Dossier · Sponsored partner
FTMO: the dossier
FTMO is one of the longest-running and most widely reviewed prop firms, built around 1-step and 2-step evaluations with a published reward and scaling plan.
Short verdict
FTMO stands out for the established benchmark: long track record, transparent objectives, documented scaling plan; watch out for account sizes top out at $200K per account (scaling needed beyond that).
The Prop Examiner verdict-in-brief
The established benchmark: long track record, transparent objectives, documented scaling plan; $200K per-account ceiling before scaling.
90%
Profit split (up to)
$155
Entry price (from)
$200K
Max funding (headline)
Scorecard
Five dimensions, scored 0–5
4.0
avg
- Pricing & value
- 3.0/5
- Profit split
- 4.0/5
- Payout speed
- 4.0/5
- Rules flexibility
- 4.0/5
- Transparency
- 5.0/5
Advertised vs verified
At a glance
Advertised claims vs what we could verify. “Up to” figures are maximums; rows flagged verify before launch are unconfirmed.
Every figure traces to the cited & dated sources below.
What actually binds you
Key trading rules
Where challenges are won or lost — sourced from FTMO’s own pages. Rules vary by product; the per-plan breakdown follows.
| Phase / model | Rule | Published value |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Step | Profit target | 10% |
| 2-Step | Profit target | 10% (phase 1) + 5% (phase 2) |
| 1-Step | Daily loss limit | 3% |
| 2-Step | Daily loss limit | 5% |
| All | Max loss | 10% (1-Step uses end-of-day trailing) |
| 2-Step | Minimum trading days | 4 days |
Rules verified from FTMO's official how-it-works and trading-objectives pages on the access date. Some objective details (e.g. 1-Step min days, consistency rules) were not exposed in the summary and should be re-confirmed on FTMO's pages.
EAs, algos, bots & copy trading
Automation & AI policy
GOOD — EAs and algorithmic trading explicitly welcomed across MT4/MT5/cTrader, with the main constraints being no third-party account access/copy trading, no AI/ultra-high-speed unfair-advantage tools, and server-request hyperactivity caps.
| Policy area | What the firm states |
|---|---|
| Expert Advisors (EAs) | Allowed — FTMO explicitly permits EAs ("whether it's discretionary trading, algorithmic trading, EAs, etc."), provided trading is legitimate, conforms to real market conditions, and does not resemble forbidden practices; EAs causing more than ~2,000 server requests/day (hyperactivity) are restricted. |
| Algorithmic trading | Allowed — algorithmic trading is named as an explicitly permitted approach, subject to the same legitimacy/real-market and anti-abuse conditions. |
| Copy trading | Banned (third-party) — "You must not allow any third party to access or otherwise use your FTMO Account" and may not have a third party perform simulated trades for you; using the same EA as many others can also breach max capital allocation. |
| HFT / tick scalping | Banned — forbidden practices bar use of "any software, artificial intelligence, ultra-high-speed tools, or mass data entry that might manipulate, abuse, or give you an unfair advantage" (covers HFT/latency-style exploitation). |
| Trading bots / AI | Limited — automated/EA bots allowed if legitimate and not hyperactive; AI / ultra-high-speed tools used to gain an unfair advantage are explicitly forbidden. |
| News trading | Restricted — forbidden-practices framing restricts trading around major scheduled news/macro/corporate events and within two hours or less before a relevant market closes for at least two hours. |
| Automation platforms | MetaTrader 4 & MetaTrader 5 (EAs via "Allow automated trading") and cTrader (cTrader Automate — robots/indicators in C#/Python); server limits ~200 orders at a time and ~2,000 positions/day. |
Verbatim policy from FTMO. Items flagged verifyare unconfirmed — check the firm’s terms for your product. Educational information, not trading advice.
Looking to compare automation rules across firms? See our best prop firms for AI, algo & EA trading ranking.
What you trade on & what binds the funded account
Platforms & funded-account rules
What binds a funded account: platforms, post-funding consistency, scaling, refunds, time and position limits, weekend / news rules. Each value links its ↗ source; = explainer; verify = unconfirmed.
Trading platforms provided
Payouts & timing
Payout frequency
On-demand after the first reward — the FTMO Account runs on a flexible profit-split schedule; you choose your own payout day from the dashboard once eligible (no forced fixed cycle after the first).
First payout
First reward claimable on or after the 14th day from your first funded trade (you may also shift the payout day to align future cycles).
Payout speed
Reward requests are typically processed quickly (within ~1–2 business days); arrival time then depends on the chosen method. verify
Profit-split scaling
Yes. 1-Step funded = 90% from the start. 2-Step funded = starts 80%, scales to 90% via the Scaling Plan. Scaling Plan: +25% balance every qualifying 4-month cycle (≥4 months active, ≥10% total net profit in window, ≥2 rewards processed, positive balance), cap $2,000,000; split rises 80%→90%.
Payout / profit cap
No cap on the first payout amount surfaced (no maximum-first-payout limit found on official pages). Minimum closed profit to withdraw: $20 (bank) / $50 (crypto). First reward claimable on/after day 14 from first funded trade. verify
Refundable fee
2-Step — entry fee IS refunded, paid with the first Reward withdrawal via the original payment method (one fee covers both stages). 1-Step — entry fee is NOT refunded.
Funded consistency rule
No standing consistency rule on the funded FTMO Account beyond the Best Day Rule. The Best Day Rule (best single day ≤ 50% of total Positive Days' Profit) is payout-gated, not account-gated — exceeding it holds the payout request until additional positive days dilute the ratio; it does NOT breach. (On the 1-Step product the Best Day Rule applies in both challenge and funded phases; 2-Step shows no Best Day Rule.)
Funded-account rules & cost
Cost
Per-size fees not pulled from a live FTMO checkout (pricing page 404s to fetch). Widely-cited 2026 fees ≈ $155 ($10K) / $250 ($25K) / $345 ($50K) / $540 ($100K) / $1,080 ($200K). verify
Payment methods (to buy)
Credit/debit card, bank wire transfer, crypto (BTC, ETH, LTC, USDC ERC20, USDT TRC20), plus Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Skrill, and processors Checkout.com / Confirmo / LetKnow Pay / Nuvei. Bank transfer unavailable in some regions (e.g. Venezuela, Cuba, Sudan, Ukraine).
Time limit
Unlimited time for both evaluation phases (trade at your own pace). 2-Step requires a minimum of 4 trading days per phase; 1-Step has no minimum-days requirement.
Inactivity rule
30 calendar days with no trade on a funded account is treated as a breach and the account is terminated (must restart from a new Challenge). A trader can request an account "freeze" (pause) for planned absences (e.g. holiday).
Max position / lot limit
No fixed lot/contract cap surfaced; risk constrained via the 5%/3% daily and 10% max-loss limits plus prohibited "excessive sizing" / non-replicable-risk practices. Standard EA cap: >2,000 server requests/day prohibited. verify
Weekend / overnight holding
Evaluation (1-Step challenge + both 2-Step phases): overnight & weekend holding allowed without restriction. Funded FTMO Account, Standard type: must close all positions before weekend market close and before any rollover/swap period exceeding 2 hours. Swing account type: weekend/overnight holding allowed (no restriction).
2 plans · per-plan detail
Rules by account plan
Every plan’s model, rules and size/price matrix. = explainer · ↗ source = firm’s page · verify = unconfirmed. Compare against other firms →
1-Step Challenge
One-step evaluation with up to 90% profit split and a 10% profit target — suited to confident traders who want funding quickly without a second phase. It's also among the more automation-friendly options for EAs and algos.
Sizes & price
| Account size | Entry price |
|---|---|
| $10K | ≈$155 (widely-cited 2026 fee)verify |
| $25K | ≈$250 (widely-cited 2026 fee)verify |
| $50K | ≈$345 (widely-cited 2026 fee)verify |
| $100K | ≈$540 (widely-cited 2026 fee)verify |
| $200K | ≈$1,080 (widely-cited 2026 fee)verify |
1-Step fee is NOT refunded on passing (only 2-Step is). EOD trailing + 50% Best Day Rule make this the stricter product to manage.
Rules sourced from official pages — 1-Step Challenge rules hub. Promo terms change; confirm at checkout.
2-Step Challenge
Two-step evaluation with up to 90% profit split and a 10% profit target — suited to steady, risk-controlled traders happy to prove consistency over two phases. It's also among the more automation-friendly options for EAs and algos.
Sizes & price
| Account size | Entry price |
|---|---|
| $10K | Not statedverify |
| $25K | Not statedverify |
| $50K | Not statedverify |
| $100K | Not statedverify |
| $200K | Not statedverify |
Static max-loss is easier to manage than the 1-Step's EOD-trailing limit. Fee fully refunded on first payout. Scaling Plan: 80% → 90% split, +25% balance per qualifying 4-month cycle, cap $2,000,000.
Rules sourced from official pages — 2-Step Challenge rules hub. Promo terms change; confirm at checkout.
Rule glossaryEvery term on this page, in plain English
- Profit target
- The percentage gain a trader must achieve on a challenge or evaluation account to advance to the next phase or become funded. It is usually measured against the starting balance and must be met without breaching any loss limit.
- Max daily loss
- A cap on how much an account may fall within one trading day, measured from either the day's starting balance or starting equity. Breaching it typically fails the account, even if the overall loss limit is untouched.
- Max overall loss
- Also called maximum total loss or overall drawdown — the furthest an account may fall from its baseline before it is failed. Whether the baseline is fixed or moves with profits depends on the drawdown type.
- Static drawdown
- A maximum-loss level calculated once from the starting balance and held fixed for the life of the account. Profits do not raise it, so the buffer below your equity grows as you gain.
- Trailing drawdown
- A maximum-loss level that follows the account upward as it reaches new equity or balance highs, locking in some gains. Once it ratchets up it usually does not fall back, so giving back profits can still breach it.
- End-of-day (EOD) drawdown
- A trailing drawdown that recalculates from the highest end-of-day balance rather than intraday peaks. Open-trade spikes during the day do not move the limit — only the closing figure does.
- Minimum trading days
- A requirement to place trades on a set number of distinct days before an account can pass a phase or request a payout. It discourages passing on a single lucky trade.
- Consistency rule
- A limit on how concentrated profits may be — for example, no single day may account for more than a set percentage of total profit. It is meant to reward steady performance over one-off windfalls; breaching it can delay a payout or block a pass.
- Profit split
- The percentage of profits a funded trader keeps, with the rest retained by the firm (e.g. an 80% split means the trader keeps 80%). Advertised "up to" splits are usually ceilings reached only at higher tiers or after scaling.
- Scaling plan
- A structured path that increases a funded trader's account size (and sometimes profit split) after meeting performance and consistency conditions. Terms and timelines vary widely between firms.
- Leverage
- The ratio between position size and the capital backing it (e.g. 1:100 means $1 controls $100 of exposure). Higher leverage amplifies both gains and losses against your drawdown limits.
- Evaluation / challenge
- A simulated trading test — sometimes called a challenge — where a trader must hit a profit target without breaking the rules to earn a funded (or simulated-funded) account. It usually carries a one-time fee.
- Instant funding
- A product that skips the evaluation and grants a funded account immediately, typically for a higher upfront fee and often with stricter rules, lower initial splits, or tighter drawdown than evaluation paths.
- 1-step
- An evaluation that funds a trader after one phase, requiring a single profit target to be hit within the loss limits. Fewer phases can mean a tighter target or drawdown.
- 2-step
- An evaluation split into two phases, each with its own profit target, before funding. The two-phase structure is the most common model across the industry.
- 3-step
- An evaluation with three sequential phases before funding, usually with lower per-phase targets spread across the stages. More phases can mean a longer path but gentler individual targets.
- Payout / withdrawal cycle
- The schedule and conditions for withdrawing funded profits — for example, on-demand, bi-weekly, or monthly, sometimes after a minimum profit or a set number of trading days. Early-payout terms and minimums vary by firm.
- Prohibited strategies
- Approaches a firm bans in its rules — breaching them can void profits or fail an account. Commonly restricted styles include martingale, grid, certain hedging or arbitrage, high-frequency or tick scalping, news trading, copy trading, and all-in gambling-style bets.
- Martingale
- A strategy that raises trade size after each loss in an attempt to recover prior losses with one win. Firms often prohibit it because it concentrates risk and can blow through drawdown limits quickly.
- Grid trading
- A system that places a ladder of buy and sell orders at fixed intervals regardless of direction. It is frequently restricted because it can build large, correlated exposure that strains risk limits.
- Hedging
- Opening opposing positions in the same or correlated instruments to offset risk. Some firms allow internal hedging but prohibit hedging across accounts or between traders to game evaluations.
- Arbitrage
- Profiting from price discrepancies between brokers, feeds, or instruments, including latency arbitrage. It is commonly banned because it can exploit a firm's simulated pricing rather than reflect genuine market skill.
- HFT / tick scalping
- High-frequency trading and tick scalping involve large numbers of trades held for seconds or less, often automated. Firms frequently restrict them, sometimes via minimum hold-time rules, because they can exploit feed latency.
- News trading
- Opening or holding positions through scheduled high-impact news events to capture volatility. Some firms restrict trading within a window around major releases on evaluation or funded accounts.
- Copy trading
- Automatically replicating one account's trades onto others, or copying signals from a third party. Firms often limit it to a trader's own accounts and prohibit copying between unrelated traders.
- Expert Advisors (EAs)
- Algorithms or robots — often MetaTrader Expert Advisors — that place trades automatically. Policies range from fully allowed to banned; many firms permit personal EAs but forbid shared or exploit-oriented bots.
- Gambling / all-in
- Staking an outsized share of the account on a single trade in hope of a fast pass. Firms restrict it because it relies on luck rather than risk management and undermines consistency rules.
Educational definitions only — not trading advice, and no outcome is guaranteed. The exact meaning of any rule depends on the firm’s own terms for your specific product; always verify there before relying on it.
Want the full reference? See the prop-firm rule glossary.
The field, in bars
How the profit split compares
Headline (“up to”) maximum vs the field — ceilings gated behind tiers or scaling, not what every trader gets.
Profit split — headline maximum (%)
Higher is betterBalanced view
Pros, cons & open risks
Strengths
- Long operating history and one of the most widely reviewed prop firms.
- Clear, published trading objectives and a documented scaling plan.
- 2-Step fee is refunded with the first reward.
- Both 1-Step (90% split) and 2-Step models available.
Cons & open risks
- Account sizes top out at $200K per account (scaling needed beyond that).
- 1-Step fee is not refunded after passing.
- Live checkout pricing and promos were not exposed without the purchase flow.
- As with all prop challenges, most buyers do not reach a payout.
Do this first
What to verify before buying
Confirm each of these for your exact product:
- 01Current checkout price and any active promo for your account size.
- 02The exact daily-loss and max-loss mechanics (static vs end-of-day trailing) for your model.
- 03Minimum trading days and any consistency requirement for your chosen evaluation.
- 04Withdrawal minimums and reward cadence for your account.
The Prop Examiner
Our verdict
FTMO is the established benchmark in this space: a long track record, transparent objectives, and a documented scaling plan. The main limitations are a $200K per-account ceiling before scaling and a 1-Step fee that is not refunded. We could not confirm live pricing without entering checkout, so price-shop on the day you buy. The Prop Examiner has no affiliate relationship with FTMO at this time.
Affiliate link
If FTMO fits your needs
Common questions
FTMO FAQ
- What is FTMO's profit split?
- 1-Step 90%; 2-Step 80% base, up to 90% via scaling. Confirm the split for the exact product you buy, as it can vary by model and tier.
- How fast does FTMO pay out?
- 2-Step rewards processed bi-weekly; ~8h avg processing stated. Payout speed and eligibility depend on the product and on meeting the firm's rules; no payout is guaranteed.
- What account sizes does FTMO offer?
- $10K, $25K, $50K, $100K, $200K. Headline maximums are ceilings reached via scaling, not the size you start with.
- Does FTMO have a discount code?
- Any current FTMO promotion is applied at checkout — promo pricing changes frequently, so always confirm the total shown before paying. We do not display or advertise a specific code; check the price on the day you buy.
- Is FTMO worth it?
- The established benchmark: long track record, transparent objectives, documented scaling plan; $200K per-account ceiling before scaling. Read the rules for your exact product, treat headline numbers as ceilings, and start with the smallest suitable plan — prop challenges are simulated/educational products and most buyers do not reach a payout.
Cited & dated
Sources
Every figure traces to a FTMO source below, accessed on the date shown. Re-verify before relying on any number — pricing and promos change.
- 1.FTMO — how it works· accessed 2026-06-17
- 2.FTMO — trading objectives· accessed 2026-06-17
- 3.FTMO — reward, growth & scaling plan· accessed 2026-06-17
- 4.FTMO — why is there a fee (refund terms)· accessed 2026-06-17
Sponsored · firm-neutral
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