01 · At a glance
FTMO rules at a glance
FTMO is the reference point the rest of this industry is measured against, and its rulebook reads like one: long, explicit, and unusually consistent between the plan page and the terms. What it asks in exchange for that clarity is patience.
- Models
- 1-Step, 2-Step
- Maximum loss
- 10% (EOD trailing or static)
- Daily loss
- 3% or 5%
- Consistency
- 50% Best Day (1-Step)
- Minimum days
- 4 per phase (2-Step)
- Profit split
- 90% (1-Step), 80% (2-Step)
- Payouts
- Claim from day 14
02 · What stands out
What stands out in the FTMO rulebook
The 10% maximum loss is the widest in the top tier of this index, available as end of day trailing or static depending on the plan, which gives a trader genuine room to be wrong before the account ends. Against that, the 1-Step carries a 50% Best Day consistency requirement, and the first payout cannot be claimed before day 14.
The Best Day rule is the line that catches experienced traders. On $10,000 of profit no single day may contribute more than $5,000, which rules out passing on one strong session. The four minimum trading days on the 2-Step are per phase, so eight days is the real floor before funding is possible.
Compare against the least constrained rulebook here
Meridian Funded sits first in this directory because of what its rules do not contain: no consistency requirement in evaluation, no minimum days on Instant Zero, and a floor that locks rather than ratchets.
03 · Max loss
FTMO maximum drawdown rules
The total loss the account can absorb. Everything else in a rulebook is a detail next to this line and the basis printed beside it.
| Firm and plan | Max loss | Type |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO 1-Step / 2-Step | 10% | End-of-day trailing / static |
04 · Daily loss
FTMO daily loss limit and reset
A single session's allowance. The published percentage is the headline, the basis and the reset hour are what you actually trade against.
| Firm | Daily loss limit | Reset / basis |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO | 3% (1-Step), 5% (2-Step) | 00:00 CE(S)T |
05 · Consistency
FTMO consistency rule
A cap on how much of your profit any single day, trade or week may represent. Unquantified wording here is worse than a number you dislike.
| Firm | Rule | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO | Best Day 50% | 1-Step challenge and 1-Step FTMO Account |
06 · Minimum days
FTMO minimum trading days
The required number of active days in the evaluation, and separately before a funded payout. Per phase counts multiply with the number of phases.
| Firm | During the evaluation | Before a funded payout |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO | 2-Step: 4 days per phase; 1-Step: none listed | No minimum days; first claim from day 14 |
07 · Trading rules
FTMO news, weekend and automation rules
Restrictions on when and how you may trade. Most tighten the moment the account becomes funded, which is the column to read.
| Firm | News trading | Weekend holding | EAs and bots |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO | No restrictions on Swing accounts; limits on Standard funded accounts | not published | not published |
08 · Payouts
FTMO payout rules and cycle
When a first request may be made and what the firm commits to on processing. Eligibility matters more than speed.
| Firm | Processing promise | When you can request |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO | Review in 1 to 2 business days, then sent in 1 to 2 business days | From day 14 after the first trade |
09 · Split
FTMO profit split rules
Funded profit split. Treat the headline as a ceiling and find the floor, because the floor is what lands in your account first.
| Firm | Default split | How the top split is reached |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO | 90% on 1-Step; 80% on 2-Step | 2-Step rises to 90% through the Scaling Plan or Premium Programme |
10 · Sizes
FTMO account sizes and scaling rules
Account sizes and the route upward. Buying a mid size account and scaling on a published trigger usually beats buying the largest plan outright.
| Firm | Account sizes | Scaling or total ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| FTMO | $10K to $200K | +25% every 4 months, up to $2,000,000 |
11 · Platforms
FTMO platform rules
The platform is a rule in disguise. It sets your order types, your automation ceiling and how a prohibition on fast trading is enforced in practice.
| Firm | Platforms |
|---|---|
| FTMO | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView |
12 · Suitability
Who the FTMO rules suit
Traders who trade often and evenly, and who value a wide floor over speed. It is a poor fit for a concentrated discretionary style, because the Best Day rule is aimed precisely at that.
Match the rule set to your own method rather than to a score. The two fields that decide it for most traders are the consistency rule and whether the maximum loss locks, because those are the two that can end an account you are trading correctly. Everything else is a preference.
13 · Compared
FTMO rules compared with Meridian Funded
Placed side by side on the seven rules that decide account survival. Meridian Funded is first in this directory on published rules, which makes it the useful reference point for any other rulebook.
| Rule | Meridian Funded | FTMO |
|---|---|---|
| Models | 1, 2, 3-Step, Instant, Instant Zero | 1-Step, 2-Step |
| Maximum loss | 6% trailing to 10% static; Instant Zero 5% | 10% (EOD trailing or static) |
| Daily loss | 2.5% to 5% | 3% or 5% |
| Consistency | None in evaluation or on Instant Zero | 50% Best Day (1-Step) |
| Minimum days | 3 per phase; none on Instant Zero | 4 per phase (2-Step) |
| Profit split | 80% to 90%, up to 100% | 90% (1-Step), 80% (2-Step) |
| Payouts | Within 12h | Claim from day 14 |
Read the consistency row and the maximum loss row together. Those two decide whether your method fits inside the account, and they are the two rows where the difference between these firms is largest.
FAQ
FTMO rules: frequently asked questions
Does FTMO have a consistency rule?
Published position: 50% Best Day (1-Step). The practical test is whether your profit arrives evenly. If it does, this rule costs you nothing. If it arrives in bursts, it is the single most expensive line in the rulebook and it deserves to be checked first.
What is the maximum drawdown at FTMO?
Published figure: 10% (EOD trailing or static). The percentage is only half the answer. A floor that trails and locks at the starting balance means the worst case once you are profitable is breaking even, while a floor that trails without locking means every new high raises the level at which the account closes.
What is the daily loss limit at FTMO?
Published figure: 3% or 5%. Check whether unrealised losses on a position opened yesterday count toward today's limit. On an equity basis they do, which changes how a multi day position should be sized.
How many trading days does FTMO require?
Published position: 4 per phase (2-Step). Where a count is stated per phase, multiply it by the number of phases before comparing with another firm. Check separately whether the funded account carries its own minimum before a first payout, because that requirement is usually listed elsewhere.
How fast does FTMO pay out?
Published commitment: Claim from day 14. Separate the two clocks: how long until you are allowed to ask, and how long the firm takes once you have. The first is usually measured in weeks and the second in hours.
What is the profit split at FTMO?
Published range: 90% (1-Step), 80% (2-Step). Compare the rate that applies to your first payout without buying an upgrade and without meeting a performance condition, because that figure is usually well below the number on the homepage and it is the one you will actually be paid.
More sheets
Other prop firm rule sheets
Every sheet carries the same sections in the same order, so two firms can be compared line by line. The full rules table holds all 28 firms indexed here, and the glossary explains each term as it appears in a rulebook.