Contributor, Benzinga
April 23, 2024
PipFarm
Overall Rating:
securely through PipFarm's website

Singapore-based PipFarm is a cTrader funded trading platform that empowers undercapitalized experienced traders with the capital and other essential resources needed to excel in the financial market. PipFarm delivers on the four core criteria essential for prop traders to thrive: cutting-edge trading technology, straightforward single-phase evaluation, competitive payout structure and fast funding with rapid scaling and growth potential.

PipFarm’s single-phase evaluation boasts simple and flexible rules. Upon qualification, you can access up to $100,000 in seed funding to trade your favorite market and earn a lucrative profit share of up to 90%. By continuing to smash the profit target, you can max out your initial funding to as much as $300,000 via scaling. Trading is exclusively executed on cTrader, one of the most globally recognized platforms.

PipFarm supports multiple asset classes, including forex, metals, energy, indices and crypto, with competitive leverage and industry-leading spreads. It supports automated trading, news trading and weekend and overnight positions. And while PipFarm is still young and the company has no track record, the CEO has 10+ years of experience running brokers, platforms and other investment firms. It offers no educational resources, and the profit target is high. Is PipFarm the perfect funded trading firm to help you exploit the financial market? Find out from Benzinga’s PipFarm review.

Pros
  • Straightforward single-phase evaluation with simple rules
  • Users can choose their own drawdown type
  • The XP program allows traders to unlock power-ups such as higher leverage, higher drawdown, higher profit share, more leverage, more funding and more
  • Flexible funding of options ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 and up to $300,000 via a scaling plan and more funding every 30 days
  • Access to diverse tradable instruments across multiple asset classes, including forex, cryptocurrencies, metals, energies and indices
  • Supports diverse trading strategies, including automated trading, news trading as well as overnight and weekend holdings
  • Lucrative bi-weekly payout of up to 90% profit split ensuring consistent profit for traders
  • Multiple account sizes with one-time evaluation fee, competitive leverage and commission
  • No consistency rules and lot-size restrictions
  • Low minimum trading days of three for evaluation and funded accounts
  • Access to cutting-edge trading platform cTrader boasting advanced technical analytical for excellent market analysis and informed decision-making
  • Highly efficient customer support across multiple channels such as Live Chat, email and Discord
Cons
  • Relatively new cTrader prop firm
  • Limited choice of trading platform — trade execution is via cTrader
  • Does not support high-frequency trading (HFT), copy trading or swap-free accounts
  • Little to no educational resources
  • No evaluation fee refund, unlike some of its peers
  • Higher profit target than competing 1-stage evaluations
Details
  • Tradeable Assets:
    Forex, metals, energies, indices and cryptocurrency
  • Profit Splits:
    90%
  • Supports US Traders?:
    No

PipFarm Ratings at a Glance

Customer Service
Security
Minimum Investment and Pricing
User Experience
Overall

PipFarm Product Offering

As the financial market evolves at breakneck speed, more innovative proprietary firms are emerging to meet the needs of experienced yet undercapitalized traders seeking adequate funding to access the market and achieve financial independence. PipFarm is at the forefront of the evolving crop of prop firms committed to providing professional traders with the essential resources needed to excel. PipFarm is more than just funding; it's about fueling growth, providing support and celebrating every milestone on your journey to trading success.

The CEO, James Glyde, has an extensive background in the online trading industry, serving as a former cTrader executive and worked with established brokers and prop firms. Having experienced management with powerful ideas, in-depth knowledge of market dynamics, trading platforms and industry best practices positions, PipFarm to meet your needs for trading technology, ample capital and effective risk management strategies. Here's a breakdown of its offerings. 

Evaluation Model and Rules

Like all prop firms, you must pass the evaluation or screening test to access funding. Unlike most prop firms, PipFarm features a streamlined, single-phase evaluation or assessment process. This strategic simplification aims to expedite your access to the platform, reflecting PipFarm's dedication to efficiency and trader success. 

Two account types are available — the trailing drawdown account and the static drawdown account. These two accounts have the same account sizes, profit targets and daily drawdown but employ different approaches in determining or managing the maximum drawdown limits as reflected by their names. Let's review these account types.

The Trailing Drawdown Account 

PipFarm's trailing drawdown account is so named because it adjusts its drawdown limit based on the account balance's highest point reached (high watermark). To qualify or pass this account's evaluation or screening test, you must meet PipFarm's 12% profit target while adhering to its drawdown rules — 12% max trailing and 3% daily drawdown. Let's review how this works. 

Suppose you purchased PipFarm's $10,000 account. In that case, you must hit $1,200 (12% of 10,000) in profit to get approved for funding. So you'll get funded once your balance is $11,200 ($10,000 + $1,200) if you follow the drawdown rules. 

The daily drawdown is the highest acceptable loss on a given trading day. You'll violate this rule if your loss on a given day exceeds 3% of your previous end-of-day balance drops below 3%. Your starting equity equals your previous end-of-day balance at the beginning of the evaluation or the first trading day. 

So, with the $10,000 account, your loss on the first trading day must not exceed $300 (3% of $10,000), or your balance cannot drop below $9,700 ($10,000 - $300). Suppose you bring your balance up to $10,500 when the market closes at 21:00 UTC on your first trading day (let's say this is on a Monday). 

In that case, you'll fail the evaluation if you incur a loss above $315 ( 3% of $10,500) on Tuesday or your balance falls below $10,185 ($10,500 - $315). You notice here that your balance at market closing on Monday has now become your starting equity on Tuesday.

If your balance is $10,290 at 21:00 UTC on Tuesday (2% loss), you'll violate the daily drawdown if it drops below $9,981.3 on Wednesday.

The trailing drawdown is calculated as a 12% drop from your high watermark (HWM), which is the highest value your balance attains at any point during the evaluation. On your first trading day, your HWM equals your starting equity. 

So, with the $10,000 account, your trailing drawdown limit at the beginning of your evaluation is $8,800. However, your high watermark is adjusted whenever your account balance increases to a new all-time high. 

Therefore, if you bring your account up to $10,500 at market closing on your first trading day, this amount now becomes your high watermark. In this case, your trailing drawdown limit becomes $9,240. If you run into losses in subsequent trading days, the trailing drawdown will remain at $9,240. The value will only readjust or change once you hit a new all-time high. 

The Static Drawdown Account 

Unlike the trailing drawdown option, PipFarm's static drawdown account maintains a fixed limit regardless of changes in your account balance. To qualify or pass this account's evaluation or screening test, you must hit PipFarm's 12% profit target while adhering to its drawdown rules — 6% static and 3% daily drawdown. 

Following Benzinga's previous calculation using the $10,000 account, the 12% profit target is realized when you bring your balance up to $11,200. At 3%, the daily drawdown limit is also the same as that of the trailing drawdown account. So, you'll fail the evaluation on your first trading day if your balance drops below $9,700. 

And if you bring it up to $10,500 on market closing that first day which is Monday, then this value becomes your starting balance on Tuesday and you'll violate the daily drawdown if the balance falls below $10,185. 

The static drawdown is calculated as a 6% drop from your starting balance or equity at the beginning of the evaluation. So, with the $10,000 account, your static drawdown limit will be $9,400. It is fixed at this value whether you're losing or gaining. Suppose your account falls below $9,400 at any time during the evaluation. In that case, you have violated the static drawdown rules, and PipFarm will automatically disqualify you. 

Other Evaluation Rules 

Besides the drawdown, you must also remember a few other rules. For instance, PipFarm will disqualify you if your account remains inactive for 14 days or you don't hit the profit target after 360 days. You must also set a stop loss before placing an order. Otherwise, cTrader will block your order. 

PipFarm doesn't support high-frequency trading and copy trading. However, unlike most funded trader firms, it supports news trading, weekend and overnight positions and automated trading using cBot (cTrader's customized bot). PipFarm supports trading using FIX API or cTrader OpenAPI.

PipFarm’s Scaling Plans 

PipFarm offers one of the most competitive scaling programs across its account sizes to reward funded traders who consistently reach their milestones and demonstrate success. The qualifying criteria are that your funded account must be at least 30 days old and that you must attain over 12% profit. That's all; you do not need any additional tests. 

Each time you hit the 12% profit target, you'll receive a new round of funding. Each funding round involves an increment of 50% of your seed funding, and you can scale your account four times. The table below shows your new account balance for each round of scaling.

Test Fee$65$ 110$210 $350 $550 
Seed Funding $5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000$100,000
First Scaling$7,500$15,000$30,000$75,000$150,000
Second Scaling$10,000$20,000$40,000$100,000$200,000
Third Scaling $12,500$25,000$50,000$125,000$250,000
Fourth Scaling$15,000$30,000$60,000$150,000$300,000

The scaling process is also seamless. Upon meeting the requirements, PipFarm will offer you the option to scale. Once you accept and activate scaling, your account will close and profit will be distributed. PipFarm will then give you a new account with additional funding. 

Trading Platform — cTrader

PipFarm is the #1 cTrader prop firm. Prop traders who prioritize cutting-edge trading technology will find cTrader an invaluable platform for maximizing their trading performance and staying ahead of the market curve. cTrader's range of features is designed to deliver speed and precision in trading execution, making it ideal for smart and efficient traders. Here is what makes the cTrader platform outstanding. 

Endless and Enhanced Charting Capabilities 

cTrader's comprehensive analytical features appeal to day traders focused on technical analysis. It boasts 70+ technical indicators that facilitate the identification and confirmation of trends, momentum, volatility and volume. Thanks to the platform's customizability, you can seamlessly modify, hide or delete your indicators and drawing tools to keep your trading space clean. 

Additionally, it features about 28 timeframes and six chart types, which can be laid out using a multi-chart layout to help you efficiently monitor price action. The platform offers drag-and-drop chart trading, enabling you to swiftly create and manage orders and positions directly from the charts. 

That way, you can make informed decisions leveraging historical and current price action. Level II pricing/Depth of Market (DoM) is also available to provide insight into your preferred instrument's current supply and demand dynamics, showing you the number of orders at various price levels for buying and selling. 

Intuitive and Customizable Interface 

cTrader is globally renowned for its sleek, clean, adaptable and highly customizable user interface. You can personalize the layout of your trading space and add your favorite color scheme and templates. You can detach charts for multi-monitor setups. Such an intuitive interface streamlines navigation and provides traders with a fantastic and hassle-free trading experience.

Comprehensive Risk Management Features 

Having the right risk management features in a trading platform can help you manage risk more effectively, especially during market volatility and uncertainty periods. cTrader provides multiple ways to do this. For instance, the risk-to-reward calculator on the chart can help you calculate your position size based on targets or validate whether specific signals meet your criteria. 

The platform's multiple order types ensure you can enter and exit orders precisely. Up to nine order types are available, including market, stop-limit and trailing-stop loss orders. While these order types are not risk management features, your ability to use them strategically can contribute to effective risk management. cTrader's informative order windows can help you understand margin requirements and risks before entering an order.

Automated Trading via Algo (cBot)

cTrader's automated trading provides an enabling environment for developing, testing, backtesting, optimizing and executing algorithmic trading strategies. It boasts several sample algorithms (cBot) that you can edit in a programming suite connected to the platform. 

You can also program algos and attach them to the platform for execution. The platform lets you convert your MT4/MT5 EA using free tools like mt4convert.com or ClickAlgo.com for more complicated EA. cTrader also supports copy trading. You can copy trades from an MT4 or MT5 account to your cTrader accounts. 

Excellent Performance Analytics Features 

cTrader's built-in performance analysis tool lets you analyze or evaluate your trading performance through comprehensive statistical insights and visual charts. This feature can help you better understand your trading habits, strengths, weaknesses, profit patterns and potential areas for improvement. cTrader is compatible with Mac and portable iOS devices, as well as Windows desktops and Android devices. Linux users can access cTrader via the web.

Power-up and Ranking System 

PipFarm's Power-up is another exceptional feature that demonstrates its commitment to providing traders with a fantastic experience. You can access various juice perks or rewards through the Power-up to optimize your trading efficiency and overall experience. These perks include more relaxed trading rules, lower trading commissions, faster or anytime payouts, higher daily loss, higher leverage and double scaling. Here's how it works.

You first gain Experience Pips (XPs) and ranks to activate Power-up. XPs are points you earn for hitting diverse milestones like participating in and passing the screening tests, maintaining consistent profitability for five days, reaching the profit target and other achievements. These points determine your rank, and each rank unlocks new perks. The more points you accumulate, the higher your rank will be and the more exclusive perks or Power-ups you will unlock.

Suppose you rank while your account is active. In that case, your new Power-up will be available when you get a new account, for example, when you scale to a new level or purchase a new account. Remember, the points have no redeemable cash value; they're solely used to redeem power-ups within this loyalty program. The table below shows the benefits for various points or XP and their corresponding ranks. 

Points or XPRanksPerks
10XP Rank 1Removal of stop loss
20XP Rank 2Doubled or 28 days  inactivity period 
40XPRank 450% lower commission ($3 per lot instead of $6)
50XP Rank 5Increased leverage from 1:30 to 1:50
60XP Rank 6Anytime payout instead of biweekly 
70XP Rank 7 5% daily drawdown limit 
100XPRank 10Free 100K test or evaluation account 
120XP Rank 12Double scaling 

Some milestones and their XP equivalents are available on the website.

Tradable Instruments

PipFarm offers diverse markets encompassing forex, energies, metals and indices. It offers 46 symbols comprising 20 currency pairs, 4 metals, 3 energies, 14 indices and 5 cryptos. The FX pairs comprise majors and minors such as EUR/GBP, AUD/USD, AUD/NZD, EUR/CAD, AUD/SGD, CHY/JPY and CHY/SEK. The energies include Brent crude, WTI light crude oil and NAT GAS. 

The cryptos encompass those from projects like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple and Dash. You’ll also have access to 24/7 trading with crypto. The indices boast a handful of globally recognized symbols like the UK 100, US 100, HONG KONG 50, US 500 and EUROPE 50 indexes. The metals comprise gold and silver against the euro and the U.S. dollar. There are no commodities and stocks. Overall, PipFarm's assets are significantly lower than those of more established funded trading firms. However, PipFarm only launched a few months ago and will potentially keep updating its tradable assets. 

Affiliate Programs and Earnings 

PipFarm's affiliate programs provide an excellent opportunity to earn extra income from the platform. The program boasts generous coupons and fantastic incentives that streamline affiliate conversion and earning. Some of these benefits include 20% commissions on sales, up to 50% discounts on screening test fees to increase conversion and lifetime commissions on every referral. 

You'll also get a dedicated affiliate relationship manager serving as your point of contact and support within the company. Once your earnings reach $300, you can request weekly payouts via your bank, PayPal or cryptocurrency wallet. Besides, PipFarm offers regular promos and campaigns to boost sales. You don't have to be a prop trader to become PipFarm's affiliate partner. Anyone can benefit from this opportunity, but those with a solid social media following have better advantages.

Customer Service

If you have inquiries or need clarification on specific aspects of PipFarm's service, you can easily connect with a member of the company's expert team via the website's LiveChat channel. Alternatively, you can open a ticket with the company's help desk via email or ask PipFarm's trading community on Discord. The Discord community presents excellent avenues to connect, interact and share trading knowledge and opportunities with other traders. 

You might not even need to contact customer support. The FAQ concisely explains all the information you need regarding PipFarm's offerings, rules and pricing. So, if you have any queries, navigate to the FAQ section from the menu page. Besides Discord, PipFarm also maintains an active presence on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn

These platforms can also be a great way to connect with the team. PipFarm has yet to establish a solid footprint on independent review platforms. For instance, the company has 4.1/5 ratings from only six reviewers on Trustpilot. However, these reviewers expressed an overwhelmingly positive view of the company's service and product offerings. 

Security

PipFarm is not a broker-dealer, so it requires no regulatory oversight. However, it still adheres to the Singapore Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act to ensure fair practices in line with its commitments to transparency. The firm provides trading services via multiple regulated broker partners (not currently disclosed) from where it gets its price data. PipFarm adopts standard security measures to enhance safety. 

These include stringent Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures for identity verification and fraud prevention and compliance with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations to combat illegal financial activities. The company employs robust encryption technology to protect your data at rest or in transit across its network. 

PipFarm will not sell or share your personally identifiable information or other sensitive data with a third party without your consent except in line with a judicial order. You can review PipFarm's privacy policy to fully understand the steps it takes to protect your data and your responsibilities. 

Minimum Investment and Pricing

PipFarm offers transparent pricing and entry fees. Five account sizes are available, with fees ranging from $60 for the $5,000 (smallest seed fund or account size) to $550 for the $100,000 account size (biggest account size). PipFarm's 25% discount significantly lowers the pricing to make it more affordable and undercapitalized. The seed fund or account sizes and the standard and discount pricing are shown in the table below. 

Seed Fund /Account SizesStandard Price
$5,000$60
$10,000$110
$20,000$210
$50,000$350
$100,000$550

You can access up to $300,000 via scaling. The spread on forex, especially the major currency pairs, is low, ranging from 0.1 to 0.2. The trading commission is reasonable at $6 per lot traded. The maximum leverage for most instruments, including forex, is set at 1:30, with a few exceptions on highly volatile products. Indices and cryptocurrencies have 1:20 and 1:5, respectively. To better manage risk concentration and optimize collateral with brokers without imposing prohibitive margin requirements, PipFarm adopts a dynamic leverage system

This system increases your margin requirements as your net exposure to each trading instrument rises. PipFarm's dynamic leverage settings are typically grouped by asset class and applied per symbol. You can view all the contact specifications on the trading platform. PipFarm pays up to 90% of your generated profit, which is competitive. However, your specific share depends on cumulative profit in your funded account, as shown in the table below. 

Cumulative Profit Range (%)Your Share (%)
0-370
3-675
6-980
9-1285
1290

For example, if you’re trading a $10,000 funded account and request a withdrawal of $500, which is 5% profit, the first 3% of profit, which is $300, will be split 70/30, and the remaining 2%, which is $200, will be split 75/25. Therefore, you will receive an average of 72%. Now, suppose you request to withdraw another 4%, which is $400; the first 1%, which is $100, will be split 75/25, and the remaining 3%, which is $300, will be split 80/20.

You can request your first payout after completing a minimum of 3 trading days; subsequent payouts occur every 14 days after that. Profit distribution occurs every Friday via Rise Works. The cut-off time for requesting payouts is 00:00 UTC every Thursday, and the minimum withdrawal is 3% of your starting balance. 

All positions must be closed at the cut-off time to allow payment processing; otherwise, your request will be rejected. PipFarm's weekly payout means consistent earnings for all traders. In addition to Rise Works, PipFarm also processes payments via local bank transfers, international transfers (SWIFT), PayPal, Payoneer, Revolut, Wise, Binance and Coinbase.

User Experience

PipFarm offers an innovative approach that delivers exceptional trading experience and streamlines funding accessibility for undercapitalized traders. The evaluation is single-phase with simple rules, and the profit split is competitive (up to 90%). Its multiple account sizes with varying fees appeal to traders of varying financial conditions. It supports various trading strategies, including news, automated trading using EA, weekend and overnight trading and more. 

PipFarm's trading platform, cTrader, is reputed for its advanced charting capabilities and fast execution, which enhance technical analysis and risk management. Thanks to PipFarm's innovative dashboard, you can seamlessly analyze your trading performance and improve as needed. And via its biweekly payout, traders enjoy consistent earnings. This is very important for those who make a living through trading. 

The firm boasts a quick and easy setup and onboarding process that takes under five minutes and involves three steps: sign up, pay your evaluation fee and start trading. Remember that you must complete KYC by providing the necessary identity documents to get funded upon completing your evaluation. Customer support is also responsive and efficient. Benzinga considers PipFarm highly recommendable.

PipFarm vs. Competitors

PipFarm has a few competitors, such as FTMO, FundedNext and The 5%ers. Like PipFarm, these firms offer seed funding to undercapitalized traders and earn a profit split. However, while these firms might offer more tradable assets, multiple trading technology and trading tools, robust education and research resources, PipFarm stands out in its genuine commitment to helping traders excel. 

Additionally, PipFarm offers various innovative features that enhance the trading experience. For instance, the Power-up system rewards successful traders with perks that increase their profitability. It is one of the few funded trader platforms managed by someone with a decade of experience in the online trading industry. 

Even without discounts, PipFarm offers a better evaluation fee than FTMO and The 5%ers, which charge $155 and $260, respectively, for the same account sizes. 

Overall

PipFarm might be new, but its funded approach positions it as a potential key player in the constantly evolving prop trading market. Its simple one-stage evaluation facilitates lightning-fast funding. The rapid scaling and accelerated growth opportunities present a significant advantage for traders looking to boost their earnings swiftly and efficiently. Whether it is automated trading via algorithmic strategies or news trading, PipFarm grants traders the freedom to spread their wings by supporting a wide range of trading styles. 

Its cutting-edge trading platform blends a clean interface with advanced analytical capabilities for excellent market analysis and informed decision-making. If you're a seasoned trader seeking fast funding in highly advanced trading environments, PipFarm is a fantastic option. However, beginner traders may find the cTrader platform overwhelming, and there are no educational resources available for learning. So consider an alternative option if you're just getting started. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q

What is funded trading?

A

PipFarm is a cTrader prop firm that streamlines funding access for undercapitalized seasoned traders seeking robust funding to turbocharge their prop trading career.

Q

How much do funded traders make?

A

Funded traders earn a percentage of their profits based on predefined profit-sharing tiers. The exact amount they earn can vary across prop firms but typically ranges from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands.

Q

Is funded trading worth it?

A

Yes, funded trading can be an excellent way to earn income and achieve financial freedom if you have the right trading expertise and join a reliable prop firm.

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Chika Uchendu

About Chika Uchendu

Chika Uchendu is an investing writer and investment platform analyst passionate about helping people learn more about managing their finances, making informed investment decisions, and navigating the complex landscape of investment platforms to find the best options for their financial goals and needs. He has over 8 years of experience writing compelling articles for various reputable publishers across diverse topics. When he’s not writing content, he’s wrangling and analyzing data to help businesses make informed decisions.