📋 In This Review
📊 Firm Overview
Updated May 2026Account Sizes
$10k - $200k
Min Eval Fee
$155 (one-time)
CEO / Founder
Otakar Suffner (CEO)
Profit Split
80% – 90%
Payout Time
1–2 business days
DD Type
Fixed
Markets
Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks (CFDs)
News Trading
Restricted
Overnight Hold
Yes
Scaling
Up to $2M
🔬 SPR Intelligence Analysis
Proprietary MetricsDifficulty Score Based on profit target, drawdown type, min days and restrictions. 10 = extremely hard to pass.
6.5/10
Average difficulty — fixed drawdown
Value Score Lower = better value. Industry average ~$7.00 per $1K.
$6.90 per $1K funded
$155 (one-time)
vs ~$7.00 avg across all tracked firms
Best Trader Profile Trading styles most likely to succeed given this firm's specific rule set and drawdown type.
Swing Trader
Position Trader
Discretionary Trader
FTMO suits disciplined swing and position traders who value static drawdown, weekend holding freedom, and long-term reliability. The 1-Step suits confident traders wanting 90% split from day one with tighter daily loss rules. The 2-Step Swing variant suits traders who need full news and weekend freedom. Not recommended for traders seeking the cheapest entry fees or instant funding.
📰 Firm Updates & News
Live Feed2026-03-31
OANDA Prop Trader program formally concluded — all active clients migrated to FTMO platform with exclusive incentives Platform
2026-03-02
FTMO co-founders Otakar Suffner and Marek Vasicek appointed as OANDA co-CEOs following December 2025 acquisition Platform
2026-02-05
All new FTMO challenges switched from Netting to Hedging account type — FIFO rule removed, simultaneous long and short positions now allowed on same instrument Rule
2026-01-30
Hedging account type introduced for all new challenge purchases — full control over position management across all platforms Platform
2025-12-01
FTMO completes acquisition of OANDA from CVC Capital — OANDA licensed entities in New York, London, Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney now part of FTMO Group Platform
2025-08-26
FTMO and OANDA announce strategic partnership — US market access launched via ftmo.oanda.com on NFA-regulated infrastructure Platform
🛡️ Is FTMO Legitimate?
✓ Legitimate
Registered In
Czech Republic — FTMO a.s., Pobrezni 394/12, Prague 186 00 (also parent of OANDA Global Corporation since December 2025)
Operating Since
2015
Reported Payouts
$500M+ verified
Regulation
Prop Model
⚠ Red Flags to Know
News trading restricted within 2-minute window on Standard funded accounts — catches many traders off guard
1-Step Best Day Rule caps single-day profits at 50% of total cycle profits — limits aggressive trading sessions
Above-average fees compared to newer budget prop firms
Firm-discretion clause in terms is broader than most firms — some funded account blocks reported by traders
No instant funding path — evaluation mandatory on all account types
📋 Challenge Rules
1️⃣ 1-step
2️⃣ 2-step
🧮 Challenge Fee Calculator
Select account size to see full cost breakdown:
✅ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Eleven years of uninterrupted operation — most established prop firm in the industry
$500M+ in verified payouts to 3.5M+ traders across 140+ countries
Parent company of OANDA since December 2025 — adds regulated brokerage credibility
Challenge fee fully refunded with first payout on all 2-Step accounts
1-Step offers 90% profit split from day one
Bi-weekly payouts averaging 8 hours processing — among fastest in the industry
Scaling plan up to $2M — 25% increase every 4 months on 10% profit
❌ Cons
Above-average fees — €540 for $100K 2-Step is higher than most competitors
News trading restricted within 2-minute window on Standard funded accounts
No instant funding path — evaluation is mandatory on all account types
1-Step Best Day Rule caps single-day profits at 50% of total cycle profits
Swing variant caps maximum account size at $100K and leverage at 1:30
🎯 Who Is This Firm For?
✅ Ideal For
Disciplined swing and position traders who hold multi-day trades
Traders prioritizing long-term reliability and verified payout track record
Traders wanting 90% profit split from day one via the 1-Step path
News and weekend traders using the 2-Step Swing variant
❌ Not Ideal For
Budget traders — fees are above average compared to newer firms
Traders wanting instant funding with no evaluation required
News scalpers on Standard funded accounts — 2-minute restriction applies
Traders needing leverage above 1:30 on Swing funded accounts
⚖️ Our Verdict
★★★★★ 4.8/5
FTMO is the benchmark prop firm in 2026 — eleven years of verified operations, $500M+ in payouts, and the OANDA acquisition make it the most institutionally credible option available. The 2-Step Normal suits most disciplined traders, while the 1-Step offers a faster path to 90% split for confident traders. The main concerns are above-average fees, mandatory evaluation with no instant funding path, and a 2-minute news restriction on Standard funded accounts. For traders who prioritize reliability and long-term credibility above all else, FTMO remains the industry standard.
✓ Recommended for Swing Trader, Position Trader, Discretionary Trader
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. FTMO is a Czech-registered prop firm founded in 2014 with 11 years of uninterrupted operation, $500M+ in verified payouts to 3.5M+ traders across 140+ countries, and $329M in 2024 revenue. Since December 2025 FTMO is also the parent company of OANDA, holding regulated brokerage licenses across 8 jurisdictions globally.
The 2-Step requires two phases — 10% profit in Phase 1 and 5% in Phase 2 — with a 5% daily loss limit and 10% static overall drawdown. It starts at 80% profit split. The 1-Step requires a single 10% profit target with a tighter 3% daily loss limit and 10% trailing overall drawdown. It starts at 90% profit split from day one but includes a Best Day Rule capping single-day profits at 50% of total cycle profits. The 2-Step is better for swing traders; the 1-Step suits consistent daily traders who can manage tighter risk.
The FTMO Swing account is a variant of the 2-Step challenge that removes the 2-minute news restriction and allows full weekend holding with no limitations. The trade-off is a reduced maximum forex leverage of 1:30 and a maximum funded account size of $100K — it cannot be scaled beyond that. It suits traders whose strategy requires news event participation or weekend position holding without restrictions.
FTMO increases the funded account size by 25% every 4 months provided the trader achieves at least 10% total profit during that period and follows all risk rules. The profit split also increases from 80% to 90% when scaling criteria are met. The maximum total allocation through the scaling plan is $2,000,000. A $10K account can theoretically scale to $2M through consistent performance over time.
EAs are permitted on all account types excluding arbitrage, latency exploitation, and tick scalping strategies. News trading is allowed during all evaluation phases — however Standard funded accounts restrict trading within 2 minutes before and after high-impact news events. The Swing funded account variant removes this restriction entirely. Overnight and weekend holding is fully permitted on all account types and evaluation phases.
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