Scope of this comparison
FTMO and Fintokei are both partners of this site and two of the most searched prop firms among our readers. This article compares them on specifications: evaluation terms, loss rules, payouts, platforms, and track record.
If your main question is which firm suits residents of Japan (support language, JPY handling, tax context), that angle is covered separately in Fintokei vs FTMO for Japanese traders. This article is the general, country-neutral comparison.
Verdict at a glance
| If you prioritize | Pick |
|---|---|
| Years in operation, published payout record | FTMO |
| Lower profit targets, gradual difficulty | Fintokei |
| Highest split ceiling | Fintokei (SwiftTrader 90%, 100% on Diamond) |
| Long-term account growth up to $2M | FTMO (Scaling Plan) |
| MT4 | FTMO |
| TradingView | Fintokei |
| Keeping a chance of a fee refund | FTMO (2-Step only; Fintokei needs 2 payout requests first) |
| JPY bank payouts | Fintokei |
1. Evaluation plans
FTMO: two evaluation styles
| Item | 2-Step | 1-Step |
|---|---|---|
| Profit target | 10% → 5% | 10% |
| Daily loss limit | 5% | 3% |
| Max loss | 10% | 10% |
| Minimum trading days | 4 per phase | none |
| Special rules | none | Best Day rule |
| Profit split | 80% (90% via Scaling) | 90% |
No time limit on either. Full rule details are in FTMO rules explained.
Fintokei: three plans with different personalities
| Item | ProTrader | SwiftTrader | StartTrader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steps | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Profit targets | 8% → 6% | 6% | 2% / 3% / 6% |
| Daily loss limit | 5% | 2% | 3% |
| Max loss | 10% | 3% | 6% |
| Profit split | 80% | 90% (100% on Diamond) | 50–100% |
| Entry fee (smallest) | from ¥12,500 | from ¥9,800 | from ¥10,000 |
| Time limit | none (1 trade per 30 days) | 60 days max | 180 days per step |
The SwiftTrader and StartTrader figures replace ones we previously published (SwiftTrader 10% target, -3% daily, -6% max, no time limit, 100% split, from ¥23,800; StartTrader -5%/-10% and 80%), which were wrong; checked against the official plan pages, prices on 2026-09-26. SwiftTrader’s 6% target against only 3% of total room, plus the 60-day cap, means one step does not mean easy.
StartTrader carries a consistency rule: no single day may exceed 40% of total profit. Plan details are in Fintokei plans compared.
What the plans tell you
FTMO’s 2-Step (10% → 5%) and Fintokei’s ProTrader (8% → 6%) demand roughly the same total, distributed differently: FTMO front-loads the difficulty, Fintokei smooths it. And Fintokei’s StartTrader — three tiny targets from about ¥10,000 — has no FTMO equivalent at all. If you want a low-cost, low-target on-ramp, only Fintokei offers one. If you want the industry-standard process with a decade of pass/payout data behind it, that is FTMO.
2. Loss rules
| Item | FTMO 2-Step | Fintokei ProTrader |
|---|---|---|
| Daily loss limit | 5% | 5% |
| Max loss | 10% (static) | 10% (static) |
Both count floating losses, both use static drawdown. This category is a draw.
3. Profit split and payouts
| Item | FTMO | Fintokei |
|---|---|---|
| Split | 80% → 90% via Scaling; 90% on 1-Step | ProTrader 80%; SwiftTrader 90% (100% on Diamond); StartTrader 50–100% |
| First payout | from day 14 | bi-weekly cycle |
| After that | on demand | bi-weekly cycle |
| Processing | 1–2 business days review + 1–2 business days to send after invoice approval | auto-approved in seconds; bank transfer usually sent within 1 business day (arrival ~1–3 business days after) |
| JPY bank transfer | not directly | yes (min ¥20,000) |
| Fee refund | with first payout (2-Step); 1-Step not eligible | only after White belt in the Scaling Dojo (20 trading days, 2 payout requests), minus any discount; StartTrader not eligible |
Practical walkthroughs: FTMO payout guide and Fintokei payout guide. On-demand timing favors FTMO; JPY payouts and a predictable bi-weekly rhythm favor Fintokei.
4. Account growth
FTMO’s Scaling Plan grows a funded account by 25% every four months when conditions are met, up to $2,000,000, and lifts the split to 90% (see FTMO Scaling Plan explained). For traders planning to grow one account for years, this is a clear FTMO strength.
Fintokei also has a growth programme: the Scaling Dojo, started on 3 June 2026. Per its Japanese FAQ, there are five ranks, rank-ups depend only on trading days and payout requests (no profit-% condition), and the top Black belt adds +300% capital. The official SwiftTrader page states “scale up to ¥200 million (Challenge plan Emerald case)” (both checked 2026-09-26). But Black belt requires 250 trading days and 24 payout requests (checked 2026-08-18 on the official FAQ chart), only one account per person can go beyond White belt, and each scale-up needs an e-mail application. Fintokei’s English FAQ, meanwhile, still says the old scaling ended on 21 January 2026 and was replaced by Capital Scaling Boost (up to +25% on newly issued accounts).
5. Platforms
| FTMO | Fintokei | |
|---|---|---|
| MT4 | ✓ | ✗ |
| MT5 | ✓ | ✓ |
| cTrader | ✓ | ✓ |
| TradingView | not listed | ✓ |
| DXtrade | not listed in the platform FAQ; check | ✗ |
MT4 users need FTMO; TradingView users need Fintokei. Both support cTrader and MT5. We previously listed DXtrade for both, MT4 for Fintokei and cTrader for FTMO only; none of that matched the firms’ platform pages, so we corrected it.
6. Track record and trust
- FTMO: founded 2015, eleven years in operation, the industry’s largest published cumulative payout record
- Fintokei: launched 2023 by a Czech operator with prop-industry background, built for the Japanese market
On verified history, FTMO is simply a tier above. That is not a mark against Fintokei — roughly three years of clean operation is respectable — but the depth of evidence differs. See FTMO reputation 2026 and Fintokei reputation review.
Where each firm honestly loses
FTMO loses when:
- you want JPY bank payouts
- you want a low-target beginner plan (FTMO starts at 10%)
- you want a split above 90% (Fintokei SwiftTrader reaches 100% on Diamond)
Fintokei loses when:
- you weight years of payout evidence heavily
- you need MT4
- you want to scale quickly: the Scaling Dojo’s ¥200M (Challenge plan Emerald at Black belt) takes 250 trading days and 24 payout requests, and only one account per person can go beyond White belt
- you want the fee back: Fintokei’s refund comes only after White belt (20 trading days, 2 payout requests), minus any discount, and the English FAQ still contradicts the Japanese one
Conclusion
These two firms compete on the same field with different characters: FTMO brings history, platform breadth, and a $2M growth path; Fintokei brings gentler targets, JPY payouts, and a higher split ceiling. Neither dominates the other across the board, so choose from your trading style and payout needs.
On cost, budget as if neither fee comes back: FTMO refunds only if you pass the 2-Step and take a first payout, and Fintokei only after White belt (20 trading days, 2 payout requests). Always confirm current terms on the official sites, since specifications change.
Recommended prop firms
The two firms compared in this article:
FTMO — the industry benchmark
Operating since 2015 with the industry’s largest published payout track record. The classic challenge-then-funded model.
The free trial lets you test everything at no cost, and the 2-Step Challenge fee is refunded with your first payout after passing (no refund if you fail). See the FTMO free trial guide.
Fintokei — Japan-focused, JPY payouts
Fully localized Japanese product with payouts to Japanese bank accounts in JPY, plus 1- to 3-step plans from a ¥9,800 entry.
→ Fintokei official (coupon code FINTO5KEI for 5% off)