FTMO Review 2027 Fees, Features and Safety

This FTMO review for 2027 looks at the Prague, Czech Republic-based prop firm, founded in 2015, and covers the profit split of up to 90%, funding of up to $2.0M, evaluation rules and payouts, so you can decide whether it fits the way you trade.

What is FTMO? (2027)

FTMO is the best-known proprietary trading firm in the retail funded-trader industry. Otakar Šuffner and Marek Vašíček founded it in Prague in 2015, and the model they refined, a paid evaluation followed by a share of profits on a firm-funded account, has been copied by hundreds of competitors. FTMO serves traders in more than 140 countries and is the benchmark against which other prop firms are judged.

In December 2025 FTMO completed the acquisition of OANDA, one of the oldest regulated forex brokers, after approval from five regulators. The deal turned a prop firm into the owner of a globally licensed brokerage group and marked a turning point for the whole sector.

How the evaluation works

FTMO's classic route has two steps.

FTMO Challenge: you trade a demo account of your chosen size and must reach a profit target of 10% without breaching the loss limits.

Verification: a second stage with a lower 5% target and the same risk rules, designed to confirm that the first result was not luck.

Pass both and you receive an FTMO Account, on which you keep a share of the profit you generate. There is no time limit on either stage, and a minimum of four trading days is required in each. FTMO has also introduced a one-step evaluation for traders who prefer a single phase.

Risk rules

Two limits define the programme. The maximum daily loss is 5% of the initial balance, and the maximum overall loss is 10%. The overall limit is static, measured from the starting balance, which most traders find easier to manage than a trailing drawdown. Breaching either rule ends the account.

FTMO offers a standard account type and a swing account. The swing version allows holding positions over the weekend and trading during major news releases, in exchange for lower leverage. Read the rules for the account you pick, because restrictions on news trading differ between them.

Account sizes and fees

Accounts range from $10,000 to $200,000. The fee is paid once and depends on size, from a little over €150 for the smallest account to around €1,000 for the largest. FTMO refunds the fee with your first profit payout from a funded account, so a successful trader ultimately pays nothing for the evaluation. A free trial version is available to test the conditions.

Profit split and scaling

Funded traders start with 80% of profits. Under the scaling plan, traders who are consistently profitable over a four-month cycle and process payouts can have their account balance increased by 25% and their share raised to 90%. Repeated scaling can take the total allocation up to $2 million.

Payouts are available every 14 days on request, and FTMO has a long record of paying reliably and quickly. That track record, more than any headline number, is the reason for its reputation.

Platforms and markets

Traders can choose MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader or DXtrade. Tradable instruments include forex pairs, indices, metals, energies, commodities, shares and cryptocurrencies. FTMO also supplies its own tools: an account metrix dashboard with detailed statistics, a mentor app that enforces your personal risk limits, and a trading journal.

What you should understand

Like nearly all retail prop firms, FTMO provides simulated accounts funded with virtual capital. Traders are paid from the firm's own resources according to their simulated results. FTMO is open about this and describes itself as an education and evaluation business. It is not a broker, and it is not regulated as a financial institution in respect of its challenge services, although the group now owns regulated entities through OANDA.

Availability for residents of the United States has changed more than once in recent years because of platform and regulatory issues, so American traders should check the current position.

Who is FTMO best for?

FTMO suits disciplined traders who want the most established name in the industry and are willing to accept slightly stricter conditions and higher fees than some newer rivals in exchange for reliability. Its static drawdown, unlimited time and strong analytics are well suited to swing and intraday traders with a defined strategy.

Traders who want instant funding, a three-step low-cost route or a 100% profit split from day one will find those elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: operating since 2015 with a strong payout record, static loss limits, no time limit, fee refunded with first payout, scaling to $2 million and 90% split, four platforms, owner of OANDA.
• Cons: fees higher than budget competitors, 10% first-phase target, news and weekend restrictions on standard accounts, maximum initial account of $200,000.

FTMO review: verdict for 2027

FTMO created the template and still executes it better than most. It is not the cheapest or the most generous on paper, but it is the firm with the longest record of paying traders. For anyone serious about funded trading, it remains the safest place to start.

Compare this FTMO review with all 35 prop firms in our 2027 list, and confirm the latest terms on the official FTMO website before you open an account.