Elena Rostova
Prop Compliance Specialist
FTMO vs FundedNext vs The5ers is the forex prop firm decision most traders face, and the three firms are genuinely different products rather than clones with different logos. FTMO is the strict, established two-step benchmark. FundedNext is the multi-model, multi-asset option. The5ers is built around long-term scaling. Here is how they compare where it counts.
Figures are those recorded on our review profiles at the time of writing; confirm the current terms on each firm's own site before purchase.
| FTMO | FundedNext | The5ers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 | 2022 | 2016 |
| Rating / Trustpilot | 4.8 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Entry price from | €79 | $21 | $28 |
| Max allocation | $200K | $200K | $200K |
| Profit split | Up to 90% | 80-95% | 80-100% |
| Models | 2-Step | 1-Step, 2-Step, Instant, Futures | 1-Step, 2-Step, Instant |
| Payout cycle | Bi-weekly | Bi-weekly | Bi-weekly |
| Minimum days | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Consistency rule | None | None | None |
| Platforms | MT5, MT4, cTrader, DXtrade | MT5, cTrader, TradeLocker, Tradovate | MT5, cTrader |
| News trading | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| Weekend holding | Allowed | Allowed | Allowed |
| Standing discount | 10% (FTMOMATCH) | 15% (NEXT2026) | 10% (5ERS10) |
All three allow news trading and weekend holding and none of them applies a consistency rule — which is exactly why they dominate the forex side of the market. For a swing trader, that combination is worth more than any profit-split difference.
Eleven years of operation and a 4.8/5 Trustpilot score across more than 35,000 reviews make FTMO the most publicly verified firm in the category. The programme is a strict two-step Challenge and Verification, with a 4-day minimum and a fixed maximum loss measured against the initial balance.
Its leverage schedule is conservative by design — 1:100 on forex, 1:30 on metals and energy, 1:50 on indices and 1:3 on crypto — and commissions are published per asset class. If you are running an EA or a systematic strategy that needs a stable, well-documented environment, this is the reference implementation.
Choose FTMO if you want the longest track record, you trade forex majors or indices, and you can live with two phases and the highest entry price of the three.
FundedNext runs 1-step, 2-step, instant funding and a separate futures branch under one roof, spanning forex, crypto and futures. Entry from $21, a split up to 95%, zero minimum trading days and profit sharing during the challenge phase make it the most flexible of the three.
The trade-off is age. Founded in 2022, it has the shortest operating history here, and in an industry where longevity correlates with payout reliability that deserves weight.
Choose FundedNext if you want to pick your own evaluation structure, you trade more than one asset class, or you want to be earning during the challenge itself.
Operating since 2016 with a 4.7/5 score, The5ers is the firm whose product is the growth path rather than the challenge. Its programme steps allocations up as you perform, with a split that reaches 100% at the top of the scale, alongside Bootcamp and instant-funding entry points from $28.
The platform list is the narrowest — MT5 and cTrader only — so confirm your tooling is supported before buying.
Choose The5ers if you intend to hold one account for years and want the allocation to compound, rather than repeatedly buying new challenges.
| Your situation | Best fit |
|---|---|
| First forex evaluation, want the safest name | FTMO |
| Want the lowest cost of entry | FundedNext |
| Want to trade forex, crypto and futures on one account system | FundedNext |
| Want long-term allocation growth | The5ers |
| Run EAs and need documented commissions and leverage | FTMO |
| Want to skip the evaluation entirely | FundedNext or The5ers instant funding |
If futures are your market rather than forex, the equivalent decision is covered in Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep. For the wider field, see best prop firms in 2026.
FTMO has the strongest verifiable track record in the category — eleven years of operation and a 4.8/5 Trustpilot score across more than 35,000 reviews — and it allows both news trading and weekend holding with no consistency rule. It is the strictest structurally, with two phases and a 4-day minimum, so "best" here means most trustworthy rather than easiest.
FundedNext lists from $21 and The5ers from $28 on our directory, with standing discounts of 15% and 10% respectively. Both are materially cheaper to enter than FTMO at €79, though the account size you choose matters far more than the headline entry price.
All three are recorded as allowing weekend holding and news trading, which is the main structural reason swing traders prefer forex prop firms over futures desks like Topstep and Apex Trader Funding, where weekend holding is not permitted.
The5ers is recorded at 80-100% and FundedNext at 80-95%, both above FTMO's up-to-90%. The top of those ranges is usually reached through a scaling plan rather than offered on a first funded account.
FTMO supports MT4 alongside MT5, cTrader and DXtrade. FundedNext lists MT5, cTrader, TradeLocker and Tradovate, and The5ers lists MT5 and cTrader. If your strategy depends on an MT4-only EA, FTMO is the option among the three.
Written By
Specializing in prop firm contract compliance and algorithmic risk modeling.
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