Entry price
When comparing the upfront cost, Fintokei leads with more aggressive pricing on its evaluation models, while City Traders Imperium positions itself as a premium option with a high-reward refund structure.
- 1-Step $10,000: City Traders Imperium costs $79, while Fintokei (SwiftTrader) is $89.
- 1-Step $100,000: City Traders Imperium costs $589, while Fintokei (SwiftTrader) is $499.
- 2-Step $10,000: Both firms match at $99.
- 2-Step $100,000: Both firms match at $549.
- 3-Step $50,000: Only Fintokei offers this (StartTrader) for $244.
- Instant Funding $10,000: City Traders Imperium costs $259. Fintokei does not offer an instant model.
What you pay while trading
The cost of every trade is slightly higher at Fintokei. Over thousands of lots, this difference becomes a significant drag on your balance.
- Commissions: City Traders Imperium charges $5 per lot on Forex and Metals. Fintokei charges $6 per lot across the board, including Energies.
- Platforms: City Traders Imperium offers Metatrader 5 and MatchTrader. Fintokei provides more variety with TradingView, Metatrader 5, and cTrader, which might save you money if you already pay for external charting tools.
- Inactivity: Both firms will close your account after 30 days of inactivity, which is essentially a 100% loss of your entry fee if you take a long break without planning.
What mistakes cost you
A mistake in risk management is the most expensive event in prop trading. The way drawdown is calculated determines how much "air" you actually have before losing your investment.
- Drawdown Type: Fintokei uses a Static drawdown across all accounts, meaning your loss limit doesn't move up as you make profit. City Traders Imperium uses Static for 2-step and Instant, but its 1-step model uses a Trailing drawdown, which is "more expensive" for the trader because it locks in your peak balance and reduces your actual room for error.
- Stop Loss: City Traders Imperium makes a Stop Loss mandatory. If you forget it, the system closes the trade after 1 minute. This "soft breach" protects your capital but can cause you to realize losses prematurely. Fintokei has no such rule, giving you more freedom but higher risk of a hard breach.
- Resets: If you fail, City Traders Imperium allows you to try again with a 15% discount. Fintokei does not specify a permanent reset discount in the data.
What it costs to get paid
This is where the financial models diverge sharply. One firm rewards survival, while the other taxes the exit.
- Refunds: City Traders Imperium returns 100% of your fee on 1-step and 2-step accounts once you hit a 10% profit target in the funded phase. Fintokei only offers refunds within 14 days of purchase and only if you haven't placed a single trade.
- Profit Split: City Traders Imperium starts at 80% but has a VIP program (Silver Level) that lets you keep 100% of your profits. Fintokei scales from 50% to 100% (StartTrader) or stays at 80-90% (Pro/Swift), but reaching the higher tiers depends on a dynamic performance assessment.
- Withdrawal Fees: Fintokei is expensive to exit if using crypto, charging 2.5% plus fixed fees (up to 20 EUR for BTC). City Traders Imperium does not list a payout fee, making it cheaper to receive your money.
Where each one hides its cost
Beyond the price tag, certain rules act as "hidden taxes" by delaying payouts or limiting your strategy.
- City Traders Imperium: The cost of time. To reach the 100% profit split, you must be a "Bronze Trader" for 4 months and complete 8 payout cycles in total. It is a loyalty tax.
- Fintokei: The cost of consistency. They limit "tick scalping" (trades under 10 seconds) to only 10% of your total volume. If you are a high-frequency trader, this rule will effectively cost you your account or your profits.
Cheapest for whom
Fintokei is the cheapest for the "one-shot" trader who wants the lowest entry price for a $100,000 account and prefers a Static drawdown without mandatory stop losses.
City Traders Imperium is the cheapest for the professional trader who plans to stay for the long term, as the 100% refund and the potential 100% profit split eventually make the "real cost" of the firm zero.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to start a $100,000 challenge, City Traders Imperium or Fintokei?
Fintokei is cheaper for a 1-step $100,000 account at $499, compared to $589 at City Traders Imperium. For 2-step models, both firms are priced identically at $549.
Do City Traders Imperium and Fintokei both refund the initial sign-up fee?
No, they have very different policies. City Traders Imperium offers a 100% refund of the sign-up fee once you reach a 10% profit target on your funded 1-step or 2-step account. Fintokei only provides a refund if requested within 14 days and only if no trading activity has occurred on the account.
Which firm has lower trading commissions, City Traders Imperium or Fintokei?
City Traders Imperium is cheaper for active traders, charging $5 per lot on Forex and Metals. Fintokei charges $6 per lot for the same assets, which represents a 20% higher execution cost per trade.
Between City Traders Imperium and Fintokei, which one is better for EAs and scalping?
Both firms allow EAs, but City Traders Imperium is more restrictive by prohibiting 3rd-party EAs (except on 1-step) and Martingale styles. However, Fintokei has a strict "tick scalping" rule where trades lasting less than 10 seconds cannot exceed 10% of your total volume, which can be a hidden cost for aggressive scalping EAs.
