The bottom line first
FTMO and The5%ers are the two veteran giants, both with 10+ years in operation — but no longer with matching trust ratings. On 2026-08-01 this site re-rated The5%ers from High to Low trust (★4.6→3.3) after the firm itself acknowledged payout delays in March 2026, while FTMO remains High. That asymmetry now frames every row below.
| Your priority | Pick |
|---|---|
| Trust rating (this site) | FTMO (High vs Low) |
| Shortest evaluation (one step) | The5%ers (Hyper Growth) |
| Cheapest entry ticket | The5%ers (High Stakes from $19) |
| Highest profit-split ceiling | The5%ers (up to 100%, minus a flat 3.5% per withdrawal) |
| Evaluation fee refund | FTMO (full fee on first payout; The5%ers refunds 70%) |
| MT4 / cTrader / DXtrade | FTMO |
1. Background — twin pillars of the old guard
| FTMO | The5%ers | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 | 2016 |
| Headquarters | Czech Republic (Prague) | Israel |
| Years in operation | 11 | 10 |
| Trust rating (this site) | High | Low (re-rated 2026-08-01; previously High) |
| Acknowledged payout delays | No | Yes — March 2026 |
| Payout record | Industry-largest, continuously published | Continuously published |
Both firms sailed through industry turmoil like the MyForexFunds enforcement action (2023), and by our own count, only 5 of 23 firms have 10+ years in operation — these two sit at the core of that group. The trust rows no longer match, though: The5%ers itself acknowledged payout delays in March 2026, withdrawal-denial reports have accumulated on third-party forums since, and its help center returns 404 — which is why we re-rated it Low on 2026-08-01 (details in The5%ers reputation review). Years in operation are a fact; they are no longer a guarantee.
2. Evaluation model — fundamentally different philosophies
FTMO: the two-step Challenge model (the industry’s template)
- Challenge (+10% target) → Verification (+5% target) → funded account
- This model itself became the industry standard — FTMO is the original
- Built on proving your skill by passing the evaluation
The5%ers: pick your number of steps
- Hyper Growth (1 step): +10% target, 3% daily loss, 6% stop-out, 1:30 leverage
- High Stakes (2 steps): 10% → 5% targets (Classic: 8% → 5%), from $19
- Bootcamp (3 steps): low-cost staged route, from $22
Note that The5%ers no longer offers a no-evaluation route: the Instant Funding product it pioneered has been discontinued, and its page returns 404. In short: FTMO offers the industry-standard two-step process; The5%ers offers a choice of one, two, or three steps — but every route is an evaluation.
3. Profit split — FTMO for stability, The5%ers for growth
| FTMO | The5%ers | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial split | 80% | 75% (Hyper Growth) / 80% (High Stakes) |
| Maximum split | 90% | 100% |
| Withdrawal deduction | None | Flat 3.5% on every cash withdrawal |
| Path to the cap | Automatic on meeting conditions | Reaching scaling milestones |
If you want a reliable 80% in the short term, FTMO. The5%ers’ “up to 100%” is a post-scaling figure, and the flat 3.5% deduction means even the ceiling nets 96.5% — an 80% split nets about 77.2%. Factor both the starting split and the deduction in before you choose, and remember that reaching the ceiling means leaving capital with the firm for a long stretch — the riskiest posture while its payout-delay episode is unresolved.
4. Pricing and refunds
| FTMO | The5%ers | |
|---|---|---|
| Price range | $89–$1,080 | High Stakes New $19–$491 / Classic $22–$545 (Hyper Growth priced by size) |
| Refund policy | Evaluation fee refunded on first payout (conditions apply) | Staged: 10% + 20% as Hub Credits, 70% cash with first payout |
| Coupon | None | Referral code “HZZS4” |
FTMO’s pitch — pass, and the evaluation is effectively free — is psychologically powerful. The5%ers undercuts it on the ticket itself: $19 is the cheapest serious entry among the veteran firms, though only 70% of the fee comes back as cash. At checkout, see how to use referral code HZZS4.
5. Platforms and rule flexibility
| FTMO | The5%ers | |
|---|---|---|
| MT4 / MT5 | Yes / Yes | Partial (plan-dependent) / Yes |
| cTrader / DXtrade | Yes / Yes | No / No |
| Daily loss limit | Yes (5%) | Yes (High Stakes 5%, Hyper Growth 3%) |
| News trading | 2-minute window restriction | Allowed depending on plan |
| Consistency rule | Yes | Plan-dependent |
FTMO offers the wider toolset. A correction: this article previously claimed The5%ers had “plans with no daily loss limit” — it does not. Every current The5%ers program carries one (5% on High Stakes, 3% on Hyper Growth), so daily-loss-sensitive styles get no escape hatch here. If a genuinely absent daily limit is what you need, look at the no-daily-loss roundup instead. For news trading policies, see our restrictions roundup.
6. Who each firm suits
FTMO suits you if
- You want to prove your skill on the industry-standard Challenge model
- You want MT4 / cTrader / DXtrade
- You want the refund policy to cap your downside
- You trade well within clearly defined rules
The5%ers suits you if
- You want the cheapest ticket among the veterans ($19) and accept the Low trust rating by keeping it small
- You specifically want a one-step evaluation (Hyper Growth)
- You want flexibility on news trading
- You are deliberately testing the firm’s payouts yourself before trusting it with more
The third option: run both in parallel
Running both is still possible, but no longer as equals. Treat FTMO as the base account and any The5%ers ticket as a small, self-contained experiment — withdraw early and let the arrival of the money decide whether it earns a second ticket. See the guide to running multiple prop firms in parallel.
Summary
- Both have 10+ years in operation, but the trust ratings have split: FTMO High, The5%ers Low since the 2026-08-01 re-rating
- Default choice → FTMO. The5%ers’ remaining edges are the $19 ticket and the one-step Hyper Growth — use them at small size only
- Stable short-term split with no withdrawal fee → FTMO; long-term ceiling of 100% (minus 3.5% per withdrawal) → The5%ers, if its payouts prove reliable again
Always make your final investment decisions yourself. This site does not provide investment advice.
Recommended firms
FTMO — the reassurance of the industry leader
11 years in operation (since 2015). Publishes one of the industry’s largest cumulative payout records.
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.
The5%ers — for building up from a small ticket
Operating since 2016. Three plans run in parallel — the one-step Hyper Growth, the two-step High Stakes and the three-step Bootcamp — with fees from $19. The profit split climbs in steps toward 100%, but a flat 3.5% is deducted from every withdrawal. On 2026-08-01 this site re-rated The5%ers from High to Low trust (★4.6→3.3) after the firm itself acknowledged payout delays in March 2026. If you use it, keep the ticket small and confirm your first payout arrives before scaling up.
→ Visit The5%ers official site (how to use referral code “HZZS4”)