FTMO 2-Step vs Futures: A Gold Trader’s Guide (Beta)

Disclaimer: As the following analysis is exclusively for educational and informational purposes, I am sharing my personal market views, trading plans, and what I have understood up to the publication date of this article. Please note that my perspective may not reflect 100% of the reality, and because this is a new Beta product, structural changes and rule alterations can be made by the provider at any moment. I hope this breakdown helps navigate the changes, as they are genuinely significant, but I strongly advise you to thoroughly study the product yourself, just as I did and continue to do, before making any formal commitments or purchases.

Beta Notice: FTMO Futures is currently in Beta. Rules and product conditions should be checked against FTMO’s current official documentation before purchasing an Evaluation.

I have spent years navigating the retail MetaTrader CFD markets, refining my algorithmic systems and manual edges for gold. When FTMO launched their new Futures programme in Beta at the end of August 2026, I immediately dug into the mechanics to see how it stacks up against the classic MT5 2-Step challenge. As an official FTMO partner, a dedicated algorithmic developer, and a massive fan of the firm, I am currently putting this brand-new Beta challenge through its paces. Transitioning from retail MetaTrader CFDs to CME futures involves navigating hidden complexities. The nominal size of the account does not dictate your actual risk capacity, passing faster does not mean the challenge is easier, and a higher potential payout does not automatically make it the best product for every trader.

At a Glance: FTMO 2-Step vs FTMO Futures

The table gives you the answers. The questions below explain why.

Section 1: The Core Differences & Basics

1. What exactly is the new FTMO Futures programme?

It is a completely new proprietary trading evaluation focusing exclusively on exchange-traded futures. Instead of trading CFDs via MetaTrader, you trade in a simulated environment using real CME market data.

2. Is the FTMO Futures programme fully released?

No, it was launched at the end of August 2026 and is currently in its Beta phase. The dashboards and structural rules are actively being refined based on early user feedback.

3. Do I trade with real money on the FTMO Futures account?

No. Both the Evaluation and the Sim-Funded stages use simulated capital. You operate in a simulated environment that mirrors real CME market data.

4. I am familiar with the Classic 2-Step challenge. What is the biggest structural difference?

The traditional FTMO 2-Step challenge is a two-phase evaluation consisting of a Challenge and a Verification phase. The new Futures product is a single-phase evaluation: you go directly from the Evaluation to the Sim-Funded stage.

5. What account sizes are available for FTMO Futures?

There are currently three sizes available: $50K, $100K, and $150K. You are permitted to hold up to three accounts simultaneously, meaning you can manage up to $450K in simulated capital.

6. How much does the FTMO Futures challenge cost?

Unlike the one-off fee model used for MetaTrader challenges, the Futures programme uses a monthly subscription model. A $50K Growth account costs approximately $119 per month, whilst the $50K Pro plan is $139 per month.

7. What happens if I fail the Futures evaluation in the first week?

If you violate a drawdown limit, your account is breached. You can wait for your next billing cycle for an automatic reset, or you can manually pay a reset fee—for example, $109 for the $50K Growth—to start a fresh evaluation immediately.

8. Is there a time limit to pass the FTMO Futures evaluation?

No, there is no maximum time limit to hit your profit target, provided you keep paying your active monthly subscription.

Section 2: Account Types & Risk Limits

9. What is the main difference between the Growth and Pro plans?

The Growth plan is cheaper, imposes no daily loss limit during the evaluation, but caps your payout requests at 50% of available eligible profits. The Pro plan is slightly more expensive, enforces a strict daily loss limit, but permits you to request up to 100% of available eligible profits.

10. Does the Growth plan have a Daily Loss Limit?

No. During the Growth Evaluation, there is no Daily Loss Limit. This is one of the main differences between Growth and Pro. Once you reach the Sim-Funded stage, however, Growth introduces a Soft Daily Loss Limit, meaning a daily breach simply closes your positions and pauses your trading until the next day rather than automatically terminating the account.

11. How does the Maximum Drawdown work? Is it static like the 2-Step?

No. Unlike the static maximum loss of the 2-Step challenge, the Maximum Drawdown in the Futures programme is an End of Day (EOD) trailing drawdown.

12. What exactly is the End of Day (EOD) Trailing Drawdown?

This means the floor of your allowable drawdown moves upwards based on your highest end-of-day closing balance. This is generally more forgiving than a trailing drawdown that follows intraday equity highs, because profitable intraday fluctuations do not immediately move the drawdown floor higher.

13. Is there a “catch” to the EOD trailing drawdown?

Yes. While your floor is only recalculated at the end of the day, any violation of that floor is monitored tick-by-tick in real-time. If your floating equity dips below your current fixed floor at any point during the day, you fail instantly.

14. Does the trailing drawdown follow me upwards forever?

No. The drawdown floor permanently locks as soon as it reaches your initial starting capital (e.g., $50,000). From that point on, it will never rise above your initial balance.

15. Does floating equity matter more than closed balance in Futures?

Absolutely. Equity is calculated as your balance plus open floating P&L minus commissions. A heavy floating loss can breach your trailing drawdown limit and destroy your account even if your closed balance appears safe.

Section 3: Trading Mechanics & Rules

16. What is the Consistency Rule?

In the Growth plan, your best trading day cannot account for more than 40% of your total profit. In the Pro plan, this limit is 50%. This forces traders to spread their gains across multiple days and restricts strategies relying on highly concentrated profit spikes.

17. What happens if my Best Day exceeds the Consistency Rule?

You do not fail the Evaluation simply because your Best Day exceeds the required percentage. You must continue generating profit until your Best Day represents no more than the permitted percentage of your total profit.

18. Can I hold trades overnight or over the weekend?

No. All positions must be closed before the daily close at 4:10 PM ET. You cannot carry trades overnight or over the weekend.

19. Can I trade the news on FTMO Futures?

Yes, news trading is explicitly permitted during the evaluation.

20. How do contract sizes work compared to MT5 lot sizes?

A $50K account has a maximum contract-equivalent limit of five. One Standard/Mini contract counts as one, while ten Micro contracts count as one Standard/Mini contract.

Important for Gold Traders: On a $50K Futures account, the Micro Gold contract (MGC) can be particularly useful because the maximum-contract calculation treats ten Micro contracts as one Standard/Mini contract. This provides the granularity required for precise risk management when porting XAU/USD CFD strategies to the futures market.

21. How does the Scaling Plan work for Futures?

Once you reach the Sim-Funded stage, you start with a reduced maximum contract limit—for example, just 2 contracts on a $50K account. This limit can increase as you accumulate profit, according to FTMO’s scaling rules.

Section 4: Platforms, Tech & EAs

22. What platforms are available for FTMO Futures?

You can trade on NinjaTrader, Tradovate, or TradingView.

23. Do I have to pay extra for CME market data?

Live CME market data is included within your FTMO evaluation subscription. However, if you wish to use that data feed outside of the FTMO context to test strategies elsewhere, you would need to purchase it separately.

24. Are algorithmic trading and trading robots allowed?

Yes. FTMO Futures allows algorithmic trading, but automated strategies must comply with FTMO’s rules and technical limitations. The platform imposes API/server limitations on order activity. Furthermore, FTMO warns that traders using third-party EAs risk being denied a Sim-Funded Account if the exact same strategy is being utilised by other traders. Developing your own automation does not exempt you from FTMO’s trading and technical restrictions.

25. Can I simply copy trades from my MT5 account into FTMO Futures?

You should not assume that an MT5-to-Futures trade copier is permitted. FTMO prohibits copy trading across registrations and requires traders to demonstrate their own trading strategy. For an algorithmic trader moving from MT5, the safer approach is to port the strategy to a native Futures environment rather than treating FTMO Futures as an execution destination for an external account.

Section 5: Payouts & The Economic Model

26. Does the Pro plan really give me 100% of my profits?

No. The firm retains their 10% cut via a standard 90/10 split. “100% withdrawable” means you may request up to 100% of your available simulated profit pool, whereas the Growth plan caps your request at 50% of the available profit.
Example: Imagine you have $5,000 of eligible profit on a Pro account and the full amount is within the applicable payout cap. You may request $5,000. The 90/10 payout ratio means you receive $4,500, while FTMO retains $500.

27. What is the fastest I could theoretically pass the Futures Evaluation?

There is no minimum number of trading days in the Futures Evaluation. Mathematically, the Pro consistency requirement (50%) can be satisfied in two profitable days if the $3,000 target is distributed evenly enough between them. The Growth 40% rule means that reaching exactly $3,000 in only two days is mathematically impossible, because one of the two days would necessarily represent at least 50% of the total. In practice, the timeline depends heavily on your daily profit distribution.

28. How do qualifying days work for payouts?

After reaching the Sim-Funded stage, you must log a specific number of qualifying days before requesting a payout (4 for Growth, 5 for Pro). A qualifying day is not simply opening a trade; it requires hitting a specific minimum P&L for that account size on that day (e.g., $150 minimum for a $50K Growth account).

29. What are the payout caps?

During the early stages of the Sim-Funded account, there are maximum withdrawal caps. For a $50K Growth account, the cap is $2,500, whilst the $50K Pro account allows up to $5,000.

30. What is the “50% new profit” rule for payouts?

At least 50% of your requested payout amount must consist of newly generated profit from your current trading cycle. You cannot simply accumulate massive profits and withdraw them all in a single cycle without trading further.

31. If FTMO lets Pro traders withdraw 100% of their eligible profit, how does FTMO make money?

As established, “100% withdrawable” still involves a 90/10 payout ratio where FTMO retains a 10% cut. Additionally, the Futures Evaluation relies on monthly subscriptions and reset fees. Because both Evaluation and Sim-Funded stages are simulated environments, the firm manages its economic exposure internally, inviting only select traders to Live Funded accounts. FTMO does not publish a complete breakdown of its revenue, so assuming their profit relies solely on trader failures is an unsupported assumption.

Section 6: The $50K Illusion

$50K nominal ≠ $50K of risk capacity.

A common misconception is that a $50K Futures account provides double the breathing room of a $25K MT5 challenge. The nominal size of the account does not dictate your actual risk capacity. Let us break down the actual drawdown room across the models:

• FTMO 2-Step $25K: $2,500 static maximum loss.
• Futures Growth $50K: $2,000 EOD trailing drawdown.
• Futures Pro $50K: $3,000 EOD trailing drawdown.

The $50K Growth account is twice the nominal size of the $25K FTMO 2-Step, yet it initially gives you less absolute drawdown room ($2,000 compared to $2,500). The $50K Pro account, on the other hand, provides $3,000 of initial drawdown room against a $3,000 target, creating an incredibly attractive 1:1 Target-to-Drawdown ratio right from the start.

Section 7: Evaluation Survival vs Payout Economics

To select the right path, you must categorise your priorities:

• Which is more familiar to an MT5 trader? The 25K 2-Step is likely the more familiar environment for a trader coming directly from MT5 CFDs, particularly because its maximum loss is static rather than EOD trailing.
• Which is faster to reach funded status? The Futures programme is faster, as it consists of a single Evaluation phase with no Verification stage.
• Which has better payout economics? The Pro Futures account potentially offers the best economics due to the higher payout caps and the ability to request up to 100% of eligible profits.

For an experienced intraday gold trader who can successfully adapt a proven strategy to the Futures environment, the $50K Pro account may offer the strongest economics. The Pro account comes with a Hard Daily Loss Limit and a more demanding risk structure, but rewards discipline with greater drawdown room and superior payout scalability. For a trader still adapting from MT5 CFDs to CME futures, the Growth plan may actually offer a better testing environment. Pro may be the better destination for a proven Futures trader; Growth may be the better starting point for someone making the transition.

If I were already profitable trading XAU/USD on MT5, I would not abandon the strategy and immediately buy into the Pro tier. I would first prove that the strategy survives the transition to the Micro Gold contract (MGC) on NinjaTrader. If the edge holds, Pro becomes a very compelling vehicle. If it does not, the issue lies not with the proprietary account structure, but with the technical realities of transferring an edge from retail CFDs to exchange-traded futures.

Don’t change your market, your platform, your execution model, and your risk model all at the same time.

For more details, feel free to visit FTMO using my link, which supports my work at no extra cost to you.