FTMO vs The5ers
Complete head-to-head comparison for 2026 — fees, rules, payouts, and more.
The5ers
The5ers wins with 55 vs 30 points, scoring higher in pricing & value, profit split, challenge fairness and 2 more categories.
FTMO
At a Glance
| Metric | FTMO | The5ers |
|---|---|---|
PFS ScoreTrust | 8.2/10 | 7.8/10 |
Trustpilot RatingTrust | 4.8/5 | 4.9/5 |
Trustpilot ReviewsTrust | 38,883 | 20,736 |
FoundedTrust | 2015 | 2016 |
HeadquartersInfo | Prague, Czech Republic | Ra'anana, Israel |
Total PayoutsTrust | $500.0M | $43.0M |
Lowest Entry FeeCost | $170 | $22 |
CashbackCost | 2% | 2% |
Fee RefundableCost | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Profit SplitEarnings | 80% – 90% | 80% – 100% |
Max AllocationScaling | $2.0M | $4.0M |
First PayoutPayouts | 14 days | 14 days |
Payout FrequencyPayouts | Bi-weekly (every 14 days) | Bi-weekly |
Min PayoutPayouts | $20 | $150 |
Payout ProcessingPayouts | Average 8 hours; max 1-2 business days | 1-3 business days |
Challenge PhasesRules | 2-Step | 2-Step |
Daily Loss LimitRules | 5% | 5% |
Total Loss LimitRules | 10% | 10% |
Time LimitRules | Unlimited | Unlimited (30 days inactivity = expiry) |
Consistency RuleRules | Best Day Rule on 1-Step only: best single day cannot exceed 50% of total profit target. 1-Step uses End-of-Day (EOD) Trailing max loss recalculated daily. No consistency rule on 2-Step. | None — no consistency requirements across any program |
PlatformsTools | MT4, MT5, cTrader, DXtrade | MT5, cTrader |
InstrumentsTools | ~? | ~? |
LeverageTools | 100 | 100 |
News TradingRules | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
EA AllowedRules | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Copy TradingRules | ❌ No | ❌ No |
Weekend HoldingRules | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Program & Pricing Comparison

FTMO
| Program | Size | Fee | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Step $10K Challenge | $10K | $170 | 80% |
| 1-Step $10K Challenge | $10K | $98 | 90% |
| 2-Step $25K Challenge | $25K | $275 | 80% |
| 1-Step $25K Challenge | $25K | $275 | 90% |
| 2-Step $50K Challenge | $50K | $379 | 80% |
| 1-Step $50K Challenge | $50K | $379 | 90% |
| 1-Step $100K Challenge | $100K | $483 | 90% |
| 2-Step $100K Challenge | $100K | $594 | 80% |
| 2-Step $200K Challenge | $200K | $1188 | 80% |
| 1-Step $200K Challenge | $200K | $1188 | 90% |

The5ers
| Program | Size | Fee | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Stakes $2.5K | $3K | $22 | 80% |
| High Stakes $5K | $5K | $39 | 80% |
| Hyper Growth $10K | $10K | $260 | 50% |
| High Stakes $10K | $10K | $78 | 80% |
| Hyper Growth $20K | $20K | $450 | 50% |
| High Stakes $20K | $20K | $165 | 80% |
| High Stakes $25K | $25K | $195 | 80% |
| Hyper Growth $40K | $40K | $850 | 50% |
| High Stakes $50K | $50K | $309 | 80% |
| High Stakes $60K | $60K | $329 | 80% |
| High Stakes $100K | $100K | $545 | 80% |
| Bootcamp $100K | $100K | $325 | 50% |
| Bootcamp $250K | $250K | $625 | 50% |
Trading Rules
| Rule | FTMO | The5ers |
|---|---|---|
| News Trading | ||
| Expert Advisors (EA) | ||
| Copy Trading | ||
| Weekend Holding | ||
| Fee Refundable | ||
| Prohibited Strategies | HFT, Latency arbitrage, Gap trading around news, Coordinated opposite positions across accounts, Overleveraging, Account rolling, One-sided bets | Arbitrage (all types), HFT, Tick scalping, Bracketing around news, Bulk trading, One-sided bets, System error exploitation, Account sharing/reselling, EAs without source code ownership, Hedge/reverse arbitrage, Trade coordination between accounts |
Payouts & Scaling

FTMO

The5ers
Trust & Reputation

FTMO
- Pioneer of Modern Prop Trading Since 2015
- 3.5 Million+ Customers Worldwide
- Acquired OANDA Global Corporation
- Not Regulated by Any Financial Authority
- Simulated Trading Only - No Real Market Execution
- 1-Step Challenge Fee Not Refundable

The5ers
- 10 years in business since 2016
- Scaling up to $4 million
- No time limits on evaluations
- Simulated trading environment
- Account termination complaints near large payouts
- Limited instrument selection (~40 assets)
Which Firm Is Better For...
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FTMO or The5ers better for beginners?
The5ers is generally more accessible for beginners due to lower entry costs. Use our Risk Profile Matcher for personalized advice.
Which firm has better profit splits?
The5ers offers up to 100% maximum profit split. See our profit splits comparison.
Which firm pays out faster?
FTMO processes first payouts in 14 days. Check our payout speed tracker.
Can I get cashback on both firms?
Yes! PropFirmScan offers cashback on both FTMO (2%) and The5ers (2%). Learn how cashback works.
Which firm has more trading instruments?
FTMO offers approximately 0 instruments. See our full trading rules comparison.
Which firm scales higher?
The5ers offers scaling up to $4.0M. Both firms offer scaling plans for consistent traders.
Are FTMO and The5ers legitimate?
Both firms are vetted by PropFirmScan. FTMO has a PFS score of 8.2/10 and The5ers scores 7.8/10. See our vetting methodology.
Which firm allows news trading and EAs?
FTMO: News ✅, EA ✅. The5ers: News ✅, EA ✅.
Ready to Start?
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