FTMO vs FundingPips 2026: Prices, Rules, Payouts and a Clear Verdict

Key Takeaways

• FTMO wins on track record and ownership. Operating since 2015, $200M+ paid out, and the owner of regulated broker OANDA since 1 December 2025.
• FundingPips wins on payout speed and flexibility. Its 2 Step Pro pays 80% every 7 days or 100% every 30 days, while FTMO pays bi-weekly.
• Both now sell instant accounts. FTMO's Instant Account runs from €169 ($5K) to €2,999 ($100K) with a 3% daily loss and a 30% Best Day rule, so instant funding is no longer a FundingPips-only feature.
• FTMO's 2-Step is the cleaner rulebook: 10% then 5% targets, static 5% daily and 10% max loss, no consistency rule, fee refunded with your first reward.
• Platforms split the decision. FTMO offers MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView. FundingPips offers MT5, cTrader and Match-Trader, and US residents are limited to Match-Trader.
• Verdict: safety-first and swing traders pick FTMO. Cash-flow traders who want weekly payouts pick FundingPips. If neither fits, look at The5ers or FunderPro.

FTMO vs FundingPips: The Short Answer

Two prop firms. One question: which one do you trust with your next challenge fee?

FTMO is the firm everyone else copied. Founded in Prague in 2015, more than $200M paid out, and since 1 December 2025 the owner of OANDA, a broker regulated in New York, London, Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney. FundingPips is the young giant. Founded in 2022, run through a Cyprus company with operations in Dubai, and reporting 2M+ traders plus $200M+ paid out on its own disclosures.

The short version of FTMO vs FundingPips:

• Pick FTMO if you care most about operating history, static drawdown on the 2-Step, MT4 or TradingView, and a challenge fee refunded with your first reward.
• Pick FundingPips if you want weekly or on-demand payouts, a 100% split option on the monthly cycle, or Match-Trader.
• Pick neither if your strategy breaks their news or consistency rules. Read the rule sections below before you pay anyone.

The rest of this page is the detail behind that verdict: prices per account size, profit targets, drawdown, payouts, platforms and ownership. Every FTMO price and rule below was checked on ftmo.com on 27 October 2026. FundingPips blocks automated checks, so its numbers come from its help center and our FundingPips review, dated where it matters.

The cheapest challenge is the one you only buy once.

Challenge Prices Per Account Size

Price is where most traders start. It should not be where they finish, but here are the numbers.

FTMO 2-Step Challenge (prices in euros, USD account sizes, ftmo.com, 27 October 2026):

• $10,000 account: €89
• $25,000 account: €250
• $50,000 account: €345
• $100,000 account: €540 (a one-off promo listed it at €439 for traders without an active $100K challenge)
• $200,000 account: €1,080

FTMO 1-Step Challenge:

• $10,000 account: €79
• $25,000 account: €199
• $50,000 account: €319
• $100,000 account: €499 (promo listed at €399)
• $200,000 account: €999

FTMO Instant Account (no evaluation, non-refundable fee):

• $5,000: €169
• $10,000: €339
• $25,000: €749
• $50,000: €1,499
• $100,000: €2,999

Two things stand out. FTMO's entry price has fallen hard: older reviews still quote a €79 floor. And the 2-Step fee is fully reimbursed with your first reward once you are funded, which FTMO lists as a 100% refund.

FundingPips starts lower on account size, with a $5K tier that FTMO only offers on its Instant Account. Its help center lists $5K, $10K, $25K, $50K and $100K on the 2-Step Standard. On our previous checks the $5K 2-Step sat at roughly $50, but FundingPips reprices often and runs frequent discount codes, so treat any FundingPips number you read online (ours included) as a starting point, not a quote. Check the checkout page on the day you buy.

The practical read: at $10K, both firms are cheap enough that price should not decide anything. At $100K and above, FTMO's refund-on-first-reward policy matters more than a few euros of sticker difference.

Profit Targets and Drawdown Rules, Side by Side

This is the section that decides whether you pass. Prices are a nuisance. Rules are the wall.

FTMO 2-Step (verified on ftmo.com, 27 October 2026):

• Profit target: 10% in Phase 1, 5% in Verification
• Max daily loss: 5% of initial balance
• Max loss: 10% of initial balance, static
• Minimum trading days: 4 per phase
• Trading period: unlimited
• Consistency rule: none on the 2-Step

FTMO 1-Step:

• Profit target: 10%
• Max daily loss: 3%
• Max loss: 10%, balance-based and trailing at end of day
• Best Day rule: your best day cannot exceed 50% of total profit, on the challenge and the funded account

FundingPips 2-Step Standard (per FundingPips' help center):

• Profit target: 8% in Phase 1, 5% in Phase 2
• Max daily loss: 5%
• Max loss: 10%, static
• Consistency: none on the standard 80% payout cycle; the 90% on-demand cycle requires that no single day exceeds 35% of total profit

Read those lists twice. FundingPips asks for 8% in Phase 1 against FTMO's 10%, which is a real advantage on the hardest leg of the challenge. FTMO counters with a 2-Step that carries no consistency rule at all, plus a free retry if you miss the target without breaking a rule, per our FTMO review.

Avoid FTMO's 1-Step if you are the type who makes a month in one afternoon. A 3% daily loss and a trailing max loss is a tight room, and the 50% Best Day rule follows you into the funded account. FTMO's own 2-Step is the friendlier door.

Static versus trailing is not a footnote. A static floor stays where it started. A trailing floor follows your best balance up and waits for you to give some back. If you are unsure which one your strategy survives, take the static option at either firm.

Payout Splits and Payout Frequency

Here is where FundingPips earns its reputation. Not on safety. On cash flow.

FTMO payouts:

• 2-Step: 80% reward split from the start, rising to 90% through the Scaling Plan or Premium Programme
• 1-Step: 90% from the start
• Instant Account: 90%
• Frequency: bi-weekly, typically processed in 1-2 business days
• Scaling: up to $2M in capital at a 90% split for consistent traders

FundingPips payouts (as of September 2026, per its help center):

• 2 Step Standard: 80% every 14 days, or 90% on demand if you accept the 35% consistency rule
• 2 Step Pro: 80% every 7 days, or 100% every 30 days
• Reward cycles across programs: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or on-demand

So who pays more? On paper, FundingPips. A 100% monthly split beats FTMO's 90% ceiling, and weekly payouts mean your money spends less time sitting in someone else's account.

But a split is a promise, and a promise is only as good as the firm that makes it. FTMO has been paying bi-weekly since 2015, through the 2023 MyForexFunds shutdown and every prop firm scare since. FundingPips has been paying since 2022 at enormous reported scale, which counts for a lot. Four years is not eleven.

Think of it like two employers. One pays a little less, on the 1st and 15th, and has never missed a payday in a decade. The other pays more, every Friday, and has been in business four years. Neither is wrong. Know which one you are signing with.

One honest note on both: rewards can be denied for rule breaches at every prop firm. FundingPips markets a "Zero Reward Denial Policy". Treat that as marketing, not a contract. The rulebook is the contract.

Platforms, Commissions and Trading Restrictions

Your platform is your workbench. Buy a challenge on the wrong one and you will spend the first week fighting the tools instead of the market.

FTMO platforms (per FTMO's FAQ, October 2026): MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView. The TradingView route executes through the OANDA broker profile, a direct dividend of the acquisition. If you run old MT4 expert advisors, FTMO is one of the few major firms still supporting them.

FundingPips platforms: MT5, cTrader and Match-Trader. No MT4. No TradingView. US residents are limited to Match-Trader, because MT5 is not offered to US clients, so check eligibility for your country before you buy.

Commissions: both firms list $5 per lot on forex, per their published account specifications as of September 2026. FTMO charges zero commission on indices. FundingPips lists zero commission on indices and energies. Call it a draw.

The restrictions that actually bite:

• FTMO: on a funded Standard account, you cannot open or close trades within 2 minutes either side of high-impact news. The Swing account removes that rule.
• FundingPips: tick scalping and high-frequency trading are prohibited outright, and on funded accounts profit from trades opened or closed within 5 minutes of restricted high-impact news may be deducted.

Normal scalping works at both. Hyper-scalping fits neither. If news trading is your edge, FTMO's Swing account is the cleaner answer. Our best prop firms for scalpers ranking goes deeper on exactly these rules.

The platform is not the strategy. But the wrong platform can kill a good one.

Ownership and Trust: OANDA's Owner vs the Four-Year-Old Giant

This is the section most comparisons skip. It is also the one that matters on the day something goes wrong.

FTMO is FTMO s.r.o., based in Prague. It completed its acquisition of OANDA from CVC on 1 December 2025, after approvals from five regulators, and says it will keep OANDA as a fully standalone business. US traders now reach FTMO through a dedicated ftmo.oanda.com regional site.

Be precise about what that buys you. OANDA's licences protect OANDA's broker clients. They do not turn an FTMO challenge into a regulated product. FTMO's own site says plainly that FTMO companies do not act as a broker and do not accept deposits. A challenge fee is still a fee for a service. What the acquisition does prove is scale, capital and a long-term plan, which is not nothing. Our guide to broker-backed prop firms explains why "broker-backed" can mean five different things.

FundingPips contracts through FundingPips Services Ltd in Cyprus (HE 450941), with operations at IFZA Business Park in Dubai. It publicly displays ISO 27001:2022, ISO 9001:2015 and business continuity certifications, which is rare in this industry. It reports 2M+ traders across 195 countries. Those are company-disclosed figures, not audited ones.

Trustpilot: FTMO scored 4.8/5 on our May 2026 check. FundingPips scored 4.5/5 from 52,513 reviews as of April 2026, the bigger pile with the lower score. Both are strong. Review volume measures marketing effort as much as satisfaction, a point we unpack in our FTMO Trustpilot reviews analysis.

The honest gap is age. MyForexFunds ran for about five years before the CFTC shut it down in 2023. FundingPips is not MyForexFunds, and nothing public suggests it is in trouble. But longevity is the one trust signal money cannot buy quickly. FTMO has eleven years of it. For the full trust audit, read is FundingPips legit.

Time is the only auditor nobody can bribe.

Who Each Firm Suits: Verdict by Trader Type

No firm is best. A firm is best for you. Here is the FTMO vs FundingPips verdict by trader type.

Choose FTMO if you are:

• A safety-first trader. Eleven years, $200M+ paid, a regulated broker under the same ownership. Nothing in the prop industry beats that combination.
• A swing or news trader. The Swing account and a static 2-Step with no consistency rule leave the fewest trapdoors.
• An MT4 or TradingView user. FundingPips supports neither.
• A trader buying a $100K or $200K challenge. The fee refund on your first reward and the free retry change the real cost more than any sticker discount.

Choose FundingPips if you are:

• A cash-flow trader. Weekly payouts on the 2 Step Pro, or on-demand on the Standard if you can live with the 35% consistency rule.
• A split maximiser on a monthly cycle. 100% every 30 days on the 2 Step Pro is a number FTMO does not match.
• A trader who wants the easier Phase 1. 8% instead of FTMO's 10% is the single biggest pass-rate difference between these two 2-Step challenges.
• A Match-Trader user, or a US resident who is fine on Match-Trader.

Instant funding seekers: this used to be FundingPips' private lane. It is not anymore. FTMO's Instant Account gives you a 90% split and 1:100 leverage from day one, but with a 3% daily loss, an intraday trailing 10% max loss and a 30% Best Day rule, and the fee is non-refundable. Compare both instant products line by line before you pay a premium to skip the test.

If you still cannot decide: buy the smallest FTMO 2-Step and the smallest FundingPips 2-Step. Under €150 combined. Trade both for a month. The firm whose rules you forget about is your firm.

If Neither Fits: The5ers and FunderPro

Sometimes the right answer to "FTMO or FundingPips?" is "neither". That is fine. Here are the two honest alternatives.

The5ers has operated since 2016, keeps static drawdown across its programs, and its scaling plan doubles your capital at each 10% milestone, up to $4M with a split that climbs to 100% at the top. The catch: MT5 only. If you think in years rather than paydays, it belongs on your shortlist. Our The5ers vs FundingPips comparison runs that matchup in full.

FunderPro offers a 90% split, static 5% daily and 10% total drawdown, daily Fast Rewards payouts and TradeLocker alongside MT5 and cTrader. If you like FundingPips' cash-flow pitch but want TradeLocker, start there. Mind its consistency rule during challenge phases.

For beginners weighing all four, our best prop firms for beginners ranking puts them in order.

Whatever you pick, the rule is the same. Read the rulebook before the checkout page. Then buy the challenge you can pass on an ordinary week, not your best one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is FTMO better than FundingPips?

FTMO is better for traders who prioritise track record and trust: it has operated since 2015, paid out $200M+, owns regulated broker OANDA since December 2025, and its 2-Step has static drawdown with no consistency rule. FundingPips is better for traders who want faster payouts, with weekly or on-demand cycles and a 100% split on the monthly 2 Step Pro cycle. Safety-first traders should pick FTMO. Cash-flow traders should pick FundingPips.

Which is cheaper, FTMO or FundingPips?

At the entry level both are cheap. FTMO's 2-Step costs €89 for a $10K account and €540 for $100K, as listed on ftmo.com on 27 October 2026, and the fee is refunded with your first reward. FundingPips offers a smaller $5K tier that has been around $50 on our previous checks, but it reprices and discounts often, so check the live checkout before buying.

Does FTMO or FundingPips have easier challenge rules?

FundingPips has the easier Phase 1 target: 8% versus FTMO's 10%. Both 2-Step challenges use a 5% daily loss and a static 10% max loss. FTMO's 2-Step has no consistency rule and offers a free retry if you miss the target without breaking rules. Avoid FTMO's 1-Step if your profits come in bursts, because it adds a 3% daily loss, a trailing max loss and a 50% Best Day rule.

Do FTMO and FundingPips accept US traders?

Yes, with conditions. FTMO serves US traders through a dedicated regional site at ftmo.oanda.com, linked to OANDA, which FTMO owns. FundingPips accepts US residents, but per its help center they are limited to the Match-Trader platform because MT5 is not offered in the US. Always confirm eligibility for your state or country before paying.

Does FTMO offer instant funding like FundingPips?

Yes, since 2026. The FTMO Instant Account skips the evaluation, pays a 90% split from day one and runs from €169 for $5K to €2,999 for $100K. It uses a 3% daily loss, an intraday trailing 10% max loss, a 30% Best Day rule and 1:100 leverage, and the fee is non-refundable. Compare it line by line with FundingPips' instant product before choosing.

What are the best alternatives to FTMO and FundingPips?

The5ers and FunderPro. The5ers has operated since 2016, uses static drawdown and scales capital up to $4M, but it is MT5 only. FunderPro pays a 90% split with daily Fast Rewards and supports TradeLocker, MT5 and cTrader. See our The5ers and FunderPro reviews for the full breakdown.