FTMO Review 2026: Full Breakdown of Account Types, Pricing & How to Pass the Challenge

Meta description: Full FTMO review by Finance Solutes: account types and pricing, Profit Target and Max Daily Loss rules, the 2-Phase evaluation process to become a Funded Trader, pros, cons, and expert tips.

What Is FTMO?

FTMO is one of the oldest and most trusted proprietary trading firms in the world, founded in 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic. Instead of risking tens of thousands of dollars of your own capital to trade Forex, gold, indices, or crypto, you simply pay a one-time registration fee (fully refundable), pass a skills evaluation called the FTMO Challenge, and get access to a simulated account of up to $200,000, keeping up to 90% of the real profits you generate.

After more than a decade in the industry, FTMO has paid out over $200 million to traders across 140+ countries and currently holds a 4.8/5 rating on Trustpilot from thousands of verified reviews. This is why FTMO is widely regarded as the “gold standard” benchmark against which other prop firms are compared.

In this article, the Finance Solutes team breaks down FTMO’s account types, pricing, the exact rules you need to pass the Challenge, the perks included, and an honest look at the pros and cons before you sign up.

FTMO Account Types & 2026 Pricing

FTMO offers five simulated capital sizes to choose from, depending on your budget and trading goals: $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, and $200,000.

Here is the full breakdown for the FTMO Challenge (2-Step) — the most popular evaluation path — matching the current promotion:

The $100,000 account is currently tagged as “Best Value” with a 19% discount, and is typically the most popular pick among traders thanks to its optimal cost-to-capital ratio.

Note: Prices above are shown in EUR; FTMO also accepts USD, GBP, and several other currencies. Pricing can change based on ongoing promotions, so always double-check the live rate on FTMO’s website before purchasing.

Key Things to Know About the Cost

• 100% Fee Refund: Your registration fee is fully refunded together with your first profit payout once you become an FTMO Trader — meaning if you pass the Challenge and trade profitably, your initial cost effectively drops to zero.
• No Time Limit: Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 no longer have the old 30-day cap, giving traders more room to manage risk instead of racing against the clock.
• Up to 90% Profit Split: Once funded, traders keep up to 90% of real profits generated (the standard starting split is 80/20, which can scale up to 90/10 over time).

How the FTMO Challenge Works (2-Step Evaluation)

This is the most important section for anyone aiming to become an FTMO Trader. The 2-Step program consists of two consecutive phases governed by the same risk-management rules.

Phase 1 – FTMO Challenge

• Profit Target: Reach 10% profit on the initial balance (e.g., a $100,000 account requires $10,000 in profit).
• Max Daily Loss: Equity cannot drop more than 5% in a single day (calculated from the balance at the start of the day, including open positions).
• Max Loss (Overall): Total account loss cannot exceed 10% of the initial balance at any point.
• Min Trading Days: You must trade on at least 4 separate calendar days (they don’t need to be consecutive).
• Time Limit: None.

Phase 2 – Verification

Once Phase 1 is complete, you move into the Verification phase, which uses identical risk rules — the only difference:

• Profit Target drops to 5% — the purpose is to confirm consistency, ruling out a lucky one-off result in Phase 1.
• Max Daily Loss, Max Loss, and Min Trading Days rules remain exactly the same.

Becoming an FTMO Trader

Once you clear both phases and complete identity verification, you’re issued an FTMO Account — a simulated account of the same size, with no mandatory Profit Target. From here, you just need to stay within the risk-management rules to keep trading and withdraw real profits on a regular basis.

Alternative Option: FTMO Challenge 1-Step

Alongside the traditional 2-Step model, FTMO also offers a 1-Step Challenge — condensing the entire evaluation into a single phase, letting traders reach a funded account significantly faster. Here’s the full pricing and rule set:

Compared to the 2-Step model, there are three key differences worth knowing:

• Only one phase to hit the 10% Profit Target, instead of clearing two consecutive phases (10% then 5%) as in the 2-Step model — significantly shortening the time it takes to become an FTMO Trader.
• Tighter Max Daily Loss, just 3% (vs. 5% on the 2-Step), requiring stronger capital-management discipline in every session.
• A 50% Best Day Rule applies — profit from your single best trading day cannot exceed 50% of total profit across all positive days, forcing traders to show consistent results across multiple sessions rather than relying on one big lucky trade.
• The registration fee is NOT refundable — this is the biggest difference from the 2-Step model (which refunds 100% of the fee with your first profit payout). In exchange, the 1-Step model starts with a higher profit split of up to 90% right away, instead of starting at 80/20 and scaling up gradually like the 2-Step.

Overall, the 1-Step Challenge suits traders who are confident in a consistent strategy and want to get funded fast, accepting a non-refundable fee in exchange for speed and a higher starting profit split. The 2-Step model, on the other hand, is better suited to traders who prioritize cost safety (getting the initial fee back) and prefer an extra “verification” phase before receiving real funded capital.

What You Get With an FTMO Challenge Purchase

Every Challenge purchase also includes free access to FTMO’s full support ecosystem:

• FTMO Academy – structured trading education courses.
• Psychology Course – trading psychology training to help manage emotions under rule-based pressure.
• Account MetriX – in-depth performance analytics tool.
• Economic Calendar – built-in economic calendar right inside the platform.
• Equity Simulator – simulate equity swings under different trading scenarios.
• Trading Journal – track and refine your strategy over time.
• News Indicator – alerts for high-impact news events.

FTMO Pros and Cons

Pros

• Trusted brand with over a decade of track record and $200M+ paid out to traders.
• 100% fee refund with your first profit withdrawal.
• No time limit to complete Phase 1 or Phase 2.
• Flexible capital sizes from $10,000 to $200,000, suitable for both beginners and experienced traders.
• High profit split, up to 90%.
• Free trading and psychology tools included for every account.

Cons

• Max Daily Loss and Max Loss rules are strict — even a small breach ends your Challenge immediately.
• Larger accounts ($200,000) come with a significant upfront cost, better suited to experienced traders.
• The 4-day minimum trading requirement means you can’t “pass in one day” like some other prop firms allow.
• The 1-Step option’s tighter 3% daily loss limit demands stronger capital-management discipline.

Who Is FTMO Best For?

• New traders: Start with the $10,000 or $25,000 account to get comfortable with the rules and trading discipline at a lower cost if the first attempt doesn’t succeed.
• Experienced traders with solid risk management: The $100,000 account, currently at 19% off, offers the best cost-to-capital ratio.
• Professional traders looking to maximize returns: Consider the $200,000 account, or run several smaller accounts in parallel to diversify risk.
• Traders who want speed and trust their strategy’s consistency: The FTMO Challenge 1-Step is the better fit.

Final Verdict

FTMO continues to stand out as one of the most reliable prop firms in 2026, thanks to its transparent model, generous fee-refund policy, unlimited evaluation time, and comprehensive trader-support ecosystem. While the risk-management rules are strict, that’s precisely what has allowed FTMO to maintain its long-standing reputation — ensuring only genuinely disciplined traders get access to large-scale funding.

If you’re looking for a trustworthy prop firm to start your journey toward becoming a Funded Trader, FTMO deserves a top spot on your shortlist.

👉 Follow the Prop Firm section on Finance Solutes for more trusted funded-account reviews, exclusive discount codes, and real trader tips on passing your challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is FTMO trustworthy? Yes. FTMO has been operating since 2015, has paid out over $200 million to traders, and holds a 4.8/5 rating on Trustpilot from thousands of genuine reviews.

Is the FTMO registration fee refundable? Yes, the fee is fully refunded together with your first profit payout once you become an FTMO Trader.

Does the FTMO Challenge have a time limit? No. Both Phase 1 (FTMO Challenge) and Phase 2 (Verification) currently have no time limit, as long as you meet the minimum 4 trading days requirement.

Which FTMO account size should I start with? New traders should start with $10,000–$25,000 to learn the rules at lower cost, while experienced traders may prefer the $100,000 account currently discounted 19% for the best cost-per-dollar-of-capital ratio.

What’s the difference between FTMO 1-Step and 2-Step? The 2-Step model has two phases (10% then 5% Profit Target) with a 5% Max Daily Loss and a static 10% Max Loss. The 1-Step model has a single phase (10% Profit Target) but a tighter 3% Max Daily Loss, a 10% trailing Max Loss, plus a Best Day Rule — in exchange for a higher starting profit split.

This article was researched and written by the Finance Solutes team based on publicly available information from FTMO.com. Pricing and rules may change over time, so please verify the latest details on FTMO’s official website before signing up.