Comparison
cTrader, made by Spotware, is a multi-asset platform with built-in copy and algo trading. It is a platform, though, not a whole business: the challenge engine and client CRM usually come from partners. Here is how it compares with FirmForge, which bundles its own trade room, portal and back office.
By Arthur Chan. Last updated 26 October 2026
FirmForge is our product. Competitor details come from their public websites as of October 2026; check current terms with each vendor.
Spotware markets cTrader as "the complete technology stack brokers and prop firms need to launch and scale" [1][2]. The product family includes terminals for iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and web, plus embeddable widgets [2][3]; cTrader Copy for copy trading, cTrader Algo for cloud-run cBots and the cTrader Store, a marketplace that can list prop challenges [2][8]; cTrader Admin and cTrader Server for back office and risk [2][3]; cTrader Invite for IBs and referrals and cTrader Leads for lead generation [2]. Developers get Open, Reporting, Manager's, WebServices and FIX APIs, and an MCP server [2][3].
For prop firms, Spotware lists real-time trade monitoring and automatic account suspension when drawdown is breached [5]. Third parties such as Axcera and Brokeree's Prop Pulse, not Spotware, supply the evaluation engine itself [5][9]. A native CRM, KYC or payments product is not stated; Spotware refers to CRM integration instead [5]. Spotware supports "unlimited LP connections" but does not supply liquidity itself [3].
There are two routes, and they differ a lot in time and cost.
Main label. You license cTrader directly from Spotware [5][6]. Spotware's own guide puts time to market for a main label at 2 to 4 months [5]. Pricing is not published; the startup page asks you to contact sales [3].
White label through a reseller. Spotware allows direct customers of cTrader to resell white labels [4], and says a white label is "sometimes more cost-effective than being a direct customer of Spotware" because "neither a trading server nor an administration platform is necessary" [4]. Reseller white labels are "delivered in a matter of days" [4], and Spotware gives the white label time to market as one week [5]. Resellers set their own terms. One example is B2BROKER's cTrader WL Prop, announced in January 2025, which bundles cTrader with a B2PROP client cabinet, liquidity, data, crypto processing and payment integrations; its pricing was not disclosed [7].
On cost, Spotware's comparison article says revenue shares of 20 to 50 percent are typical for white label models [6], and its 2026 prop guide quotes general industry budgets of $8,000 to $25,000 upfront for platform licensing and $3,000 to $8,000 a month for tech-stack fees [5]. Those are industry ranges, not cTrader prices.
One recent change is worth knowing. Finance Magnates reported in July 2026 that Spotware restricted onboarding of US-based traders on prop firm accounts after an internal regulatory assessment in the first quarter of 2026 [10].
| Feature | FirmForge | cTrader (Spotware) |
|---|---|---|
| What's included | Web trade room, client portal, CRM back office, KYC and payments review, payouts, prop challenge engine | Terminals, Copy, Algo, Store, Admin, Server, Invite, Leads and APIs [2] |
| Deployment | Hosted by FirmForge; your domain via DNS | Hosted by Spotware at Equinix data centres in London and New York [3] |
| Pricing model | Published flat monthly plans from $400; no setup or per-challenge fees | Not published; contact sales [3]. Reseller terms vary [4] |
| Setup time | Ready minutes after you pick a plan; same-day go-live is usual | "Get your prop firm live in 5 days" [3]; a main label takes 2 to 4 months [5] |
| Platforms supported | A FirmForge-built engine and web trade room; FirmForge does not run or resell cTrader | cTrader on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, web [2] |
| Prop challenge engine | Native on prop platforms: phases, profit targets, drawdown rules, daily loss caps, certificates and payouts | Partner engines such as Axcera or Brokeree Prop Pulse [5][9]; drawdown auto-suspension [5] |
| CRM and back office | Native CRM with leads, desks, routing, tasks, staff roles | cTrader Admin for back office and risk [2]; CRM by integration [5] |
| Copy, MAM and IB | Add-ons in place of cTrader Copy and Invite: Copy Trading ($99 a month) and an IB/Affiliate Portal ($149 a month); MAM/PAMM is also $149 | cTrader Copy and cTrader Invite [2]; MAM/PAMM not stated |
| Own domain and branding | Operator's brand throughout: logo, colours, domain, sender email | Main label licence or a reseller white label [4][5] |
| Keeping cTrader | Allowed as bring-your-own on the Enterprise plan; see pricing | Not applicable: cTrader is the platform itself [2] |
Be clear on the trade-off: FirmForge does not supply cTrader, its cBots or its Store. If you want to stay on a cTrader you already license, you can bring it, which is an Enterprise plan option. FirmForge is also a software provider only. It supplies no liquidity and leaves licensing and compliance with the operator.
Still comparing? Our prop firm software and white-label platform guides cover the wider market, and the alternatives hub lists every comparison.
Spotware does not publish cTrader prices and asks prospects to contact sales. White labels are sold by resellers on their own terms, and Spotware also says white label deals across the industry usually carry a revenue share of between 20 and 50 percent.
Spotware advertises getting a prop firm live in 5 days and gives one week for a white label and 2 to 4 months for a main label. A FirmForge platform is provisioned within minutes once you sign up and pick a plan, and usually launches the same day.
Spotware provides prop risk features such as drawdown auto-suspension, while the evaluation engine is supplied by partners like Axcera or Brokeree Prop Pulse. FirmForge's challenge engine is built in on prop platforms.
Finance Magnates reported in July 2026 that Spotware restricted onboarding of US-based traders on prop firm accounts after an internal regulatory assessment. Check the current position with Spotware.
No. FirmForge is its own platform and does not resell or license cTrader; trades run on its own engine inside its web trade room. Operators who want to keep a cTrader they already have can bring it on the Enterprise plan.
The demo opens a full client, admin and manager view with no account. Plans are flat and published.
Square-bracket numbers refer to these sources, accessed 26 October 2026. Source 10 is a third-party report.
Last updated 26 October 2026.