Updated 28 September 2026. FTMO has launched FTMO Futures and now sells two CFD challenges (1-Step and 2-Step). FundedNext runs three Stellar models plus its own futures line. Every figure in this guide was checked against each firm's official website on that date.
What changed in 2026
- FTMO Futures: a separate programme with a monthly subscription, two plans (Growth and Pro), CME futures and end-of-day trailing drawdown. It does not use MetaTrader.
- FTMO 1-Step: a single phase with a 10% target, 3% daily loss and a 50% best-day rule.
- FundedNext Stellar: 1-Step, 2-Step and Lite, with up to a 95% split and a 15% reward from the challenge phase (1-Step and 2-Step).
- The5ers: High Stakes (2 steps), Hyper Growth (1 step) and Bootcamp (3 steps), all with splits that can reach 100%.
Quick summary: CFD challenges
| Programme | Phases | Target | Daily DD | Max DD | Split | Weekend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO 2-Step | 2 | 10% / 5% | 5% | 10% static | up to 90% | Swing: yes · Standard: evaluation only |
| FTMO 1-Step | 1 | 10% | 3% | 10% end-of-day trailing | 90% | Swing: yes · Standard: evaluation only |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step | 2 | 8% / 5% | 5% | 10% | up to 95% | Yes |
| FundedNext Stellar 1-Step | 1 | 10% | 3% | 6% | up to 95% | Yes |
| FundedNext Stellar Lite | 2 | 8% / 4% | 4% | 8% | up to 95% | Yes |
| The5ers High Stakes | 2 | 10% / 5% | 5% | 10% | 80% → 100% | Yes |
| The5ers Hyper Growth | 1 | 10% | 3% (pause) | 6% | up to 100% | Yes |
All three allow EAs with caveats: no abusive HFT, latency arbitrage, or copying trades across different traders' accounts. A proprietary EA with correct risk management is valid on all three.
FTMO: 2-Step, 1-Step and now futures
FTMO 2-Step is the classic challenge: 10% in the Challenge phase and 5% in Verification, 5% daily loss and 10% max, with a minimum of 4 trading days and no time limit. Max drawdown is static: it is always measured from the initial capital, so it never chases you while you are in profit. The fee is refunded once you complete the process.
FTMO 1-Step drops the verification phase in exchange for tougher rules: 3% daily loss, a 10% max drawdown recalculated each day from your highest closing balance (end-of-day trailing), and the best-day rule: your best day cannot exceed 50% of the sum of your positive days. There is no minimum number of days.
Watch the weekend: on the Standard account, once you are an FTMO Trader you cannot hold positions over the weekend. That is what the Swing account is for.
Best for: CFD traders on MT5 who value reputation and a static drawdown (2-Step), or who want to pass in one phase and run low daily risk (1-Step).
FTMO Futures: Growth vs Pro
FTMO Futures is separate from the CFD business: monthly subscription, CME futures and the Tradovate, NinjaTrader and TradingView platforms. There is an Evaluation, then a Sim-Funded account (where payouts start) and, by invitation, a Live Funded account.
| Growth | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription (50K / 100K / 150K) | $119 / $169 / $229 | $139 / $199 / $269 |
| Evaluation profit target | $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 | $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 |
| Max drawdown (end-of-day trailing) | $2,000 / $3,500 / $5,000 | $3,000 / $4,500 / $6,000 |
| Daily loss in Evaluation | None | $1,000 / $1,500 / $2,000 (hard) |
| Daily loss in Sim-Funded | $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 (soft: pauses the day) | $1,000 / $1,500 / $2,000 (hard) |
| Consistency rule (Evaluation only) | Best day ≤ 40% | Best day ≤ 50% |
| Payouts | Every 4 days, 50% of profit, cap $2,500 / $3,000 / $4,000 | Every 5 days, 100% of profit, cap $5,000 / $6,000 / $8,000 |
| Split | 90% | 90% |
The end-of-day trailing drawdown locks at the initial capital once it gets there, and there is no activation fee. Two rules change how you trade: no positions can be held over the close (everything must be flat before 4:10 p.m. ET), and the trading day runs from 6:00 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. ET.
Important if you trade with EAs: FTMO Futures does not use MetaTrader, so an MT5 EA will not run there. Your tools are NinjaTrader, Tradovate or TradingView.
Best for: intraday futures traders (NQ, ES, gold) who want the FTMO name. Growth to start cheap with no daily loss limit in the Evaluation; Pro to withdraw 100% with higher caps.
FundedNext
The most aggressive on commercial terms. Stellar 2-Step asks for 8% and 5%, with 5% daily loss and 10% max. Stellar 1-Step asks for 10% with 3% daily loss and a 6% max, tighter than FTMO 1-Step. Stellar Lite is the cheap entry: 8% and 4%, with 4% daily loss and 8% max.
Two things set it apart: the split reaches 95%, and on 1-Step and 2-Step you get 15% of the challenge-phase target paid once you are funded. All Stellar accounts can hold positions over the weekend (with swap, which counts towards daily loss). FundedNext also runs a futures line with one-time fees (Flex, Legacy and Rapid). Promotions change often: read the rulebook for your specific plan, not the ad.
Best for: traders who want to maximise the split or prefer a 2-Step with an 8% target instead of 10%.
The5ers
Their signature is scaling. High Stakes is a classic 2-step (10% and 5%, 5% daily loss, 10% max, minimum 3 profitable days) with a split that starts at 80% and rises to 100%, scaling up to $500K. Hyper Growth is one step (10%, 3% daily pause, 6% stop-out) and doubles the account at every target up to $4M. Bootcamp has 3 steps of 6% and starts at a 50% split, in exchange for the lowest fee.
Overnight and weekend holding is allowed, and payouts are bi-weekly. High Stakes also has a "New" variant with different limits: compare both before you buy.
Best for: patient traders who want to build a large account over time.
The factor almost nobody checks: how drawdown is calculated
This comparison has three types, and they change how you can lose the account:
- Static (FTMO 2-Step): the limit always sits at initial capital minus 10%. Being in profit gives you more room.
- End-of-day trailing (FTMO 1-Step, FTMO Futures): the limit rises with your best closing balance. Profit you don't protect is cushion you lose.
- Trailing that locks (FTMO Futures): it rises to the initial capital and stays there. The friendliest kind of trailing.
Before buying a challenge, be clear which one your plan uses.
Which one should you pick?
- You trade CFDs with an EA on MT5: FTMO 2-Step (static drawdown) or FundedNext Stellar 2-Step (8% target).
- You want to pass in one phase: FTMO 1-Step if you can live with the best-day rule; FundedNext 1-Step if not, but with only 6% total room.
- You trade intraday futures: FTMO Futures (Growth to start, Pro to withdraw 100%) or FundedNext's futures accounts.
- You want to scale long term: The5ers.
The mistake that breaches most accounts
It's not bad trading. It's breaching the daily drawdown by carelessness: a losing streak, a macro news event, or positions that wake up red. With 3% daily loss on the one-phase challenges, the margin is even thinner. Most traders with a profitable strategy lose the account through lack of operational risk control, not lack of edge.
How to protect the challenge automatically
On CFD accounts in MetaTrader 5, the protection layer is the same whichever prop firm you pick: daily loss limit, global stop, and a trading-hours filter. Our EV Prop Protector monitors daily drawdown in real time and closes all positions before you breach your prop firm's limit. And if you want each trade's size to respect a fixed risk, EV Risk Manager calculates lot size by risk % automatically.
To go deeper, also read how to configure an EA on a funded account and how to pass the FTMO challenge with an EA.
Conclusion
There's no universal "best" prop firm: FTMO wins on reputation and now covers both CFDs and futures, FundedNext on commercial terms, and The5ers on long-term scaling. Choose by market and style, read your specific plan's drawdown rules, and automate risk protection. The challenge isn't passed by winning alone — it's passed by not losing the account.
Prop firm rules and prices change often. This comparison was checked against the official FTMO, FundedNext and The5ers websites on 28 September 2026; confirm them before you buy.