What is FTMO?
FTMO is the largest proprietary trading firm in the world by customer count. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic, FTMO has grown to more than 4.5 million customers worldwide and has paid out over $650 million in cumulative trader rewards. It is widely regarded as the benchmark firm in the retail prop trading industry — the name most traders encounter first, and the standard against which competitors are measured.
The firm provides traders with access to simulated capital of up to $200,000, with a profit split of 80% by default, rising to 90% upon meeting the conditions of FTMO's Scaling Plan. Traders who scale consistently can reach a maximum funded account size of $2,000,000. FTMO supports trading on MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView, and covers forex, indices, commodities, crypto, and stocks — one of the broadest instrument offerings among evaluation-based prop firms.
In late 2025, FTMO completed the acquisition of OANDA — a fully regulated brokerage with licences in eight major financial hubs including New York, London, and Singapore. OANDA operates as a standalone subsidiary, but the acquisition substantially strengthens FTMO's institutional backing and regulatory standing relative to most of its competitors.
FTMO Challenge Types
FTMO offers three paths to funding: the 2-Step Challenge (the classic route), the 1-Step Challenge (a faster single-phase evaluation), and the Instant Account (new in October 2026 — skip evaluation entirely and trade for rewards from day one). The 2-Step uses a static drawdown model; the 1-Step and Instant Account use an EOD trailing max drawdown.
2-Step Challenge (Classic)
The 2-Step Challenge is FTMO's original and most widely used evaluation structure. It consists of two phases:
- Phase 1 — FTMO Challenge: Traders must reach a 10% profit target with a minimum of 4 trading days and no maximum time limit. The 5% max daily loss and 10% max loss rules apply throughout.
- Phase 2 — FTMO Verification: The profit target drops to 5%. The same 4-day minimum and risk rules apply. There is no time limit to complete either phase.
- Aggressive Mode: An optional variant for Phase 1 that doubles both the profit target (to 20%) and the drawdown limits (to 20% max loss, 10% daily loss). Fees are higher than Standard.
1-Step Challenge
The 1-Step Challenge is FTMO's newer, faster-path evaluation. Traders must hit a single 10% profit target. The max daily loss is 3% (of initial capital, intraday equity-based) and the overall max loss is 10% trailing. There are no minimum trading days and no time limit. Account sizes run $10K to $200K (the $100K is currently 20% off as a site special), and leverage is capped at 1:30. Profit split is a fixed 90%.
Instant Account (New — October 2026)
The FTMO Instant Account is FTMO's newest product, launched in October 2026. It skips the evaluation phase entirely — your FTMO Account is active the moment you purchase, and you trade for rewards from day one. There is no profit target. The max daily loss is 3% (intraday equity-based, recalculated at midnight CE(S)T), and the max loss is 10% (EOD trailing from initial balance — the limit can only increase, never decrease, and resets when a Reward is withdrawn and a new FTMO Account is provided). A 30% consistency rule applies: your Best Day (the single most profitable trading day) must not represent more than 30% of your total profit. This is stricter than the 1-Step's 50% rule — exceeding it is not a breach, but you must continue trading until your Best Day falls to 30% or less of total profit before you can withdraw. Account sizes run from $5K to $100K (lower than the challenge paths, which go to $200K). Leverage is up to 1:100, the profit split is 90% from day one, and the one-time fee is non-refundable. Because the Instant Account goes straight to an FTMO Account with Standard account type, news trading and weekend holding restrictions apply from day one — there is no evaluation phase where these are unrestricted. A Free Trial of the Instant Account is available on ftmo.com.
Key rules applying to all accounts
- Drawdown model: Static — calculated on initial account balance, not trailing equity peak.
- Daily loss limit: 5% of initial account balance. Calculated on equity, not just closed positions — floating losses count.
- Max loss limit: 10% of initial account balance. For a $100K account, that is a $10,000 maximum total drawdown.
- Daily loss reset: Midnight CET (Prague server time) every trading day.
- Weekend holding: Permitted during evaluation.
- News trading: Permitted during evaluation.
- Challenge fee refund: Refunded on the first payout from the funded account.
- No time limit: Traders can take as long as needed to complete either challenge phase.
- Challenge fee range: €89 (smallest account) to €1,080 (largest account, 2-Step Standard).
FTMO Profit Split and Scaling Plan
Funded traders on FTMO start with an 80% profit split. This increases to 90% after meeting the conditions of FTMO's Scaling Plan. The Scaling Plan works as follows:
- Every 4 months, if the trader has been profitable, FTMO increases the account balance by 25% at no additional charge.
- There is no extra fee for the balance increase — it is a reward for consistency.
- The maximum account size under the Scaling Plan is $2,000,000.
- The profit split upgrades to 90% once the trader has met the first scaling cycle criteria.
- There is no monthly subscription or activation fee on funded accounts — only the one-time challenge fee applies.
For traders comparing FTMO against competitors: the 90% maximum split is lower than some firms that advertise 95% or 100%, but FTMO's established track record, $650M+ in cumulative payouts, and the OANDA acquisition provide institutional credibility that newer firms have not yet built.
FTMO Payout Data
Prop Firm Stats tracks verified payout data submitted by funded traders across 50+ prop firms. The live payout tracker on this page reflects confirmed FTMO withdrawals submitted through our platform.
Key payout facts based on FTMO's published terms and verified trader data:
- FTMO has paid out over $650 million in cumulative trader rewards since 2015.
- The account review takes 1–2 business days; once approved, the reward is typically sent within 1–2 business days after the invoice is approved.
- Profit split: 80% default, scaling to 90% after the first scaling cycle.
- The challenge fee is refunded upon the first payout from the funded account.
- Payout methods include bank transfer and other standard payment processors — check FTMO's current payout page for available options by country.
If you have received a payout from FTMO, you can submit your payout data here to help traders make informed decisions based on verified community data.
FTMO — Our Verdict
FTMO's position as the industry benchmark is earned: 4.5 million customers, $650M+ in verified payouts, an 11-year operational history, and now the institutional backing of the OANDA acquisition. For traders who want to work with the most established firm in the space, FTMO remains the default choice.
The trade-offs are worth noting. The 90% maximum profit split is lower than the 95–100% offered by some newer competitors. Enforcement of the 1–1.5% per-trade risk guidance intensified in late 2025, which has frustrated traders using scaling, multi-entry, or structured-risk strategies. And the 2-Step structure requires passing two phases — a longer path than single-phase alternatives. However, these rules exist precisely because FTMO operates at scale with real institutional money behind the payouts — and that structural discipline is part of what makes the firm reliable over time.
Prop Firm Stats will continue updating this page as verified payout data and trader reviews are submitted by the community.
FTMO — Frequently Asked Questions
Is FTMO a legitimate prop firm?
Yes. FTMO is the most established retail prop firm in the world, founded in 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic. It has over 4.5 million customers, has paid out more than $650 million in trader rewards, and completed the acquisition of OANDA — a fully regulated brokerage — in 2025. FTMO is widely regarded as the benchmark for prop firm legitimacy.
What is the profit split at FTMO?
FTMO's default profit split on funded accounts is 80%. This increases to 90% after the trader meets the conditions of FTMO's Scaling Plan, which requires consistent profitable performance over 4-month cycles. FTMO's maximum profit split of 90% is lower than some newer firms, but is backed by one of the strongest payout track records in the industry.
What is the difference between FTMO's 1-Step and 2-Step Challenge?
The 2-Step Challenge (FTMO's original model) requires passing two phases — a Challenge (10% profit target) and a Verification (5% profit target) — before receiving a funded account. Account sizes go up to $200,000. The 1-Step Challenge condenses this into a single 10% profit target with no minimum trading days and no time limit, a faster path to funding, account sizes up to $200,000, and a 1:30 leverage cap. The 1-Step uses a 3% intraday equity-based daily loss and 10% trailing max loss; the 2-Step uses 5% intraday equity-based daily loss and 10% static max loss.
What are FTMO's drawdown rules?
FTMO uses a static drawdown model. The max daily loss is 5% of the initial account balance, and the overall max loss is 10% of the initial account balance. On a $100,000 account, the daily limit is $5,000 and the total limit is $10,000. The daily loss limit is calculated on equity — not just closed positions — meaning floating losses from open trades count toward the daily threshold. The daily limit resets at midnight CET each trading day.
How much can I scale my FTMO account?
FTMO's Scaling Plan increases the funded account balance by 25% every 4 months for consistently profitable traders, at no additional cost. The maximum account size under the Scaling Plan is $2,000,000. The profit split upgrades from 80% to 90% once the first scaling cycle criteria are met.
How long does FTMO take to pay out?
The account review takes 1–2 business days; once approved, the reward is typically sent within 1–2 business days after the invoice is approved. The firm has a strong track record of payout reliability, with over $650 million paid to traders across more than a decade of operation.
What is the FTMO Instant Account?
The FTMO Instant Account (launched October 2026) is FTMO's direct-to-funded product. There is no evaluation phase — your FTMO Account is active the moment you purchase, and you trade for rewards from day one. It features a 90% reward ratio, 10% max loss (EOD trailing from initial balance), 3% daily loss, 30% consistency rule (Best Day ≤ 30% of total profit), up to 1:100 leverage, and account sizes from $5K to $100K. The one-time fee is non-refundable. Because the Instant Account goes straight to a Standard FTMO Account, news trading and weekend holding restrictions apply from day one. A Free Trial of the Instant Account is available on ftmo.com.