FTMO vs The5ers

FTMO suits traders who want more room on a $100K account, a 10% static maximum loss against 8%, no commission on withdrawals and a platform choice that includes MetaTrader 4. The5ers suits traders who want a lower list price, an 8% first step target on its Classic version, weekend holding on funded accounts and a scaling plan that lifts the split to 100%. Both firms have long operating records, FTMO since 2015 and The5ers since 2016, so the choice comes down to rules and costs.

All prices are list prices at the time of review in September 2026. FTMO prices in euros and The5ers in US dollars, and both run frequent discounts.

FTMO vs The5ers at a glance

The table compares the FTMO Challenge 2 Step at $100,000 with The5ers High Stakes Classic at $100,000.

Rules and drawdown

Both firms use a static maximum loss on these products, fixed from the starting balance and measured on equity. The difference is size. FTMO allows 10%, so a $100K account fails at $90,000. The5ers High Stakes allows 8% on its $50K and $100K accounts, so the floor sits at $92,000; smaller High Stakes sizes keep 10%. Profit left in The5ers account widens the room above the floor. For how static limits compare with trailing ones, see trailing vs static drawdown.

The daily limits are calculated differently as well as set at different levels. FTMO uses a fixed 5% of the initial balance, deducted from the balance at midnight Central European time. The5ers uses 4% on $100K, measured from the higher of the previous day’s closing balance or equity at midnight server time, which means open profit at the close raises the reference point.

Targets favour The5ers Classic in the first step, at 8% against FTMO’s 10%, with both asking for 5% in the second. The5ers also sells High Stakes New at $405 for $100K, which asks for 10% in the first step. FTMO needs four trading days in each phase, while The5ers needs three profitable days of at least 0.5% of the initial balance in each step. Neither sets a time limit, although The5ers closes evaluation accounts after 30 days without activity and funded High Stakes accounts after 60.

Both firms offer other routes. The FTMO 1 Step costs €499 for $100K, with a 10% target, a 3% daily limit, a 10% maximum loss that trails the highest end of day balance and a 90% split. The5ers Pro Growth is a one step up to $50,000, costing $329 at that size, with a 10% target, a 3% daily limit and a 6% static limit. The5ers Hyper Growth doubles the account at each 10% target, up to $4 million.

News, holding and automation

News rules differ in scope. FTMO allows news trading during the evaluation and restricts it only on funded Standard accounts, where trades on affected instruments cannot be opened or closed from two minutes before to two minutes after selected releases. The5ers High Stakes bars order execution from two minutes before to two minutes after high impact news and deducts profit from such trades, although holding through news is allowed.

Weekend holding is allowed on every The5ers programme, although indices held over the weekend carry high swaps. FTMO funded Standard accounts must close before the weekend, while the Swing account type, offered on the 2 Step only, removes that restriction and the news restriction at leverage of up to 1:30. Both firms allow expert advisors under conditions. The5ers requires the trader to own the source code and bans copying others’ signals, and FTMO requires the strategy to be replicable in real markets, with a $400,000 allocation limit per trader or strategy.

Pricing and fee refunds

At list price The5ers is cheaper for $100K, at $455 for Classic and $405 for New, against €540 at FTMO. At the time of review FTMO offered its $100K 2 Step at €439 to traders without an active challenge of that size. The refund terms differ: FTMO returns the 2 Step fee with the first reward, while The5ers returns 10% as hub credit after step 1, 20% after step 2 and 70% in cash with the first payout. The5ers charges $10 extra for cTrader.

Payouts

FTMO rewards can be requested from the 14th day after the first trade, and each withdrawal starts a new cycle. FTMO reviews requests within one to two business days, charges no commission on withdrawals and pays by bank wire, card, Skrill or crypto. The Scaling Plan adds 25% to the balance every four months for traders with at least 10% net profit and two processed rewards, up to $2 million, and moves 2 Step accounts to a 90% split.

The5ers pays the first High Stakes payout 14 days after the funded account is activated and then every 14 days, processed in up to three business days. The minimum on $100K is $500, and the firm lists a payout cap of $4,000 for that size. Payouts by Rise, crypto or bank transfer carry a 3.5% commission, while payouts taken as hub credits do not. Scaling adds balance at each 10% target with three profitable days, up to $500,000, with the split rising through 85% and 90% to 100% and fixed monthly payments from $350,000. More on payout structures is in prop firm payouts.

Platforms and markets

FTMO offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader and TradingView, with forex, indices, commodities, stocks and crypto, and leverage of up to 1:100 on Standard accounts. The5ers offers MetaTrader 5, cTrader and TradingView, with forex, metals, indices, oil and crypto, and leverage of 1:100 on High Stakes. TradingView is the only platform for US clients at The5ers, and cTrader is not available to new US accounts. FTMO serves US clients through an affiliated entity.

Who should choose each firm

Choose FTMO if

• You want a 10% maximum loss on a $100K account rather than 8%.
• You want the fee refunded with the first reward and no commission on withdrawals.
• You trade news during the evaluation or use MetaTrader 4.

Choose The5ers if

• You want a lower list price and an 8% first step target.
• You hold positions over weekends on a standard funded account.
• You want a scaling path that raises the split to 100%.

Both firms also appear in the three way FTMO vs The5ers vs Topstep comparison. Read the FTMO review and The5ers review, filter firms in the comparison table, or browse more comparisons and the CFD prop firms hub.