FTMO vs Funding Pipswhich prop firm deserves your challenge fee?
This is prop trading's classic value question: the safest counterparty in the industry versus the most aggressive pricing. FTMO charges roughly triple Funding Pips' $29 entry fee — and for some traders it's worth every dollar, while others are simply subsidizing a brand.
| Head to head | FTMO | Funding Pips |
|---|---|---|
| Trader rating | 4.7★ (240) | 4.3★ (146) |
| Community score | 103 | 95 |
| Max funding | $2M | $2M |
| Max profit split | 90% | 100% |
| Payout cycle | On demand | Weekly–monthly (your choice) |
| Challenges from | $79 | $29 |
| Markets | forex, indices, stocks, crypto | forex, indices, crypto |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, cTrader | MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader, TradeLocker |
| Funding models | 1-step, 2-step | 1-step, 2-step, instant |
| Headquarters | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates |
| Founded | 2015 | 2022 |
| Current deal | 10% off the FTMO Challenge | 10% off all evaluations |
Our verdict
Choose FTMO if you plan to hold serious funded capital and want a decade-long payout record — plus a challenge fee that comes back with your first payout.
Choose Funding Pips if you're building skill and want maximum attempts per dollar — $29 entries and 61,000+ Trustpilot reviews say the model works at scale.
Two traps to compare honestly: Funding Pips' funded-account news rule voids profits within ±5 minutes of high-impact events (FTMO's Standard accounts have a 2-minute restriction), and its weekly payout cycle pays only a 60% split — you need slower cycles or the Hot Seat ladder to reach FTMO-level economics.
FTMO — strengths & weaknesses
Pros
- Ten-year payout record, now backed by ownership of the OANDA brokerage group
- On-demand payouts averaging ~8 hours to process, with the challenge fee refunded at first payout
- New 1-Step Challenge pays 90% from the first payout; 2-step rules unchanged and time-unlimited
- Stable, transparent rules that are never applied retroactively — plus the excellent MetriX dashboard
Cons
- Pricing above newer discount-driven rivals
- Standard funded accounts restrict news trading (2-minute window) and weekend holding — you must pick Swing to avoid both
- No futures product, no TradingView or DXtrade; crypto is a handful of CFDs
Funding Pips — strengths & weaknesses
Pros
- Among the cheapest entries in the industry — challenges from $29
- You choose the payout cycle: weekly, bi-weekly, on-demand or 100%-split monthly
- Largest verified review base in forex prop (61k+ Trustpilot) and $274M+ rewarded
- Four platforms: MT5, cTrader, Match-Trader and TradeLocker
Cons
- Funded-account news rule voids profits within ±5 minutes of high-impact events — a frequent dispute trigger
- The weekly payout cycle pays only 60% — reaching 90–100% means slower cycles or consistency rules
- US residents cannot register new accounts
- Master-account rules are stricter than the evaluation, which catches traders off guard