Day one
The experience of starting with either firm is defined by the choice of platforms and the cost of entry. Core Funded, established in 2025, focuses on accessibility through its "Pay After Pass" model, where a $100,000 evaluation costs only €5 upfront, with the remaining €730 paid only after successfully passing. FTMO, the industry standard since 2015, maintains a traditional model where a $100,000 2-step challenge costs approximately €540 (€439 on discount).
- Platforms: FTMO offers a superior technical suite including MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXTrade, and TradingView. Core Funded is currently restricted to MatchTrader.
- Initial Capital: Core Funded allows you to start with accounts as large as $500,000 (€2,595 for a 1-step). FTMO caps initial purchases at $200,000.
- Evaluation Rules: Both firms offer 1-step and 2-step evaluations with no time limits. Core Funded's 1-step requires a 10% profit target with a 6% static drawdown, while FTMO's 1-step also targets 10% but allows a more generous 10% maximum drawdown.
The first months
Once funded, the focus shifts to maintaining the account and receiving the first rewards. This is where the risk management styles diverge.
- Risk Management: FTMO uses equity-based daily drawdown (5%) and a static 10% maximum loss. Core Funded uses a static maximum drawdown (6% to 12% depending on the plan) and a daily limit (3% to 5%) that is recalculated at midnight based on the higher of balance or equity.
- Payout Frequency: Core Funded offers high liquidity with "on-demand" payouts after the first withdrawal, requiring only 3 days of trading and a 0.5% profit. FTMO operates on a 14-day cycle.
- Consistency Rules: Core Funded enforces a consistency rule checked at the time of payout: your best day cannot exceed 30% of your total profit (15% for Instant/Pay After Pass). FTMO only applies a 50% best-day rule to its 1-step accounts; its 2-step accounts have no consistency rule.
- News Trading: Both firms restrict news trading on standard funded accounts (a 10-minute window for Core Funded and 4 minutes for FTMO). However, Core Funded offers a paid add-on to remove this restriction, while FTMO offers a "Swing" account type with no news or weekend restrictions but lower leverage.
The first year
For a trader staying profitable over twelve months, the scaling plan becomes the most critical factor for wealth generation.
- Core Funded Scaling:
- Requirement: Achieve a 12% profit within a 3-month period.
- Benefit: The firm adds 25% of the initial starting balance to the account.
- Frequency: Can be repeated every 3 months.
- FTMO Scaling:
- Requirement: A 4-month cycle where the trader generates at least 10% total net profit and processes at least 2 rewards.
- Benefit: Balance increases by 25%, and the profit split is permanently upgraded to 90%.
- Frequency: Every 4 months if criteria are met.
Core Funded incentivizes high-volume traders through a 7-tier XP reward program that offers up to 20% cashback on purchases, while FTMO offers "Prime" and "Supreme" statuses that increase capital allocation limits and provide free challenges.
The ceiling
The ultimate potential of these firms differs in both scale and professional trajectory.
- Maximum Allocation: Core Funded advertises a massive theoretical ceiling of $10,000,000. While starting accounts go up to $500,000, the aggressive 25% scaling every three months allows for rapid capital growth.
- FTMO Cap: FTMO limits initial allocation to $400,000, which can scale up to $2,000,000. However, FTMO offers a unique "Supreme Status" that opens the door to Quantlane, a traditional proprietary trading firm in Prague, offering a fixed salary and institutional trading conditions.
- Account Merging: FTMO explicitly allows merging accounts to manage larger capital blocks more efficiently. Core Funded allows multiple accounts and copy trading between them (if owned by the same person), but the JSON does not specify a formal merge tool.
Room to grow
Core Funded is built for the trader who wants to start big and scale fast. With $500,000 accounts available from day one and a $10M ceiling, the path to managing eight figures is mathematically shorter, provided the trader can navigate the 30% consistency rule and MatchTrader's environment.
FTMO remains the choice for the professional seeking a career path. The growth is slower (4-month cycles vs 3-month cycles), but the environment is more robust, offering the best platforms in the industry and a transition into a physical trading desk and a fixed salary via Quantlane.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to get a $100,000 account, Core Funded or FTMO?
Core Funded is significantly cheaper for the initial entry because of its "Pay After Pass" model, which only requires a €5 entry fee. You only pay the remaining €730 after you have proven you can pass the evaluation. In contrast, FTMO requires an upfront payment of approximately €540 for a 2-step challenge of the same size, which is only refunded after your first successful payout.
Which firm offers faster payouts for a funded trader, Core Funded or FTMO?
Core Funded offers a faster payout frequency, allowing traders to request withdrawals "on demand" every 3 days (after the first payout) as long as they have earned at least 0.5% profit. FTMO follows a more rigid schedule where rewards are processed every 14 days, making Core Funded the better option for traders who need frequent access to their capital.
Which firm allows for more diverse platform choices, Core Funded or FTMO?
FTMO is the clear winner regarding technical flexibility, offering MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXTrade, and TradingView. Core Funded is currently limited to the MatchTrader platform, which may be a significant drawback for traders who rely on specific expert advisors (EAs) or custom tools developed for the MetaTrader or cTrader ecosystems.
Which firm has a higher capital limit for successful traders, Core Funded or FTMO?
Core Funded has a much higher theoretical ceiling, stating a maximum allocation of $10,000,000 through its scaling program. FTMO caps its scaling plan at $2,000,000. While FTMO offers a path to a professional job at Quantlane, Core Funded provides a much larger purely financial ceiling for independent traders.
