Updated for 2026
FTMO Phase 1, rules + payout math
Two-step challenge with a 10% profit target, survivable for steady strategies that don't overextend.
FTMO Phase 1 is the industry's standard two-step challenge. Hit 10% profit, stay inside a 5% daily-loss limit and a 10% static max-loss, then move to Phase 2 with a halved 5% target. Most profitable retail strategies can pass, the catch is timing and risk control, not target reach.
Rules at a glance
The four numbers that matter.
Above starting balance.
Against the previous day’s closing balance.
Static, fixed below starting balance.
Not enforced at this stage.
Payout rules
When the money actually arrives.
60-second pre-flight
Will your strategy survive FTMO Phase 1? Find out before you pay.
Glitch Executor runs your strategy against FTMO Phase 1's actual rules, daily loss, drawdown, target, consistency, over historical bars. You see exactly which day (if any) the firm would have terminated the account. Free to try with one connected account.
Want to size it yourself first? Drawdown calculator · Position sizing · Payout estimator
Account sizes
Pick your evaluation tier.
Public pricing snapshot. Verify directly with FTMO Phase 1 before purchase, fees and tiers change with promotions.
| Account size | Eval fee | Profit target (10%) | Daily-loss budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $89 | $1,000 | $500/day |
| $25,000 | $179 | $2,500 | $1,250/day |
| $50,000 | $289 | $5,000 | $2,500/day |
| $100,000 | $499 | $10,000 | $5,000/day |
| $200,000 | $899 | $20,000 | $10,000/day |
Common breach reasons
Where traders blow FTMO Phase 1 accounts.
The patterns we see most often, informed by the rule structure, not anecdote. Each one is something our backtester catches on a pre-flight run.
5% daily-loss limit
Calculated against the previous day's equity high, not balance. This catches traders who let winners run into the next session and then take a sharp loss. FTMO's daily reset happens at midnight CE(S)T, not your local broker time.
10% static max-loss
Fixed at 10% below your starting balance for the entire challenge. Doesn't move with profits, a 10% drawdown from the starting amount busts the account regardless of intermediate gains.
No minimum trading days (Phase 1 since 2024)
The old 4-day minimum was removed. You can pass Phase 1 in a single day with one giant winner, but that strategy will almost certainly fail consistency rules on the funded account.
Compare
How FTMO Phase 1 stacks up.
FTMO Phase 1
This firm- Target: +10%
- Daily loss: −5.0%
- Drawdown: −10.0% (static)
- Consistency: none
- Min profitable days: none
- Payout cadence: every 14d
MyForexFunds
- Target: +8%
- Daily loss: −5.0%
- Drawdown: −8.0% (static)
- Consistency: none
- Min profitable days: none
- Payout cadence: every 14d
PENDING RELAUNCH, court-vindicated and processing 2023 payouts, but new evaluations are NOT yet open as of the Q2 2026 audit. The historical 2-step model (8% target, 5% daily, 8% static DD) is preserved here for reference; verify the actual product when MFF reopens.
FundingPips Zero
- Target: +2%
- Daily loss: −3.0%
- Drawdown: −5.0% (trailing)
- Consistency: 15% cap
- Min profitable days: 7
- Payout cadence: every 14d
Instant-funded with the strictest payout gate on the market, 5% trailing drawdown, 15% consistency cap, 7 profitable days. No formal profit target; payout eligibility is a gate, not a target hit.
FAQ
Questions traders ask about FTMO Phase 1.
What's the difference between FTMO 1-Step and Phase 1?
FTMO launched a 1-Step Challenge in February 2026 alongside the classic 2-Step. The 1-Step has a 10% target, 3% daily loss recalculated daily, and a new 50% Best-Day Rule. Phase 1 of the 2-Step has 10% target, 5% daily loss, no consistency check in eval. The 1-Step is faster but stricter on daily risk.
How does FTMO calculate the daily loss?
Daily loss is calculated against your equity at the start of the trading day (or the equity peak from the previous day's close, whichever is higher). So a profitable previous session actually tightens your daily-loss floor for the next session, a counter-intuitive trap.
Can I hold positions over the weekend?
Yes on FTMO standard challenges. Some FTMO products restrict weekend holds, check the specific account type before funding.
What about news trading?
FTMO does not block news trading on its standard challenges (it used to). Verify against your specific challenge tier, niche products may still restrict.
How we maintain accuracy
Who reviews these FTMO Phase 1 numbers, and how often.
Authored and reviewed by Ryan Tran, Strategy Lead, Glitch Executor. Ryan owns the firm-rule engine that powers Glitch Executor backtest verdicts and live breach detection, and he audits FTMO Phase 1’s rules quarterly against the firm’s published terms.
- Every quantitative claim on this page is sourced from FTMO Phase 1’s own published terms. Inferred or modelled numbers are labelled where they appear, not blended into firm-sourced figures.
- The supported firm catalogue in this repo is reviewed quarterly; pricing and rule changes flagged by the public pricing watcher trigger a same-week update to this page when they affect the math.
- We do not publish “guaranteed pass” claims, hidden ranking signals, or fabricated review counts. If we can’t cite it, we don’t state it as fact.
Sources & review
Where the numbers come from.
Rule values on this page are sourced from FTMO Phase 1’s own published terms and tracked in this repo’s firm-rule registry. Verify directly with the firm before you fund, promotions and tiers change.
- Primary source: FTMO trading conditions
- Last reviewed:
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Test before you fund. Pre-flight FTMO Phase 1 now.
Compare & go deeper
- Side-by-side firm rule comparisonAll firms, every rule, one table.
- FTMO Phase 1 for your strategyPersona-fit verdicts: scalpers, ICT/SMC, news, swing, algo.
- Best prop firm by trader personaMatch a firm to how you actually trade.
- Best prop-firm challengesRanked by difficulty + payout terms.
- Firm drawdown calculatorPre-flight a strategy against FTMO Phase 1's floor.
- All free firm-rule toolsSizing, payout, risk-of-ruin, cost-vs-self-funded.