FTMO Review
Prague
Since 2015
Forex · Indices · Commodities · Crypto
$500M+ paid
The oldest firm still standing, and the benchmark everyone else is measured against. The choice that decides your outcome here is 1-Step versus 2-Step and the cheaper-looking one is the harder one.
Verified 4 Sep 2026 · re-checked every 30 days
Quick overview
- Track record: operating since 2015, longer than almost any competitor still trading
- Paid: $500M+ in rewards since launch, with a reported 99.8% on-time rate
- Reach: 3.5M+ customers across roughly 140 countries
- Sizes: $10,000 to $200,000, scaling toward a $2,000,000 cap
- Free trial available before you pay anything
- Fee refund: the 2-Step fee comes back with your first payout, while the 1-Step fee does not
If you want the lowest chance of a firm vanishing, this is still the answer. Eleven years and half a billion paid is a moat nobody else has. Take the 2-Step. The 1-Step looks simpler and pays 90% immediately, but it swaps a static drawdown for a trailing one, tightens the daily limit to 3%, adds a consistency rule, and keeps your fee. Most people who buy it are paying more for a harder challenge.
- Among the priciest entries in the sector, so you are paying for the track record
- News and weekend-holding restrictions apply on standard accounts
1-Step vs 2-Step: the only decision that matters
| 2-Step Challenge | 1-Step Challenge | |
|---|---|---|
| Profit target | 10% then 5% | 10% in one phase |
| Max daily loss | 5% | 3% |
| Max loss | 10% static | 10% trailing |
| Consistency rule | None | Best-day rule applies |
| Starting split | 80% → 90% | 90% immediately |
| Fee refunded | Yes, at first payout | No |
| Min trading days | 4 per phase | None listed |
- Static beats trailing. On the 2-Step your floor is fixed to the starting balance and never moves as you profit
- 3% versus 5% daily is the quiet killer on the 1-Step, giving 40% less daily room on the same target
- The 1-Step's best-day rule stops one outsized session carrying your whole pass
- No time limit on the 2-Step, so you can pace it around your actual schedule
Which route actually costs you less?
The 1-Step pays 90% from day one but keeps your fee. The 2-Step pays 80% and gives the fee back. There is a clean break-even point, and it is worth knowing before you choose.
Risk rules that fail accounts
- Max loss on the 2-Step is static fixed relative to the starting balance, so profit you make can be given back before withdrawal without moving the floor
- Daily limit resets 00:00 server time and is measured on closed balance
- On a $100K account that is $5,000 daily and $10,000 overall
- Floating losses count toward a breach you can fail without ever closing a trade
- One source reported the Phase 1 target dropping from 10% to 8% in 2026; the most recent listings still show 10%. Check the live challenge page before buying
Payouts and scaling
- First payout: 14 calendar days after your first trade, with the account in profit and no open or pending orders
- After that: on demand, which is unusually flexible for a firm this size
- Processing: 24–48 hours, or one to two business days, with no firm-side withdrawal fees
- Minimum: around $20 by bank, $50 by crypto
- Scaling: +25% balance after four months of active trading, given 10% profit, two payouts taken and the account in profit at scale-up
- Repeat the scaling and the split moves to 90%, toward a $2,000,000 ceiling
- Reported change for 2026: profits are totalled monthly before the split is applied, so multiple small withdrawals no longer keep you in a lower tier
FAQ
Is FTMO legit?
It has operated since 2015 with a long public record of paying withdrawals and $500M+ in total rewards. On track record alone it is the least risky firm in the sector.
Do I get my fee back?
On the 2-Step, yes, refunded in full with your first payout. On the 1-Step, no.
Which challenge should I buy?
The 2-Step for almost everyone: static drawdown, 5% daily room, no consistency rule, and the fee returns. The 1-Step only makes sense if your first payout will be large, so use the calculator above.
How long do I have to pass?
No time limit on the 2-Step. You need a minimum of four trading days per phase, but there is no deadline pushing you into trades.
How fast are payouts?
24 to 48 hours once approved. The first request opens 14 days after your first funded trade; everything after that is on demand.
Who should skip it?
Futures traders, who should use a futures-native firm. Anyone on a tight budget, since FTMO is among the most expensive entries available. Traders who need to hold through weekends or news on a standard account.
Verify this yourself
FTMO documents more publicly than any firm in this sector. Read the source, not the summary.
Who wrote this, and what we actually did
Trading since 2019 across forex and crypto. Lead on this page and on the 1-Step versus 2-Step cost comparison.
Trading since 2019, mainly futures. Checked the risk rules, scaling criteria and payout conditions against published terms.
Built PropFirmPrime and the break-even calculator on this page.
- Compared both evaluation routes line by line across five independent reviews
- Worked out the 1-Step break-even ourselves rather than repeating marketing claims
- Confirmed payout timing, minimums and scaling criteria against published terms
- Flagged the conflicting reports on the Phase 1 target rather than picking one
- We have not traded a funded FTMO account, so nothing here claims first-hand execution experience
- We could not confirm whether the Phase 1 target is 10% or 8% in every current plan
- The $500M paid and 99.8% on-time figures are FTMO's own and we could not audit them
Risk note. Prop firm fees are at risk and most participants never reach a payout. Simulated funding does not necessarily represent live firm capital. FTMO is among the most expensive entries in the sector, so the cost of a failed attempt is higher here than elsewhere. Verified 4 September 2026, so check the live rules page before buying. PropFirmPrime earns commission on some links, which never changes our score.
Compare before you buy
Cheaper entry, and pays 15% during the challenge itself.
The other decade-old firm, with instant-funding routes FTMO lacks.
Static drawdown too, at a third of the entry price.
Take the free trial first
FTMO lets you test the rules before paying anything. Few firms do. Use it.
Visit FTMO