Best Prop Firms That Allow News Trading in 2026

TLDR: FTMO ranks first for news traders in 2026 — its Swing accounts have zero news restrictions, and standard funded accounts only enforce a narrow 2-minute blackout window around high-impact releases. The5ers is a close second with a similar 2-minute window and a scaling path to real capital. If you want zero restrictions from day one, Maven Trading's Instant and Mini accounts let you trade straight through NFP and FOMC without any blackout period. Full policy breakdowns, pricing, and hidden gotchas below.

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A single Non-Farm Payrolls release can move EUR/USD 80 pips in 30 seconds. An unexpected FOMC rate decision can send gold through three daily ranges before most traders finish reading the statement. If your strategy is built around capturing those moves, the prop firm you choose matters more than your entry technique — because the wrong firm will either void your profits, flag your account, or terminate you outright for doing exactly what your strategy requires.

The problem is that "news trading allowed" on a firm's marketing page rarely tells the full story. Some firms allow you to hold existing positions through news but ban opening new ones. Others let you trade freely during the evaluation but strip profits earned within a blackout window once you are funded. A handful quietly widened their restriction windows in late 2025 without updating their FAQ pages. And at least one firm on this list will terminate your account if it determines your trading was "intentionally" targeting news events — even if they technically allow news trading.

We reviewed the news trading policies, pricing, drawdown structures, and trader feedback for 10 prop firms, then ranked the seven that give news traders the best combination of policy flexibility and overall trading conditions. Every claim below is sourced from official firm documentation or verified trader reports. Where we could not confirm a detail, it is flagged as [UNVERIFIED].

Quick-Pick Comparison Table

Rank	Firm	News Trading Policy	Price ($100K)	Profit Split	Trustpilot
1	FTMO	2-min window on funded; Swing accounts unrestricted	~$580 (€540)	80% → 90%	4.8/5
2	The5ers	2-min window (High Stakes); no bracketing (Bootcamp)	~$476 (2-Step)	80% → 100%	4.8/5
3	FundedNext	40% profit reduction in 10-min window (Stellar funded)	~$550	80% → 95%	4.5/5
4	Maven Trading	No restrictions on Instant/Mini; 2-min window on standard	~$380	80%	4.5/5*
5	Alpha Capital Group	4–10 min window depending on plan	~$497	80%	4.7/5
6	Blue Guardian	Allowed in eval; banned on funded (5-min window)	~$184 (3-Step)	80% → 90%	N/A**
7	Funding Pips	5-min window; profits voided; "intentional" news trading banned	~$399 (2-Step)	80% → 100%	4.5/5

*Maven Trading had reviews removed by Trustpilot for guideline violations. Current score may not reflect full review history.

**Blue Guardian's Trustpilot score was removed due to a guideline violation. Over 1,400 reviews remain live.

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#1: FTMO — Best Overall for News Trading

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FTMO earns the top spot because it offers the most straightforward news trading policy in the industry — and backs it with a track record that no other firm on this list can match. During both phases of the evaluation (Challenge and Verification), there are zero restrictions on trading around macroeconomic news releases. You can open, close, and hold positions through NFP, CPI, FOMC, and every other high-impact event without any limitation.

On funded accounts, FTMO enforces a 2-minute blackout window: you cannot open or close trades starting 2 minutes before and ending 2 minutes after selected high-impact news releases. The restriction applies only to instruments directly affected by the announcement — so a USD news event restricts USD pairs and US indices, but you can still trade EUR/GBP or the DAX during that window. This level of specificity is unusual and works in the trader's favor.

The Swing account exception: If you choose FTMO's Swing account type, the news restriction disappears entirely. No blackout window, no profit deductions, no instrument-specific limitations. You can trade straight through any release on any pair. For dedicated news traders, this is the single most permissive funded-account policy available from a top-tier firm.

Pricing: The $100K challenge costs approximately €540 (~$580 USD). The fee is refunded with your first profit split on the funded account.

Drawdown: Static on the 2-Step challenge. Your maximum drawdown floor stays fixed at the starting balance minus 10%, regardless of how high your account grows. The newer 1-Step challenge uses a trailing end-of-day drawdown instead.

Profit split: 80% at baseline, scaling to 90% through FTMO's Scaling Plan.

Best for: News traders who want a trusted firm with a narrow, clearly defined restriction window — or who are willing to use the Swing account for completely unrestricted access.

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#2: The5ers — Best for News Traders Who Scale to Real Capital

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The5ers takes the second spot because it combines a reasonable news trading policy with something no other firm on this list offers: a genuine pathway to managing real capital. Most prop firms keep traders on simulated accounts indefinitely. The5ers eventually allocates actual funded capital through its scaling program, which makes it a strong long-term choice for traders who plan to build a career around event-driven strategies.

News trading policy by program:

The High Stakes (2-Step) program enforces a 2-minute restriction window around high-impact events. You cannot open or close orders from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after a release. Profits earned during this window are deducted, and losses remain yours.

The Bootcamp and Instant Funding (Hyper-Growth) programs allow news trading, but bracket strategies are prohibited. Bracketing means placing simultaneous Buy Stop and Sell Stop orders around a news release to catch whichever direction the market moves. Outside of that specific tactic, you can trade through news events on these programs.

Pricing: The $100K High Stakes account costs approximately $476 after The5ers' automatic 5% discount. The Bootcamp offers a much cheaper $100 entry but starts you at $25K with a scaling path upward.

Drawdown: The5ers enforces a 10% maximum overall drawdown and a 5% daily drawdown limit. Both are calculated from the initial balance (static).

Profit split: Starts at 80% and scales to 100% at higher tiers through the firm's growth program.

Best for: News traders who want to combine event-driven strategies with a long-term scaling path and the possibility of managing real capital.

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#3: FundedNext — Best Budget Option With Partial News Access

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FundedNext lands at number three because it takes an unusual approach to news trading: rather than banning it outright or restricting order execution, the firm reduces the profit share on trades executed near news events. This means you can still trade through NFP or CPI — you just keep less of the profit from those specific trades.

News trading policy by account type:

On Stellar funded accounts (1-Step, 2-Step, and Lite), any trade opened or closed within 5 minutes before or 5 minutes after a high-impact news event is subject to the News Reward Share Rule. Only 60% of the profit from those trades counts toward your balance — the remaining 40% is deducted. During the challenge phase, there are no news restrictions at all.

Express accounts are stricter: no opening or closing trades within a 5-minute window before and after news events, in both the challenge and funded phases.

FundedNext Futures has no news trading restrictions whatsoever — not during the evaluation and not on funded accounts.

Pricing: The $100K Stellar challenge costs approximately $550. FundedNext also offers a 15% profit share during the challenge phase itself, which is a unique feature that partially offsets the entry cost.

Drawdown: FundedNext uses a balance-based drawdown system. The daily drawdown is 5% and the overall maximum drawdown is 10%, both calculated based on the starting or end-of-day balance depending on the account type.

Profit split: 80% at baseline on Stellar accounts, scalable to 90%. A lifetime 95% add-on is available for an additional fee (25–30% on top of the challenge price).

Best for: Traders who want to trade news events and are comfortable with a reduced profit share during the restriction window rather than a hard ban. Also strong for futures traders, where FundedNext imposes no restrictions at all.

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#4: Maven Trading — Best for Unrestricted News Trading on Instant Accounts

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Maven Trading earns the fourth spot because its Instant and Mini accounts offer what very few funded accounts in the industry provide: completely unrestricted news trading. No blackout window, no profit deductions, no instrument restrictions. You can open new positions 10 seconds before NFP and close them 10 seconds after, and the full profit counts.

News trading policy by account type:

On standard (evaluation-based) accounts, Maven enforces a 2-minute blackout window around high-impact events. Trades opened or closed within 2 minutes before or after a scheduled release will have their profits voided.

On Instant and Mini accounts, there are no news trading restrictions of any kind. This includes NFP, FOMC, CPI, and any other high-impact release.

Pricing: The $100K 2-Step challenge costs approximately $380, making Maven one of the cheapest options on this list. Instant accounts are priced higher but come with immediate funded access.

Drawdown: Maven uses a static drawdown structure. The maximum overall drawdown is typically 8–10% depending on the account type, and the daily drawdown limit is 5%.

Profit split: 80% on standard accounts. [UNVERIFIED] whether Instant/Mini accounts offer higher splits through scaling.

A note on Trustpilot: Maven Trading's Trustpilot profile shows a 4.5/5 rating, but the platform has removed a number of reviews for guideline violations. Traders have also reported that Maven operates its Trustpilot under the name "Mavsoft" and uses Feefo for verified reviews. Take the score with appropriate context.

Best for: News traders who want zero restrictions and are willing to pay the Instant account premium for immediate funded access without blackout windows.

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#5: Alpha Capital Group — Best Trustpilot Score Among News-Friendly Firms

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Alpha Capital Group places fifth because its news trading policy, while more restrictive than the top four firms, is clearly documented and paired with one of the strongest reputations in the industry. With a 4.7/5 Trustpilot rating from over 16,000 reviews and more than $48M in verified payouts, Alpha Capital offers news traders a high-trust environment with well-defined rules.

News trading policy by plan:

During the evaluation phase, news trading is allowed without restriction across all plans. On funded accounts, the restriction windows vary by plan type. Alpha Pro 8% and 10% accounts enforce a 4-minute total window (2 minutes before and after). Alpha Pro 6%, One, and Three accounts enforce a wider 10-minute total window (5 minutes before and after).

The Swing plan allows news trading on funded accounts, but trades opened within 2 minutes of a release must remain active for at least 2 minutes before being closed.

Pricing: The $100K account costs approximately $497 at base price, though Alpha Capital frequently runs 30% discounts that can bring the price down to around $350.

Drawdown: Alpha Capital uses a static drawdown model. Daily drawdown is 5% and overall maximum drawdown is 10%.

Profit split: 80% from the first payout. Alpha Capital also enforces a 40% best day rule, meaning no single trading day can account for more than 40% of your total profits. This is worth noting for news traders, since a single high-impact event can easily produce an outsized daily return.

Best for: Traders who prioritize firm reliability and verified payouts over the most permissive news trading policy. The 40% best day rule requires careful position sizing around major events.

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#6: Blue Guardian — Best Pricing, But Funded News Trading Is Off the Table

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Blue Guardian offers some of the cheapest challenge fees in the industry, and it allows completely unrestricted news trading during the evaluation phase. The catch: once you are funded, news trading is effectively banned. This split policy puts Blue Guardian in an awkward position for dedicated news traders, but it still earns a spot on this list because the evaluation-phase freedom is useful for traders who use news events to pass their challenge quickly and then switch to a different strategy on the funded account.

News trading policy:

During all evaluation programs (3-Step, Guardian X, Instant), news trading is fully permitted with no restrictions. On funded accounts, you cannot open or close trades within 5 minutes before or 5 minutes after any red-folder (high-impact) news event. This applies to FOMC speeches, statements, and decisions as well. Profits earned during this window are subject to removal, though the firm states this will not trigger an account violation.

Pricing: The $100K 3-Step challenge costs approximately $184, which is the cheapest entry on this list by a wide margin. The 2-Step option costs more (around $250), and Blue Guardian frequently runs promotional codes offering 35–50% off.

Drawdown: Blue Guardian uses a static drawdown model with a 10% maximum overall drawdown and a 4% daily drawdown on the 3-Step program.

Profit split: 80% at baseline, scaling to 90% through the firm's growth plan.

Best for: Budget-conscious traders who want to use news events to pass the evaluation phase affordably, then shift to non-news strategies on funded accounts. Not recommended if your entire strategy depends on trading through high-impact events.

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#7: Funding Pips — Most Restrictive, but Transparent About It

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Funding Pips ranks last because its news trading policy is the most restrictive on this list — and in some cases, it is functionally a ban. However, the firm earns a spot here because it is transparent about its rules, has a strong payout record, and is still workable for traders who incorporate news events as one part of a broader strategy rather than as their primary edge.

News trading policy:

On all funded accounts (1-Step, 2-Step, Pro), profits from trades opened or closed within 5 minutes before or after a high-impact news event will not count toward your payout. The trades themselves are allowed, but the profit is voided. Zero accounts face an even wider 10-minute restriction on each side.

There is an important carve-out: trades opened at least 5 hours before a news event can be closed during the restriction window, and those profits still count. This benefits swing traders who happen to be holding positions when news drops, but it does not help traders who actively enter around events.

The most significant restriction: Funding Pips states that "intentional news trading" can result in account termination across all account types. This language is vague enough to give the firm broad discretion in enforcement, and traders have reported inconsistency in how it is applied.

Pricing: The $100K 2-Step account costs approximately $399. The Zero (instant funding) plan runs $499.

Drawdown: Static drawdown with a 10% maximum overall limit and a 5% daily limit on standard accounts.

Profit split: 80% scaling to 100% depending on payout frequency. Monthly payouts give you 100%, bi-weekly payouts give 90%.

Best for: Traders who occasionally encounter news events during an active trade and want to know the rules, rather than traders who build their strategy around news. The "intentional news trading" termination clause makes this a risky choice for dedicated event-driven traders.

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How We Ranked These Firms

Every ranking on this list is based on four factors, weighted in the following order:

1. News trading policy flexibility (40%). We prioritized firms that allow news trading on funded accounts with the fewest restrictions. A 2-minute blackout window scores higher than a 5-minute window. Profit deductions score higher than outright bans. Firms that offer at least one account type with zero restrictions received a significant bonus.

2. Overall firm reliability (25%). Trustpilot rating, total verified payouts, years in operation, and consistency of trader feedback. A permissive news trading policy means nothing if the firm does not pay out reliably.

3. Pricing and value (20%). The cost of a $100K account, the profit split structure, and whether the firm refunds the challenge fee. We also factored in drawdown type — static drawdown is more forgiving than trailing.

4. Rule clarity and enforcement consistency (15%). Firms that publish specific, unambiguous news trading rules scored higher than firms that use vague language like "intentional news trading" or "gambling behavior." We also penalized firms with documented cases of changing rules without notice.

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What to Watch Out For

News trading policies are where prop firms hide their sharpest edges. Before you commit to any firm on this list, check for these common traps:

Spread widening during events. Even firms that "allow" news trading may use liquidity providers that widen spreads dramatically during high-impact events. GBP/JPY spreads can jump from 1 pip to 3+ pips within seconds of a release. If a firm's typical spread is already 1.5 pips on a pair, you could be looking at 4–5 pips during NFP — which can stop you out before the move even starts. Compare a firm's average spreads to its event-day spreads before signing up. This data is rarely published, so check forums and trader communities for real reports.

Blackout windows that apply to closing, not just opening. Several firms on this list restrict both opening and closing trades during the blackout window. That means if you entered a position 10 minutes before NFP and the release moves the market in your favor, you cannot take profit until the window expires. On a 5-minute restriction, that delay can turn a winning trade into a losing one if the market reverses.

The "intentional news trading" clause. Funding Pips is not the only firm that uses this language, but it is the most explicit about the consequence (account termination). Other firms bury similar clauses in their terms of service. If your strategy is explicitly built around entering trades within minutes of scheduled releases, read the full terms — not just the FAQ page.

Profit deductions vs. account violations. There is a meaningful difference between a firm that voids profits earned during a restricted window and a firm that issues a rule violation. Voided profits are frustrating but survivable. A rule violation can lead to account termination and loss of your challenge fee. Confirm which model your firm uses before you trade through an event.

Policy changes without notice. Multiple firms on this list adjusted their news trading policies between late 2025 and early 2026. FundedNext modified its News Reward Share percentages, and Maven removed its Martingale rule while tightening other restrictions. Check the firm's official rules page — not third-party reviews from six months ago — before you start trading. For a deeper look at rules that catch traders off guard, see our breakdown of common prop firm rules that traders overlook.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trade NFP on a prop firm account?

On most firms in 2026, yes — but with conditions. FTMO's Swing accounts and Maven's Instant accounts allow it with no restrictions. FTMO's standard funded accounts and The5ers' High Stakes accounts enforce a 2-minute restriction window. FundedNext reduces your profit share by 40% on trades within a 10-minute window. Funding Pips voids the profit entirely and warns that intentional news trading can lead to termination. The answer depends entirely on which firm and account type you choose.

What happens if I accidentally trade during a restricted news window?

In most cases, you will not lose your account. FTMO, The5ers, FundedNext, and Alpha Capital handle restricted-window violations by deducting or voiding profits rather than issuing account violations. Blue Guardian similarly removes profits without triggering a breach. The main exception is Funding Pips, where the "intentional news trading" clause could theoretically lead to termination — though enforcement details are not fully transparent.

Do prop firms widen spreads during news events?

Prop firms do not directly control spreads — their liquidity providers do. However, the result is the same: spreads on major pairs and gold commonly widen by 2–5x during high-impact releases like NFP and FOMC. Some firms use liquidity providers with better event-day pricing than others, but none of them guarantee tight spreads during news. This is an inherent cost of news trading on any funded account.

Is news trading easier during the evaluation or on a funded account?

The evaluation phase is almost always more permissive. FTMO, FundedNext, Blue Guardian, and Alpha Capital all allow unrestricted news trading during the challenge, even if they impose restrictions on funded accounts. This means news trading can be a legitimate strategy for passing your evaluation — just make sure you have a plan for the funded phase, where the rules tighten.

Which prop firm is best if my entire strategy is built around news events?

If news trading is your primary edge, FTMO's Swing account or Maven Trading's Instant account are your best options. Both offer zero restrictions on funded accounts. FTMO has the stronger reputation (4.8 Trustpilot, longest track record), but Maven's Instant accounts provide funded access without an evaluation phase. Your choice depends on whether you value trust and reputation (FTMO) or immediate access (Maven).

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