FTMO Review – Complete Breakdown for Traders

FTMO offers two evaluation paths. The 2-Step is the flagship: 10% profit target in Phase 1, 5% in Phase 2 — each with a minimum of 4 trading days and no time limit. The fee is refunded with your first reward. Key rules to understand: ● The 5% daily drawdown is INTRADAY and equity-based: your equity (including floating P/L) cannot drop below the limit at any point in the day. The limit resets at 00:00 CE(S)T to that day's opening balance minus 5% of initial capital. You do NOT get to 'float into loss' safely — a common misconception. ● The 10% max loss is STATIC on 2-Step — fixed at initial capital minus 10%, never trailing. ● No consistency rule on the 2-Step — you can make 80% of your target in a single day without penalty. ● The 1-Step Challenge skips Verification: single 10% target, no minimum trading days, 90% split fixed, non-refundable fee — but a 3% daily loss, a 10% EOD-TRAILING max loss, and a 50% Best Day Rule (best day cannot exceed 50% of Positive Days' Profit; exceeding it is not a breach — you simply keep trading until satisfied). ● News trading: completely free during both evaluation paths. On funded Standard accounts a 2-minute pre/post buffer applies to targeted instruments around selected high-impact releases (NFP, CPI, FOMC etc.). Swing accounts have zero news restrictions. ● EAs and automated strategies are allowed on all phases. ● Weekend holding: allowed on Swing accounts only. Standard funded traders must close all positions before the Friday close. ● Payouts: first payout from day 14 after your first trade, then on demand. Processing takes 1-2 business days. Minimum payout: $20 bank wire / $50 crypto. Methods: bank transfer, Visa Direct / Mastercard Send (up to $20K), Skrill (up to $3K), crypto.

FTMO's 2-Step uses a STATIC max drawdown — the floor is fixed at 10% below initial capital and never moves, regardless of how much profit you accumulate. A $100,000 account always has a $90,000 floor, even if you grow it to $180,000. The 5% daily drawdown is INTRADAY and EQUITY-BASED — this is the part most traders get wrong. Your account equity (balance + open positions P/L ± swaps – commissions) cannot drop below the daily limit at ANY point during the day. The limit is recalculated at 00:00 CE(S)T as: that day's opening balance minus 5% of initial capital. Floating losses DO count — you do not need to close a trade to breach the daily loss. On a $100,000 account the day-one floor is $95,000 in real-time equity. The 1-Step Challenge is different: 3% daily loss (same intraday equity mechanics) but a 10% EOD-TRAILING max loss — the floor ratchets up to the highest balance recorded at 00:00 CE(S)T and never decreases, resetting to 90% of initial capital when a reward is withdrawn and a new account is provided. The static model on 2-Step is more forgiving than trailing-drawdown firms — your floor never rises with your profits. Max capital: $400K initial ($2M via scaling) on 2-Step; the 1-Step caps at $200K.

FTMO is the most established prop firm in the CFD/Forex space with a 10+ year operating history (founded 2015, Prague). Key data points (verified on ftmo.com, Sept 2026): ● Total paid out to traders: $650M+ ● Customers worldwide: 4.5M+ ● Trustpilot score: 4.8/5 from 51,000+ reviews ● Payout processing: 1-2 business days review, typically sent within 1-2 business days ● First payout: from day 14 after first trade; subsequent payouts on demand ● Max profit split: 80% default, 90% via Scaling Plan (2-Step); 1-Step is fixed 90% ● KYC required before first payout: ID + proof of address ● Platforms: MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView (DXtrade retired) ● FTMO US: US traders access via OANDA partnership (ftmo.oanda.com) The most common funded-account breach is the 2-minute news restriction on Standard accounts — not the drawdown limits. Swing accounts bypass this entirely. The Scaling Plan grows accounts by 25% of balance every 4 months (conditions: 10% net profit in the window + 2 processed rewards), up to $2,000,000 across all accounts, and upgrades the split to a 90% Reward Ratio. PropFirmStats Overall Rating: 9.2/10 — Best for serious, disciplined traders who prioritise trust and payout reliability above all else.