FTMO Review 2026: Complete Test
FTMO
Detailed analysis of FTMO: evaluation process, trading conditions, profit split, drawdown and payouts. Our honest review for Futures traders.
What is FTMO?
FTMO is one of the most well-known proprietary trading firms (prop firms) in the world. Founded in 2015 in Prague (Czech Republic), it has established itself as a major player in the industry with over 500,000 traders registered across the globe.
Table of contents
FTMO's concept relies on a classic model: you go through a two-phase evaluation process to prove your trading skills, then you access a funded account. FTMO covers a wide range of assets — Forex, indices, commodities and crypto — all via CFDs (contracts for difference).
With a 4.5/5 rating on Trustpilot and thousands of verified reviews, FTMO enjoys a solid reputation in the industry. But is this prop firm really suitable for Futures traders? That's the question we answer in this complete review.
📊 FTMO in key numbers (2024-2025):
- Over 500,000 registered traders in over 180 countries since 2015 (FTMO, 2024)
- Over 100 million USD paid out to funded traders since launch (FTMO report, 2024)
- Rating 4.5/5 on Trustpilot with over 15,000 verified reviews — one of the best reputations in the sector (Trustpilot, March 2025)
⚖️ Transparency: This article contains affiliate links to Phidias Propfirm. Our analysis of FTMO remains honest and based on verifiable facts. For a complete comparison, check our prop firms comparison 2026.
FTMO Account Types
FTMO offers several account sizes and variants to suit different trader profiles:
Fee: ~155 EUR
Fee: ~250 EUR
Fee: ~345 EUR
Fee: ~540 EUR
Fee: ~1,080 EUR
Aggressive Accounts
Aggressive accounts double the profit targets but also the drawdown limits. The profit target moves up to 20% instead of 10%, with a 10% maximum daily loss and a 20% total drawdown. This option suits traders with a more dynamic style and higher risk tolerance.
Swing Accounts
Swing accounts allow you to hold positions over the weekend and bank holidays. It's an interesting option for traders who use longer time-horizon strategies. The drawdown conditions remain identical to standard accounts.
Evaluation Process
The FTMO process takes place in two distinct phases, which sets it apart from single-evaluation prop firms like Phidias Propfirm.
Phase 1: FTMO Challenge
The first phase is the FTMO Challenge. You must reach a profit target of 10% (or 20% on Aggressive) within 30 calendar days. During this phase, you must respect the 5% maximum daily loss and the 10% maximum total loss. A minimum of 4 trading days is required.
Phase 2: Verification
If you pass the Challenge, you move to the Verification phase. The profit target is reduced to 5%, with a 60 calendar-day deadline. The drawdown rules remain identical. A minimum of 4 trading days is also required.
Funded Account (FTMO Trader)
After passing both phases, you become an FTMO Trader and access your funded account. The signup fees are fully refunded with your first payout. There is no longer a mandatory profit target — you trade freely while respecting the drawdown rules.
💡 Good to know: FTMO's two-phase process is longer than at Futures prop firms which generally offer a single evaluation phase. At Phidias Propfirm, for example, a single phase is enough to access the funded account.
Pricing and Fees
FTMO Challenge signup fees vary by account size:
| Account size | Standard Price | Aggressive Price | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 EUR | 155 EUR | 250 EUR | Yes |
| 25,000 EUR | 250 EUR | 345 EUR | Yes |
| 50,000 EUR | 345 EUR | 540 EUR | Yes |
| 100,000 EUR | 540 EUR | 1,080 EUR | Yes |
| 200,000 EUR | 1,080 EUR | 1,080 EUR | Yes |
The major positive: fees are fully refunded after your first payout as an FTMO Trader. However, prices remain relatively high compared to some competitors, especially for large accounts.
Profit Split & Drawdown
Profit sharing
The base profit split at FTMO is 80/20: you keep 80% of your gains, FTMO retains 20%. Thanks to the Scaling Plan, it is possible to reach a 90/10 split if you achieve a net profit of at least 10% over 4 consecutive months (with at least 2 positive months).
Drawdown rules
FTMO's drawdown rules are as follows:
- • Maximum daily loss: 5% of the initial balance (10% on Aggressive)
- • Maximum total loss: 10% of the initial balance (20% on Aggressive)
- • The drawdown is calculated on the initial balance and is not trailing
Assets & Platforms
FTMO offers multi-asset access via CFDs. Here are the available instruments:
- • Forex: Major, minor and exotic pairs
- • Indices: US30, US100, US500, DAX, FTSE, etc.
- • Commodities: Gold, silver, oil
- • Crypto: BTC, ETH and others via CFDs
Available platforms are MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and cTrader. FTMO also offers its own analysis tool, the FTMO Account Analysis, which lets you monitor your trading statistics in real time.
⚠️ Important point: FTMO does not offer trading on real Futures markets (CME). All instruments are CFDs, which means you don't trade on a real order book. For Futures traders, this is an essential distinction. Check our Futures prop firm guide to understand the difference.
Payment Process
FTMO payouts are made on a monthly basis. The first payout can be requested 14 calendar days after the first trade on the funded account. After that, withdrawals are available on a monthly cycle.
Payment methods include bank transfer and Skrill. Processing usually takes 1 to 2 business days after the request.
It's important to note that payouts are monthly only, unlike some Futures prop firms that offer daily or weekly withdrawals. This is a point to consider if withdrawal frequency matters to you.
Detailed Rating
Here is our criterion-by-criterion evaluation of FTMO, from a Futures trader perspective:
| Reputation & Reliability | |
| Asset choice | |
| Tools & Dashboard | |
| Payout Speed | |
| English-language support | |
| Futures (CME) suitable | |
| Value for money |
Pros & Cons
Strengths
- ✓ Solid reputation — 10 years of existence, 4.5/5 Trustpilot
- ✓ Wide choice of assets (Forex, indices, crypto, commodities)
- ✓ Fees refunded after first payout
- ✓ Powerful analysis tools (Account Analysis)
- ✓ Scaling Plan up to 90/10 profit split
- ✓ Swing accounts available (weekend positions)
- ✓ Non-trailing drawdown on initial balance
Weaknesses
- ✗ No CME Futures — only CFDs
- ✗ 2-phase process (Challenge + Verification)
- ✗ Monthly payouts only
- ✗ High pricing for large accounts
- ✗ No dedicated French-language support
- ✗ CFDs — no real order book
- ✗ No OTP (one-time payment) option
FTMO vs Phidias: The Futures Showdown
For traders specifically interested in Futures markets, the comparison between FTMO and Phidias Propfirm is telling. Here is a direct comparison:
| Criterion | FTMO | Phidias ⭐ |
|---|---|---|
| Asset type | CFDs | Real CME Futures |
| Evaluation phases | 2 phases | 1 single phase |
| Payout frequency | Monthly | Daily |
| English support | No | Yes |
| Drawdown | Static | EOD |
| Profit Split | 80/20 (90/10 scaling) | 80/20 |
| Base | 🇨🇿 Prague | 🇪🇺 Europe |
| Promo code available | — | LUCAS (-80%) |
The conclusion is clear: FTMO is an excellent prop firm for Forex and CFDs, but it is simply not designed for Futures traders. If you're looking to trade real Futures contracts on the CME (ES, NQ, YM, RTY, etc.), Phidias Propfirm offers much more suitable conditions.
📖 Going further: Check our complete comparison of prop firms 2026 for an even more detailed analysis including Topstep, Apex and Earn2Trade. And discover the current promotions on Phidias with the LUCAS code.
Final Verdict
FTMO is a reference prop firm in the industry, with a solid reputation and quality tools. For Forex and CFD traders, it's an excellent choice. However, for Futures traders, the absence of real CME markets, the two-phase process and the monthly-only payouts make it less competitive against specialized alternatives like Phidias Propfirm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, FTMO is one of the most established prop firms in the world. Founded in 2015, it is rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot with over 5,000 verified reviews and has over 500,000 registered traders. Its reputation is solid in the trading industry.
No, FTMO does not offer Futures trading (CME). All instruments are CFDs via MetaTrader 4/5 or cTrader. To trade real Futures, you need to turn to specialized prop firms like Phidias Propfirm.
The base profit split is 80/20 (80% for the trader). With the Scaling Plan, you can reach 90/10 by maintaining a net profit of at least 10% over 4 consecutive months with at least 2 positive months.
Fees range from 155 EUR for a 10K account to 1,080 EUR for a 200K account. These fees are fully refunded after your first payout as a funded trader.
For Futures traders, Phidias is the best choice: real CME contracts, single-phase evaluation, daily payouts, English support and lower prices with the LUCAS code. FTMO is more suited to Forex and CFD traders.