot: 4.7/5 with over 16,000 reviews.

Best for: Traders who want a firm that explicitly labels its swing product and guarantees weekend holding at every stage.

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#4: Blue Guardian — Best for Swing Traders Who Want Scaling Potential

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Blue Guardian allows overnight and weekend holding on its 1-phase and 2-phase evaluation challenges with no time limits on the evaluation. The firm also offers a scaling path up to $4M in funded capital.

Pricing: ~$500 for the $100K challenge [UNVERIFIED]. Blue Guardian recently introduced a $10 entry-level plan for smaller accounts.

Drawdown structure: Daily and maximum drawdown limits apply, with specifics varying by account type. Generally swing-compatible if you manage position sizing around weekend gaps.

Profit split: 100% on the first $15K in profits, then 90% thereafter. After the 4th payout, Blue Guardian refunds the evaluation fee entirely.

Trustpilot: Blue Guardian's Trustpilot score was removed due to a guideline violation. Over 1,000 reviews remain live with ~78% at 5 stars. The firm has paid out over $20 million in verified payouts as of early 2026.

One limitation: Rapid and Instant Funding challenges do not permit weekend holding. Select the 1-phase or 2-phase challenge for swing-trading permissions.

Best for: Swing traders who want a no-time-limit evaluation with scaling potential, and who are comfortable with a mixed reputation signal.

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#5: FundedNext — Best Budget Option for Swing Traders

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FundedNext is the cheapest way to get a $100K swing-trading evaluation in 2026. Overnight holding is permitted across all account types. Weekend holding is allowed during challenge phases — but funded accounts do not permit weekend holding. All positions must be closed before Friday's market close.

Pricing: $279 for a $100K Stellar account [UNVERIFIED]. Pricing varies across Stellar Lite, 1-Step, and 2-Step models.

Drawdown structure: The Stellar model enforces 3% daily drawdown and 6% maximum overall loss — tighter than the 5%/10% standard at most firms. Other models use 5%/10% with either static or trailing drawdown. Pay close attention to which drawdown model you are selecting — the trailing option tracks equity in real time, which is dangerous for swing traders. For a full breakdown, read our guide: How Prop Firm Drawdown Rules Work.

Profit split: 80%, scaling to 95% with the Lifetime Payout add-on.

Trustpilot: 4.5/5 with over 42,000 reviews.

Why FundedNext ranks #5 despite the low price: The weekend holding restriction on funded accounts means you must flatten every Friday. For trend-following and multi-day momentum strategies, that changes your risk/reward profile.

Best for: Swing traders on a tight budget who primarily hold overnight (not over weekends) and can work within tighter drawdown limits.

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#6: Maven Trading — Best Budget Option with Static Drawdown

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Maven Trading offers two features swing traders will appreciate: a zero-swap policy and a static drawdown option on the 2-Step Challenge. The zero-swap policy eliminates overnight financing charges that accumulate when you hold forex positions for multiple days.

Pricing: ~$379 for the $100K 2-Step Challenge. The 1-Step and Instant Funding options use trailing drawdown (equity-based), making them less suitable for swing strategies.

Drawdown structure (2-Step): 4% daily and 8% overall static drawdown. The 8% max is tighter than the 10% at FTMO, The5ers, and Alpha Capital — you have less room to absorb normal multi-day volatility.

Profit split: Up to 80%, with payouts every 10 business days.

Weekend holding: Maven Trading permits weekend holding [UNVERIFIED] — confirm current terms directly with the firm before purchasing.

Trustpilot: 4.5/5 with ~5,000 reviews. Smaller review base, but solid score.

Best for: Forex swing traders who want to avoid swap fees on pairs with high financing costs. The static drawdown on the 2-Step is viable for multi-day holds, but the tighter 8% max requires disciplined sizing.

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How We Ranked These Firms

Every firm was evaluated on five criteria, weighted toward what swing traders actually need:

Weekend holding (most important). Can you hold through the weekend on both the evaluation and funded account? Firms that allow it at every stage ranked higher.

Drawdown type. Static drawdown and end-of-day high-watermark models are significantly better for swing traders than trailing drawdown based on real-time equity.

Time limits. Firms with no time limit give swing traders the freedom to wait for setups instead of forcing trades.

Pricing and profit split. We factored in $100K challenge cost and long-term earning potential from profit splits and scaling plans.

Trustpilot and payout reliability. A firm can offer perfect rules on paper, but if it does not pay consistently, none of it matters.

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What to Watch Out For: Trailing Drawdown + Swing Trading = Danger

This is the single most important warning in this article. If you swing trade with a prop firm that uses trailing drawdown based on real-time equity, you are taking on a risk that does not exist in your personal trading account.

Here is how it works: You open a swing trade on Monday that runs $4,000 in your favor by Wednesday. Your equity hits $104,000. A trailing drawdown locks that in — your new floor moves to $94,000. On Thursday, the trade pulls back $3,000 before continuing in your direction. Your equity is $101,000, still profitable. But you have already consumed $3,000 of your $10,000 buffer on a position that is still in the green. Now imagine a gap against you over the weekend — you could breach the account on a trade that would have been a winner.

This is why we ranked static drawdown and end-of-day drawdown models so heavily. If a firm offers both trailing and static options, always choose static for a swing strategy. For a full breakdown of every major drawdown model and how they interact with multi-day holds, read our guide: How Prop Firm Drawdown Rules Work.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which prop firm is best for swing trading overall? The5ers is our top pick. It allows overnight and weekend holding on all programs (including funded), uses end-of-day high-watermark drawdown, imposes no time limits, and scales to $4M with up to 100% profit splits. It checks every box a swing trader needs.

Can I hold trades over the weekend at FTMO? Only on the FTMO Swing account type. Standard FTMO accounts require all positions closed before the weekend. The Swing account is available exclusively within the 2-Step Challenge and comes with 1:30 leverage instead of 1:100.

Why is trailing drawdown dangerous for swing traders? Trailing drawdown adjusts your loss limit based on your highest equity point — including unrealized, open-trade profits. A swing trade that moves in your favor and then pulls back temporarily can consume your drawdown buffer even though the trade is still profitable. Static drawdown keeps the loss limit fixed at your starting balance, giving you more room for normal market fluctuations.

Do any prop firms offer no time limit for swing traders? Yes. The5ers and Blue Guardian (1-phase and 2-phase challenges) both offer evaluations with no time limit. This is valuable for swing traders who may only take a handful of trades per month and need weeks or months to hit profit targets naturally.

What about swap fees when holding overnight? Most prop firms charge standard swap/rollover fees on positions held overnight, which reduces your net profit on multi-day trades — especially on exotic forex pairs. Maven Trading is an exception: it offers zero-swap accounts, which eliminate overnight financing charges entirely. If your strategy involves holding pairs like USD/TRY or EUR/ZAR for multiple days, the swap savings at Maven can meaningfully improve your bottom line.

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