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FTMO Challenge Rules & Requirements
FTMO Challenge Rules Overview
FTMO currently runs 1-Step Challenge, 2-Step Challenge programs, so there is no single universal rulebook. The first screen every trader should check is still the core risk model: the published profit target, the maximum drawdown cap, and the daily drawdown cap attached to the account size you actually plan to buy.
In the review data, the baseline reference account shows a profit target of 10% / 10% + 5%, a max drawdown of 10% trailing / 10% static, and a daily drawdown of 3% / 5%. FTMO remains evaluation-led, which means the pass conditions and funded-account rule handoff need to be checked together rather than in isolation.
FTMO Profit Targets & Drawdown Limits
| Account Size | Profit Target | Max Drawdown | Daily Drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | 10% / 10% + 5% | 10% trailing / 10% static | 3% / 5% |
| $25,000 | 10% / 10% + 5% | 10% trailing / 10% static | 3% / 5% |
| $50,000 | 10% / 10% + 5% | 10% trailing / 10% static | 3% / 5% |
| $100,000 | 10% / 10% + 5% | 10% trailing / 10% static | 3% / 5% |
| $200,000 | 10% / 10% + 5% | 10% trailing / 10% static | 3% / 5% |
This table matters because many prop traders compare firms on price alone. In practice, the harder variable is the rule package attached to that price. A smaller target with a static drawdown behaves very differently from a larger target with trailing risk controls or tight daily-loss enforcement.
FTMO Firm-Specific Rule Clauses
| Rule Area | What We Track |
|---|---|
| Daily Loss Limit | Strict 5% maximum daily loss limit tracked on equity or balance. |
| Max Overall Loss | Strict 10% maximum trailing/overall loss limit. |
| News Trading Restriction | Standard accounts restrict trading 2 mins before and after high-impact news on affected instruments. Swing accounts have no news restrictions. |
| Weekend Holding | Standard accounts must close trades over the weekend. Swing accounts can hold trades over the weekend. |
| Scaling Plan | Accounts can be scaled by 25% every 4 months (up to $2M) if generating at least 10% net profit over 4 cycles and withdrawing twice. Upscales profit split to 90%. |
FTMO's main operational risk is not always hidden in the headline drawdown number. It is usually inside these secondary clauses: news-trading limits, inactivity rules, copy-trading rules, holding restrictions, or strategy-behaviour clauses that only become obvious after purchase.
FTMO Payout Timing, Consistency & Progression Rules
FTMO currently has 1 tracked consistency or progression notes in this dataset. That matters because many firms market “weekly” or “on demand” payouts while still using consistency, minimum-day, or behaviour rules to slow the first withdrawal.
| Program / Stage | Tracked Rule |
|---|---|
| All Programs | No formal hidden rule that rejects payouts based on a single profitable day, however extreme gambling behavior can violate ToS. Supervised via the Discipline Score metric. |
Who FTMO Rules Suit Best
FTMO is usually a better fit for traders who already know how to operate inside a rule-based environment and can trade within fixed drawdown boundaries without forcing trades. Because FTMO covers Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks, the exact rule pain points depend on whether you trade fast intraday setups, multi-day swings, or event-driven volatility.
The safest workflow is to compare the live rules page, the account size you actually want, and the first-payout policy together before you buy. The wrong challenge model often looks cheap until the rule stack makes it hard to finish or withdraw.