FTMO Account Sizes and Pricing 2026: All 5 Tiers Compared

FTMO offers five account sizes ($10,000, $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, and $200,000) across three product variants: the 1-Step Challenge (Standard only), the 2-Step Challenge Standard, and the 2-Step Challenge Swing. Every size on every variant costs a one-time Challenge fee in EUR, with that fee returned in full on the first Funded payout. As of May 2026, pricing in EUR ranges from €79 at the entry level to €1,080 at the top tier, with important confidence distinctions between the two evaluation paths.

Paul has traded FTMO for approximately four years, one of his earliest prop firms as a European trader, and withdrawn $15K+ in real payouts. He scalps the 1-Step Challenge primarily on Standard $50K and $100K sizes, which means the pricing tiers most relevant to active-trader decisions are the focus of this article.

What are FTMO's account sizes?

FTMO's account sizes mirror the funded balance you will receive after passing the evaluation. The five tiers are:

• $10,000: Entry-level. Lowest Challenge fee, highest fee-to-capital ratio.
• $25,000: Mid-entry. Popular with newer traders scaling up.
• $50,000: Mid-tier. The crossover where per-capital cost starts to compress meaningfully.
• $100,000: Flagship tier. Paul's primary account size with strong fee-to-capital math.
• $200,000: Top tier. Best per-capital cost and single-account maximum.

All five sizes are available on all three variants (1-Step Standard, 2-Step Standard, 2-Step Swing) and on all three FTMO-supported platforms: MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader. The maximum funded balance on a single account is $200K. Traders who want more exposure can open multiple accounts or grow via the Scaling Plan.

The FTMO accounts overview covers the structural differences between the evaluation paths. This article focuses on what each size costs, how that cost breaks down relative to the funding potential, and how to read the EUR fee correctly.

How are FTMO Challenges priced?

The full pricing matrix across all five sizes and three variants is shown below. Pricing is denominated in EUR. USD approximations use an exchange rate of approximately €1 = $1.08 (May 2026).

Confidence notes: 2-Step Standard and Swing prices carry HIGH confidence: consistent across five or more independent secondary sources and stable since at least mid-2025. 1-Step prices carry MEDIUM confidence: aggregated from two sources citing the official promo.ftmo.com page; the primary product page is JavaScript-rendered and was not directly accessible. Verify 1-Step prices at ftmo.com before purchasing.

Two structural observations jump out immediately from this table. First, 2-Step Standard and Swing are always identical in price. Swing provides expanded holding rights (weekends, news events) with zero price premium. Second, the 1-Step is cheaper at every tier, but the gap narrows at larger sizes: €76 cheaper at $10K, only €81 cheaper at $200K. The pricing differential is smallest at the top tier, which matters when deciding between the evaluation paths.

1-Step pricing breakdown

The 1-Step FTMO Challenge is FTMO's newer, single-phase evaluation. It requires hitting a 10% profit target with a 3% daily loss limit and a 10% trailing maximum loss. There is no Swing variant. 1-Step is Standard only.

Pricing (MEDIUM confidence, verify at ftmo.com):

The $50K–$200K tiers provide meaningfully better capital-per-euro ratios than the entry tiers. At €79 for $10K, you get $127 of funded capital per euro spent. At €999 for $200K, you get $200 per euro, which is 58% more capital per unit of fee at the top tier.

Paul trades primarily at $50K and $100K sizes. The $100K 1-Step at €499 gives $200 of funded capital per euro, which is the same ratio as the $200K. The pricing curve flattens at the upper half of the range.

The 1-Step also starts at a 90% profit split from the first payout, with no scaling required. That is a meaningful advantage in payout economics when setting the fee cost against projected returns. See the FTMO payout rules article for full payout mechanics.

2-Step pricing breakdown

The 2-Step FTMO Challenge requires passing two phases: Phase 1 at 10% profit target and Phase 2 at 5%. Both phases have a 5% daily loss limit and a 10% static maximum loss. The 2-Step splits into Standard and Swing at identical fees.

2-Step Standard and Swing pricing (HIGH confidence):

The capital-per-euro ratio for 2-Step ranges from $65 at the entry tier to $185 at the top. Both top tiers ($100K and $200K) deliver the same ratio. The pricing curve flattens here too.

The Swing variant delivers identical funded capital for identical cost, so the Swing decision is purely a rules question (overnight and weekend holding vs Standard restrictions) rather than a pricing question. The FTMO weekend holding rule and news trading rule articles explain what Standard restricts in practice.

2-Step base profit split is 80%, rising to 90% once the Scaling Plan criteria are met over a 4-month cycle. For traders who prefer more lenient daily loss limits (5% vs 3%) and a static rather than trailing max drawdown, the 2-Step fee premium over 1-Step is the cost of that structural safety. The FTMO daily loss limit and max loss rule articles break down both mechanics in detail.

How does the Challenge fee refund work?

FTMO returns 100% of the Challenge fee alongside the first reward withdrawal from the funded FTMO Account. This applies to both the 1-Step and 2-Step paths (HIGH confidence for 2-Step; MEDIUM confidence for 1-Step based on consistent secondary source statements).

The mechanics:

1. Pay the Challenge fee upfront (EUR, via bank transfer, card, crypto, or Skrill)
2. Pass the evaluation phase(s)
3. Trade the funded FTMO Account and hit your first payout
4. On the first reward withdrawal, FTMO deposits the challenge fee alongside your profit split

The refund is not conditional on reaching a profit threshold above the fee — it comes with the first payout regardless of size. Settlement takes approximately 1–2 business days after the withdrawal request, with full funds clearing in 1–5 business days depending on payment method.

If you fail the evaluation at any phase, no refund is issued. A new fee is required to retry. This is the core risk: the Challenge fee is a sunk cost on failure.

The practical implication of the refund mechanic is that a successful trader's effective net cost is zero over time. The fee is a float, not an expense. This reframes the cost-per-funded-capital math significantly: if you plan to pass and run the account long-term, the EUR fee is essentially a temporary deposit rather than a permanent cost.

For traders comparing FTMO against competing firms, this mechanic is replicated by several peers: FundedNext, The5ers, and FundingPips all offer some form of fee refund on first payout, though not universally across the industry.

Cost per $1K of funded capital: which size is best value?

The fee-refund mechanic makes the pre-refund cost-per-payout-potential analysis the relevant comparison frame. The question is: before you receive your first payout, how much capital are you paying the Challenge fee against?

The pattern is clear: the cost curve compresses sharply between $10K and $100K, then flattens completely at $200K. Moving from $10K to $50K on the 1-Step cuts the fee-per-$1K from €7.90 to €6.38 (a 19% improvement). Moving from $50K to $100K cuts it further to €4.99 (another 22% improvement). Moving from $100K to $200K produces no additional compression.

The practical conclusion: if your trading edge is genuine and your capital allows it, the $100K tier is the inflection point where per-capital cost stops improving meaningfully. Traders who cannot sustain a $100K account should target $50K rather than $25K for the next-best ratio.

For 2-Step, the same inflection applies. The $100K 2-Step at €540 delivers €5.40 per $1K, only €0.41 more per $1K than the 1-Step equivalent. The 2-Step premium for access to 5% daily loss limits (vs 3%) and static max drawdown (vs trailing) costs roughly €0.41 per $1K of funded capital at the $100K tier.

Whether that structural flexibility is worth €41 extra on a $100K account depends entirely on your trading style. Scalpers and high-frequency traders who can manage tight intraday risk comfortably (as Paul does) typically favour the 1-Step. Swing traders who want weekend and news exposure should select 2-Step Swing, which adds those permissions at the same price as 2-Step Standard.

What about VAT and tax for EU buyers?

FTMO is registered as FTMO s.r.o. in the Czech Republic (VAT registration CZ699005540). Czech VAT applies to the Challenge fee for buyers in certain regions.

Key points:

• EU individual buyers: Czech VAT (currently 21%) may appear in your order summary, depending on your member state and VAT registration status. VAT-registered businesses can typically reclaim input VAT if the service qualifies under their local rules.
• Non-EU buyers: Generally no Czech VAT. Buyers in the UK, US, India, and most non-EU jurisdictions see no VAT on their order.
• Business buyers (B2B within EU): Reverse charge mechanism typically applies: you self-assess VAT in your own country rather than paying Czech VAT to FTMO.

The effective Challenge fee for a non-VAT-registered individual buyer in Germany, France, or another EU member state will be higher than the listed EUR price by the VAT component. Check the order screen before confirming. FTMO displays the final tax-inclusive total.

FTMO's Czech registration also means the firm operates under EU financial services oversight frameworks. The OANDA acquisition (completed December 2025, after FTMO founders Otakar Šuffner and Marek Vašíček became co-CEOs of OANDA) added a regulated broker licence layer to the corporate structure, which strengthens the trust argument for EU-based traders. See the FTMO review for full trust and compliance context.

How do FTMO sizes compare to peer firms?

The $10K–$200K size range is standard across most modern prop firms. The meaningful differentiators are: fee level, refund mechanic, profit split structure, and asset class scope.

At the $100K tier, FTMO 1-Step is price-competitive with FundingPips and significantly cheaper than The5ers. The5ers and similar firms that offer futures are not comparable for Forex/CFD traders. FTMO does not offer futures, and that is not a gap for its target audience.

FTMO's 1-Step 90% split from day one stands out in this comparison. Most peers require scaling or additional criteria to reach 90%. The combination of fee-competitive pricing, day-one 90% split, and fee refund makes the FTMO 1-Step argument strong for experienced Forex traders.

For traders specifically looking at futures-based prop firms, Lucid Trading and Take Profit Trader are futures-only alternatives that operate in a completely different asset class and regulatory framework.

The bottom line

FTMO runs a clean, well-structured pricing model across five account sizes and three evaluation variants. As of May 2026, the 2-Step Standard and Swing pricing is confirmed at €155–€1,080 (HIGH confidence). The 1-Step pricing is indicated at €79–€999 (MEDIUM confidence; verify at ftmo.com before purchase, as the official page was not directly accessible during this research cycle).

The fee refund on first Funded payout is the most important pricing mechanic to understand: a successful trader recovers the entire Challenge fee with their first reward. That makes the effective long-run cost zero and reframes the decision as "which tier gives the best capital leverage before my first payout" rather than "how much am I paying."

The $100K tier is the value inflection point on both paths. Below $100K, per-capital cost is noticeably higher. Above $100K, the per-capital cost is identical. Traders who can manage a $100K account should target it first rather than starting at $200K, unless they have a proven edge at that capital level.

Paul trades the 1-Step Challenge on Standard $50K and $100K sizes after approximately four years with the firm and $15K+ in verified payouts. That tenure covers multiple Challenge cycles, fee refunds, and Scaling Plan rounds. The model works as described if the trading edge is real.

Internal links for deeper reading: FTMO accounts overview, 1-Step Challenge rules, 2-Step Challenge rules, payout rules and timing, daily loss limit mechanics, max loss rule (trailing vs static), platforms (MT4/MT5/cTrader), prohibited strategies, rules overview, FTMO full review, FTMO FAQ.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are FTMO's account sizes?

FTMO offers five account sizes: $10,000, $25,000, $50,000, $100,000, and $200,000. All five are available on all three product variants: 1-Step Standard, 2-Step Standard, and 2-Step Swing. There is no micro-account below $10K or a jumbo account above $200K at the single-account level.

How much does the FTMO Challenge cost?

Pricing depends on the variant and size. 2-Step Standard and Swing (HIGH confidence): €155 ($10K), €250 ($25K), €345 ($50K), €540 ($100K), €1,080 ($200K). 1-Step Standard (MEDIUM confidence, verify at ftmo.com): €79 ($10K), €199 ($25K), €319 ($50K), €499 ($100K), €999 ($200K). All prices in EUR; USD equivalent depends on the current exchange rate.

Is the 1-Step Challenge cheaper than the 2-Step?

Yes. At every account size, the 1-Step fee is lower than the 2-Step fee. The gap ranges from €76 at $10K to €81 at $200K. The trade-off is tighter rules on the 1-Step: 3% daily loss limit and a trailing max drawdown versus 5% daily loss limit and static drawdown on the 2-Step.

Does FTMO offer a $500K or $1M funded account?

Not directly on a single account. The maximum single-account funded balance is $200K. Traders can scale up to $400K (per confirmed Scaling Plan mechanics) on a single account over multiple 4-month cycles, and FTMO allows multiple concurrent accounts, which can bring total funded exposure higher. The commonly cited $2M figure refers to total multi-account exposure across the scaling programme.

When does FTMO refund the Challenge fee?

The refund is processed alongside the first reward withdrawal from the funded FTMO Account. FTMO initiates the refund 1–2 business days after your withdrawal request. Funds settle in 1–5 business days depending on the payment method used (bank transfer, Skrill, crypto). The refund is only triggered by a successful first payout and does not apply to failed challenges.

What is the minimum Challenge fee at FTMO?

The cheapest entry point is the $10K 1-Step Challenge at €79 (approximately $85 at May 2026 exchange rates). That said, the €79 entry tier has the worst fee-to-capital ratio (€7.90 per $1K funded). For better economics, the $50K 1-Step at €319 offers a meaningfully improved ratio of €6.38 per $1K.

Is the Swing account more expensive than Standard?

No. FTMO prices 2-Step Standard and 2-Step Swing identically at every account size. Swing adds the right to hold positions over weekends and trade through high-impact news events with no price premium. The choice between Standard and Swing is entirely a rules and strategy question.

What profit split do I get on an FTMO funded account?

On 1-Step accounts, the 90% split applies from the first payout with no Scaling Plan criteria required. 2-Step accounts start at 80% and upgrade to 90% after completing one full 4-month Scaling Plan cycle: 10% net profit over the period, profitable in at least 2 of 4 months, and no rule violations.

Are there ongoing fees after passing the FTMO Challenge?

No monthly subscription fees. FTMO funded accounts have no recurring charges. The only cost is the one-time Challenge fee, which is refunded on first payout. Platform access (MT4, MT5, cTrader) is provided at no additional cost.

Does FTMO run seasonal pricing promotions?

FTMO has run limited-time promotions historically (Black Friday, anniversary events). As of May 2026, no confirmed public promo code is active. The FTMO Prime Programme offers an earned 10% loyalty discount after four qualifying payouts. This is not a shareable public code. Monitor ftmo.com and FTMO's official social channels for any announced promotions.

How does FTMO compare to FundedNext on price?

At the $100K tier, FTMO 2-Step Standard (€540, ~$583) and FundedNext Stellar 2-Step (~$549) are closely matched. FTMO 1-Step at €499 is noticeably cheaper than most FundedNext equivalents and starts at 90% profit split versus FundedNext's 80% base. Both firms offer the fee refund on first payout. The asset class offering is comparable (Forex, indices, metals, crypto).

Can EU traders deduct the Challenge fee as a business expense?

Tax treatment of Challenge fees varies by jurisdiction and depends on whether your trading activity is classified as business or personal income. This article does not constitute tax advice. Consult a tax professional in your country. Many EU traders who operate trading as a business activity are able to deduct Challenge fees as a cost of generating business income.