FTMO Review: Rules, Prices & Drawdown
By Jacob Walder · Rules checked at the source on 2026-10-13 · How we verify
11 of 21 rule fields verified on FTMO's official site. Every number links to its source. Anything we couldn't confirm is marked “Not verified”.
What this means for you
You pay a one-time fee (from €89 for the 2-Step test) to take a test. On the 2-Step, make 10% and then 5%, trading at least 4 days in each phase, without losing more than 5% in a day or 10% in total. There's no deadline, and if you pass you can keep up to 90% of profits.
Built only from rules we verified at the source. Most people who buy a test don't pass — see why.
Quick answer
- Best for
- Forex/CFD traders who want no evaluation time limit
- Price
- from €79
- Key rule
- 10% max loss; trailing on balance, end of day (per comparison table)
- Verdict
- 11/21 rules verified at source; watch: trailing/dynamic drawdown
Rule summary
- Price
- From €89 (2-Step); 1-Step from €79; Instant Account from €169
- Profit target
- 10% Phase 1 + 5% Verification (1-Step: 10%)
- Daily loss limit
- 5% max daily loss (1-Step: 3%)
- Max drawdown
- 10% max loss; trailing on balance, end of day (per comparison table)
- Consistency rule
- 1-Step: Best Day Rule 50%
- Profit split
- Up to 90%
- Payout frequency
- —
Pros (from verified rules)
- No evaluation time limit
- End-of-day drawdown (not intraday)
- Fee refund available
Cons & caveats
- Trailing/dynamic drawdown
- Consistency rule applies
- 10 rule fields not yet verified by us
All rules, with sources
Show / hide all 21 rules
| Program | 2-Step FTMO Challenge What's this?One-step: one target, then funded. Two-step: pass phase 1, then a usually smaller phase 2 target. Two-step tests are often cheaper with looser loss limits. Glossary → |
|---|---|
| Account sizesAccount sizes on offer. | $10K, $25K, $50K, $100K, $200K ✓ Verified |
| PriceWhat you pay for the test. | From €89 (2-Step); 1-Step from €79; Instant Account from €169 ✓ Verified What's this?What you pay to take the test. It's the firm's main revenue — most buyers never pass. Glossary → |
| Activation feeExtra fee after passing, before you trade funded. | Not verified What's this?An extra one-time fee some futures firms charge after you pass, before your funded account goes live. Glossary → |
| Profit targetProfit you need to pass. | 10% Phase 1 + 5% Verification (1-Step: 10%) ✓ Verified Standard on some plansWhat's this?How much profit you must make to pass a test phase. On a $100k account a 10% target means reaching $110,000. Glossary → |
| Daily loss limitLose more than this in one day and you fail. | 5% max daily loss (1-Step: 3%) ✓ Verified Strict on some plansWhat's this?The most you may lose in one trading day. With a 5% limit on $100k, dropping $5,000 in a single day fails the test — even if you're up overall. Glossary → |
| Max drawdownTotal loss floor — break it once and the account ends. | 10% max loss; trailing on balance, end of day (per comparison table) ✓ Verified StandardWhat's this?The total loss floor — break it once and the account is gone. On $100k: STATIC 10% → floor stays $90,000 forever. END-OF-DAY trailing $3k → floor $97k; close a day at $102k → floor moves to $99k (intraday swings ignored). INTRADAY trailing $3k → an open trade up $2k lifts the floor to $99k immediately; if it falls back to break-even you're $1k from failing. Glossary → |
| Consistency ruleCaps how much profit can come from one day. | 1-Step: Best Day Rule 50% ✓ Verified StandardWhat's this?Limits how much of your total profit can come from one day. With 40%: if you've made $5,000, your best day can be at most $2,000. Stops 'one lucky day' passes. Glossary → |
| Minimum trading daysFewest trading days before you can pass/get paid. | 4 trading days per phase (2-Step); none on 1-Step ✓ Verified Strict on some plansWhat's this?The fewest days you must place trades before you can pass or get paid, even if you hit the target on day one. Glossary → |
| Time limitHow long you have to pass. | Unlimited ✓ Verified EasyWhat's this?How long you have to hit the target. 'Unlimited' means no deadline (some firms still require a trade every 30–60 days). Glossary → |
| Profit splitYour share of funded profits. | Up to 90% ✓ Verified What's this?Your share of profits on a funded account. 80% split on $1,000 profit = you receive $800. Glossary → |
| Payout frequencyHow often you can withdraw. | Not verified What's this?How often you can withdraw profits — e.g. on demand, weekly, every 14 days. Glossary → |
| Fee refundWhether your fee comes back. | Fee refundable after success (2-Step) ✓ Verified What's this?Some firms return your test fee with your first (or a later) payout if you pass. Glossary → |
| PlatformsSoftware you trade on. | Not verified |
| Restricted countriesWhere they won't sell to. | Not verified |
| News tradingCan you trade big news events? | Not verified What's this?Whether you can trade around big scheduled announcements (e.g. US jobs data, Fed decisions). Some firms ban trades a few minutes before/after. Glossary → |
| EAs / botsAre trading bots allowed? | Not verified What's this?Expert Advisors — automated trading programs. Some firms allow them, some ban them or certain types (e.g. copy-trading, HFT). Glossary → |
| Crypto pairsCrypto markets available. | Not verified |
| Crypto leverageHow big a position you can open. | Not verified What's this?How large a position you can open relative to your account. 1:100 means $1,000 of margin controls $100,000. Higher leverage = faster gains and faster rule breaches. Glossary → |
| Payout currencyWhat you're paid in. | Not verified |
| Crypto CFDs offeredWhether crypto is tradable as CFDs. | Yes: 32 crypto CFDs, 0.0325% commission per side; 1:1 leverage on Swing ✓ Verified |
| OwnershipWho owns the firm. | Not verified |
Our verdict
FTMO (2-Step FTMO Challenge) — we verified 11 of 21 rule fields on the firm's official site on 2026-10-13. Key strengths in the verified rules: no evaluation time limit, end-of-day drawdown (not intraday), fee refund available. Watch out for: trailing/dynamic drawdown, consistency rule applies. Read the full rules at the source links before buying.
Pros/cons are generated only from the verified rules above — not from opinion or affiliate status.
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