FTMO at a glance
An established prop trading firm, reviewed by the Tradelytic team and rated by traders.
Firm Profile and Evaluation Architecture
Founded in Prague in 2014, FTMO stands as the benchmark proprietary evaluation firm in the retail trading space. The company provides simulated funding setups ranging from $10,000 to $200,000, catering to forex, commodity, index, equity, and crypto traders. Applicants can choose between 1-Step evaluations and classic 2-Step challenge tracks across Standard and Aggressive risk parameters. Evaluation phases carry no maximum completion deadlines, giving traders full autonomy to reach target profits at their own pace.
Platforms, Rules, and Execution Mechanics
Traders execute orders through MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and DXtrade. FTMO features flexible trading conditions, including news trading and weekend holding on dedicated Swing accounts. The firm operates on an 80% standard profit split, which can scale up to 90% through the capital growth program. Evaluation fees are fully refunded alongside a trader’s first profit distribution. Payouts process every 14 days via bank wire, cryptocurrency, or Skrill once accounts meet payout conditions.
Our verdict
The Tradelytic editorial assessment — independent of any commercial relationship.
FTMO remains the gold standard in proprietary trading due to its long track record, transparent operational rules, and fast bi-weekly payout process. Its evaluation model features static 10% overall drawdown limits on 2-Step programs, removing time-limit pressure across all evaluation phases, and offering access to key trading terminals like MT4, MT5, cTrader, and DXtrade. Furthermore, the proprietary FTMO MetriX analytics suite offers deep performance journaling tools for disciplined traders.
However, traders must manage the daily loss limits carefully. The 5% maximum daily loss boundary (or 3% on 1-Step tracks) is enforced strictly, and breaching it results in immediate account failure. In addition, traders on standard evaluation accounts must abide by news trading restrictions during high-impact economic releases unless trading on dedicated Swing account profiles.
Our take: FTMO is the premier choice for experienced traders who want rock-solid reliability, multi-platform options, and dependable payout processing.
Pros & cons
The honest summary, weighed from our testing and trader feedback.
- Outstanding industry reputation and highly reliable payout track record
- Unlimited evaluation time limits across all 1-Step and 2-Step challenge tracks
- Initial challenge fee fully refunded upon reaching the first payout on a funded account
- Choice of multi-asset platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and DXtrade
- Standard 80% profit split, upgradable to 90% via the capital scaling plan
- Capital scaling path enabling simulated funding expansion up to $2,000,000
- Dedicated Swing account option permitting news trading and weekend position holding
- Advanced analytics tools via FTMO MetriX dashboard and Mentor App
- Strict daily loss limits (5% on 2-Step, 3% on 1-Step) require precise risk management
- Standard (non-Swing) accounts restrict trading during high-impact news windows
- Best Day rule applies on 1-Step evaluation accounts (capping single-day profit contributions)
- High-frequency trading (HFT), latency arbitrage, and grid algorithms are strictly prohibited
Who it's for
Here's how to tell if this prop firm is right for you.
- Demand an established prop firm with a decade of verified payout history
- Trade using systematic risk boundaries without feeling rushed by calendar deadlines
- Prefer executing orders via MT4, MT5, cTrader, or DXtrade
- Want to link your FTMO account to Tradelytic to audit performance and journal executions
- Rely on high-risk trading systems like martingale, grid bots, or HFT latency strategies
- Seek instant direct funding without completing an evaluation phase
- Scalp major news releases heavily without switching to dedicated Swing account types
Fees & platforms
What it costs to trade, and what you'll trade on.
FTMO delivers a structured evaluation setup built around clear risk parameters and platform selection. With unlimited completion time, fee refunds on first payout, and flexible challenge models, the firm suits conservative swing traders as well as intraday scalpers. Below is a detailed breakdown of FTMO's evaluation tiers, risk rules, payout policies, and trading software.
Evaluation Tiers & Pricing
FTMO provides evaluation programs spanning account sizes from $10,000 to $200,000:
- 2-Step Challenge (Standard): Phase 1 requires a 10% profit target, followed by a 5% target in Phase 2. Features a 5% daily loss limit and a 10% static max drawdown, with a 4-day minimum trading requirement per phase.
- 2-Step Challenge (Aggressive): Offers double the loss limits (10% daily loss / 20% overall drawdown) paired with a 20% Phase 1 and 10% Phase 2 profit target.
- 1-Step Challenge: Features a single 10% profit target, a 3% daily loss limit, and a 10% End-of-Day (EOD) trailing drawdown.
Drawdown & Risk Rules
Risk limits depend on the selected challenge track:
- 2-Step Accounts: Utilize a 10% static maximum drawdown anchored to the initial account balance. Daily loss limits reset at midnight CE(S)T based on starting daily equity/balance.
- 1-Step Accounts: Implement a 10% EOD trailing drawdown model alongside a tighter 3% daily loss cap.
Profit Split & Scaling
The default profit split is 80/20 in favor of the trader. Upon qualifying for the FTMO Scaling Plan-achieved by making a net profit of 10% over four consecutive months with at least two payouts-the account balance scales by 25%, and the profit split increases to 90/10, up to a maximum allocation of $2,000,000.
Payout Policy
Payout requests open every 14 calendar days once funded status is active. Disbursements process through bank wire transfer, major cryptocurrencies, or Skrill. The initial evaluation fee is fully refunded alongside the first profit payout.
Trading Rules & Restrictions
Key operational rules include:
- Time Limits: Unlimited (no maximum time limits on evaluation phases).
- News Trading: Prohibited 2 minutes before and after high-impact news releases on standard accounts; fully permitted on FTMO Swing accounts.
- Weekend Holding: Allowed on Swing accounts and during challenge evaluation phases.
- Prohibited Strategies: High-frequency trading (HFT), tick scalping, reverse hedging across accounts, and toxic order flow are banned.
Platform & Execution
FTMO supports trading across MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), cTrader, and DXtrade. Accounts feature institutional liquidity simulation with low spread conditions across Forex, Equities, Indices, Commodities, and Crypto.