FundingPips vs FTMO — Which Should You Pick in 2026?
The two biggest names in prop trading. FTMO is the established giant; FundingPips is the rising challenger with cheaper challenges and more flexible payouts. This page breaks down the actual differences that matter for your trading style.
Quick verdict
Pick FTMO if: You want maximum brand reliability, you trade swing/positional, you prefer consistent bi-weekly payouts, and the higher price ($540 for $50K) doesn't matter.
Pick FundingPips if: You want cheap entry ($289 for $50K 2-Step Standard), zero consistency rule (on default payouts), flexible payout cycles (weekly/biweekly/on-demand/monthly), and you self-developed your strategy or EA.
Side-by-side rule comparison
| FundingPips (2-Step Standard) | FTMO Challenge ($50K) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price ($50K) | $289 | $540 |
| Profit target Phase 1 | 8% | 10% |
| Profit target Phase 2 | 5% | 5% |
| Max drawdown | 10% static | 10% static |
| Daily drawdown | 5% | 5% |
| Min trading days | 3 per phase | No minimum (since 2023) |
| Consistency rule | None on weekly/biweekly/monthly. 35% on optional on-demand. | None |
| Profit split | 80% biweekly / 90% on-demand / up to 100% | 80%, scales to 90% |
| Payout frequency | Weekly / biweekly / on-demand / monthly | Bi-weekly (every 14 days) |
| EA policy | Self-developed only | Self-developed only, no HFT |
| News rule | 5-min buffer (funded) | No news restrictions on Challenge |
| Trustpilot | 4.7 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 |
Where FundingPips wins
Price
FundingPips' $50K 2-Step Standard is $289. FTMO's equivalent is $540. That's a 47% saving on entry — significant if you're testing the prop firm waters or running multiple accounts. With the verified email code 2C14A034 (20% off), you can drop the FundingPips price to ~$231.
Payout flexibility
FTMO pays bi-weekly, full stop. FundingPips lets you choose between weekly, biweekly, on-demand (the moment you hit profit), or monthly. This matters more than people think — if you have a winning week and want cash now to scale into other accounts, on-demand pays the same day.
Lower phase 1 target
FundingPips' 8% Phase 1 vs. FTMO's 10% is a meaningful difference. On a $50K account, that's $4,000 vs $5,000 — about 20% less risk required to pass.
Add-on system
FundingPips lets you toggle between payout structures and challenge variants without buying separate products. The Daily Rewards add-on (free, only on 2-Step Pro) switches you to daily on-demand 90% payouts. FTMO doesn't have this kind of modular system.
Where FTMO wins
Brand & longevity
FTMO has been around since 2014 and has paid out over $300M in profits to traders. They survived the 2023 MetaQuotes shutdown that killed several competitors. If reliability and "won't disappear next year" matters to you, FTMO is the safer institutional bet.
No news restrictions on the Challenge
FTMO's Challenge phase has no news-trading restrictions. FundingPips imposes a 5-minute buffer around high-impact news on funded accounts. If you trade news events specifically, this matters.
No minimum trading days
FTMO removed the minimum trading days requirement in 2023. You can pass the Challenge in a single day if you hit the target. FundingPips requires 3 trading days minimum per phase.
Verification → Funded refund
FTMO refunds your initial Challenge fee with your first profit split. FundingPips offers a similar refund-after-4th-payout structure, but FTMO's is faster (1st payout vs 4th).
Which is better for specific trading styles?
Scalpers (sub-1-minute holds)
FundingPips is friendlier — no min hold time on most products. FTMO has no explicit minimum either, but their internal review system flags suspicious tick-scalping more aggressively. Edge: FundingPips
News traders
FTMO has zero news restrictions on the Challenge. FundingPips imposes a 5-minute buffer on funded. Edge: FTMO
Swing / positional traders
Both work well. FTMO's brand stability favors longer-term commitment. Edge: FTMO (slight)
EA users
Both allow self-developed EAs. FundingPips is stricter on third-party EAs (banned entirely). FTMO bans HFT EAs but allows most others. Edge: Tie — depends on your specific EA
High-frequency / day traders
FundingPips' on-demand payouts mean you can take profit the moment you make it. FTMO makes you wait 14 days. Edge: FundingPips
Multi-account traders (running several challenges)
FundingPips' lower entry price ($289 vs $540) makes scaling across multiple accounts much cheaper. Edge: FundingPips
Discount codes
To save additional money on either firm:
- FundingPips:
2C14A034for 20% off (verified from official email) - FTMO: No discount codes — FTMO does not offer promo codes. Best price is the standard rate.
Final verdict
If you're a new trader or a price-sensitive trader running multiple accounts, FundingPips wins on value. The 47% lower entry price and flexible payout structure make it the smarter starting point in 2026.
If you have established capital and want maximum institutional reliability — or if you specifically trade news events — FTMO is worth the premium. Their decade-plus track record and no-news-rule policy on the Challenge earn the higher price for traders who need those features.
For most retail traders in 2026, FundingPips is the better starting point. You can always graduate to FTMO once you've proven you can pass evaluations consistently.