Sure Leverage Funding and Trade The Pool aren’t really direct competitors so much as two firms traders often research side by side while deciding what to trade, not just where. Trade The Pool, founded in September 2022 and backed by the team behind The5ers, occupies a genuine niche: real access to over 12,000 US stocks and ETFs through Interactive Brokers, sidestepping the retail Pattern Day Trading rule that limits smaller equities accounts. Sure Leverage Funding goes the opposite direction, offering CFD access across forex, indices, metals and crypto with a profit split ceiling well above Trade The Pool’s stocks-capped 70-80% range. Both firms have solid, if modest-sized, Trustpilot track records (4.4/5 and 4.1/5 respectively), and the choice between them really comes down to one question before anything else: do you want to trade equities, or CFDs?
The problem: Trade The Pool’s stocks-only niche is its biggest strength and its biggest limitation at the same time. TheTrustedProp’s 2026 review flagged a genuinely serious complaint pattern: one 1-star review specifically describes $39,000 being withheld from a trader, a dispute the firm’s tight rule set (a 60-second minimum hold, a 10-cent price-movement rule, and a 30% single-day consistency cap) made harder to untangle after the fact. The firm’s 70/80 profit split is also structurally lower than most forex-focused competitors, meaning even a strong month generates less net income per dollar of profit than a comparable trade on a higher-split platform. Sure Leverage Funding traders, meanwhile, get more asset-class flexibility but trade CFDs rather than real equities, and carry the now-familiar risk from this comparison set: conflicting public funding-cap figures and soft-breach profit deductions applied at payout review. Traders considering either firm should map their actual strategy — equities scalping versus forex/CFD swing or algo trading — before comparing profit-split percentages, since the two firms aren’t interchangeable on execution mechanics.
Quick Comparison
| Sure Leverage Funding | Trade The Pool | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $5 per promo 2-Step $5K challenge activation (standard fees scale with account size up to $200K) | $47 per one-time evaluation fee (18 challenge options, Day Trade and Swing variants) |
| Rating | 4.1 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Free Trial | No (Free Challenge promo requires $1-5 activation fee, not a true free trial) | 14-day free demo trial available to test the platform before purchasing a challenge |
| Best For | Traders who want forex, indices, metals and crypto access instead of Trade The Pool’s stocks-only scope | Traders who specifically want real US stock and ETF exposure without a Pattern Day Trading (PDT) restriction |
| Ease of Use | 4.2 / 10 | 4.1 / 10 |
| Support Rating | 3.8 / 10 | 3.9 / 10 |
| Mobile App | Via third-party MT5/Match-Trader mobile apps (no dedicated SLF app) | Via TraderEvolution’s mobile platform, connected to Interactive Brokers execution |
| Start Sure Leverage Funding Challenge → | Check Trade The Pool’s Stock Challenges → |
Pros & Cons
- Multi-asset access across forex, crypto, indices and commodities, versus Trade The Pool’s US-equities-only scope
- Profit split scales up to 100% for top performers, well above Trade The Pool’s 70-80% range
- EA Challenge account permits algorithmic trading during evaluation, an option Trade The Pool’s equities structure doesn’t offer
- Promotional Free Challenge converts a $1-5 activation fee into a $5,000 2-Step account
- No access to real US stock or ETF trading; all instruments are CFDs on Sure Leverage Funding’s platform
- Public funding-cap figures conflict across help-center pages ($200,000 vs $400,000)
- Mandatory stop-loss placement within five minutes of trade entry adds friction for discretionary traders
- One of the only prop firms offering genuine access to over 12,000 US stocks and ETFs, avoiding the retail Pattern Day Trading rule entirely
- Backed by The5ers team (founded by Gil Ben Hur), lending institutional credibility uncommon among newer prop firms
- 4.4/5 Trustpilot rating from 596 reviews with 81-82% five-star, and regular payout proofs published on Instagram and Discord
- Execution through Interactive Brokers via the TraderEvolution platform, giving genuine institutional-grade market access
- Profit split is capped at just 70% during evaluation, rising to only 80% once funded, notably below the 80-100% ranges common at forex-focused prop firms including Sure Leverage Funding
- Stocks-only scope means zero access to forex, crypto, or futures markets, a dealbreaker for traders who want to diversify strategies across asset classes
- Strict rules including a 60-second minimum hold, a 10-cent price-movement rule, and an inability to hold positions through earnings or dividend dates limit scalping and event-driven strategies
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
| Feature | Sure Leverage Funding | Trade The Pool | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tradable Assets | Forex, indices, metals, crypto, commodities (CFDs) | US stocks and ETFs only (12,000+ instruments) | Tie |
| Max Profit Split | Up to 100% (top-tier performers) | 70% (eval), up to 80% (funded) | Sure Leverage Funding |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.1/5 (~1,700 reviews) | 4.4/5 (596 reviews) | Trade The Pool |
| Pattern Day Trading (PDT) Restriction | Not applicable (CFD trading) | Bypassed entirely via prop-funded structure | Trade The Pool |
| Free Trial | No (promo activation fee applies) | 14-day free demo trial available | Trade The Pool |
| Integrations | MT5, Match-Trader, TradeLocker; payouts via Rise and USDT (TRC20) | TraderEvolution connected to Interactive Brokers; payouts every 14 days via Bank Transfer and Crypto | — |
Final Verdict
Winner: Depends on Asset Class
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Trade The Pool let traders avoid the Pattern Day Trading (PDT) rule?
Yes, this is one of Trade The Pool’s core value propositions. Because traders operate a firm-funded account rather than their own personal brokerage account, the retail PDT rule that restricts accounts under $25,000 to three day trades per five business days does not apply, according to multiple independent reviews including PropFirmMap’s 2026 coverage.
What is Trade The Pool’s profit split?
Trade The Pool pays a 70% profit split during the evaluation phase, rising to up to 80% once an account is funded, according to PropFirmMap’s July 2026 review. This is notably lower than the 80-100% ranges common at forex-focused prop firms like Sure Leverage Funding, reflecting the different economics and lower per-trade volatility typical of equities strategies.
Is the $39,000 withheld payout complaint about Trade The Pool serious?
TheTrustedProp’s 2026 review specifically flags a 1-star Trustpilot review describing $39,000 being withheld from a trader as deserving attention, even while noting the firm’s overall 4.5/5 rating from 645 reviews suggests most traders are satisfied. As with any single high-value dispute, traders should read the firm’s full terms around consistency rules and payout eligibility before scaling to a large funded account.
Can I trade forex or crypto on Trade The Pool?
No. Trade The Pool specializes exclusively in US stocks and ETFs, with no access to forex, crypto, or futures markets, according to TheTrustedProp’s 2026 review. Traders wanting exposure to those asset classes alongside or instead of equities would need a separate account with a multi-asset firm like Sure Leverage Funding.
What trading rules make Trade The Pool difficult for scalpers?
Trade The Pool enforces a 60-second minimum position hold and a 10-cent minimum price-movement rule, both of which specifically restrict ultra-short-term scalping strategies, according to TheTrustedProp’s 2026 review. The firm also prohibits holding positions through earnings announcements or dividend dates, which limits event-driven and swing strategies around those catalysts.