/
Login
Breaking
All news
Comparison · Forex

Getting paid at FTMO and Top Trader Prime

The fundamental difference between these two firms lies in the payout philosophy: FTMO offers a high, industry-leading profit split from the very first withdrawal, whereas Top Trader Prime uses a ladder system that requires several successful payouts to reach its maximum potential.

Updated on

The split

At FTMO, the reward structure is straightforward and aggressive. Traders receive 90% of the simulated profits across all account types once they reach the funded stage. This is a fixed rate that does not require a "waiting period" to increase.

Top Trader Prime uses a progressive model. For Challenge accounts (1 and 2 phases), you start at 70%, increasing to 75%, 80%, 85%, and finally reaching 90% only from the fifth payout onwards. For Instant Funding, the path is longer: it starts at 50% and reaches 90% from the sixth payout.

How often you can withdraw

Both firms operate on a 14-day cycle. FTMO allows withdrawals every 14 days. Top Trader Prime also offers a 14-day frequency, although its Instant Funding accounts have a specific rule for the first payout, which occurs after 20 days (or 4 weeks depending on the specific product documentation).

Minimums and methods

FTMO makes it easier to access small amounts of profit. You can withdraw as little as $20 via bank transfer or $50 via crypto. Their primary methods are Bank Transfer and PayPal.

Top Trader Prime sets a higher threshold, requiring a minimum of $100 (or equivalent in EUR) for any withdrawal method. However, they offer a wider variety of payout channels, including Bank Transfer, PayPal, and Crypto (USDT).

What delays a payout

Several rules can postpone or block your access to funds:

  • Consistency Rules: In FTMO's 1-Step and Instant accounts, your "Best Day" cannot represent more than 50% or 30% of total profit, respectively. Top Trader Prime is much stricter: no single trade can exceed 25% of total profit, and no single instrument can account for more than 80%.
  • Minimum Trading Days: FTMO requires 4 trading days for 2-Step accounts but zero for others. Top Trader Prime requires a minimum of 14 trading days before each payout, and 7 of those days must be profitable.
  • Risk Restrictions: Top Trader Prime requires a mandatory Stop Loss on every trade; failing to set one twice will result in account suspension. FTMO does not mandate Stop Losses.
  • Lot Size Consistency: Top Trader Prime requires all trades to stay within a range of 1/4 to 2 times your largest previously used lot size.

What it takes to get there

To reach the first payout, you must first clear the evaluation costs and phases:

  • Investment: A $100,000 2-step account costs €540 at FTMO and €450 at Top Trader Prime. FTMO refunds the full fee with the first payout (2-step only). Top Trader Prime refunds 50% with the first payout and 50% with the second, provided the first payout is at least 1% of the account size.
  • Phases: Both offer 1-step, 2-step, and Instant options. FTMO 2-step targets are 10% and 5%, while Top Trader Prime 2-phase targets are 10% and 7%.
  • Platforms: FTMO offers total flexibility with MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXTrade, and TradingView. Top Trader Prime restricts users to their own Proprietary Platform.
  • Styles: FTMO allows EAs and news trading (with limitations on Standard accounts, none on Swing). Top Trader Prime prohibits VPNs/VPS, limits scalping (trades must last over 100 seconds), and requires a paid add-on to trade news or remove the mandatory Stop Loss.

Which pays out more comfortably

FTMO pays out more comfortably for the professional trader seeking immediate high returns and platform flexibility. The 90% split from day one and the absence of restrictive lot-size consistency or mandatory stop-loss rules make the path to the first withdrawal much smoother.

Top Trader Prime may appeal to traders with a lower initial budget who prefer a static drawdown (measured against initial capital) and are willing to navigate a complex set of consistency rules in exchange for a cheaper entry price and the possibility of reaching $3 million in total allocation.

Frequently asked questions

Which firm offers a higher profit split, FTMO or Top Trader Prime?

FTMO offers a higher initial split of 90% from the very first payout on its funded accounts. Top Trader Prime starts much lower, offering 70% on Challenge accounts and 50% on Instant Funding, requiring 5 to 6 successful withdrawals to eventually reach the 90% mark.

Are the withdrawal minimums lower at FTMO or Top Trader Prime?

FTMO has significantly lower withdrawal minimums, starting at $20 for bank transfers and $50 for cryptocurrency. Top Trader Prime requires a minimum of $100 for any withdrawal, regardless of the method used (Transfer, PayPal, or Crypto).

Which firm is cheaper to start a $100,000 challenge, FTMO or Top Trader Prime?

Top Trader Prime is cheaper for the evaluation phase, with its 2-phase $100K challenge costing €450 compared to FTMO's €540 for the same account size. However, FTMO refunds the fee in a single payment, while Top Trader Prime splits the refund across the first two payouts.

Which firm has stricter consistency rules for payouts, FTMO or Top Trader Prime?

Top Trader Prime has much stricter consistency rules, including a 25% maximum profit cap per trade, a 14-day minimum trading requirement (with 7 profitable days), and a mandatory lot-size consistency rule. FTMO only applies a "Best Day" rule (30% or 50%) on specific account types like 1-Step or Instant, with no such restrictions on its popular 2-Step accounts.

Field by field

FTMO and Top Trader Prime, side by side

Rules, plans, platforms, leverage, commissions and payouts of both, with the option to see only what differs.

Head to head

61 differences

No active discount right now.

Headquarters

Praga 1, Calle Purkynova 2121/3, 110 00, Czech Republic

Brighton, Colorado (USA). Representative address in Joué-lès-Tours, France, not open to the public.

CEO

Otakar Suffner

No data
Country

Czech Republic

United States

Foundation

2015

No data
Banned Countries
Afghanistan, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bouvet Island, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Cook Islands, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Vatican City, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niger, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Suriname, Eswatini, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine (Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia), Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Western Sahara
United States, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Myanmar, Cuba, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
Assets
Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks
Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks
Brokers

Liquidity Provider

No data
Refund
Yes

(Only 2-Step Challenge) Full refound after first payout

Limited

Challenges: the fee is refunded after passing, 50% with the first payout (which must be at least 1% of the account size) and 50% with the second. Not available on instant funding. A purchase is only refunded if requested within 7 days with no trading.

Platforms
Metatrader 4, Metatrader 5, cTrader, DXTrade, Tradingview
Propietary Platform
Payout Methods
Transfer, PayPal
Transfer, PayPal, Crypto
Payment Methods
Card, Crypto, PayPal, Skrill
Card, Crypto
Margin Call Level

100%

No data
Payout Frequency

14 days

Every 14 days. Instant funding: first payout after 20 days per the rules (product pages say 4 weeks), then every 14 days. Two consecutive non compliant requests may suspend the account.

Alternative Currency
EUR, CZK, GBP, CAD, AUD, CHF
No data
Minimum Withdrawal
  • Bank transfer: $20
  • Crypto: $50

$100 or the equivalent in euros, with any method.

Payout Fee
No data

No firm fee; network or bank fees are paid by the trader.

Payout Guarantee
No data

Paid within 14 days of the request at most. Once approved, payment takes 24 to 72 business hours (USDT usually within 24 hours; bank transfer up to 5 business days).

Forex
  • Standard: 100:1
  • Swing: 30:1
100:1
Metals
  • Standard: 30:1
  • Swing: 9:1

1:100; palladium 1:50.

Indices
  • Standard: 50:1
  • Swing: 15:1

1:100; Nikkei 225 and ASX 200 1:50.

Stocks
  • Standard: 3.33:1
  • Swing: 1:1
20:1
Crypto
  • Standard: 3.33:1
  • Swing: 1:1
10:1
Energies
No data
100:1
Forex
5 / lot
0 / lot
Metals
0.0014%
0 / lot
Indices
0
0 / lot
Stocks
0.004%
0 / lot
Crypto
0.065%
0 / lot
Commission-Free Option
No
No data
Energies
No data
0 / lot
Swap Free
No
No data
Add-ons
No
Yes

At checkout: news trading (+20% of the price) and no mandatory stop loss (+30%).

Instant
Yes
Yes

Funded account with no evaluation, with a profit cap and its own profit split ladder that starts lower.

One Step
Yes
Yes

1 Phase Challenge.

Account scaling
Yes

Requirements

  • Minimum of 4 months cycle
  • At least 10% total net simulated profit in the 4-months trading window, date to date
  • Process at least 2 rewards
  • Positive account balance at the time of scale-up

Benefits

  • Upgraded reward to 90%
  • $2M scale-up cap
  • Continuous increase when criteria are met
Limited

On request from the dashboard, after several profitable periods on a funded account. Decided case by case based on consistency and rule compliance, at no cost.

Two Steps
Yes
Yes

2 Phase Challenge.

Max Drawdown
  • 1-Step: End-of-day trailing
  • 2-Step: Static
  • Instant: Intraday trailing on closed balance. It does not reset after a Reward withdrawal.

Static, measured on the initial capital. Breaching it suspends the account.

Profit Split

90%

Rises with each payout. Challenges: 70%, 75%, 80%, 85% and 90% from the fifth. Instant funding: 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70% and 90% from the sixth.

Free Trial
Yes
Yes

Free Trial 10K, no card needed: 8% target, 5% daily and 10% total loss, no mandatory stop loss. One per email every 30 days; after passing, the account stays open for 24 hours and pays nothing.

Daily Drawdown

Equity based

Measured on the initial capital, including floating losses; per its forum it resets at midnight UTC. Breaching it suspends the account.

Three Steps
No
No
Max Allocation
400,000

$1,000,000 per account and $3,000,000 combined.

Merge Accounts
Yes
No data
Maximum Trading Days

Unlimited

No time limit. The challenge must be activated within 30 days of purchase.

Minimum Trading Days
  • 1-Step: 0 days
  • 2-Step Phase 1 and 2: 4 days
  • Instant: 0 days

Evaluation: 2 days. Funded account: 14 days before each payout; a day only counts if a trade is opened and closed on it. If a payout is refused, the counter resets.

Monthly Competition
Yes
No data
Account Reset
No data
Yes

Paid, from the dashboard. In the challenge, about 50% of the price and back to phase 1 or 2. On a funded account, full price and funded status is kept. Usually applied within 24 hours.

Maximum Accounts
No data

Several accounts at once up to the maximum combined capital. Each one is evaluated separately.

Minimum Profitable Days
No data

Funded account: 7 of the 14 minimum days. In evaluation, the FAQ and its comparisons ask for 2 profitable days; the rules page says 2 trading days.

Expert Advisor (EA)
Yes
Limited

Allowed if declared. Undeclared EAs, HFT and abusive AI are prohibited.

VPN
Yes
No

VPN and VPS are prohibited; detection suspends the account.

Hedging
Yes
No

Prohibited, including across accounts.

Requires Stop Loss
No
Yes

Mandatory when opening and closing every trade. One trade without a stop is tolerated; the second one suspends the account. Can be removed with the paid add-on.

Scalping
Yes
Limited

Trades under 100 seconds or under 1.5 pips count as prohibited scalping; repeated trades of 2 pips or less are reviewed.

Stacking / Layering (DCA)
Yes
No data
Maximum Risk Limit
No
Yes

Per trade: maximum loss of 2% and maximum profit of 3%.

Copy Trading
Yes
Limited

Copying between your own accounts does not count for payouts. Under the "Be copied" program, copied profit can be at most 50% of the eligible profit.

News Trading
Yes

Standard

Not allowed to execute any new trade or close an existing trade (including stop loss or take profit) on the targeted instrument in the window of 2 minutes before until 2 minutes after the release of the below news announcements.

Swing

No restrictions.

Limited

No opening or closing (including a triggered SL/TP) 10 minutes before and after 3 star releases on the TradingView calendar, any currency and symbol. A position opened before the release may be held. Allowed with the paid add-on.

Inactivity Rule

30 days

Closed after 15 consecutive days without trading, or suspended after 40 days in loss.

Consistency Rule
Yes
  • 1-Step: To pass the FTMO Challenge: 1-Step or to be eligible for a Reward on an FTMO Account, your profit from the Best Day must not represent more than 50% of your total profit.
  • 2-Step: No consistency rule.
  • Instant: To be eligible for a Reward, your Best Day must not represent more than 30% of your total profit. The count restarts from zero after each Reward.
Yes

When requesting a payout, no single trade may exceed 25% of total profit (if it does, the payout is held until rebalanced) and no instrument 80%. Each trade must also be between 1/4 and 2 times the largest lot already used on the account.

Hold Weekend
Limited

Standard

In an FTMO Challenge or Verification, you don't have to close your positions during the weekend. However, once you become an FTMO Trader and get an FTMO Account, you are required to close your positions just before the markets close for the weekend or if the rollover (market break) is longer than 2 hours.

Swing

No restrictions.

Yes
Prohibited Strategies
  • Overleveraging
  • Overexposure
  • One-sided bets
  • Account Rolling

HFT and scalping under 100 seconds or under 1.5 pips, martingale, hedging (including across accounts), grid, latency and quote arbitrage, gap trading, exploiting price or platform errors, abusive AI, undeclared EAs, overexposure or gambling, account rolling and third party trading.

Martingale
No data
No
Free newsletter

Pick your firms. Get what matters.

  • Exclusive promotions, updated daily
  • Funded trading industry news
  • Full control: you choose which firms to follow

FreeNo spamOne-click unsubscribe

Community

Join the community

Join us on our mission to become the most influential family in funded trading.

  • trade-ideasTrading ideas from the community
  • giveawaysGiveaways from prop firms
  • respect-leaderboardTop 10 by Respect earned
  • wins-and-lossesFundings, payouts and blown accounts
Join the Discord