FTMO vs The5ers (2026): The Two Longest Track Records in Forex Prop, Compared
Last verified: June 12, 2026
If futures prop is a crowded field of three-year-old firms, forex prop has two elders: FTMO, operating from Prague since 2014 and the firm that effectively invented the retail challenge model, and The5ers, funding traders from Israel since 2016 with a scaling-first philosophy that predates the industry's discount wars. Between them sit two decades of payout history — which is exactly why this is the most-searched forex prop comparison there is.
They are also, structurally, opposites. FTMO's model is built around a defined funded account with a split that improves through a scaling plan. The5ers' model is built around growth itself: smaller starting capital that doubles as you hit milestones, with the split climbing alongside it.
Quick verdict
Pick FTMO if you want the industry's reference-standard evaluation, fast and predictable bi-weekly payouts, and — if you're a US trader — the only path between these two firms that's open to you at all.
Pick The5ers if you're playing a multi-year game: you care more about scaling a small account toward a very large one than about maximizing your first payout.
Side-by-side
| FTMO | The5ers | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded / HQ | 2014, Prague, Czech Republic | 2016, Israel |
| Programs | 1-Step Challenge and 2-Step Challenge | Four CFD programs: Hyper Growth (1-step), Pro Growth (1-step), High Stakes (2-step), Bootcamp (3-step) |
| Daily loss limit | 1-Step: 3%. 2-Step: 5% | Program-dependent; Hyper Growth uses a 3% "daily pause" (halts trading) while Pro Growth's 3% daily loss terminates the account |
| Max loss | 10% — trailing (EOD) on 1-Step, static on 2-Step | Program-dependent; Hyper Growth uses a 6% stop-out |
| Time limit | None | None on the main programs |
| Profit split | 1-Step: 90% from the first payout. 2-Step: 80%, rising to 90% via the Scaling Plan | Starts lower (program-dependent) and scales upward with milestones — toward 100% at the top of the ladder |
| Scaling | +25% balance increases for hitting Scaling Plan criteria over 4-month cycles | Account-doubling milestones, advertised up to $4M total capital |
| Payouts | On-demand date choice, bi-weekly cycle; processing measured in hours, not days | First payout 14 days after funded activation, then every two weeks |
| Fee refund | 2-Step challenge fee refunded with first payout | Program-dependent — check current refund/hub-credit policy |
| News trading | Funded standard accounts: no trading within 2 minutes of high-impact news (Swing variant exempt, with lower leverage) | Holding through news allowed; no new orders within 2 minutes of high-impact events |
| US traders | Yes — via the OANDA structure following FTMO's December 2025 acquisition | No — US traders are restricted |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, cTrader, DXtrade | MT5, cTrader |
Two challenges vs four programs
FTMO simplified into two clean paths. The 2-Step Challenge is the classic: two phases of targets against a 5% daily loss line and a 10% static max loss, an 80% starting split, and your challenge fee refunded with your first payout. The 1-Step Challenge trades safety for speed: a single phase, a tighter 3% daily loss line, a 10% max loss that trails end-of-day as the account grows — and a 90% split from the very first payout. The drawdown-type difference between the two paths is the detail most buyers miss: the 1-Step's trailing max loss behaves like a futures-firm trail, and traders who treat it like the 2-Step's static floor donate accounts to it.
The5ers answers with a four-program menu. Hyper Growth is the flagship 1-step: a 10% target against a 6% stop-out, with a 3% daily pause that halts trading for the day rather than failing you — a genuinely forgiving mechanic that has no FTMO equivalent. Pro Growth is the newer 1-step variant where that same 3% daily line is terminal, in exchange for a higher starting split and an incremental scaling track. High Stakes is the conventional 2-step (current-generation targets of 10% then 5% — note The5ers distinguishes "New" from "Classic" High Stakes, and older third-party reviews citing 8%/5% describe the classic version). Bootcamp is the low-cost 3-step entry path.
The scaling philosophy is the real difference
FTMO's funded model: you get an account the size you bought, the profit target disappears, and you withdraw on a bi-weekly cycle with processing that routinely completes in hours. Hit the Scaling Plan criteria over a four-month window and the balance steps up 25% with an improved split. It's a withdrawal machine with a growth feature.
The5ers' funded model is a growth machine with a withdrawal feature. Capital doubles as you hit milestones, the split climbs with each level, and the advertised ceiling — up to $4M — is among the highest in the industry. The cost of that ceiling is patience: starting splits are lower, the first payout waits 14 days after funding, and the compounding only pays if you survive long enough to climb.
A useful way to frame it for yourself: if your plan is to withdraw nearly everything you make each month, FTMO's economics likely beat The5ers' at every stage you'll actually reach. If your plan is to build toward managing seven figures, The5ers' ladder is the product designed for you.
The US access asymmetry
This one is binary. The5ers does not accept US traders. FTMO does — through the structure created by its December 2025 acquisition of OANDA, which routes US participants through a regulated brokerage framework. For American readers, this comparison resolves itself before any rule matters. (Non-US readers: both are open to you, and the rest of this page is your decision.)
Strategy restrictions — read these before buying
Both firms police strategy more actively than futures firms do. The5ers prohibits a published list including high-frequency trading, certain arbitrage, and copy-trading approaches; FTMO's funded standard accounts ban order execution in a 2-minute window around high-impact news (its Swing account type exempts you at the cost of lower leverage), and the firm reserves broad discretion on aggregated-risk and toxic-flow grounds. If your edge is news-event execution, neither firm's standard account fits — compare the Swing variant or a futures firm instead.
The5ers offers a verified discount through PropFirmV. FTMO is linked via partner URL with no code required. Neither affects the analysis above — see our methodology.
FAQ
Which is better for beginners? The5ers' Hyper Growth daily pause (rather than a terminal daily loss) is the most beginner-forgiving mechanic between the two firms — but FTMO's 2-Step with its static max loss is also a reasonable first evaluation. The 1-Step paths at both firms are for traders who already know their variance.
Which pays out faster? FTMO. On-demand cycles with hours-scale processing beats The5ers' 14-day first-payout wait and fixed bi-weekly rhythm.
Can US traders use either firm? FTMO yes (via the OANDA structure); The5ers no. Verify your eligibility at checkout, as regulatory arrangements can change.
Do both firms refund the challenge fee? FTMO refunds the 2-Step fee with your first payout. The5ers' refund and credit policies vary by program and have changed over time — confirm the current policy for your specific program before purchase.
Some links on this page are affiliate links, and PropFirmV earns a commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. The5ers offers shown use code 9TXM2F63OM. Rankings and analysis are independent of affiliate status. Trading CFDs and forex involves substantial risk; most traders do not pass evaluations, and fees are non-refundable except where stated. Confirm current rules on the firm's official site before purchasing.