FTMO review
The original two-step forex prop firm, still the safest default.
Profit split
90%
First payout
~14 days
Drawdown
Static
Payout proof
96/100
The verdict
If you only pick one firm, pick FTMO. You pay more up front and clear two phases, but the payout reliability is unmatched.
How FTMO actually works
FTMO has been running the same basic product since 2015: a two-phase evaluation on a simulated account, followed by a funded account where the firm mirrors your trades internally and pays you a share of the simulated profit. That longevity is the single most important fact about the firm. Most prop firms that existed when FTMO launched are gone; FTMO has traded through the 2020 volatility spike, the 2023 MetaQuotes crackdown that forced most firms off MT4/MT5 for US clients, and the 2024–2025 consolidation wave without missing a payout cycle.
The trade-off is that FTMO is deliberately conservative. You clear a 10% profit target in phase one and 5% in phase two, both with a 10% maximum loss and 5% daily loss limit, before you see a funded account. Nothing about it is fast. What you buy instead is the lowest counterparty risk in the category and a rulebook that has barely changed in a decade — which matters far more than a headline split when you are holding five figures of unpaid profit.
Pros
- Longest uninterrupted payout record in the industry
- Static drawdown — no trailing stop-out surprises
- Free trial account and genuinely good analytics tools
Cons
- Two-step evaluation is slower
- Higher entry price than newer firms
Key facts
- Founded
- 2015
- Headquarters
- Prague, Czechia
- Evaluation
- 2-step
- Entry price
- $345
- Max allocation
- $400k
- Payout frequency
- Bi-weekly on demand
- Consistency rule
- None on the evaluation
- Platforms
- MT4, MT5, cTrader, DXtrade
Rules that decide the outcome
Static maximum loss
Your drawdown is measured from the initial balance and does not trail your equity high. Once you are up 8% on a 10% buffer, that entire cushion stays yours — the opposite of the trailing models used across futures.
5% daily loss limit
Calculated on the higher of balance or equity at the daily reset, and it includes floating losses on open positions. Most FTMO failures are daily-limit breaches from holding a loser through a news print, not blown maximum drawdown.
News and weekend rules
The standard FTMO Challenge allows news trading and weekend holding; the Swing account exists specifically to remove restrictions on both. Check which product you bought before an NFP release.
Payouts: how money leaves FTMO
The first payout is available 14 days after your first funded trade, and from then on you can request on demand. FTMO processes the majority of requests within one to two business days, and its profit-split page has published cumulative payout figures for years — the deepest public evidence trail of any firm we track. That evidence is the main reason FTMO scores 96/100 on our payout-proof metric.
Payments go out via bank wire, Skrill and crypto depending on your jurisdiction. There is no minimum payout amount, and no consistency rule gating withdrawals, which means a single large winning week can be withdrawn in full — something firms with 20–30% consistency caps will not allow.
What it really costs
At $345 for a 100k challenge FTMO is roughly three to seven times the price of a comparable futures evaluation, and there are no permanent discount codes. What you do get back is the fee itself: FTMO refunds the challenge cost with your first payout, so the real cost of a passed account is zero and the real cost of a failed one is the full sticker price.
Because there is no monthly fee on the funded account, the total cost of ownership over a year is simply the number of attempts it took you to pass. Traders who fail twice before clearing pay about $690 — still cheaper than a year of $80/month funded-account fees at some futures firms.
Good fit for
- · First funded account where reliability outranks speed
- · Forex, indices and metals traders on MT5 or cTrader
- · Swing traders who need weekend and news exposure
Look elsewhere if
- · Futures-only traders — FTMO does not offer CME products
- · Traders on a tight budget who need a sub-$100 entry
- · Anyone who wants a funded account within days rather than weeks
FTMO FAQ
Is FTMO legitimate?
FTMO is a real, long-established company (FTMO Evaluation Global s.r.o., Prague) with a decade of continuous payouts and published payout statistics. It is not a regulated broker — no prop firm is — but on counterparty-risk grounds it is the safest firm we cover.
How long does it take to get funded with FTMO?
Both phases require a minimum of four trading days each. A fast pass is around two weeks; a realistic pass with sane risk is four to eight weeks. Add 14 days after your first funded trade before the first withdrawal.
Does FTMO refund the challenge fee?
Yes — the fee is returned with your first payout on the funded account. Failed attempts are not refunded.
Can US traders use FTMO?
FTMO restricted onboarding for US residents after the 2023 platform changes. Check the current jurisdiction list on their signup page before paying; US-based traders are usually better served by a futures firm.