Is FTMO Legit? An Honest 2026 Review From Funded Traders

•By TradeHaven Funding

If you have spent any time researching proprietary trading firms, FTMO has almost certainly appeared at the top of every list, every comparison, and every recommendation thread. But with the prop firm industry attracting both legitimate companies and questionable operators, it is completely reasonable to ask the question: is FTMO actually legit?

This article provides an honest, evidence-based analysis of FTMO's legitimacy in 2026. We examine the company's history, regulatory status, payout track record, trader reviews, business model sustainability, and the specific concerns that traders commonly raise.

FTMO: Company Background

FTMO was founded in 2015 in Prague, Czech Republic, by a team of traders who identified a gap in the market for high-quality proprietary trading evaluations. The company's full legal name is FTMO s.r.o., and it operates under Czech Republic business registration.

Since its founding, FTMO has grown into the largest and most recognized prop firm in the industry. The company has processed over 13 million evaluation accounts and claims to have paid out over $100 million in profits to funded traders as of 2025.

Key Company Facts

  • Founded: 2015
  • Headquarters: Prague, Czech Republic
  • Legal entity: FTMO s.r.o.
  • Employees: 100+ (estimated)
  • Total evaluations processed: 13+ million
  • Total payouts claimed: $100+ million
  • CEO: Otakar Suffner

How FTMO Makes Money

Understanding FTMO's business model is essential for evaluating its legitimacy. FTMO generates revenue through multiple channels:

1. Evaluation Fees

The primary revenue source is the evaluation fee that traders pay to attempt the challenge. A $100,000 account evaluation costs approximately $540. Given that the vast majority of traders (estimated 85% to 95%) fail the evaluation, FTMO retains the evaluation fees from failed attempts.

2. B-Book Trading on Simulated Accounts

FTMO funded accounts are simulated accounts, meaning trades are not executed on the live interbank market. When a funded trader takes a position, FTMO does not actually place that trade with a liquidity provider. Instead, FTMO tracks the performance and pays out profits from their revenue.

This is a key detail that many traders misunderstand. FTMO is not a broker. They do not execute trades on the real market. They provide simulated trading accounts and pay profits based on simulated performance.

3. Scale

The math of FTMO's business model works because of scale. If 90% of evaluation fees are retained (from failed attempts), that revenue comfortably covers the profit payouts to the 10% of traders who succeed. As long as FTMO maintains a healthy ratio between evaluation revenue and profit payouts, the business model is sustainable.

Is FTMO Regulated?

This is one of the most common concerns raised by traders. The short answer: FTMO is not regulated as a financial services provider because it does not provide financial services in the traditional regulatory sense.

FTMO does not hold client funds, does not execute real market trades, and does not provide investment advice. It operates as a technology and evaluation company that provides simulated trading environments. Because of this classification, FTMO falls outside the regulatory scope of financial authorities like the FCA, SEC, or CySEC.

This is not inherently suspicious. The entire prop firm industry operates in this regulatory gray area. No prop firm that uses simulated funded accounts is regulated as a traditional financial institution. The key question is not whether FTMO is regulated, but whether it has a demonstrated track record of honoring its obligations to funded traders.

FTMO Payout Track Record

The strongest evidence of FTMO's legitimacy is its payout record. Over the past 9 years of operation, FTMO has:

  • Processed hundreds of thousands of payouts to funded traders worldwide
  • Maintained consistent payout schedules with payouts processed bi-weekly
  • Provided transparent payout statistics on their public dashboard
  • Received overwhelmingly positive payout reviews across Trustpilot, Reddit, and trading forums

Independent Verification

FTMO maintains a public Trustpilot page with over 6,000 reviews and a rating of approximately 4.8 out of 5 stars. While Trustpilot reviews can be manipulated, the sheer volume of positive reviews spanning multiple years provides strong evidence of consistent payout fulfillment.

Additionally, thousands of independent traders have posted payout screenshots, bank transfer confirmations, and video reviews across YouTube, Reddit, and Twitter documenting their successful withdrawals from FTMO.

Historical Payout Issues

Has FTMO ever had payout issues? There have been isolated reports of delayed payouts over the years, typically during periods of rapid growth or during major operational transitions. However, these delays have consistently been temporary and resolved within a few business days. There are no credible reports of FTMO permanently withholding legitimate payouts from funded traders.

Common FTMO Concerns Addressed

"FTMO Changes Rules Without Warning"

FTMO has updated its evaluation rules several times over the years. This includes changes to profit targets, drawdown calculations, and evaluation timeframes. While rule changes can be frustrating for traders in the middle of an evaluation, FTMO typically announces changes in advance and applies new rules only to new evaluations, not existing ones.

Rule evolution is normal for any business operating over a decade. The critical question is whether the changes are made transparently and applied fairly. Based on available evidence, FTMO has handled rule changes reasonably well.

"FTMO Disqualifies Profitable Traders on Technicalities"

Some traders report being disqualified from funded accounts due to rule violations they did not intentionally commit. Examples include accidentally trading during restricted news events, exceeding maximum position sizes, or violating consistency rules.

While these situations are frustrating, the solution is straightforward: read the rules completely before beginning the evaluation and monitor your trading parameters carefully. Tools like the TradeHaven Risk Calculator help ensure your position sizes comply with the rules on every trade.

"FTMO's Business Model is Unsustainable"

Some critics argue that FTMO's model of paying out 80% to 90% of profits on funded accounts is unsustainable. However, this ignores the fundamental math: the vast majority of traders fail evaluations and do not receive funded accounts. The evaluation fees from failed accounts fund the payouts to successful traders many times over.

Additionally, traders on funded accounts who eventually violate drawdown rules lose their funded status and must re-evaluate, providing another revenue cycle. The model has sustained FTMO profitably for 9 years and continues to do so.

"FTMO Uses Simulated Accounts, So Profits Are Not Real"

This is technically accurate. FTMO funded accounts are simulated. Your trades are not placed on the real market. However, the profits you receive are paid in real money via bank transfer, cryptocurrency, or other payment methods. The fact that the trading is simulated does not make the payout any less real.

What Real FTMO Traders Say

We collected feedback from multiple sources to provide a balanced perspective:

Positive feedback (common themes):

  • "Got my first payout within 5 business days. No issues."
  • "The FTMO dashboard analytics helped me identify weaknesses in my strategy."
  • "Been funded for 8 months, received every single payout on schedule."
  • "Customer support resolved my issue within 24 hours."

Negative feedback (common themes):

  • "Failed due to a news event restriction I did not realize existed."
  • "Evaluation fees are expensive compared to newer competitors."
  • "The consistency rule feels like it penalizes certain trading styles."
  • "Wish they offered a 1-phase evaluation option."

The ratio of positive to negative feedback is overwhelmingly in FTMO's favor across all major review platforms.

Red Flags to Watch For in Prop Firms (and Why FTMO Does Not Have Them)

When evaluating any prop firm's legitimacy, watch for these red flags:

  1. No verifiable payout proof. Legitimate firms have hundreds of independent payout confirmations. FTMO has thousands.

  2. Extremely low evaluation fees. If a firm charges $20 for a $100,000 evaluation, the math does not work. FTMO's fees are reasonable and sustainable.

  3. No company registration or physical address. FTMO has a verifiable Czech Republic business registration and physical offices in Prague.

  4. Unrealistic profit splits (100% from day one). FTMO's 80% base split with scaling to 90% is realistic and sustainable.

  5. No customer support. FTMO provides multiple support channels with documented response times.

  6. Anonymous team. FTMO's leadership team is publicly known and verifiable.

Tips for Trading with FTMO in 2026

If you decide to proceed with an FTMO evaluation, here are practical tips to maximize your chances of success:

Use the Free Trial First

FTMO offers a free trial that simulates the exact challenge conditions without requiring payment. Use this trial to test your strategy under the evaluation rules. If you cannot pass the free trial, you will not pass the paid evaluation.

Calculate Risk Before Every Trade

Use the TradeHaven Risk Calculator to determine your exact lot size for every trade. Input your FTMO account size, your maximum risk percentage (0.5% recommended), your stop loss distance, and the currency pair. The calculator ensures you never accidentally oversize a position.

Track Every Trade in a Journal

FTMO provides performance analytics, but you should also maintain your own independent journal. The TradeHaven Journal lets you log every trade with strategy tags, notes, and emotional state tracking. This data becomes invaluable for identifying patterns that FTMO's built-in analytics might not capture.

Monitor Market Sessions

Trade during the highest-volume sessions for the cleanest price action. Use TradeHaven Market Sessions to track London and New York session times in your local timezone.

Our Verdict: Is FTMO Legit?

Yes, FTMO is a legitimate prop firm. Based on 9 years of operational history, hundreds of millions in documented payouts, thousands of independent positive reviews, a verifiable legal entity, transparent rules, and a sustainable business model, FTMO is as legitimate as any company in the prop firm space.

Is it perfect? No. Evaluation fees are on the higher side. Rule changes can be frustrating. The simulated trading model is inherently different from real market execution. But these are trade-offs, not scam indicators.

If you are considering FTMO, approach the evaluation with proper risk management, thorough rule understanding, and disciplined execution. The platform delivers on its promises for traders who meet the evaluation criteria.

Ready to prepare for your FTMO evaluation? Start with TradeHaven's free trading tools.

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