Firm comparison · reviewed October 2026

FTMO vs FTUK: which rulebook fits your trading

These are not two versions of the same product. FTMO sells a two-phase evaluation with a static percentage floor and a verification stage. FTUK sells funded access: either an instant account or a short "pay after you pass" challenge with a 4% target, a one-time activation fee and payouts on demand. The comparison is therefore about how much screening you want to pay for, not about which trailing threshold is tighter. Figures were checked against both firms' own pages on 21 October 2026.

Key takeaways

FTMO evaluates first and funds second. FTUK funds immediately or after a 4% pay-after-pass challenge.
FTMO uses a 10% initial-balance floor and a 5% daily limit; FTUK's funded accounts do not require stop-losses and have no news restrictions.
FTMO's fee is paid up front. FTUK's pay-after-pass model charges a $9 entry and an activation fee only after the target is reached.
FTMO pays 80–90% with a 14-day first-reward window. FTUK advertises up to 80% with payouts on demand.
The platform stacks differ: FTMO runs MT4/MT5/cTrader-style trading, FTUK lists MT5, TradeLocker and Match-Trader.
An instant account removes the pass/fail stage but keeps withdrawal conditions; an evaluation removes the upfront funding cost but adds a rulebook.

Contents

Evaluation against funded access
The two offers side by side
What replaces the drawdown test
Fee timing and total cost
Payout access
Platforms and markets
Which trader belongs on which
What to confirm before paying

Evaluation against funded access

FTMO's product is a test. A trader pays for a challenge, passes two phases and a verification stage, and receives an FTMO Account with its own payout rules. The test is the product: it produces a documented record before any firm capital is exposed, and the fee is the price of that record.

FTUK's product is access. The instant route opens a funded account immediately; the pay-after-pass route asks for a 4% gain before the activation fee is charged. Either way, the trader is trading a funded account much sooner, and the firm's risk control sits in the account rules rather than in a pass/fail gate.

That difference explains why the headline numbers look incomparable. FTMO's 10% target is a screening threshold; FTUK's 4% target is a condition for releasing the funded account. They measure different things, and a trader who compares them as if they were the same number will misprice both.

The two offers side by side

Parameter	FTMO — 2-Step	FTUK — pay-after-pass / instant
Model	Two-phase evaluation plus verification	4% challenge with activation fee after passing, or instant funded account
Market	Forex, indices, metals, crypto, stocks CFDs	Forex, indices, metals, crypto CFDs
Profit target	10% then 5%	4% on the Flex challenge; none on an instant account
Maximum loss	10% of initial balance, static	Plan-specific; instant accounts carry their own maximum loss
Daily loss	5%, measured on equity	Plan-specific
Minimum days	4 per phase	None stated on the Flex challenge
Consistency	None on the 2-Step; 50% on the 1-Step	None stated on the funded account
Fee timing	Paid before the evaluation	$9 entry; activation fee charged after the target is reached
Split	80%, rising to 90% through scaling	Up to 80%
Payout timing	First reward from day 14, then on demand	On demand
Platforms	MT4, MT5, cTrader and mobile apps	MT5, TradeLocker, Match-Trader

The row that matters most is the first one. A trader who needs a documented evaluation for a track record is buying FTMO's product; a trader who already has a method and wants capital without a two-phase process is buying FTUK's. The remaining rows are consequences of that choice.

What replaces the drawdown test

FTMO's floor is static and measured from the initial balance, which makes the risk unit constant for the life of the attempt. That is the structure most traders learn on, and it is why the FTMO rulebook is used as the reference point in comparisons.

FTUK's funded accounts do not require stop-losses and do not restrict news trading, which shifts the risk control to the trader and to the account's maximum loss. That is a real difference in philosophy: FTMO's test is designed to reveal whether a trader can operate inside constraints, while FTUK's funded account assumes the trader will impose their own.

For a trader who already has a tested risk process, the absence of a forced stop is freedom. For a trader who does not, it removes the structure that would have prevented the worst outcomes. That is the honest trade-off behind the lower target.

Fee timing and total cost

FTMO charges the evaluation fee before the attempt. A failed evaluation is a sunk cost and a retry is another purchase, which is why the expected cost is the fee divided by the pass probability.

FTUK's pay-after-pass model moves most of the cost to the funded stage: a $9 entry, then an activation fee once the target is reached. That lowers the cost of a failed attempt and raises the cost of a successful one, which is attractive for a trader who is uncertain about the pass and less attractive for one who expects to pass first time.

Compare the two on the all-in cost of reaching a funded account, not on the entry price. A $9 entry with a $672 activation fee is a $681 product if the target is reached, and a $9 lesson if it is not. An FTMO evaluation is a fixed cost whether it is passed or failed.

Payout access

FTMO's first reward becomes available 14 days after the first trade on the FTMO Account, then on demand. The split starts at 80% and rises to 90% through the scaling plan. There is no consistency rule on the 2-Step, so a concentrated profit does not block the request; the 50% rule belongs to the 1-Step.

FTUK advertises payouts on demand, with up to an 80% split. The conditions that apply to a specific account — minimum profit, processing window and any consistency check — are set by the plan, and they are the part to read before buying rather than the headline "on demand".

Neither firm pays without identity verification, and both return funds to a verified method. Completing verification before the first request is the cheapest way to avoid a delay on either side.

Platforms and markets

FTMO supports MT4, MT5, cTrader and its mobile apps, with a Standard/Swing account choice on the 2-Step. That breadth matters for a trader with an existing expert advisor or a cTrader workflow.

FTUK lists MT5, TradeLocker and Match-Trader. MT5 is not available to US traders on FTUK, so a US-based trader is choosing between TradeLocker and Match-Trader rather than between the full list. Check platform availability before comparing fees, because a platform that is not offered is not a cheaper option.

Which trader belongs on which

FTMO fits a trader who wants a structured, documented evaluation, a static floor and a rulebook that is easy to verify. It also fits a trader whose method needs a defined pass/fail stage to force discipline.

FTUK fits a trader who already has a tested method, wants funded access quickly, and prefers a model where the large fee is only paid after the target is reached. It suits someone comfortable operating without a forced stop-loss and without news restrictions.

The tie-breaker is not the target percentage. It is whether the trader needs the evaluation as evidence, and whether the cash-flow shape of the fee matters more than the certainty of the rulebook.

What to confirm before paying

For FTMO: the product (2-Step or 1-Step), the minimum trading days, and the 14-day reward window. For FTUK: the exact account model, the activation fee, the maximum loss on the funded account, and whether the platform you use is available in your country.

Save a dated copy of both term pages. On an instant or pay-after-pass product the funded terms do the work that an evaluation rulebook does elsewhere, and they are the terms most likely to be revised quietly.

Common questions

Is FTUK a futures firm?

Not in its current form. FTUK markets itself as an instant funding and pay-after-pass forex prop firm, with MT5, TradeLocker and Match-Trader. Futures-related conduct rules exist in its help centre, but the retail product is forex and CFD.

Does FTMO have a consistency rule?

Not on the 2-Step, at evaluation or payout. The 1-Step applies a 50% consistency rule, and the Instant product has its own limit.

Which is cheaper if I fail?

FTUK's pay-after-pass model, because the entry is $9 and the activation fee is only charged on a pass. FTMO's evaluation fee is paid up front whether the attempt succeeds or not.

Which pays faster?

FTUK advertises on-demand payouts; FTMO's first reward is available from day 14 and on demand afterwards. In practice both depend on verification and processing, so compare the conditions attached to the request rather than the slogan.

FTMO or FTUK — traded for you

One flat $220 for either evaluation, any account size. Retries covered, no profit split, funded login in your name. We work with any firm, and we tell you in writing what its third-party trading clause says before payment.

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