The5ers High Stakes is cheaper ($249 for 50K against €345 for FTMO's 2-Step) and asks for the same targets of 10% and then 5%. Its loss limits are tighter: 8% maximum and 4% daily, against 10% and 5% at FTMO. FTMO allows EAs within platform limits, while The5ers needs written approval for automated trading.
FTMO vs The5ers
| FTMO | The5ers | |
|---|---|---|
| Market | Forex & CFDs | Futures & forex |
| Main 50K plan | €345 | $249 |
| Profit target (50K) | €5,000 | $5,000 |
| Max loss (50K) | €5,000 | $4,000 |
| Drawdown | Static | Static |
| Consistency rule | None | — |
| Profit split | 80% (90% scaling) | 80% to 100% |
| Payouts | From day 14 | Every 2 weeks |
| News trading | Restricted: on Standard FTMO (funded) accounts, no order execution 2 minutes before or after selected high-impact news on affected instruments. Challenge/Verification phases and Swing accounts are exempt | Restricted: High Stakes forbids new orders 2 minutes before/after high-impact news; bracketing pending orders around high-impact news is prohibited in all programs (T&C) |
| Bots and EAs | Allowed, within limits: platform caps of 200 open orders and 2,000 positions a day; more than 2,000 server requests a day is forbidden; third-party EAs risk breaching the max capital allocation rule | Restricted: T&C require prior written approval for automated trading software; third-party EAs, rollover-scalping EAs, HFT, tick scalping and arbitrage are prohibited |
| US traders | Yes | — |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | MetaTrader 5, cTrader, BlackArrow (futures) |
| Public code | — | — |
Which to pick
Pick FTMO if you want more room before a breach and plan to use EAs. Pick The5ers if price matters more and your risk per day stays well inside 4%. Both pay 80% at the start with a scaling plan that raises it. Both pay the first reward after 14 days.
News trading
Both restrict it on funded accounts in a similar way. FTMO bars order execution 2 minutes before and after selected high-impact news on its standard funded accounts. The5ers' High Stakes forbids new orders 2 minutes before and after high-impact news.