FTMO Prop Firm Review 2026: Honest Analysis for Futures Traders

FTMO Futures and FTMO's CFD challenges are separate products. Futures traders should compare the Growth and Pro plans. The 10%/5% targets, 5% daily loss limit and 80% starting reward ratio discussed in the CFD section below belong to FTMO Challenge: 2-Step, not FTMO Futures.

This review separates current official program rules from FuturesHive's editorial assessment. Rules were checked on September 7, 2026. Confirm your chosen product, country eligibility and checkout price before purchasing; one FTMO program's fee refund, platforms or payout rules do not automatically apply to another.

FTMO Futures: Growth vs Pro

Both Futures plans use a single-phase evaluation, simulated CME futures, end-of-day trailing drawdown and a 90/10 payout ratio. Both offer $50K, $100K and $150K account sizes. Growth permits requests for up to 50% of available profit; Pro permits up to 100%, subject to each plan's payout caps. A 100% withdrawal allowance is different from the trader's 90% share.

Growth has no daily loss limit during evaluation and a soft daily loss limit when Sim-Funded. Pro has a hard daily loss limit. These differences matter more than applying the older CFD challenge's percentage limits to a futures account. See the official Growth and Pro comparison and Futures instruments and trading hours.

FTMO CFD 2-Step at a Glance

Detail	Value
Founded	2015 (Czech Republic)
Eval format	Two-phase (Challenge → Verification → Funded)
Profit target	Phase 1: 10% / Phase 2: 5%
Daily loss limit	5%
Maximum drawdown	10% static
Payout split	80% baseline, scales to 90%
Eval fee refund	Yes, on first payout
Account sizes	10K to 200K (USD-equivalent)
Scaling plan	Conditional; see the current FTMO scaling requirements
Markets	Forex and CFDs; Futures Growth/Pro are separate

What FTMO Does Well

Established credibility

FTMO's business dates to 2015. That history gives traders material to research, but company age and public reviews are not a guarantee of a future payout. The new Futures product should be evaluated on its own rules and operating history.

Refund on first payout

The CFD 2-Step evaluation fee is refunded with the first reward withdrawal after the applicable conditions are met. This is a 2-Step feature; the CFD 1-Step fee is non-refundable. Use the live checkout for your account size and currency instead of treating an old promotional dollar amount as a current quote.

Scaling plan

The CFD 2-Step program offers a conditional scaling plan. Do not assume that four payouts automatically increase the account or that the same scaling arrangement applies to Futures Growth/Pro. Check the agreement for your product before including an increase in your trading budget.

Clear product scope

FTMO describes these services as simulated trading and educational tools. A European business location does not by itself establish broker regulation, deposit protection or a particular tax outcome for the customer.

Multi-platform support

Check the platform offered for the specific FTMO product and your region. A CFD platform connection should not be assumed to support the Futures evaluation or its exchange data.

CFD 2-Step Trade-offs

Two-phase eval is slower

The CFD 2-Step product requires 10% in the Challenge and 5% in Verification. Both phases have an unlimited trading period and a four-day minimum. Completion time depends on performance and risk management; there is no guaranteed number of days to funding.

Higher profit targets

On a $50K CFD 2-Step account, the first target is $5,000 and the second is $2,500. These are CFD evaluation targets. FTMO Futures has its own dollar-based target and drawdown schedule.

Lower base payout split

CFD 2-Step starts at an 80% reward ratio, increasing to 90% when the Scaling Plan or Premium Programme conditions are met. CFD 1-Step and Futures Growth/Pro use 90%. Compare the share of an approved reward separately from the amount eligible for withdrawal.

Futures product is newer

FTMO Futures launched after the established forex business. Less community history specifically on futures payouts. The forex parent product has decade-long credibility; the futures product has less battle-testing.

CFD 2-Step Target Amounts

Account Size	Eval Cost	Profit Target P1	Profit Target P2
$10,000	Check live quote	$1,000 (10%)	$500 (5%)
$25,000	Check live quote	$2,500 (10%)	$1,250 (5%)
$50,000	Check live quote	$5,000 (10%)	$2,500 (5%)
$100,000	Check live quote	$10,000 (10%)	$5,000 (5%)
$200,000	Check live quote	$20,000 (10%)	$10,000 (5%)

Compare the current CFD 2-Step offer with CFD 1-Step and the separate Futures plans. The 1-Step product uses a 3% daily loss limit, a 10% EOD trailing maximum loss and a Best Day rule; it is not simply 2-Step with Verification removed.

CFD 2-Step Rules in Detail

Phase 1 (Challenge)

• Profit target: 10% of starting balance
• Maximum daily loss: 5%
• Maximum overall loss: 10%
• Minimum trading days: 4
• Trading period: unlimited

Phase 2 (Verification)

• Profit target: 5% of starting balance
• Same drawdown rules as Phase 1
• Minimum trading days: 4
• Trading period: unlimited

Funded Account

• No profit target
• Same 5%/10% drawdown rules apply
• A reward can be requested on the 14th day or later after the first trade on the account, subject to the agreement
• Positions and pending orders must be closed before requesting a reward
• Eval fee refunded on first successful payout

Pros and Cons

Compare the Actual Programs

Feature	FTMO CFD 2-Step	FTMO Futures	Topstep / Apex
Markets	Forex / CFDs	Simulated CME futures	Futures programs
Eval phases	Two	One	Program-specific rules
Reward ratio	80%, conditionally 90%	90/10 on Growth and Pro	Check current and legacy account terms
Fee structure	One-time fee; eligible first-reward refund	Separate Growth / Pro pricing	Evaluation and activation charges depend on plan

How FuturesHive Students Approach CFD 2-Step

For CFD 2-Step, the existing FuturesHive student playbook is:

1. Choose Swing variant if your strategy holds positions through news or overnight; choose Normal if pure intraday.
2. Phase 1: target 10% in 8-12 trading days at 0.5-0.75% risk per trade. Slower than one-step firms but more methodical.
3. Phase 2: target 5% in 6-10 trading days. Reduce risk per trade to 0.5% since the target is lower.
4. CFD reward request: wait until the 14th day or later after the first trade and meet the account agreement's conditions.
5. Review scaling eligibility against the actual plan requirements; an increase is not automatic after a fixed number of withdrawals.

The CFD playbook above is separate from Futures Growth/Pro. There is no guaranteed evaluation completion time or payout. The official CFD reward policy explains request timing, review and reward ratios.

FAQ

Is FTMO legit?

FTMO has operated since 2015 and publishes its program rules and company details. Assess the agreement, eligibility and current product rules rather than treating a review score or company location as a payout guarantee.

How much does FTMO cost?

Use the official checkout for your product, account size and currency. CFD 2-Step has an eligible first-reward fee refund; CFD 1-Step has a non-refundable fee. Futures Growth/Pro have separate pricing.

What is the FTMO payout split?

CFD 2-Step starts at 80% and can increase to 90% under the relevant plan. CFD 1-Step and Futures Growth/Pro use 90%. Pro's up-to-100% withdrawal allowance does not mean a 100% payout ratio.

Does FTMO offer futures trading?

Yes. FTMO Futures offers Growth and Pro evaluations on simulated CME futures. Both are single-phase programs with EOD trailing drawdown and a 90/10 payout ratio; they are separate from FTMO's CFD challenges.

FTMO vs TopStep — which is better?

For a futures comparison, use FTMO Growth/Pro against the specific Topstep account and payout path. Comparing Topstep to CFD 2-Step's 10%/5% targets gives the wrong picture of FTMO Futures.

Can I trade FTMO from the US?

Check current country and product eligibility directly with FTMO. Availability of one FTMO product or platform does not establish access to another.

Our Assessment

FTMO is worth evaluating when its particular product fits your market and risk plan. Futures Growth/Pro, CFD 1-Step and CFD 2-Step solve different needs. Compare drawdown mechanics, total fees and payout eligibility within the correct product category.

For the next comparison, use our FTMO, Apex and Topstep guide. Check the linked official rules before purchase; FuturesHive's editorial rating is not a guarantee of funding or returns.

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