FTMO Review April 2026

FTMO is one of the longest-running and most recognized proprietary trading evaluation firms in the industry. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic, FTMO was created by CEO Otakar Suffner, a Prague-born engineer with a degree in Banking and Insurance from the University of Economics in Prague.

The company has a high rating in Trustpilot of 4.8 out of 5 based on over 49,900 reviews, operations in 180+ countries, and over six million simulated trades facilitated monthly. FTMO has won multiple Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards and has been featured in Forbes. This firm is one of the biggest we reviewed so far and our data gathered tells you why.

About FTMO's evaluation: The firm now offers two evaluation paths. The newer 1-Step FTMO Challenge, launched in February 2026, and the traditional 2-Step FTMO Challenge, with account sizes from $10,000 to $200,000, three account types (Standard, Aggressive, and Swing), and a profit share of up to 90%.

All trading is conducted on simulated accounts with fictitious funds. The firm covers forex, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and select stocks through MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader platforms. Keep on reading this review to learn more about the FTMO program, its drawdown mechanics, the funded FTMO Account, and all its trading rules.

FTMO Operations: A Quick Overview

FTMO operates a simulated trading evaluation model. This means you do not trade real capital directly. Instead, you have to demonstrate your trading skill on simulated accounts, and FTMO may use data from those simulated trades when performing its own trades in real financial markets.

The process works in the stages explained below:

📌 1-Step Path: Pass a single FTMO Challenge phase → Complete the FTMO Identity (KYC) → Receive your FTMO Account → Trade and earn rewards with a 90% of simulated profits from day one.

📌 2-Step Path: Pass Phase 1 (FTMO Challenge, 10% target) → Pass Phase 2 (Verification, 5% target) → Complete the FTMO Identity (KYC) → Receive your FTMO Account → Trade and earn rewards starting with an 80% initially, up to 90% through the Scaling Plan.

In the following sections, you will find all the details we tested in the FTMO platform. Discover all about the Evaluations, trading rules, prohibited behaviors and how to invest carefully.

What Are FTMO's Evaluation Types? 1-Step vs. 2-Step Compared

You need to know that both paths lead to the same destination: an FTMO Account where you earn performance-based rewards with no profit target, just risk management rules. The FTMO Challenge fee is refunded with the first reward withdrawal.

Let's review each one of these paths.

1-Step FTMO Challenge: The Newly Launched Path

The 1-Step path, launched in February 2026, allows you to reach the FTMO Account in a single evaluation phase. It has a tighter daily loss limit (3% vs. 5%), a trailing EOD maximum loss, and it includes a consistency requirement called The Best Day Rule.

However, it eliminates the Verification phase entirely. After passing, you proceed directly to FTMO Identity verification and then to the FTMO Account with a 90% profit split from the very first reward.

2-Step FTMO Challenge: The Traditional Path

The 2-Step path is the original FTMO evaluation proposition. Phase 1 (FTMO Challenge) requires a 10% profit targe and Phase 2 (Verification) requires a 5% profit target with the same risk rules.

The minimum trading period for each phase is 4 trading days. There is no time limit — the trading period is unlimited. After passing both phases, you move to the FTMO Account with an 80% profit split (scalable to 90% through the Scaling Plan or Premium Programme).

The Trading Objectives of the 1-Step Challenge

1-Step Trading Objectives by Account Size

The Trading Objectives of the 2-Step Challenge (Standard)

2-Step Standard Objectives by Account Size

The Trading Objectives of the 2-Step Challenge (Aggressive)

The Aggressive account type doubles both the profit targets and the drawdown limits, creating a higher-risk, higher-reward evaluation. The maximum combined capital allocation for Aggressive accounts is commonly $200,000.

What Are The Key Differences Between 1-Step and 2-Step Challenges?

The 1-Step path is faster because it has no Verificationphase, it gives a 90% profit split immediately, and has unrestricted news trading on the FTMO Account.

❌ But, what about the trade-offs? A tighter 3% daily loss limit, a trailing EOD max loss, which increases as you profit, and the 50% Best Day consistency rule.

Regarding the 2-Step, it has more generous daily loss room, a 5%, a static max loss that never moves up, and no consistency rule.

❌ But it requires passing two phases and starts at 80% profit split.

The Best Day Rule Explained

The Best Day Rule is unique to the 1-Step FTMO Challenge and carries over to the 1-Step FTMO Account. It requires that your most profitable single trading day, that is calculated from closed trades, does not exceed 50% of your total account profit.

Example ($100K account, $10K profit target): If your best day produces $7,000 in profit, you need at least $14,000 in total profit for the Best Day to represent exactly 50%. Exceeding the Best Day limit is not a rule breach; you simply need to continue trading until the ratio drops below 50%.

On the FTMO Account (1-Step), the Best Day Rule applies for reward eligibility: your best day must be below 50% of total profit to receive your reward payment. This ensures rewards are earned through consistent performance, not one-off large trades.

Drawdown Mechanics Explained

We started by understanding how the drawdown is calculated in order to survive the FTMO evaluation. The mechanics differ between 1-Step and 2-Step. Take a look:

Maximum Daily Loss

The daily loss limit restricts how much your equity can drop within a single trading day. It is calculated from your account balance at midnight CE(S)T, Prague time, each day.

2-Step Standard: 5% of initial capital. If your $100K account has a midnight balance of $104,000, your daily loss limit for the next day = $104,000 − $5,000 = $99,000. The limit increases and decreases with your balance.

1-Step: 3% of initial capital. Same recalculation mechanic, but tighter. A $100K account with midnight balance of $104,000 = limit of $104,000 − $3,000 = $101,000.

The daily loss calculation includes closed positions, open floating P&L, commissions, and swaps. Breaching this limit at any point during the day (even intraday) results in a failed evaluation or account breach.

Maximum Loss: Static (2-Step)

On 2-Step accounts, the maximum loss is a static 10% of initial capital. This is the simplest form: your stop-out level is fixed at 90% of your starting balance and never changes.

A practical example ($100K, 2-Step Standard): Your breach level is always $90,000, regardless of whether your account grows to $120,000 or $150,000. The extra profit does not raise your floor — it simply adds cushion.

Maximum Loss: Trailing EOD (1-Step)

On 1-Step accounts, the maximum loss is 10% of initial capital but trails upward based on your highest end-of-day balance. It recalculates at midnight CE(S)T using the highest EOD balance achieved. The limit can only increase, never decrease.

Another practical example ($100K, 1-Step):

• Day 1 start: Limit = $100,000 − $10,000 = $90,000

• Day 1 closes at $104,000: New limit = $104,000 − $10,000 = $94,000

• Day 2 closes at $103,000: Limit stays $94,000 (based on the $104K high-water mark, not today's close)

• Day 3 closes at $106,000: New limit = $106,000 − $10,000 = $96,000

This is important: On the 1-Step path, profitable days permanently raise your drawdown floor. This rewards consistent growth but means you cannot freely give back large amounts of profit without getting closer to breach.

The FTMO Account at The Funded Stage

After passing the evaluation and completing FTMO Identity KYC, get ready to receive the FTMO Account. This is the stage where you will earn rewards:

• There is no Profit Target. Trade with freedom, without a minimum profit required.
• Maximum Daily Loss and Maximum Loss rules still apply. These are the only risk rules you have to consider.
• The Profit split is a 90% for 1-Step or an 80% initially, that can move up to 90% via Scaling Plan in the 2-Step option.
• Fee refund: The original challenge fee is refunded with the first reward withdrawal.
• You don't have minimum trading days requirements on the FTMO Account.
• The account size matches the evaluation size you previously selected.
• Trading on simulated capital means that firm may use trade data for its own real-market trading.
• Payout impact on drawdown: After receiving your payout, the maximum drawdown locks in at your starting balance for 2-Step accounts.

Account Types

Standard Account

The default FTMO account type. Leverage up to 1:100 on forex. Subject to 2-minute news restriction and overnight/weekend closing rules on the funded FTMO Account (2-Step). Available for both 1-Step and 2-Step.

Aggressive Account

Doubled targets and drawdown limits — 20% profit target (Challenge), 10% daily loss, 20% max loss. Higher risk, higher reward. Maximum combined allocation commonly capped at $200,000. Leverage up to 1:100 on forex. Not eligible for the Premium Programme.

Swing Account

Designed for traders who hold positions over longer periods. No restrictions on news trading, overnight holding, or weekend holding at any stage. Leverage reduced to 1:30 on forex. Available for 2-Step challenges (check availability for 1-Step). Suitable for fundamental traders and technical traders using H1+ timeframes. Important: if you purchase a Standard account, you cannot change it to Swing later. However, you can switch from Swing to Standard before each new FTMO Account cycle (after each reward withdrawal).

News Trading Rules

News trading policies differ significantly across product types and stages:

1-Step Challenge (Evaluation): Unrestricted. Trade freely during all macroeconomic news releases.

1-Step FTMO Account (Funded): Unrestricted. No 2-minute rule applies.

2-Step Challenge & Verification (Evaluation): Unrestricted. Trade freely during all macroeconomic news releases.

2-Step FTMO Account — Standard (Funded): 2-minute restriction applies. On targeted instruments, traders cannot open or close any trades (including pending orders like Stop Loss or Take Profit) within a window starting 2 minutes before and ending 2 minutes after selected high-impact macroeconomic news releases (e.g., US NFP, CPI, FOMC).

Non-targeted instruments can be traded normally during these windows. For example, during the US NFP release, you may trade EURGBP or AUDNZD, but you cannot trade USDJPY or GBPUSD. Restricted events are marked in FTMO's Economic Calendar.

2-Step FTMO Account — Swing (Funded): Unrestricted. No news trading restrictions apply.

Overnight and Weekend Holding

2-Step Challenge & Verification: Positions can be held overnight and over weekends without restriction.

2-Step FTMO Account — Standard: Positions must be closed before the market closes for the weekend. If the rollover exceeds 2 hours after market close, the position must be closed. Standard swap charges apply.

2-Step FTMO Account — Swing: No restrictions. Positions can be held overnight, over weekends, and through news events indefinitely.

1-Step: Verify specific overnight and weekend rules on the FTMO platform, as the 1-Step is a newer product and may have specific policies.

FTMO Pricing

FTMO challenge fees are one-time payments. The firm does not work with recurring subscriptions. The fee covers the entire evaluation process and is refunded with your first reward withdrawal from the FTMO Account.

Nonetheless, remember that if you fail and want to retry, you must purchase a new challenge. FTMO does not offer account reactivation or reset options after a breach.

You can pay via Credit/debit cards, bank transfer, Skrill, and select e-wallet providers. Crypto payments may also be available, check this for your specific account.

Your account can be set in different currencies. You can choose from USD, EUR, GBP, CZK, CAD, AUD to CHF.

Aggressive accounts may have a different pricing. FTMO periodically runs limited-time promotions. Always verify the current price at checkout.

Payout Structure

A Scaling Plan For Consistent Traders

The Scaling Plan allows consistent traders to grow their account size and profit share over time. Here's an overview of the requirements, the benefits you'll get and an example of the scaling progression.

Requirements (Per 4-Month Cycle)

Follow these requirements to scale:

• Achieve at least 10% total net simulated profit over the 4-month period.
• Process at least 2 reward payouts during the cycle.
• Maintain a positive account balance at the time of scaling.

Benefits

You can have over a 25% increase to initial capital at each approved scaling stage, your Profit split increased to 90% (for 2-Step; 1-Step already starts at 90%), and a Maximum attainable starting balance of $2,000,000.

Scaling Progression: An Example Starting from $400K

Note: The Scaling Plan is compatible with the Premium Programme. You can participate in both simultaneously.

Premium Programme: A Reward for Top Traders

The Premium Programme rewards top-performing FTMO Traders with two tiers of enhanced benefits: Prime Status and Supreme Status. Beyond Supreme, traders may be assessed for a position at Quantlane, FTMO's traditional proprietary trading firm.

Prime Status Requirements and Benefits

To obtain this reward, you must hold an active FTMO Account of any size (Aggressive accounts are not eligible). This is available via both 1-Step and 2-Step challenges. Other important requirements:

• No failed FTMO Account within the last 4 months from the date of application
• Achieve 4 rewards on a single order, each with a minimum profitability of 4% (of initial balance) before the profit split
• Rewards do not have to be consecutive; only new profit generated on the FTMO Account counts (rollover from a previous account does not count)
• If merging multiple FTMO Accounts, the reward counter resets

The Prime Status benefits you will obtain have to do with discounts, bonuses, and improved customer support:

✅ 1× Free FTMO Challenge of the same size as the qualified FTMO Account

✅ Maximum Capital Allocation increased up to $600,000

✅ Access to the $400,000 FTMO Challenge with a 10% discount

✅ Exclusive prop firm discounts: 10% off all new FTMO Challenge purchases, 15% off at the FTMO e-shop

✅ Dedicated customer support agent

✅ Special Prime Trader certificate

✅ 2-Step only: 5% rollover bonus on the subsequent FTMO Account (withdrawable after 30 calendar days)

✅ 1-Step: Rollover bonus is not available (1-Step traders already receive 90% profit split from day one)

Supreme Status Requirements and Benefits

To reach this Supreme Status, you must have been active in Prime Status for at least 3 months. Additionally, you must hold an active $400K FTMO Account (either a single $400K account obtained via Prime Status, or two merged $200K accounts). Other important requests here:

• Process at least 3 additional rewards, each with a minimum of 4% profitability before the profit split
• No failed FTMO Account within the last 4 months
• 1-Step and 2-Step accounts cannot be merged together — only accounts from the same product type can be combined

Supreme Status Benefits:

✅ No Maximum Daily Loss restriction (trade with greater daily flexibility)

✅ Opportunity to be assessed for a position at Quantlane, FTMO's traditional proprietary trading firm

✅ All Prime Status benefits continue

Quantlane

Quantlane is a traditional proprietary trading firm founded in 2014 and operating under the FTMO Group. The company employs mathematicians, engineers, quants, developers, and trading enthusiasts who build trading strategies for real financial markets.

Supreme Status traders may be assessed for a salaried position at Quantlane, gaining access to institutional-grade spreads, liquidity, risk management frameworks, dedicated performance coaches, and a fully customized trading platform. This represents the ultimate career destination within the FTMO ecosystem.

Premium Programme Notes

The status is not permanent. This means you must maintain it through ongoing performance. You can be disqualified for breaching rules or because of inconsistent behavior.

The Premium Programme is compatible with the Scaling Plan, they are independent programs.

Benefits are otherwise identical for 1-Step and 2-Step traders, with the exception of rollover bonuses, which aren't available for 1-Step.

Maximum Capital Allocation

The allocation applies across both 1-Step and 2-Step accounts combined. Multiple accounts can be held simultaneously. However, 1-Step and 2-Step accounts cannot be merged together; only accounts from the same product type can be combined.

Tradable Instruments

FTMO provides access to a wide range of markets. Here's a list of the tradable instruments you will have access to:

• Forex: 44+ currency pairs including majors (EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY), minors, and exotics
• Indices: Major global indices (US30, US100, US500, US2000, DAX, FTSE, etc.)
• Commodities: Gold (XAUUSD), silver (XAGUSD), oil (WTI, Brent), natural gas, and other metals
• Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, and approximately 12 crypto assets
• Stocks: A curated selection of individual equities (CFDs)

❌ ETFs, options, and traditional exchange-traded futures are not available.

Leverage

Leverage cannot be increased but can be reduced upon request. FTMO US accounts use MT5 in netting mode with leverage up to 1:33.

Trading Platforms Supported

FTMO supports three professional trading platforms:

1. MetaTrader 4 (MT4): Desktop, web, and mobile. Industry-standard for forex trading.
2. MetaTrader 5 (MT5): Expanded market coverage, netting mode available. FTMO US accounts are MT5-only with netting/FIFO enforcement.
3. cTrader: Advanced charting, depth of market, algorithmic trading via cAlgo.

You can select the platform once you purchased the challenge. Platform changes during the evaluation process may be possible but could have restrictions.

You cannot modify an existing account's platform type after its creation. All platforms run on FTMO's proprietary technical infrastructure with servers optimized for execution speed and reliability.

Commissions and Spreads

• Forex: Approximately $5 per standard lot (100K notional) round-trip

• Indices/Commodities/Metals: Approximately 0.0025% per side of notional (~$5 per $100K notional round-trip)

• Specific rates are visible in the contract specifications within the trading platform

• Spreads are competitive and reflect real market conditions

• Commissions, swaps, and spreads are factored into daily loss and maximum loss calculations

Discipline Score

FTMO uses a Discipline Score system to monitor trading behavior for adherence to responsible risk management practices. While specific details of the scoring algorithm are not fully public, it evaluates consistency in position sizing, risk per trade, and alignment with the Trading Objectives. The score helps the firm assess whether a trader's approach is sustainable and replicable in real market conditions.

Balance vs. Equity

Understanding the difference is critical for drawdown calculations. Balance is the total of all closed positions (realized P&L). Equity includes balance plus or minus all open floating positions (unrealized P&L), commissions, and swaps. FTMO's Maximum Daily Loss and Maximum Loss rules are calculated against equity — meaning open losing positions count toward your drawdown even before they are closed.

Prohibited Practices

FTMO enforces rules to ensure trading aligns with real market conditions:

❌ Strategies must be executable in actual market conditions ("trading according to a real market")

❌ Exploiting platform errors, latency, price display bugs, or data feed discrepancies is prohibited

❌ Spoofing, layering, or other disruptive trading practices are not allowed

❌ Excessive gambling-like behavior or strategies that would not work in live markets are prohibited. Also, using the evaluation solely as a gambling exercise violates the evaluation's intent.

❌ Copy trading between unconnected accounts or across individuals is restricted

✅ Hedging and Expert Advisors (EAs) are allowed

✅ Scalping is allowed (positions can be opened and closed within seconds)

✅ There are no restrictions on trading style if the risk management rules are respected

FTMO Identity: KYC Verifications

Full KYC verification is required before receiving the FTMO Account. For 1-Step, this occurs after passing the single evaluation phase. For 2-Step, it occurs after passing both phases.

Again for this firm, we had to present a Government-issued ID. The process was completed within 1–2 business days.

Tax Obligations

FTMO Traders are responsible for their own tax obligations. Rewards received from FTMO Accounts may be subject to income tax in your jurisdiction. Consult a tax professional for guidance in you don't know how to proceed.

The Legal Relationship

FTMO Traders operate under an FTMO Account Agreement. The legal relationship is one of an independent contractor providing trade signals/ideas on simulated accounts — not an employer-employee or investor-fund relationship. FTMO may use the data from simulated trades to inform its own proprietary trading in real markets. Traders do not own the capital and are not trading real funds.

Free Trial

FTMO offers a free trial account that mirrors real evaluation conditions. The trial lasts 14 days, can be taken unlimited times, and provides a risk-free environment to test strategies before committing.

This is another advantage of the firm. Try and test for free and without giving your payment information.

Loyalty System: The FTMO Points

FTMO Points are a loyalty system earned through activity within the FTMO ecosystem. Points can be used to discount future FTMO Challenge purchases. The approximate value is 1 FTMO Point ≈ $1.15 in purchasing power within FTMO's platform.

Education and Trading Tools

FTMO provides a comprehensive suite of resources. You will have access to a complete education platform, courses, coaches and apps:

• FTMO Academy: Full trading education platform — technical analysis, fundamental analysis, financial markets, and strategy building
• Psychology Course: Trading psychology, emotional management, and discipline
• Performance Coaches: Access to trading psychology coaches for funded traders
• App Suite (by FX Blue): Trading applications for analysis and performance tracking
• Account MetriX: Real-time dashboard showing evaluation progress, daily loss status, drawdown, and detailed statistics
• Mentor App: Guidance and support tools during trading
• Trading Journal: Performance tracking across trades
• Statistical App: Data analysis for identifying trading patterns
• Equity Simulator: Strategy testing tool
• Economic Calendar: Real-time market event tracker with restricted news events marked
• Leaderboard: Live rankings of top FTMO Traders

Company Information

What we liked about FTMO is that we are talking about a veteran company, fully regulated. You can even download their dedicated apps in your smartphone for iOS or Android.

Besides, it provides in-house support team is available 24/7 and provides assistance in 20 languages. Channels include email, live chat, and an AI chatbot. Support is based in Prague, Czech Republic.

FTMO vs. Competitors: What Are the Main Differences Among Firms?

Final Verdict: Is FTMO Right for You?

FTMO has earned its position as the benchmark prop firm through nearly a decade of consistent operation, transparent rules, and reliable payouts. Its 4.8 Trustpilot rating across 40,900+ reviews, multiple industry awards, and presence in 180+ countries establish a high level of trust.

Analyze first if you are looking for forex, indices, or commodities CFD trading, unlimited evaluation time, multiple platform options, and support in any of the 180+ countries or 7 account currencies supported. If any of these aspects are interesting for you, FTMO can be the firm for you.

The February 2026 introduction of the 1-Step Challenge gives experienced traders a faster route to funding with a 90% profit split from the very first reward, no consistency rule, and no news trading restriction on the funded account. The trade-off is a tighter 3% daily loss limit and the 50% Best Day Rule, which demand consistent, distributed profit generation. Traders who rely on occasional large winners may find the Best Day Rule extends their evaluation timeline.

The 2-Step path remains the better option for those who want more daily loss room (5%), a static max loss that never trails upward, no consistency rule, and Swing accounts for unrestricted overnight, weekend, and news trading. On both paths, there is no countdown clock. The Scaling Plan can grow capital up to $2M, and the Premium Programme's career progression. Finally the challenge fee is refunded with your first reward withdrawal, and a free unlimited trial account is available.

However, if you trade exchange-traded futures, this is not available. If you want instant funding with no evaluation, or prefer account resets after failing (each breach requires a new full-price purchase). The 2-Step's 80% starting profit split requires either Scaling Plan qualification or Prime Status to reach 90%. The 2-minute news restriction on Standard 2-Step funded accounts limits high-impact news strategies, though Swing accounts and the 1-Step avoid this entirely. ETFs, options, and traditional futures are not supported.

For forex, indices, and commodity CFD traders who value a proven track record, unlimited evaluation time, comprehensive tools, and a clear path from a $10K evaluation to $2M in capital with an institutional career endpoint, FTMO remains the industry standard against which all other prop firms are measured.

Consulted Sources

Data in this review is based on FTMO's official Trading Objectives page, FAQ documentation, "How It Works" page, Scaling Plan and Premium Programme pages, blog announcements, LuxAlgo analysis, WestAfricaTradeHub review data, PropFirmMatch data, FXEmpire analysis, and verified third-party sources . All accounts provided by FTMO are demo accounts with fictitious funds in a simulated environment.

Rules, pricing, and account structures are subject to change. Always verify current terms directly on ftmo.com before making a purchase.