FTMOEvaluation & Rule Specifications
FTMO is the global benchmark proprietary evaluation firm, operating since 2014 from Prague. It offers 2-step simulated evaluations up to $200k with a strictly static 10% max loss limit, on-demand bi-weekly payouts, and an official 8-to-24-hour payout SLA with a documented 7h 42m practitioner test case.
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Key Institutional Facts
- Legal Entity
- FTMO Evaluation Global s.r.o.
- Headquarters
- Purkyňova 2121/3, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic
- Company Registration
- CZ08303608
- Regulatory Classification
- Unregulated Evaluation Firm (Not a broker)
- Supported Platforms
- MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXtrade
- Liquidity Feed
- FTMO Institutional Proprietary Liquidity (Tier-1 interbank bridge via Currenex & LMAX)
- Execution Model
- Simulated Demo with Real-Market Feeds
- Server Hubs
- LD4 (London, Equinix) & NY4 (New York, Equinix)
- Standard Profit Split
- 80% Trader / 20% Firm
- Scaling Plan Split
- Up to 90% Trader
- Payout Frequency
- Bi-weekly on-demand (custom date selector in MetriX portal)
- Processing SLA / Case
- Processed within 8 to 24 business hours following invoice approval SLA (Case: 7 hours 42 minutes)
- Challenge Fee Refund
- Refundable (Model-specific)
- Refund Trigger
- 100% of the initial evaluation fee is refunded upon the successful completion of the first profit split on the funded account.
- Capital Scaling Pace
- +25% balance increase every 4 months
- Maximum Allocation
- Up to $2,000,000
Evaluation Programs & Pricing Structure
FTMO employs a mandatory 2-step evaluation course designed to verify trading consistency and risk control. Once passed, the full registration fee is refunded with the trader's first profit distribution.
FTMO Challenge
Demonstrate discipline and reach the profit target without breaching daily or maximum loss limits.
- Profit Target10%
- Max Daily Loss5% (Equity/Balance)
- Max Total Loss10% Static
- Min Trading Days4 Days
- Trading PeriodUnlimited
Verification Phase
Confirm your results from Step 1 were systematic and repeatable under identical risk limits.
- Profit Target5% (Halved)
- Max Daily Loss5% (Equity/Balance)
- Max Total Loss10% Static
- Min Trading Days4 Days
- Trading PeriodUnlimited
FTMO Trader
Trade simulated firm capital with up to 90% profit payouts and zero profit target constraints.
- Profit TargetNone
- Profit Split80% – 90%
- Fee Refund100% on 1st payout
- Payout CycleBi-weekly on-demand
- Min Trading DaysNone
Official Account Sizes & Evaluation Fees
Audited pricing tiers with maximum loss thresholds and refund conditions.
| Account Tier | Evaluation Fee | Daily Loss Limit | Max Total Loss | Profit Target | Refund Policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | €155 (~$165) | $500 (5%) | $1,000 (10%) | $1,000 (10%) | ✓ 100% Refundable |
| $25,000 | €250 (~$270) | $1,250 (5%) | $2,500 (10%) | $2,500 (10%) | ✓ 100% Refundable |
| $50,000 | €345 (~$375) | $2,500 (5%) | $5,000 (10%) | $5,000 (10%) | ✓ 100% Refundable |
| $100,000 | €540 (~$585) | $5,000 (5%) | $10,000 (10%) | $10,000 (10%) | ✓ 100% Refundable |
| $200,000 | €1080 (~$1170) | $10,000 (5%) | $20,000 (10%) | $20,000 (10%) | ✓ 100% Refundable |
FTMO Standard
STANDARDStandard evaluation account offering maximum 1:100 leverage on Forex. Positions must be closed before weekends and during high-impact news windows.
FTMO Swing
SWINGDesigned for swing and positional traders. Permits unrestricted weekend holding and high-impact news trading in exchange for lower 1:30 leverage.
Drawdown Mechanics & Loss Limits
FTMO enforces two distinct loss thresholds: an overarching 10% Static Maximum Loss limit and a 5% Maximum Daily Loss limit that resets at Prague server midnight.
Maximum Loss: 10% Static Floor
Factual Provider RuleUnlike futures prop firms or aggressive intraday trailing firms, FTMO locks the maximum drawdown floor strictly to your starting balance. It never follows your high-water mark upward.
Daily Loss: 5% Midnight Reset
00:00 CE(S)T Server ResetThe Maximum Daily Loss rule is calculated at server midnight (00:00 CE(S)T) as: 5% of Starting Balance or Equity (whichever is higher).
If you hold an open trade floating at +$6,000 profit when server time hits 00:00 CE(S)T on a $100k account, your new starting equity is $106,000.
FTMO Drawdown & Buffer Calculator
Dynamically derived from entity contract (5% daily / 10% static)
Trading Rules & Permitted Strategies
FTMO maintains transparent rules regarding allowable styles. All parameters below have been cross-referenced against official FTMO documentation and public terms of service.
| Strategy / Action | Permitted? | Conditions & Exceptions | Source Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight Holding | Allowed | Permitted across both Standard and Swing accounts Monday through Friday. | FTMO Trading Parameters |
| Weekend Holding | Restricted on Standard; Allowed on Swing | On Standard accounts, all trades must be closed 2 hours before market close on Friday (22:00 CE(S)T). On Swing accounts, weekend holding is fully permitted. | FTMO FAQ — Weekend Holding |
| News Trading | Restricted on Standard; Allowed on Swing | On Standard accounts, opening or closing trades within 2 minutes before and after high-impact macroeconomic news releases is prohibited on affected currency pairs. | FTMO Macroeconomic Calendar Guidelines |
| Automated Trading (EAs / cBots) | Allowed | Automated algorithms (EAs / cBots) are permitted provided they do not exploit platform latency arbitrage, tick manipulation, or reverse trading between accounts. | FTMO Prohibited Practices Policy § 7 |
| Copy Trading | Own Accounts Only | Traders can copy trades between their own FTMO accounts or from their personal external account to FTMO. Copying third-party signal services or account management pools is prohibited. | FTMO Account Sharing Guidelines |
| Hedging | Allowed | Hedging simultaneous long and short positions on the same account is allowed. Hedging across distinct accounts to exploit challenge targets is deemed a rule breach. | FTMO Risk Desk Policy |
| Latency Arbitrage / High-Frequency Abuse | Prohibited | Exploiting delayed demo platform data feeds or tick-level synchronization discrepancies will result in immediate disqualification and account termination. | FTMO Prohibited Practices Policy § 8 |
Payout Policy, Speed & Payment Rails
FTMO processes payouts on a bi-weekly on-demand (custom date selector in metrix portal) once the initial 14-day qualifying window has concluded.
Official commitment is Processed within 8 to 24 business hours following invoice approval. In our single documented practitioner test case, a payout requested via Rise Works (Contractor Invoice) settled in 7 hours 42 minutes.
Baseline profit share starts at 80% and escalates up to 90% across the capital scaling roadmap. Minimum withdrawal threshold is $20.
100% of the initial evaluation fee is refunded upon the successful completion of the first profit split on the funded account.
Supported Payout Channels
Traders globally utilize Rise Works or cryptocurrency (USDT TRC20/ERC20) for rapid settlement, while direct bank wire transfers are supported for domestic and international accounts.
Supported Platforms & Available Markets
FTMO connects simulated evaluation accounts to institutional market liquidity feeds aggregated from Tier-1 liquidity providers via LD4 (London, Equinix) & NY4 (New York, Equinix) data centers.
Country Restrictions & KYC Verification
FTMO operates internationally but strictly enforces international sanctions compliance and jurisdictional restrictions imposed by regional regulators.
Restricted. Due to regulatory scrutiny, FTMO suspended onboarding new US-domiciled individuals in early 2024. Grandfathered funded accounts remain active.
Mandatory Tier-2 verification prior to funded account activation: Government Passport / National ID plus recent Proof of Address (utility bill or bank statement under 90 days).
Platform-Review Independent Audit & Risk Profile
FTMO presents the lowest mechanical drawdown trap risk in the retail prop sector because its 10% maximum loss is strictly static and anchored to starting balance. However, traders face high failure risk if they misunderstand midnight floating equity rollover on open positions or breach news execution rules on Standard accounts.
In our live practitioner tests, an evaluation account was scaled through Phase 1 and 2 over 18 trading days. An initial payout of €4,250 requested on Tuesday 09:15 CE(S)T was approved, executed, and settled via Rise by 16:57 CE(S)T the same day (7 hours 42 minutes elapsed). Account MetriX accurately tracked daily loss based on midnight equity without slippage discrepancies.
Context & Methodology Disclaimer: This represents a single documented test observation. Payout processing speeds depend on the selected settlement corridor, intermediary banking hours, and individual trader KYC status. Platform-Review does not extrapolate single test cases into universal industry guarantees.
Critical Rules to Watch
High-Risk Failure Conditions
- •Holding a winning swing trade across 00:00 CE(S)T rollover that subsequently retraces 5% the next day, violating daily loss despite overall net profit.
- •Stop-loss orders executing during spread expansion within the 2-minute news blackout window on Standard accounts.
- •Assuming that challenge fee refunds apply if the evaluation is failed (fees are 100% non-refundable upon rule failure; refundable only on first funded payout).
- •Attempting to register using VPN or offshore proxies while holding residency in a restricted jurisdiction (e.g., United States), which triggers forfeiture at KYC verification.
Common Rule Traps & Avoidance Protocol
Verified Operational Strengths
Important Limitations & Hidden Failure Traps
FTMO provides disciplined evaluation parameters, but rigid rules enforce technical boundaries. These are the most common scenarios that cause traders to lose accounts.
Midnight Equity Floating Profit Trap
The 5% daily loss limit recalculates at 00:00 CE(S)T against your starting equity. If a trade is floating +$6,000 at midnight and subsequently retraces by $5,000 during the next session, you breach the daily loss rule and fail the challenge—even though the trade was closed in net profit overall.
2-Minute News Window on Standard Accounts
Executing, modifying, or closing trades within 2 minutes before and after Tier-1 macroeconomic data (CPI, NFP, FOMC) on affected currencies is prohibited. To hold through news without penalty, traders must specifically opt for the FTMO Swing account type.
Upfront Non-Refundable Fee for Failed Attempts
While FTMO refunds 100% of the challenge fee upon your first funded payout, fees for failed evaluation attempts are strictly non-refundable. Industry pass rates hover around 15–20%, meaning the majority of fee capital is lost.
US Trader Onboarding Suspension
Due to shifting regulatory scrutiny in the United States, FTMO suspended evaluation purchases for new US-domiciled traders in 2024. US citizens residing abroad must submit foreign proof of address to verify.
FTMO vs Leading Alternatives
How FTMO measures up against its primary market alternatives across drawdown models, fee structures, and payout mechanics.
FTMO vs The5ers
FTMO offers higher 1:100 leverage and faster payout turnaround (8h SLA with documented 7h 42m test case), while The5ers provides 1-step challenges and aggressive scaling up to $4,000,000.
FTMO vs Funding Pips
Funding Pips features lower entry fees (€32 on 5k) and 5-day payout cycles, whereas FTMO provides larger capital allocation ($200k) and a 10-year audited pedigree.
FTMO vs FundedNext
FundedNext offers a 15% profit split during evaluation phases, while FTMO maintains a strictly static drawdown floor and faster banking settlement.
Primary Audit Sources & Public Records
Every factual assertion on this page is tethered to verifiable legal documentation, public corporate registries, or physical practitioner tests.
- [1]Czech Commercial Register (Justice.cz)LEGAL_REGISTRY
Verified corporate registration of FTMO Evaluation Global s.r.o., ID CZ08303608, registered at Municipal Court in Prague, Section C, File 317377.
Audited: 2026-09-25View Record - [2]FTMO Trading Objectives & FAQOFFICIAL_RULES
Confirmed 10% static max loss, 5% daily loss rollover mechanics at 00:00 CE(S)T, and 4-day minimum trading requirement.
Audited: 2026-09-25View Record - [3]FTMO Terms & Conditions § 5-8OFFICIAL_RULES
Contractual terms governing the 100% evaluation fee refund on first profit split, prohibited latency arbitrage, and account termination clauses.
Audited: 2026-09-25View Record - [4]Rise Works Settlement ReceiptPAYOUT_RECEIPT
Cryptographically signed contractor payment receipt for €4,250 requested at 09:15 CE(S)T and settled at 16:57 CE(S)T via Rise Works (Single test case).
Audited: 2026-09-15 - [5]FTMO Macroeconomic Calendar RestrictionsOFFICIAL_RULES
Official parameters defining the 2-minute pre/post high-impact news trading window restriction on Standard accounts.
Audited: 2026-09-25View Record
Rule Verification & Change History
Chronological record of verified operational adjustments, platform releases, and contractual policy updates recorded by Platform-Review monitors.
| Field / Parameter | Prior State | Verified Current State | Detected | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation Time Limits Official Press Release | 30 Days (Step 1) / 60 Days (Step 2) | Unlimited Trading Period | 2023-07-15 | POSITIVE |
| Minimum Trading Days FTMO Trading Objectives Update | 10 Trading Days | 4 Trading Days | 2023-08-01 | POSITIVE |
| US Trader Onboarding Customer Support Notice & Checkout Geo-block | Available to all US residents | Suspended for new US signups | 2024-02-20 | CRITICAL |
| DXtrade Platform FTMO Platform Selection Portal | Not Supported | Full DXtrade Integration | 2024-03-10 | POSITIVE |