FTMO vs FundedNext is the most-asked comparison in prop trading, and 2026’s rule changes rewrote the answer. We hold funded accounts at both firms; this comparison comes from trading them side by side, not from their marketing tables.
Head-to-head: the numbers that matter
| Factor | FTMO | FundedNext | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100K challenge cost | $619 (2-Step) | ~$449 | FundedNext |
| Phase 1 / 2 targets | 8% / 5% | 8% / 5% (Stellar) | Tie |
| Drawdown (daily / max) | 5% / 10% | 5% / 10% | Tie |
| Base → max profit split | 80% → 90% | ~90% → 95% | FundedNext |
| Scaling ceiling | $2M | $4M | FundedNext |
| Evaluation-phase profits | None | 15% (even if you fail) | FundedNext |
| Risk-per-trade limit (funded) | 0.5–1% | None comparable | FundedNext (flexibility) |
| Payout track record | $500M+ since 2015 | Since 2022 | FTMO |
| Rule stability | Excellent | Good (models iterate) | FTMO |
| Fee refund | With first payout | — | FTMO |
Verified July 8, 2026. Both firms run frequent promos; check current pricing before buying.
Where FundedNext wins
Economics, across the board. A $100K path at FundedNext costs ~27% less upfront, pays up to 5 points more per withdrawal, scales to twice the capital, and — uniquely in the industry — pays you 15% of evaluation profits even on a failed attempt. Over a realistic multi-attempt journey, the total-cost gap is larger than the sticker-price gap.
Sizing freedom. FTMO’s 2026 risk-per-trade cap (0.5–1%) is a hard filter. If your strategy concentrates risk — scaling into A+ setups, news straddles, pyramiding trends — it simply doesn’t fit inside FTMO’s funded rules anymore. FundedNext imposes no equivalent cap on its Stellar models.
Where FTMO wins
The only metric that matters when things go wrong. Since 2015, FTMO has paid over half a billion dollars through every market regime and through an industry collapse that killed 80+ competitors. FundedNext (founded 2022) has behaved well — it paid throughout the shakeout — but four years of good behavior isn’t eleven. Our methodology weights payout reliability at 35% for exactly this reason.
Predictability. FTMO changes rules rarely and loudly. FundedNext’s challenge menu (Stellar 1-Step, 2-Step, Express, Lite) iterates often enough that the rules you researched last quarter may not be this quarter’s — the Express model’s consistency scoring has caught traders who didn’t reread terms.
So which should you buy?
- First six-figure evaluation, certainty-focused: FTMO. Pay the premium, follow the 1% cap, treat the refund-with-first-payout as your bonus. Full FTMO review.
- Value-focused or aggressive sizing: FundedNext Stellar 2-Step. The evaluation profit share means even failure pays something back. Full FundedNext review.
- Best answer for most traders: both, staggered. Pass FundedNext first (cheaper tuition), then add FTMO once withdrawals are flowing. Two firms halve your firm-risk — the lesson of 2024–2026 is that no single firm is too big to fail.
Budget tight? See the cheapest prop firms. Full rankings: best prop firms 2026.