FTMO Review
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FTMO rules, prices and payouts, checked on September 14, 2026 against ftmo.com.
- Market
- Forex
- Programs
- FTMO Challenge: 2-Step, FTMO Challenge: 1-Step
- Accounts up to
- $200K
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, cTrader +1
FTMO is a prop firm run by FTMO s.r.o. from Prague, in the Czech Republic, and its site dates the company to 2015. It sells the FTMO Challenge in two versions, 2-Step and 1-Step, on forex, indices, commodities, stocks and crypto. The company says it has more than 4.5 million customers and has paid over $650 million in rewards; those are its own figures, not independently verified.
The model is a one-time fee for an evaluation, followed by an FTMO Account with a 90% profit split. One detail catches US buyers off guard: the accounts are sized in dollars, but FTMO lists its prices in euros. This review covers the two Challenge types only. FTMO also lists a futures product in beta and a free trial, which aren't covered here.
Pros and cons
Pros
- One-time fees, from €79 for a $10K 1-Step to €1,080 for a $200K 2-Step, with no monthly billing.
- The 2-Step max loss is static at 10% of the initial capital, so the floor never trails your profits.
- No news or weekend restrictions during the evaluation, and a Swing account type for 2-Step traders who want to keep that freedom once funded.
- EAs and algorithmic strategies are allowed if they are legitimate and could be replicated live.
- A 90% profit split on both Challenge types.
- Four platform options: MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView through an OANDA broker profile.
Cons
- Prices are in euros for dollar-sized accounts, so the dollar cost moves with the exchange rate.
- The 1-Step combines a 3% daily loss limit, a trailing max loss and a Best Day Rule that can delay passing.
- Payout frequency, leverage and any activation fee weren't clearly stated on the pages checked.
- Standard FTMO Accounts block trading around selected news and require closing before the weekend, and the Swing alternative isn't offered on the 1-Step.
- The 2-Step requires at least 4 trading days in each of its two phases.
FTMO programs and prices
| Program | Accounts and prices | Profit target | Daily loss limit | Max drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO Challenge: 2-Step | $200K: €1,080 · $100K: €540 · $50K: €345 · $25K: €250 · $10K: €89 | 10% (FTMO Challenge) / 5% (Verification); none on FTMO Account | 5% of Initial Simulated Capital (limit recalculated daily at 00:00 CE(S)T from that day's balance) | 10% of Initial Simulated Capital |
| FTMO Challenge: 1-Step | $200K: €999 · $100K: €499 · $50K: €319 · $25K: €199 · $10K: €79 | 10%; none on FTMO Account | 3% of Initial Simulated Capital (recalculated daily at 00:00 CE(S)T) | 10% of Initial Simulated Capital |
FTMO Challenge: 2-Step rules
| Rule | FTMO Challenge: 2-Step |
|---|---|
| Drawdown type | static |
| Minimum trading days | 4 Trading Days in each phase; none on FTMO Account |
| Consistency rule | None listed for 2-Step on Trading Objectives page |
| Profit split | 90% |
Not clearly published by the firm: contracts / leverage, activation fee, payout frequency.
FTMO Challenge: 1-Step rules
| Rule | FTMO Challenge: 1-Step |
|---|---|
| Drawdown type | EOD trailing (from highest 00:00 CE(S)T balance or initial capital; only increases; resets when a Reward is withdrawn) |
| Minimum trading days | None listed for 1-Step on Trading Objectives page |
| Consistency rule | Best Day Rule: best day ≤ 50% of Positive Days' Profit (to pass and for Reward eligibility) |
| Profit split | 90% |
Not clearly published by the firm: contracts / leverage, activation fee, payout frequency.
Trading restrictions and platforms
- News trading: Evaluation: no restriction. FTMO Account (Standard type): no opening/closing trades on targeted instruments from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after selected news; Swing type: no restriction
- Weekend holding: Evaluation: allowed. FTMO Account (Standard type): close positions before weekend market close or rollover breaks >2 hours; Swing type: allowed (Swing not offered for 1-Step)
- EAs and bots: Allowed (discretionary, algorithmic, EAs) if legitimate and replicable live; third-party EAs risk exceeding the maximum capital allocation rule; server limits 200 orders at a time and 2000 positions per day
- Platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView (via OANDA broker profile)
- Instruments: Forex, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, Crypto
Who FTMO suits
FTMO suits forex and CFD traders who want a fixed, one-time cost and a max loss that stays put. On a $100K 2-Step account, the 10% static limit keeps your floor at $90,000 however much profit you make first. That makes position sizing simple to plan.
It also works for algorithmic traders. Discretionary, algorithmic and EA strategies are all permitted, as long as they are legitimate and could be replicated in live markets. Server limits and a warning about third-party EAs apply, covered below.
Swing traders need to look at the account types before buying. During the evaluation you can hold over weekends and trade news. Once funded, only the Swing type keeps both freedoms, and Swing isn't available on the 1-Step. If you hold from Friday to Monday, the 2-Step is the version that fits.
How FTMO's daily loss and max loss limits work
Both limits are percentages of your Initial Simulated Capital, so the dollar amounts are fixed from day one. On a $100K 2-Step, the daily loss limit is $5,000 and the max loss is $10,000.
The daily limit is recalculated at 00:00 CE(S)T from that day's balance, which is 6 PM New York time for most of the year. Say your balance at midnight Prague time is $102,000: that day, your losses can't take you below $97,000. If the next day starts at $98,000, the daily level drops to $93,000, while the static max loss keeps the overall floor at $90,000.
The 1-Step is tighter on both counts. Its daily limit is 3%, or $3,000 on $100K, and its 10% max loss trails the highest balance recorded at 00:00 CE(S)T. Start at $100,000 and the floor is $90,000. If your balance at midnight reaches $104,000, the floor rises to $94,000, and it only ever moves up.
Now drop back to $97,000. You have just $3,000 of room left, the same as one day's limit. FTMO says the trailing level resets when you withdraw a Reward. Its Trading Objectives page explains how open positions count toward both limits, so read it before you trade.
What an FTMO Challenge costs
Every Challenge is a one-time fee. The 2-Step runs from €89 for $10K to €1,080 for $200K. The 1-Step is cheaper at each size, from €79 to €999, and on $100K the gap is €540 against €499.
Because prices are in euros, the dollar amount you pay depends on the exchange rate on the day, and your card may add a foreign transaction fee. FTMO was also showing lower special prices on some sizes at the time of the check. The figures in this review are its regular prices.
The pages this review is based on don't clearly state an activation fee, a leverage cap or a payout schedule, so no figures are given for those. If any of them matters to your plan, check FTMO's FAQ or ask support before paying.
Profit split, Rewards and the Best Day Rule
Both Challenge types list a 90% profit split. FTMO calls a payout a Reward, and on the 1-Step, withdrawing one resets the trailing max loss.
The 1-Step adds the Best Day Rule: your best day can't be more than 50% of the combined profit of your positive days. It applies both to passing and to Reward eligibility. Say your positive days add up to $10,000 and your best day made $6,000. That's 60%, so you would need at least $12,000 of positive-day profit before the $6,000 day falls to the 50% line.
The 2-Step has no consistency rule listed on FTMO's Trading Objectives page, but it asks for at least 4 trading days in each phase. The 1-Step lists no minimum trading days. Neither version has a profit target on the FTMO Account.
Rules that catch traders out
Moving from the evaluation to an FTMO Account changes the news and weekend rules. On the Standard type, you can't open or close trades on the targeted instruments from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after selected news. You also have to close positions before the weekend market close, or before rollover breaks longer than 2 hours.
1-Step traders feel this most, because the Swing type isn't offered on the 1-Step. A strategy that passed by holding over weekends would have to change once funded.
EA users face their own limits. FTMO's server allows 200 orders at a time and 2,000 positions per day, and FTMO warns that third-party EAs risk exceeding its maximum capital allocation rule. If you run an EA you didn't build, read that rule first.
Finally, watch the clock. The daily reset at 00:00 CE(S)T falls in the US evening, so for a New York trader FTMO's day usually starts at 6 PM, not at the market open.
2-Step or 1-Step: which to choose
Pick the 2-Step if you want room to make mistakes. A 5% daily limit, a static 10% max loss and no Best Day Rule make it the steadier route. The cost is two phases, 10% then 5%, with 4 trading days in each, and it's the only route to a Swing account.
Pick the 1-Step if you want a single 10% target and a slightly lower price, and your profits come from many modest days rather than a few big ones. The 3% daily limit and trailing max loss leave less margin for a bad week.
Verdict
FTMO makes sense for forex and CFD traders who want a one-time fee, a company that dates back to 2015, permission to run EAs and, on the 2-Step, a max loss that doesn't trail. The 2-Step is the natural choice for anyone who holds through news or weekends, since only it leads to a Swing account. Skip FTMO if you want prices in dollars, a clearly published payout schedule before you buy, or a 1-Step account that lets you hold over the weekend once funded.
Frequently asked questions
Are FTMO prices in dollars or euros?
FTMO lists its prices in euros, even though the accounts are sized in dollars. A $100K 2-Step Challenge is €540 and a $100K 1-Step is €499, both one-time fees. What you pay in dollars depends on the exchange rate.
What is FTMO’s daily loss limit?
It’s 5% of the initial capital on the 2-Step and 3% on the 1-Step, so $5,000 or $3,000 on a $100K account. The limit is recalculated every day at 00:00 CE(S)T from that day’s balance.
Is FTMO’s max loss trailing?
On the 2-Step, no: it’s a static 10% of the initial capital. On the 1-Step, the 10% max loss trails the highest balance recorded at 00:00 CE(S)T, only moves up, and resets when you withdraw a Reward.
What is the FTMO Best Day Rule?
It applies to the 1-Step. Your best day must be no more than 50% of the total profit from your positive days, both to pass the Challenge and to be eligible for a Reward.
Can you trade news and hold over the weekend at FTMO?
During the evaluation, yes. On a Standard FTMO Account you can’t trade targeted instruments from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after selected news, and you must close before the weekend. The Swing type has neither limit, but it isn’t offered on the 1-Step.
Does FTMO allow EAs?
Yes, if the strategy is legitimate and could be replicated live. The server limits you to 200 orders at a time and 2,000 positions a day, and third-party EAs risk exceeding FTMO’s maximum capital allocation rule.
