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FTMO vs The5ers vs FundedNext: Three $50K Futures Accounts Compared

The same $50K label does not give you the same loss allowance, contract capacity or access to payouts. FTMO Growth, FundedNext Flex and The5ers Day Trade also differ in billing, automation permissions and what happens after a withdrawal. The useful comparison follows those rules through the evaluation and into the funded stage.

Compares

Only these three accounts. Other programs, options and sizes can have different rules and costs.

Values
Quoted from the account pages, with sources checked 19 September – 23 October 2026. Each value’s information button opens its conditions and sources.

Prop Firm WizFuturesPublished Updated Sources checked 12 min read

The comparison covers FTMO's Growth plan (not Pro), FundedNext's Flex (not Rapid Pro, Rapid Daily or Direct) and The5ers' Day Trade (not Swing), each at $50,000 and without a reset. The tables list the three accounts in the same neutral order, which is alphabetical and not a ranking.

What differs at a glance?

Start with the money you pay and the loss room the evaluation allows. Neither the account label nor the profit share answers both questions. Where a verified offer appears beside a list price, it is a separate, temporary purchase condition.

MeasureFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
List price and billing$119 per monthList price $141.99, offer $74.99 one-time (temporary offer, conditions apply)$100 one-time
Opening loss allowance$2,000$1,500$2,000
Difficulty ratio1.501.6671.50
Fee per $1,000 of opening risk$59.50 to $119.00$94.66$50.00
Initial profit share90%95%80%

PFW's Opening loss allowance is the smallest opening allowance across the required evaluation phases. Difficulty ratio adds each required phase's target divided by that phase's opening allowance. It describes the target relative to initial loss room; it does not measure pass probability or account suitability. The opening-loss explanation and Difficulty ratio guide show how to read them.

Fee per $1,000 of opening risk compares the base cost of a thirty-day attempt with that allowance. A subscription can produce a range because the attempt may include another charge. A separately displayed offer figure does not change the base metric's scope. Neither figure is a complete forecast of your spending through the first payout.

What must happen before the funded stage?

Each selected account starts with an evaluation. Read the target together with its consistency condition: reaching the displayed target alone may not complete the evaluation.

Evaluation requirementFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
Selected routeThe Growth plan (not Pro), without a reset (FTMO sells one for $109). One evaluation, then the simulated funded account, with level 1 market data.The Flex plan at its standard list price, setting aside add-ons, a reset (sold for $82.99) or an assumed move to a live account.The Day Trade plan (not Swing). One evaluation, then the funded stage. No reset.
Profit target6%5%6%

The target conditions use different measures of profit concentration. FTMO looks at the best closed-profit day relative to total closed profit. FundedNext tests the best day against the target and can raise the total profit required. The5ers uses a best-trade condition. A day-based check and a trade-based check can treat the same sequence of trades differently. Keep the denominator and the stage attached to any consistency-rule comparison.

Passing also changes the account you need to assess. In particular, FTMO's funded daily stop and initial funded contract allowance differ from the evaluation. Before the first funded trade, repeat the evaluation-to-funded rule check.

How much room do the loss rules and contract caps leave?

The opening allowance is a starting condition. Your remaining room depends on the account's current value and the equity threshold at which the max-loss rule is breached. It can change after profits, losses or a payout.

Capacity ruleFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
Loss mechanics$2,000 EOD trailing; Maximum Drawdown Limit starts at $48,000 and never falls. Touching floor breaches.$1,500 EOD trailing; floor caps/locks at $50,100.4% below applicable high-water balance/equity. Opening floor $48,000.
Daily loss and contract limitsNo daily loss limit during the evaluation. The funded account has a $1,000 soft daily stop. Up to 5 minis (or 50 micros) in the evaluation; the funded account starts at 2 minis and scales to 5.No daily loss limit. Up to 3 minis or 30 micros, the same in the Challenge and the FundedNext Account.No daily loss limit: only the 4% maximum loss applies. It is measured from the highest midnight balance or equity, so it moves up at the end of a day and never down. Up to 4 minis or 40 micros, the same in the evaluation and the funded stage.

FTMO and FundedNext describe end-of-day trailing loss limits. The5ers measures its limit below the applicable high-water balance or equity, with the midnight reference explained in its daily loss and contract limits row. The reference, the update time and any lock determine how the threshold moves. “End of day” identifies an update schedule; by itself, it does not establish when a breach is tested. The max-loss models guide separates those questions.

FTMO's funded daily rule is a soft stop. Keep it separate from a max-loss breach and from the evaluation's absence of a daily limit. FundedNext and The5ers also retain an overall max-loss constraint despite having no daily loss limit. The daily-loss comparison explains why removing a daily limit does not remove loss control.

Contract counts need an equally careful reading. FTMO explicitly distinguishes the evaluation cap from a funded starting allowance that scales. FundedNext and The5ers each keep one cap for both stages, as their rows say. For a particular setup, check both how contracts are counted and when scaling permits a larger position. A contract cap is not a suggested position size.

What do you pay, and which refunds are established?

FTMO's selected plan bills monthly; FundedNext and The5ers use a one-time evaluation fee. The subscription therefore needs a renewal and cancellation check as well as a starting-price check. A one-time entry fee still does not describe the cost of every possible retry, purchase or withdrawal. The billing-model comparison keeps those spending paths separate.

Cost or refundFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
Activation feeNoneNoneNone
Platform and data feesNoneNoneNone
Fee refund with a rewardThe Growth plan does not offer a fee reimbursement. (interpretation)No refund of the fee with a reward: FundedNext's futures FAQ and terms say fees are final and non-refundable under all circumstances.The fee is refunded with the third payout, separately from profit earned.
Cancellation refundConsumers can cancel within 14 days if they have not traded. Otherwise the subscription ends at the end of the billing period.FundedNext's futures challenge terms and futures FAQ say payments are final and non-refundable under any circumstances. Its terms of service allow a refund request within 7 days of purchase if no trade, order or position has been opened or executed on the account. The terms of service list the futures challenge terms among their policies and say their main text prevails over those policies and over FAQs, unless a document expressly states that it prevails over a specific provision; the futures challenge terms do not say that. How FundedNext applies this to an unused futures account is not established. (sources differ)The5ers' refund policy for its evaluation programs, published for futures too: within 5 days of purchase and before any trade, the fee can be refunded; after 5 days, only as Hub credit.

A fee refund earned with a reward and a refund after cancelling an unused evaluation answer different questions. FTMO's reward-linked refund record is labeled Interpretation, so its conclusion should retain that qualification. FundedNext's reward-linked refund row states no refund, while its cancellation row is Sources differ: the futures and general terms do not establish one reconciled cancellation rule. Do not use the latter conflict to promise a refund. Follow the conflicting-rules guide to identify the applicable terms before paying.

The5ers links its fee refund to a later payout. How the refund is paid is not stated. Its cancellation policy also distinguishes a refund from Hub credit. Credit available for another purchase is not cash you can withdraw.

If you are considering another attempt, check the current reset records for FTMO, FundedNext and The5ers. A reset is outside this comparison's selected purchase. The activation and retry guide helps distinguish those charges from the fee to enter the funded stage.

Can you use the same trading method in both stages?

For these accounts, the recorded news, holding, automation and own-account copying permissions apply in both evaluation and funded trading. “Allowed” still carries the conditions in the record. It does not override a prohibited strategy or an account's other limits.

Permission, evaluation and fundedFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
News and overnight holdingNews trading is allowed. Positions must be closed by 4:10 pm ET, or earlier on shortened sessions, and cannot be held over the weekend.News trading is allowed. Positions must be closed by 3:10 pm CT and cannot be held over the weekend.News trading is allowed. Positions must be closed 10 minutes before the market close and cannot be held over the weekend.
Expert advisors and copyingExpert advisors and other automated trading are allowed, but not high-frequency or latency-arbitrage strategies, and a third-party EA others use can cost you the Sim-Funded Account. Copying trades between your own accounts is allowed if each account follows its own rules; copying another trader and offsetting risk across accounts are not.Expert advisors are allowed. Copying between your own verified accounts is allowed; copying from third parties or in groups is not.Algorithmic trading, high-frequency trading and hedging are not allowed. Copying your own trades between accounts is allowed for 25K and 50K accounts, up to $75,000 in total.

All three permit news trading, and all three prohibit overnight and weekend holding in these selected plans. FTMO's news permission also carries a condition about concentrating activity around scheduled events in a way unlike the rest of your trading. Its daily flat requirement includes cancelling resting orders. Keep each firm's stated cutoff and time-zone wording; use the futures session guide to check the relevant session, including shortened trading days.

If your method requires an expert advisor, the difference is direct: FTMO and FundedNext permit automation subject to their restrictions, while The5ers prohibits algorithmic trading on the selected account. Copying your own trades is a separate permission. The5ers restricts the account combination and total size, while FTMO and FundedNext attach ownership and prohibited-strategy conditions. Check the automation and copying guide and the stage cells in the FTMO, FundedNext and The5ers records before connecting a tool or copier.

When can you request a payout, and how much can leave?

The profit share in the opening table applies within a payout process. Qualifying activity, request limits, funded consistency, charges and processing each affect what you can receive. Start with the conditions for a request, then follow the request through to payment.

Payout conditionFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
First and later payoutsA payout can be requested once 4 trading days in the payout cycle have each ended with at least $150 of closed profit. A day below $150 does not count; trading continues until 4 days qualify. The same applies to every payout cycle.5 benchmark days each ≥$200; cycle net profit ≥$500.14 days from activation, then 14-day intervals; scaling resets clock.
Payout minimums and capsGross request ≥$20; up to 50% of profit, payout cap $2,500. ≥50% must be new profit. Then 90% share.Minimum Profit $500 per cycle; minimum withdrawal $250; maximum withdrawal ≤ 50% of profit (max $1,500).A payout needs at least 4% profit on the initial balance ($2,000). Each payout is capped at 3% of the initial balance ($1,500).
Funded consistency rulesNone on the funded account. The evaluation has its own consistency rule.None on the funded account. The evaluation has its own consistency rule.The best trade's share of total profit is limited to 40%; above it, keep trading until the share comes down.

FTMO and FundedNext require qualifying trading days; The5ers uses an interval from activation and between requests, with a scaling reset. A qualifying-day count is not a promise of a calendar date. The FTMO Growth first-payout answer does not establish an additional calendar wait or a fixed cycle length. The request-clock guide explains how to separate activity requirements from elapsed time.

The request limits also precede the trader's share. Do not apply the advertised share to the full account profit and assume the result is withdrawable. The profit-share and cap guide explains that order. For The5ers, the record gives a profit requirement before any payout and a cap on each payout. At this size the requirement is larger than the cap, so a payout cannot take all the profit that qualified it.

The5ers' two consistency FAQs disagree at the exact threshold in the quoted row: the calculation FAQ requires the best trade's share to stay below it, while the definition FAQ accepts equality. Do not plan a request that depends on equality being accepted without asking The5ers. FTMO and FundedNext have separate evaluation consistency rules even though their funded rows say none.

Payment stageFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
Payout processing feesFees for the payout methods are not established. We do not assume there are none. (partly unknown)Up to 3.5% depending on the payout method, with minimum and maximum amounts per method. The program's $1,500 payout cap is separate.Cash payout methods carry a 3.5% fee. Hub credit has no fee but cannot be cashed out.
Published processing timeFTMO does not publish a maximum time for approval. The invoice follows approval, and the time for payment to arrive is separate. (partly unknown)FundedNext promises to start processing a reward within 24 hours of the request, except where details are incorrect. The time for money to arrive is separate.No futures-specific processing time is published. The CFD estimates are not assumed to apply. (partly unknown)

FTMO's processing fees and approval timing remain Partly unknown. The5ers has no established futures-specific processing estimate. FundedNext's stated commitment concerns starting processing, not money arriving in your bank or wallet. These records cannot support a fastest-payout verdict. Keep approval, dispatch and receipt separate, and distinguish The5ers' fee-free Hub credit from a cash payout.

The first-payout study applies a dated rule snapshot to four hypothetical profit levels, showing the request-and-share calculation for these three accounts and additional futures setups before payment fees.

What account remains after a payout?

A withdrawal changes the account you can trade next. Compare the balance debit, the treatment of the loss threshold and any limit on the account's continuation before choosing a request amount.

After a payoutFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
Account and loss-rule treatmentThe request is deducted from the balance when submitted. Profit you do not withdraw stays available for later payouts, and the loss floor does not move down.After the first reward the loss floor locks at $50,100, and the account ends after 5 rewards. If you are selected for a live account, all your FundedNext accounts close and simulated profits are forfeited.After a payout the loss floor resets to 96% of the new balance: for example, a $53,500 balance gives a $51,360 floor.

FTMO deducts the request on submission while its loss threshold does not move down. That account debit is not evidence that external payment has arrived. The5ers describes a reset of the threshold against the new balance. These rules require different post-withdrawal buffer checks.

FundedNext also states an account endpoint and separate consequences if you are selected for live trading. The Flex withdrawal-limits answer leaves the treatment of retained profit unresolved, including whether it counts toward a later cycle or what happens to it when the account ends. Do not assume leaving profit behind guarantees another opportunity to withdraw it.

Which platforms and account status are you choosing?

Platform access, permission to use a strategy and simulated or live status are separate checks. A familiar platform does not establish that the funded stage is live or that a particular tool is permitted.

Access checkFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
PlatformsNinjaTrader, Tradovate and TradingView, all with the same login.Tradovate, NinjaTrader and TradingView (through Tradovate), with no platform or data fees.BlackArrow only.
Platform access and eligibilityTradovate, NinjaTrader and TradingView. All stages are simulated. Open to traders aged 18 or over, with country and US state conditions.Tradovate. The early stages are simulated. Open to adults (18 or over, or the local age of majority) who pass identity checks, with futures-specific country rules.BlackArrow. The evaluation is simulated; whether the funded stage is simulated or live is at the company's discretion.

The FTMO and FundedNext configurations were checked on Tradovate; The5ers was checked on BlackArrow. The platform rows describe the available access, including access through another platform. Confirm your required connection and workflow using the platform-compatibility guide. Keep the simulated-or-live distinction attached to the exact stage.

Before purchase, check the current eligibility records for FTMO, FundedNext and The5ers. The eligibility guide separates residence, identity and payment checks. A platform's availability does not settle all of them.

Which documented rules meet your requirements?

Choose the requirement first. Meets means the record supports it within the stated conditions; Does not meet means a recorded rule conflicts with it; Unresolved means the evidence does not establish the answer. A result that rests on an Interpretation record says so. The position and payout counts below are example reader requirements, not additional program rules. This matrix has no total or ranking.

Example requirementFTMO GrowthFundedNext FlexThe5ers Day Trade
Hold a position overnight in evaluation or funded tradingDoes not meet. Overnight holding is prohibited in both stages. FTMO holding rule.Does not meet. Overnight holding is prohibited in both stages. FundedNext holding rule.Does not meet. The selected Day Trade plan prohibits it in both stages. The5ers holding rule.
Run your own automated strategy within the stated restrictionsMeets, conditionally. Automation is allowed; the strategy and shared-EA restrictions still apply. FTMO EA rule.Meets, conditionally. EAs are allowed; prohibited system-exploitation strategies remain excluded. FundedNext EA rule.Does not meet. Algorithmic trading is prohibited. The5ers EA rule.
Copy your own trades between an eligible set of your own accountsMeets, conditionally. Each account must follow its rules; another trader's signals and offsetting risk are excluded. FTMO copying rule.Meets, conditionally. Accounts must be in your own verified name; third-party and group copying are excluded. FundedNext copying rule.Meets, conditionally. Only the stated size combination within the total-size limit qualifies. The5ers copying rule.
Trade more than three minis on the first funded dayDoes not meet. The stated funded starting allowance is below that requirement. FTMO contract limits.Does not meet. Its cap applies on the FundedNext Account too, and is below the requirement. FundedNext contract limits.Meets. Its cap applies in the funded stage too, and is above the requirement. The5ers contract limits.
Pay the selected evaluation entry fee once, without monthly renewalDoes not meet. The selected plan uses monthly billing. FTMO billing.Meets. The entry fee is one-time; further purchases and withdrawal charges are separate. FundedNext billing.Meets. The entry fee is one-time; further purchases and withdrawal charges are separate. The5ers billing.
Have a documented fee-refund entitlement linked to a rewardDoes not meet, as an interpretation. The record reads FTMO's terms as offering no fee reimbursement on this plan, and is labeled Interpretation. FTMO refund rule.Does not meet. The reward-linked refund record says no refund. The cancellation conflict is a separate issue. FundedNext refund rule.Meets, conditionally. The fee refund is linked to the specified payout milestone; how it is paid is not stated. The5ers refund rule.
Keep the same funded account beyond five payoutsUnresolved. The record does not establish a continuation entitlement beyond this requirement. FTMO after a payout.Does not meet. The stated reward endpoint prevents the requirement. FundedNext after a payout.Unresolved. Recurring payout intervals do not establish an unlimited account lifespan. The5ers after a payout.

An unresolved condition can matter more than an attractive price. If your plan depends on it, obtain an answer for the exact account and stage before committing to that plan.

What should you check before buying?

Identify the exact plan and size, then check the funded-stage contract allowance, loss mechanics, trading permissions and platform connection against your intended use. Follow the payout conditions through the request cap, share, charges and remaining account. Resolve any missing condition on which your plan depends, including a refund you expect to receive.

Use the comparison with these three futures accounts selected, then open the account record behind each decisive value. To check another plan or size, change the accounts in the comparison tool: allowances and limits change with the size.

Sources and method

Values are quoted from PFW's reviewed data for the three selected futures accounts. The page dates those records after the introduction. Each quoted fact provides its conditions, evidence state, source links and check dates; the account pages collect the same rule-level records. The comparison's interpretations are reviewed again when the approved data release changes.

The official pages linked below were read on 10 October 2026 for the contract-cap stages, The5ers' payout prerequisite and the disagreement between its consistency FAQs. Their check date is separate from the dates of the quoted account values.

The scope is the selected configuration at each firm. It does not extend a rule to another plan, account size, market or a stage unsupported by the record or a cited official source. Partly unknown, Sources differ and Interpretation remain distinct states. A label cannot resolve a gap or contradiction in the accompanying wording. No unresolved amount is treated as zero and no unstated permission is assumed.

The needs matrix applies stated reader requirements to those records. It assesses compatibility with individual conditions, not a firm's reliability or a probability of passing. This article contains no independent performance test, ranking or extra live-value calculation.