FTMO vs The5ers: Compared Rule by Rule for 2026
FTMO and The5ers are the two oldest forex prop firms still operating at scale. They share a similar founding philosophy (long evaluation, conservative drawdown) but have evolved differently. FTMO scaled its single-product line; The5ers built a multi-programme suite with very small starting accounts and an aggressive profit-split scaling roadmap.
At 100K: FTMO from €399, The5ers from $95.
Side-by-side comparison
| Rule | FTMO | The5ers |
|---|---|---|
| Markets | Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks | Forex, Indices, Metals, Crypto, Futures |
| Watchlist | No | No |
| Evaluation | 1-Step or 2-Step | 1/2/3-Step |
| Account sizes | $5K, $10K, $25K, $50K, $100K, $150K, $200K | $2.5K, $5K, $10K, $20K, $25K, $50K, $100K, $200K, $250K |
| Fee (100K) | €399 | $95 |
| Profit split | 80 to 90% | 75 to 100% |
| Max drawdown (100K) | 10% | 5% |
| Drawdown type | End-of-day trailing | n/a |
| Daily loss (100K) | $3,000 | n/a |
| Consistency rule | 50% | n/a |
| Min trading days | n/a | n/a |
| First payout | 14 days | 14 days |
| News trading | Restricted on funded accounts (2-min window) | Allowed |
| EAs / bots | Allowed with restrictions | Varies by programme |
| Weekend holding | Swing account only | Allowed |
| US traders | Via FTMO US / OANDA only | Yes |
| Trustpilot | Trustpilot profile | Trustpilot profile |
Verdict
Pick FTMO if you want a single, well-understood product with the largest payout history. Pick The5ers if you want a smaller starting account, the option of a 1, 2 or 3-step path, and a profit split that increases through the funded programme.
FTMO strengths
Longest track record, static drawdown, no consistency rule
FTMO weaknesses
Capped scaling, no futures, news restrictions on funded accounts, US traders via FTMO US only
The5ers strengths
Capital scaling pathway, higher splits at top tiers, established track record
The5ers weaknesses
Low starting split on Hyper Growth, tight drawdown, MT5 only