FTMO vs Funding Pips: Which New Prop Firm Challenges the King?

Last updated: August 8, 2026 | 16 min read

Every few years a challenger arrives claiming to out-terms FTMO. Funding Pips is the latest, and unlike most, its pitch is genuinely aggressive: weekly payouts, no time limit, cheaper fees, and an evaluation structure that mirrors FTMO's but with friendlier targets. I tested both challenges back to back so you do not have to guess which one deserves your money.

Here is the honest summary before the details: Funding Pips wins on speed and ease of access - weekly payouts and unlimited time are real advantages. FTMO wins on track record and ceiling - a decade of payouts and accounts up to $400K. The deciding factor is whether you value cash flow frequency or institutional reliability.

The Big Picture

FTMO has been the industry standard since 2015: two phases (10% then 5%), a 5% daily loss cap, a 10% static drawdown, 30 days per phase with fee-based extensions, and 4 minimum trading days. Funded traders start at 80% and scale to 90% with consistency. Platforms are MT4, MT5, and cTrader, and payouts process roughly 14 days after request. It rebranded to FTMO Global in 2025 - same product, cleaner legal wrapper.

Funding Pips is the fast-rising alternative. Its 2-step model targets 8% then 5%, caps daily loss at 4% and total drawdown at 8%, has no time limit, and requires just 3 minimum trading days. Splits run 80-90%, with up to 100% available on certain 1-step models. A $10K evaluation costs about $98 and $50K about $198 - undercutting FTMO at every tier. The headline feature is weekly payouts.

Comparison Table: FTMO vs Funding Pips

Fees Compared: Cheaper at Every Tier

FTMO's pricing is a fixed menu: $350 for $50K, $540 for $100K, $1,080 for $200K. Funding Pips starts at $98 for $10K and $198 for $50K, with a $100K tier around $450. For a new trader buying their first challenge, Funding Pips is roughly half the price at the sizes that matter.

The economics of retries also favor Funding Pips. Most traders do not pass their first challenge - industry data suggests the vast majority of evaluations end in a drawdown breach. If you expect to need two or three attempts, a cheaper fee per attempt is not a discount; it is a survival advantage. That alone justifies putting Funding Pips on your shortlist.

Rules Compared: Friendlier Targets, Tighter Daily Risk

The structural contrast is clear. FTMO demands 10% in Phase 1 and 5% in Phase 2, each inside a 30-day window, with a 5% daily loss and 10% static drawdown. Funding Pips asks for only 8% then 5%, removes the clock entirely, and needs just 3 trading days per phase.

The catch is daily risk. Funding Pips caps daily loss at 4% and total drawdown at 8% - tighter than FTMO's 5% and 10%. That means a single bad day hurts relatively more, and the 8% total buffer leaves less room for a slow bleed. If your strategy has occasional large red days, FTMO's wider caps are safer; if you cut losses mechanically, Funding Pips' tighter caps barely register.

Payouts Compared: Weekly Is a Real Feature

Weekly payout requests are rare in prop trading, and Funding Pips delivers them. You can request every week instead of waiting on a 14-day cycle, which changes the psychology of funded trading - profits turn into cash flow quickly, and you can verify the firm's payment behavior early and often.

FTMO's cycle is ~14 days after request, with on-demand withdrawals unlocked after two free profit splits. FTMO also offers the option of higher splits with consistency. For most traders both firms pay reliably; the difference is rhythm. If you trade for income and want money moving weekly, Funding Pips is objectively the better fit.

Which Is Better for Beginners?

Funding Pips is the kinder first challenge: unlimited time removes the deadline panic that kills most first attempts, 3 minimum days are easy to hit, and the 8% Phase 1 target is smaller than FTMO's 10%. The tighter drawdown is the one thing to respect - a beginner who sizes carelessly can burn an 8% buffer in a day or two.

FTMO remains the better beginner pick for traders who want maximum community support. Every forum, YouTube guide, and passing service on the internet knows FTMO's rules cold. When you hit a problem, the answer is one search away. That ecosystem is a real asset that no newer firm can match yet.

Background: The King vs The New Challenger

FTMO (2015 – Present)

FTMO built the modern prop firm template from Prague in 2015 and has paid out over half a billion dollars since. Its two-phase model — 10% then 5% targets, 5% daily loss, 10% static drawdown — is the rulebook every competitor either copies or tries to beat. It survived the 2023-2024 industry shakeout by restructuring into FTMO Global, never missing a payout. It covers forex, indices, and crypto on MT4, MT5, and cTrader, scaling to $400K accounts with splits up to 90%.

Funding Pips (2021 – Present)

Funding Pips is the fastest-growing challenger, built around two genuinely different features: weekly payout requests and unlimited evaluation time. Its 2-step model targets 8% then 5%, caps daily loss at 4% and total drawdown at 8%, and requires just 3 minimum trading days. Entry pricing starts at $98 for $10K, and its aggressive growth is backed by real, verifiable payout reports — a younger firm, but no longer a risky unknown.

The Drawdown Math: Wider Buffer vs Tighter Cage

Two different risk philosophies. FTMO gives you a $10,000 floor on $100K — 2.5 times your daily limit — which forgives a bad day. Funding Pips gives you an $8,000 floor with a $4,000 daily cap — a 2:1 ratio that punishes one reckless day far harder. The 4% daily limit is the single most important rule to respect at Funding Pips: one 4% day and your entire evaluation is at risk. FTMO's structure is more forgiving of the occasional oversized day; Funding Pips demands mechanical consistency.

Cost of Entry: The Retry Economics

The gap is widest exactly where beginners shop: at $50K, Funding Pips costs $198 versus FTMO's $350 — 43% cheaper. Since most traders need multiple attempts, the cheaper per-attempt price compounds: three Funding Pips attempts ($594) still cost less than two FTMO attempts ($700) at the $50K tier. Both firms refund the fee on successful funding (FTMO with your first payout), which makes the effective cost of eventual success identical — zero. The difference is how much you spend on the journey to get there.

Weekly Payouts: What the Rhythm Actually Changes

Weekly payout requests sound like a small feature, but they change funded-trader behavior. A weekly request cycle means you are constantly verifying the firm's payment behavior — early and often. If a firm ever intends to stop paying, you discover it within days, not months. It also smooths income: at an 80% split with $2,000 monthly profit, FTMO pays you $1,600 every ~14 days, while Funding Pips pays ~$400 weekly — the same total, but with cash flowing four times more often, which matters for traders who trade for living expenses.

FTMO counters with on-demand withdrawals after two free profit splits, plus its unmatched 10+ year payout record. The choice is between cadence and history: Funding Pips pays more often, FTMO has paid for longer.

Real Trader Experiences (2026)

Case Study 1: The Income Trader

Client trades part-time and lives partially off funded profits: "Weekly requests changed everything. I get paid every Friday like a salary instead of waiting two weeks for a lump. The 4% daily cap took a month to internalize, but once I sized to it, the rules got easy."

Case Study 2: The Deadline Survivor

Client failed two FTMO Phase 1 attempts on the 30-day clock before switching: "I'm a patient swing trader. A 30-day window forces me to take bad setups. Funding Pips' unlimited time meant I could wait two weeks for the perfect entry — passed on my first attempt there."

Case Study 3: The Scale-Up

Client runs FTMO at $200K and Funding Pips at $100K: "FTMO is my main compounding account — I trust it with the big balance. Funding Pips is my cash-flow account with weekly payouts. Different jobs, both earning."

Who Should Choose Funding Pips

• Traders who want weekly payout requests and faster cash flow.
• Traders who need unlimited evaluation time to wait for setups.
• Budget-conscious buyers maximizing attempts per dollar at $50K and below.
• Disciplined traders comfortable with a tight 4% daily loss cap.

Who Should Choose FTMO

• Traders who want accounts up to $400K with a 10% static drawdown buffer.
• Crypto and multi-market traders needing cTrader or broader instrument access.
• Traders who value a decade-long, never-interrupted payout record.
• Anyone whose strategy occasionally carries larger daily swings.

Frequently Asked Questions (Expanded)

Q: Does Funding Pips allow news trading?
A: Yes — Funding Pips allows news trading on its standard accounts, like FTMO. Always check the current brief for any temporary restrictions during major events.

Q: Can I use an EA at Funding Pips?
A: Yes, automated trading is permitted within the firm's rules, though aggressive martingale strategies are flagged by both firms' risk teams.

Q: Which firm has the higher profit split?
A: Both scale 80-90%; Funding Pips also offers up to 100% on certain 1-step models. FTMO's 90% tier requires consistency over multiple payouts.

Q: What if I fail the daily loss limit at Funding Pips?
A: The evaluation ends immediately — the 4% daily cap is hard. This is the #1 reason Funding Pips challenges fail, so size your position to stay under 1-2% per trade.

Who Should Pick Which?

Pick Funding Pips if: you want weekly payouts, unlimited evaluation time, cheaper fees, or a smaller Phase 1 target.

Pick FTMO if: you want accounts up to $400K, the widest daily risk caps (5%/10%), cTrader, or a decade-long payout track record.

Need Help Passing FTMO or Funding Pips?

I've passed 500+ prop firm challenges with a 95% success rate. $220 flat for any account size, at either firm. Free test challenge available first so you can verify my results before you commit.

Message me on Telegram to start: @Voraspas

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Funding Pips really pay weekly?
A: Yes - weekly payout requests on its standard model, roughly four times FTMO's frequency. Processing still takes a couple of days once requested.

Q: Which is easier to pass?
A: Funding Pips: no time limit, 3 minimum days, and 8% + 5% targets versus FTMO's 10% + 5%. Its 4% daily and 8% total caps demand tighter daily discipline.

Q: Is Funding Pips trustworthy?
A: It is a fast-growing, legitimate forex prop firm with real payouts and good support, but younger than FTMO. Verify a small payout before committing serious money.

Q: How do the fees compare?
A: Funding Pips is cheaper: about $98 for $10K and $198 for $50K versus FTMO's $350 for $50K and $540 for $100K.

Q: Which firm should I choose in 2026?
A: Funding Pips for weekly payouts, unlimited time, and cheaper entry; FTMO for a decade-long track record, $400K accounts, and the most documented payout history.

Related Guides

• Funding Pips Challenge Passing Service
• FTMO Review 2026: Full Breakdown
• Prop Firms With the Fastest Payouts

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