Head-to-head
FTMO vs TradeDay
A direct, side-by-side comparison of FTMO and TradeDay — profit splits, evaluation fees, payout cadence, supported assets, and trading rules. Data pulled live from our firm directory.
Quick verdict
FTMO is best for
scaling toward larger allocations (up to $200,000); copy-trading setups.
Full FTMO profile →Quick verdict
TradeDay is best for
traders who prefer Evaluation-Based Funding and a London/Chicago-based firm.
Full TradeDay profile →Cost to first payout
Cost to first payout
What it actually costs to reach payout — a normalized estimate built from each firm's lowest published evaluation cost, monthly fees, and first-payout window. Estimates, not guarantees. Each card shows the assumptions used.
FTMO
estimateApprox. total
—
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
17days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- —
- Monthly fee
- None
How we estimated this
- Adds ~10 calendar days for evaluation completion (most firms require ≥5 minimum trading days).
- Source — eval fee: €89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass); monthly: No monthly fee — one-time challenge cost; first payout: First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request.
TradeDay
estimateApprox. total
$99
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
15days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- $99
- Monthly fee
- —
How we estimated this
- Evaluation path: lowest published one-time evaluation fee.
- Adds ~10 calendar days for evaluation completion (most firms require ≥5 minimum trading days).
- Source — eval fee: $99–$399/month; monthly: Monthly; funded $0 ongoing on certain plans; first payout: 5 winning days, 10 trading days.
Trade-offs
Where each firm is weaker
No firm wins on every axis. These are the most meaningful drawbacks of each option — derived from the same structured fields shown in the table, never invented.
FTMO trade-offs
No structural disadvantages versus the other firm based on the fields we track.
TradeDay trade-offs
Lower scaling ceiling
Scales to $150,000 vs $200,000 at FTMO — caps long-term capital growth.
No copy trading
Forbids copy / algo bridges. FTMO permits them.
Decision guide
Best for your trader type
| Attribute | FTMO Evaluation Based · est. 2015 | TradeDay Evaluation Based · est. 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Evaluation fee | €89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass) | $99–$399/month |
| Monthly fee | No monthly fee — one-time challenge cost | Monthly; funded $0 ongoing on certain plans |
| Evaluation required | Yes | Yes |
| Instant funding | No | No |
| Capital | ||
| Profit split | 90% | 90% |
| Max allocation | $200,000 | $150,000 |
| Account sizes | $10K, $25K, $50K, $100K, $200K (USD/EUR/GBP/CZK) | $25K, $50K, $100K, $150K |
| Scaling | Scaling Plan: +25% balance every 4 months at 10%+ profit over 2 of 4 months. | Earn allocation increases at $5K profit milestones up to 5x starting size. |
| Payouts | ||
| Frequency | On-demand (default 14 days, weekly available) | On-demand (after profit threshold) |
| First payout | First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request | 5 winning days, 10 trading days |
| Assets | ||
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Stocks | Yes | No |
| Options | No | No |
| Forex | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | No |
| Trading rules | ||
| News trading | Yes | Yes |
| Overnight holding | Yes | Yes |
| Weekend holding | Yes | Yes |
| Copy trading | Yes | No |
| Technology | ||
| Platforms | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXtrade | Rithmic, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower |
| Data feed | Purple Trading / Spotware | Rithmic |
| Company | ||
| Headquarters | Prague, Czech Republic | London/Chicago |
About TradeDay
Futures evaluation firm built by ex-Topstep operators with a focus on transparency.
Full TradeDay profile →Trust & stability
Reputation and rule-change activity
Two added decision signals: a weighted reputation score from independent review sources, and a 90-day view of structural rule-change activity where monitored sources are available.
Reputation
canonical- Sources used
- 1
- Confidence
- medium
Weighted blend of independent trader-review sources. See methodology.
Rule Stability
last 90d- Last change
- —
- Type
- —
- Sources monitored
- —
- Status
- No changes detected in monitored sources
Weekly diff of the firm's published rule pages (terms, rules, FAQ, legal). "No changes detected" only means none of the monitored monitored sources changed — other surfaces (Discord, email, dashboards) are not covered. "Limited" or "unavailable" means our monitor cannot reach enough sources to make an honest call.
Reputation
canonical- Sources used
- 1
- Confidence
- medium
Weighted blend of independent trader-review sources. See methodology.
Rule Stability
last 90d- Last change
- —
- Type
- —
- Sources monitored
- —
- Status
- No changes detected in monitored sources
Weekly diff of the firm's published rule pages (terms, rules, FAQ, legal). "No changes detected" only means none of the monitored monitored sources changed — other surfaces (Discord, email, dashboards) are not covered. "Limited" or "unavailable" means our monitor cannot reach enough sources to make an honest call.
Frequently asked
Common questions
- Which has a higher profit split — FTMO or TradeDay?
- FTMO pays 90%; TradeDay pays 90% of trader profits once funded. Both firms offer the same profit share.
- Is FTMO cheaper to start than TradeDay?
- FTMO: evaluation from €89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass). TradeDay: evaluation from $99–$399/month.
- Which pays out faster — FTMO or TradeDay?
- FTMO payouts: On-demand (default 14 days, weekly available). TradeDay payouts: On-demand (after profit threshold). First-payout eligibility: FTMO — First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request; TradeDay — 5 winning days, 10 trading days.
- What's the maximum allocation at FTMO vs TradeDay?
- FTMO scales up to $200,000. TradeDay scales up to $150,000.
- Can I trade news at FTMO or TradeDay?
- FTMO: permits news trading. TradeDay: permits news trading.
- Can I hold positions overnight at FTMO or TradeDay?
- FTMO: allows overnight holds. TradeDay: allows overnight holds.
Still deciding?
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