FTMO Review 2026: Challenge Rules, Fees, Payouts and Scaling

FTMO challenge rules and fees

Rules for the $100,000 account of each programme, as published by FTMO on the date shown above. Firms change their rules often; check the current terms before buying a challenge.

Who owns FTMO?

FTMO is operated by FTMO Evaluation Global s.r.o., Czech Republic, founded in 2015. On whether accounts are simulated, FTMO states: “all accounts provided by FTMO are demo accounts using fictitious capital”

Payout data: FTMO states that it has paid "over $650 million in rewards" since 2015 (read on 3 October 2026). FTMO does not say that this figure is independently audited.

Is FTMO legit?

FTMO’s challenges are run by FTMO Evaluation Global s.r.o. and its funded accounts by FTMO Trading Global s.r.o., both Czech companies named, with their registration numbers, in its terms and conditions. The FTMO group also owns the broker OANDA, acquired in 2025.

FTMO is not authorised as an investment firm, and it says that it does not act as a broker and does not accept deposits. All its accounts are simulated: a passed trader receives a share of simulated profits under the FTMO Account agreement, not access to real capital. This is how most prop firms work: are prop firms legit?

FTMO 2-Step vs 1-Step: what is the difference?

The 2-Step Challenge has two phases (10% then 5%), a 5% daily loss limit and a static 10% maximum loss: equity must stay above $90,000 on a $100,000 account, however much profit is made. The fee is refunded with the first reward. The 1-Step Challenge has one 10% target but a 3% daily loss limit, an end-of-day trailing maximum loss and a consistency rule, and its fee is not refunded: prop firm drawdown rules.

How the FTMO maximum loss moves on a $100,000 account (illustrative only)

Assumptions: the account closes three days at $100,000, $104,000 and $106,000 (balance at midnight CE(S)T).

• 2-Step (static): the limit stays at $90,000; after day 3 the room is $16,000.
• 1-Step (end-of-day trailing): the limit rises to $94,000 and then $96,000; after day 3 the room is $10,000.

On accounts from orders created on or after 12 October 2026, or accounts merged on or after that date, the 1-Step consistency rule, which replaced the Best Day rule, requires the best day’s profit to be no more than 50% of total profit, the sum of closed profits and losses across all trading days. Accounts opened directly from orders before 12 October 2026 keep the legacy Best Day rule: no more than 50% of the profit of all positive days. Because losing days reduce total profit, the same days can give a higher best-day share under the new rule: with days of +$2,000, +$10,000, −$2,000 and +$4,000, the best day is 62.5% of positive days’ profit but 71.4% of total profit. Neither is a breach: the trader keeps trading until the share falls to 50%: prop firm consistency rule.

What rules apply on the FTMO Account?

During the challenge, news trading and holding positions overnight or over the weekend are allowed. On a funded FTMO Account of the Standard type, positions on affected instruments cannot be opened or closed from two minutes before to two minutes after selected news releases, and positions must be closed before the weekend. The Swing account type, available on the 2-Step only, has neither restriction. Expert advisors are allowed, within server limits on the number of orders.

How do FTMO payouts and scaling work?

A first reward can be requested on the 14th day after the first trade on the FTMO Account, and FTMO says that review takes one to two business days. The profit split is 80% on the 2-Step, rising to 90% through the scaling plan, and 90% from the start on the 1-Step. The scaling plan adds 25% to the account every four months for traders with at least 10% net profit and two processed rewards in the period, up to $2,000,000 across all FTMO Accounts.

Who can join FTMO?

FTMO does not accept nationals or residents of Iran, Syria, Myanmar and North Korea, and, for risk management, residents of a list of about 70 other countries and territories, including Russia, Belarus, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Venezuela. US residents are served through the affiliated FTMO US at ftmo.oanda.com, and Australian residents through an affiliated entity at ftmo.com/au.

FTMO pros and cons

The rules above are FTMO’s terms for the $100,000 account on 3 October 2026, with the consistency rule checked on 18 October 2026; check the current terms before buying a challenge.