How We Score Prop Firms
PropFlagger is built on one principle: every score must be explainable. We don't publish a single number without showing you exactly how it was calculated. This page documents our complete methodology — what we measure, how we weight it, and why.
The PropFlagger Score (0–10)
Every prop firm on PropFlagger receives a single composite score from 0–10. This score is the equally-weighted average of three independent components, each scored on a 0–5 scale, then multiplied by 2 to reach the 0–10 range.
Where:
C1 = Trustpilot Score (0–5, direct from platform)
C2 = Safety Score = (10 − Risk Score) ÷ 2 [0–5]
C3 = Editorial Score = (20 − Editorial Risk) ÷ 4 [0–5]
Community Trust
The firm's Trustpilot average rating, read directly from their public profile. Maximum 5 points. We apply a small penalty for suspected review manipulation (very high 5★ ratio with low volume).
Risk Analysis
Derived from our 23-point Red Flag Engine. A firm's Risk Score (0–10, lower = safer) is inverted to produce a Safety component: (10 − risk) ÷ 2. A risk score of 0 gives a perfect safety score of 5.
Expert Assessment
A 0–20 editorial risk score set manually by our analysts based on factors not captured algorithmically: founder reputation, regulatory history, payment processor relationships, and community standing.
Risk Score (0–10)
The Risk Score is calculated by our Red Flag Detection Engine — a rule-based system that evaluates a firm's published rules against industry benchmarks set by FTMO, FundingPips, and The5ers. The engine runs 23 automated checks grouped into three pillars:
P1 — Benchmark Analysis (max 50 raw pts → maps to Risk 0–5)
P2 — Trustpilot Sentiment (max 30 raw pts → maps to Risk 0–3)
P3 — Editorial Risk Factor (max 20 raw pts → maps to Risk 0–2)
Risk Levels
The 23 Benchmark Checks
Each check evaluates a specific rule against our benchmark. A "best practice" outcome scores 0 points. Higher points mean more risk. Checks are grouped into categories:
| Category | Check | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Drawdown Rules | Trailing vs Static (EOD) drawdown type | Critical |
| Drawdown Rules | Max drawdown below 8% benchmark | Warning |
| Drawdown Rules | Daily drawdown below 5% benchmark | Warning |
| Drawdown Rules | Strict consistency rule (30–40% best-day cap) | Critical |
| Challenge Rules | Phase 1 profit target above 10% | Warning |
| Challenge Rules | Funded consistency rule applied | Critical |
| Commercial | Profit split below 80% benchmark | Warning |
| Commercial | Fee non-refundable | Warning |
| Commercial | Payout speed monthly or slower | Critical |
| Commercial | Documented payout denial reports | Critical |
| Trading | News trading banned | Warning |
| Trading | EAs and automation banned | Warning |
| Trading | Weekend holding prohibited | Warning |
| Firm Profile | Firm under 2 years old | Warning |
| Firm Profile | Hidden or ambiguous rules identified | Critical |
| Trustpilot | Average rating below 3.5/5 | Critical |
| Trustpilot | High volume of 1★ reviews (>30%) | Critical |
| Trustpilot | Low reviewer confidence / potential manipulation | Warning |
| ✅ Positive factors (reduce overall risk score) | ||
| Positive | Fee fully refundable | Positive |
| Positive | Weekly or faster payout | Positive |
| Positive | Static (EOD) drawdown confirmed | Positive |
| Positive | Established firm (5+ years) | Positive |
| Positive | Trustpilot score 4.5+ / 5 | Positive |
Per-Program Scoring
PropFlagger scores each challenge program independently. A firm offering a "2-Step Standard" and a "1-Step HyperGrowth" program may score differently on each because drawdown rules, profit targets, consistency requirements, and commercial terms can vary significantly between programs.
The firm-level PropFlagger Score uses the worst-case values across all programs for the Safety component (conservative approach). Per-program scores are visible in the individual program risk profiles on each review page and in the Risk Comparison tool.
Data Sources
PropFlagger collects data from the following sources, listed in order of authority:
- Official firm websites — challenge rules, fees, and terms of service as published by the firm
- Trustpilot — aggregated ratings and review sentiment (public data)
- Community monitoring — trader communities, forums, and social media for payout reports and rule changes
- Direct firm contact — clarification of ambiguous rules where possible
- Editorial research — our analysts' independent assessment of regulatory standing, payment processor relationships, and operational history
Data Freshness
Prop firm rules change frequently. We aim to review and update each firm's data at least quarterly, and immediately when significant rule changes are announced. Each review page shows a "Data sourced from" indicator and a "Last verified" date where available. We do not guarantee real-time accuracy — always verify critical rules directly with the firm before purchasing a challenge.
Editorial Independence
No prop firm can pay to improve their PropFlagger score or flag assessment. Affiliate relationships (commission when you click our links) do not influence scores. Our scoring methodology is applied identically to all firms regardless of commercial relationship. Firms may contact us to correct factual errors — we welcome this and will update data when corrections are verified.
Have Questions?
If you believe a score is inaccurate, a flag is wrongly applied, or a firm's data is out of date, please contact us. We investigate all factual disputes and publish corrections within 5 business days.