FTMO Scaling Plan Explained: How Profit Splits Grow From 80% to 90%

For many prop firm traders, passing an evaluation is only the beginning. The bigger question is what happens after a trader has demonstrated that the strategy can survive real trading conditions: Can the account grow, can the reward split improve, and can position sizing increase without forcing the trader to abandon the risk controls that made the account successful in the first place?

That is where the FTMO Scaling Plan becomes relevant.

Under FTMO’s current Scaling Plan, eligible traders can increase their FTMO Account size by 25% every four months when they meet specific performance requirements. For eligible traders on the 2-Step pathway, the reward ratio can also rise from the standard 80% to 90%. The published maximum is $2 million in total FTMO Account allocation across accounts.

The important detail is that scaling is not simply a reward for having a profitable month. FTMO ties the process to a combination of trading history, net simulated profit, processed rewards, and a positive account balance. That makes the plan less about chasing a single large return and more about demonstrating repeatable performance.

This guide explains how the FTMO Scaling Plan works, how the 80% to 90% reward progression fits into it, how a $100,000 account can grow to $125,000 and beyond, and how the model compares with The5ers for traders focused on long-term account growth.

How the FTMO Scaling Plan Works in 2026

The FTMO Scaling Plan is a performance-based account-growth system. For eligible traders, FTMO increases the account size by 25% after each qualifying four-month period, provided the trader meets the published scaling conditions.

The current requirements are straightforward but important: the trader must have traded for at least four months since the previous scale-up or from the start of the relevant account, generate at least 10% net simulated profit above the starting balance during that period, process at least two rewards, and have a positive account balance when the scale-up takes place.

That combination means the plan is designed around sustained profitability rather than a single exceptional trading result.

What are the requirements to qualify for FTMO account scaling?

There are four primary requirements for each scale-up:

1. ●At least four months of trading
2. ●At least 10% net simulated profit above the starting balance
3. ●At least two processed rewards during the relevant four-month period
4. ●A positive account balance at the time of scaling

The four-month requirement is measured from the start of the FTMO Trader relationship or from the most recent scale-up, depending on the account’s position in the scaling process.

The 10% requirement is particularly important because it is measured against the account’s starting balance for that scaling period. Traders therefore need to think about the scaling window as a complete performance cycle rather than simply asking whether the account was profitable at some point during the period.

The requirement for two processed rewards also changes how traders should think about withdrawals. A trader cannot necessarily treat the scaling plan as a simple “make 10%, then scale” system. The account must also demonstrate reward activity during the qualifying period.

Finally, the account must have a positive balance when scaling occurs. This prevents the calculation from being viewed purely as a historical performance test.

For anyone planning around the Scaling Plan, these requirements should be checked against FTMO’s current rules before making a trading or withdrawal decision because program conditions can change.

How often can your FTMO Account increase under the Scaling Plan?

The published scaling interval is once every four months, assuming all requirements are met.

The account receives a 25% increase in account size at each qualifying scale-up. The increase is based on the account size at the relevant scaling stage, although the overall program is subject to FTMO’s maximum allocation.

For example, a simplified progression can look like this:

The actual FTMO scaling path should always be checked against the firm’s current account-allocation rules rather than assuming that every theoretical 25% increase can continue indefinitely.

The practical point is more important than the mathematics: scaling is deliberately slower than simply doubling an account after a strong month.

That can be useful from a risk-management perspective. A trader who knows the account can grow only after a sustained period may have less incentive to dramatically increase risk in pursuit of a short-term target.

For a strategy that relies on consistency rather than aggressive returns, a four-month scaling cycle can therefore become part of the trader’s broader performance plan.

FTMO Profit Split: From 80% to 90% Rewards

The headline attraction of the FTMO Scaling Plan is not only the larger account. For eligible 2-Step traders, the reward ratio can increase from 80% to 90%.

That distinction matters because account size and reward percentage affect potential payouts in different ways. A larger account increases the nominal size of a simulated profit, while a higher reward ratio increases the portion allocated to the trader.

However, traders should not confuse the Scaling Plan with a universal 80%-to-90% rule across every FTMO product. FTMO’s current 1-Step structure already provides a 90% reward ratio, while the 2-Step pathway starts at the standard 80% reward ratio and can reach 90% through the relevant growth mechanisms.

When does the FTMO profit split increase from 80% to 90%?

For an FTMO 2-Step trader, the standard reward ratio is 80%. The Scaling Plan allows eligible traders to receive a 90% reward ratio as they qualify for the scaling structure.

FTMO also has other status-based programs that can affect reward conditions. For example, its current Prime Status information states that a 2-Step trader’s reward ratio can be upgraded from 80% to 90% after meeting the Prime Status requirements.

This is an important distinction when researching FTMO because several growth and status mechanisms now exist.

The Scaling Plan is centered on account growth and the associated 90% reward ratio. Prime Status is a separate program with its own eligibility criteria and benefits. FTMO states that the Scaling Plan and Premium Programme are independent programs, meaning traders should not automatically treat every FTMO benefit as part of the same progression.

For content and decision-making purposes, the safest way to frame the headline is:

FTMO 2-Step traders can move from an 80% standard reward ratio to 90% through qualifying growth or status pathways, while the current 1-Step structure already offers 90%.

That wording avoids the common mistake of suggesting that every FTMO account follows the same reward progression.

How much more can you earn with a 90% FTMO reward split?

The difference between an 80% and 90% reward ratio is 10 percentage points of the simulated profit.

Consider a $10,000 simulated profit:

The same calculation applies at different profit levels.

If simulated profit were $5,000, an 80% reward would be $4,000, while a 90% reward would be $4,500.

At $20,000 of simulated profit, the difference becomes $2,000.

This illustrates why the reward ratio becomes more meaningful as account size and profitability increase. A 10-percentage-point improvement sounds modest when expressed as a percentage, but it can become substantial when applied repeatedly to larger reward amounts.

At the same time, the higher ratio should not encourage traders to increase risk simply to create a larger reward. The reward is the result of profitable trading within the firm’s risk framework; it should not be treated as the reason to take more risk.

The more useful way to view the 90% ratio is as an improvement in the economics of an already sustainable trading process.

FTMO Scaling Requirements, Profit Targets, and Reward Withdrawals

The FTMO Scaling Plan has a different purpose from the profit target used during the evaluation.

During the FTMO 2-Step evaluation, the trader is trying to satisfy the Challenge and Verification objectives. After becoming an FTMO Trader, the focus shifts toward following the account’s risk parameters and generating rewards.

Scaling then introduces another layer: the trader needs to demonstrate sufficient performance over a longer period to qualify for a larger account.

This distinction is important because traders can otherwise assume that the evaluation’s profit target automatically determines the scaling process.

How much profit do you need to generate before an FTMO scale-up?

The current Scaling Plan requires at least 10% net simulated profit above the starting balance during the relevant four-month period.

For a $100,000 starting account, that means at least $10,000 in net simulated profit over the qualifying period.

The calculation is not the same as saying the account must finish every month with a specific percentage gain. The requirement is tied to the overall four-month scaling period.

That gives traders more flexibility in how they distribute performance.

A trader could have a weaker first month, stronger second and third months, and then finish the period above the required threshold. The critical consideration is whether all the published conditions are satisfied by the time the scaling assessment is made.

This structure can encourage a different mindset from short-term evaluation trading.

During an evaluation, traders may feel pressure to reach a defined target as efficiently as possible. Under a longer scaling cycle, the objective is more naturally aligned with preserving the account and building a repeatable track record.

That distinction is especially relevant for strategies with lower trade frequency. A trader who does not need to force a large number of trades may be better positioned to focus on selectivity, drawdown control, and consistency.

Why do you need at least two processed rewards before scaling?

The requirement for at least two processed rewards is one of the details that can easily be missed when traders focus only on the 10% profit figure.

FTMO currently requires at least two processed rewards within the same four-month period used for scaling.

The purpose is significant from a performance-history perspective. It means the trader is not qualifying solely because the account happens to show a large unrealized or accumulated gain at the end of the period.

Processed rewards demonstrate that the trader has actually gone through the reward process during the qualifying period.

For example, imagine a $100,000 account that reaches a $112,000 balance during the four-month period. The trader may have achieved more than the required 10% net simulated profit, but the scaling requirements also include the two processed rewards and a positive balance at the time of scale-up.

This makes reward management part of the scaling strategy.

Traders should therefore think about three connected objectives:

• ●Preserve the account
• ●Generate sufficient net performance
• ●Complete the required reward cycles

The goal is not simply to maximize the account balance at one point in time.

FTMO Account Growth: How the 25% Scale-Up Works

The 25% increase is the core mathematical feature of the FTMO Scaling Plan.

A trader who qualifies with a $100,000 FTMO Account can receive a 25% increase, producing a $125,000 account size. Future qualifying increases are then applied according to the firm’s scaling structure and overall allocation limits.

The plan ultimately allows eligible FTMO Accounts to grow toward a published maximum of $2 million across the trader’s FTMO Accounts.

How does a $100K FTMO Account grow to $125K and beyond?

The first step is easy to understand.

A $100,000 account multiplied by 1.25 equals $125,000.

If another 25% increase were applied to that balance, the mathematical result would be $156,250.

A further 25% increase would produce $195,312.50.

This illustrates why percentage-based scaling can become increasingly powerful over multiple cycles. Each increase is larger in dollar terms than the previous one.

However, the calculation should not be interpreted as an automatic promise of unlimited compounding. Each scale-up requires the trader to satisfy the relevant conditions, and FTMO applies an overall account-size ceiling.

That distinction matters because a scaling plan rewards sustained performance but does not remove the need to qualify repeatedly.

From a risk-management perspective, the larger account also creates a potential psychological challenge.

A trader who was comfortable managing $100,000 of simulated capital may behave differently after receiving a $125,000 or $156,250 allocation. The percentage-based risk model may remain unchanged, but the nominal dollar value of each loss and profit becomes larger.

That means successful scaling requires more than meeting numerical requirements. Traders need a process for adapting position sizing while maintaining the same underlying risk discipline.

Can FTMO scaling eventually take your account to $2 million?

FTMO currently publishes a maximum of $2 million in FTMO Account allocation across all FTMO Accounts under its Scaling Plan.

That makes $2 million a program-level ceiling rather than a statement that every trader will automatically scale to that amount.

The distinction is important.

A trader must continue meeting the applicable scaling requirements to progress. The published plan requires four months of trading for each scale-up period, at least 10% net simulated profit during the relevant period, at least two processed rewards, and a positive account balance at the time of scaling.

Therefore, reaching the upper allocation is a long-term progression rather than a single milestone.

The scale-up concept can be thought of as a sequence:

Qualify → scale → trade → build another qualifying period → scale again.

That sequence places consistency at the center of the program.

It also means that the headline $2 million figure should not be interpreted as the amount a trader receives simply by passing an evaluation. It represents the maximum growth potential within the published scaling framework.

For traders evaluating prop firms, this is an important distinction between initial account size and potential account growth.

FTMO Scaling Plan vs The5ers: Comparing Long-Term Account Growth

FTMO is not the only prop firm using scaling as a way to reward continued performance.

The5ers currently offers several programs with different account-growth structures. Its High Stakes program is particularly relevant to this comparison because its current rules show milestone-based scaling, 80%–100% profit splits, and scaling up to $500,000.

The major difference is the timing and mechanism.

FTMO’s Scaling Plan uses a four-month performance period and a 25% account-size increase. The5ers High Stakes uses profit milestones, with scaling tied to reaching successive 10% targets.

That makes the two models meaningfully different for traders who care about how quickly account size can respond to performance.

How does FTMO’s 25% four-month scaling model compare with The5ers’ milestone-based growth?

The simplest comparison is:

The models therefore appeal to somewhat different trading preferences.

FTMO’s approach puts greater emphasis on a defined four-month track record. The account grows by a fixed 25% after the qualifying conditions are satisfied.

The5ers High Stakes connects account growth more directly to profit milestones. Its current published scaling table shows accounts progressing at 10% targets, with the profit split moving from 80% to 85%, then 90%, and eventually 100% at higher milestones.

The5ers also publishes scaling to $500,000 on High Stakes, with fixed monthly payout levels at the $350,000 and $500,000 stages.

That creates a different long-term pathway.

A trader comparing these structures should not simply ask which maximum account is larger. The more useful questions are:

• ●How often can the account grow?
• ●What performance is required?
• ●How does the profit split change?
• ●How are drawdowns calculated?
• ●How frequently can rewards be withdrawn?
• ●Does scaling reset or alter payout conditions?
• ●What happens to risk when the account becomes larger?

These details can have more practical significance than the headline allocation number.

Which factors matter beyond the headline profit split—drawdown, consistency, payouts, and scaling speed?

Profit split is only one part of a prop firm’s economics.

A trader can have a 90% split and still struggle if the drawdown framework does not fit the strategy. Conversely, a slightly lower split may be workable for a trader whose preferred program provides a more suitable scaling or payout structure.

Drawdown mechanics should be examined first.

FTMO’s current 2-Step trading objectives include a 10% maximum loss and 5% maximum daily loss. The maximum-loss rule is based on the initial simulated capital for that program.

The5ers High Stakes currently publishes a 5% maximum daily loss and 10% maximum loss. Its program also requires minimum profitable days during the evaluation and uses profitable-day requirements for scaling.

These numbers may look similar, but traders should still examine how each firm’s definitions work rather than comparing percentages alone.

Consistency requirements matter next.

FTMO’s scaling process uses a four-month performance window and requires at least two processed rewards. The5ers High Stakes ties scaling to profit milestones and includes profitable-day requirements for scaling.

This creates different behavioral incentives.

A trader using a low-frequency strategy may value a framework that allows the strategy to operate without forcing frequent trades. A more active trader may be comfortable with milestone-based progression.

Payout mechanics are equally important.

The value of a profit split depends on the trader actually being able to request and receive rewards under the program’s conditions. Payout frequency, minimum withdrawal requirements, processing procedures, and any fees should therefore be evaluated alongside the headline split.

The5ers, for example, currently provides several payout methods and program-specific payout rules, while its High Stakes scaling structure changes the profit share as the account reaches higher milestones.

Scaling speed is another major factor.

FTMO’s model is deliberately time-based: the published requirement is four months for each scale-up.

The5ers High Stakes is more directly milestone-based, meaning account growth is linked to achieving specified performance thresholds.

Neither structure is automatically better for every trader.

A trader should choose based on the interaction between the firm’s rules and the strategy’s expected frequency, average return, drawdown profile, and ability to maintain discipline over time.

Is the FTMO Scaling Plan Worth It for Consistent Traders?

For a trader who can maintain profitability without taking excessive risk, the FTMO Scaling Plan can make the long-term economics of an FTMO Account more attractive because it combines account-size growth with a potential increase to a 90% reward ratio for eligible 2-Step traders.

The key word is consistent.

Scaling should not be treated as a reason to change a proven strategy simply to reach the next account level faster.

How does scaling change risk management and position sizing over time?

The biggest practical change is that the dollar value of the same percentage risk increases as the account grows.

Suppose a trader uses a risk model based on 0.5% per trade.

• ●On a $100,000 account, 0.5% represents $500.
• ●On a $125,000 account, the same percentage represents $625.
• ●On a $156,250 account, it represents $781.25.

The percentage has not changed, but the nominal exposure has.

This is why successful scaling requires traders to think in percentages rather than becoming emotionally attached to dollar amounts.

A trader who was comfortable with a $500 loss may feel differently when the same strategy produces a $781 loss. If that psychological change causes the trader to reduce discipline, the larger account can become counterproductive.

The solution is not necessarily to reduce risk dramatically. It is to define risk rules before scaling occurs.

A useful framework can include:

• ●Fixed percentage risk per trade
• ●Maximum daily exposure
• ●Maximum number of correlated positions
• ●Predetermined stop-loss rules
• ●Maximum weekly drawdown
• ●Limits on revenge trading
• ●Rules for reducing size after a losing streak

This approach allows the strategy to scale without forcing the trader to reinvent it after every account increase.

Should traders prioritize a higher profit split or a larger account balance?

There is no universal answer because the two benefits solve different problems.

A higher profit split increases the trader’s share of each dollar of simulated profit.

A larger account increases the dollar value of a given percentage return.

For example, consider two hypothetical outcomes:

Account A: $100,000 with a 90% reward ratio.

Account B: $125,000 with an 80% reward ratio.

If both accounts generate 5% simulated profit:

• ●Account A generates $5,000, of which 90% is $4,500.
• ●Account B generates $6,250, of which 80% is $5,000.

In this simplified example, the larger account produces the larger reward despite the lower percentage split.

That demonstrates why traders should not evaluate a prop firm’s economics by profit split alone.

The same calculation becomes even more relevant when comparing scaling models.

A 90% split sounds stronger than 80%, but the underlying account size, drawdown, payout rules, scaling speed, and strategy compatibility can change the actual outcome.

The best decision framework is therefore to calculate the expected reward under realistic trading performance rather than comparing percentages in isolation.

Summary: What Traders Should Know About the FTMO Scaling Plan

The FTMO Scaling Plan is designed to reward sustained performance rather than one-off gains.

For eligible FTMO 2-Step traders, the standard reward ratio begins at 80%, while qualifying growth can take the reward ratio to 90%. The current Scaling Plan also provides a 25% account-size increase after each qualifying four-month period.

The main requirements are:

• ●At least four months of trading for the relevant scaling period
• ●At least 10% net simulated profit above the starting balance
• ●At least two processed rewards during that period
• ●A positive account balance at the time of scaling

The published maximum is $2 million in total FTMO Account allocation.

The important lesson is that account growth and reward percentage should not be viewed separately from risk management. A larger account increases the dollar impact of every trade, while a higher reward ratio increases the trader’s share of simulated profits. Both benefits are useful only when the trader can preserve the process that produced consistent results.

The comparison with The5ers highlights why prop firm research should go beyond headline percentages.

The5ers High Stakes currently uses milestone-based scaling tied to 10% targets and publishes an 80%–100% profit-share progression, with scaling up to $500,000. This creates a different pathway from FTMO’s four-month, 25%-increase model.

For traders considering either structure, the most useful comparison is not simply “80% versus 90%.” It is the complete framework: account growth, drawdown, payout mechanics, consistency requirements, scaling speed, profit-share progression, and how comfortably the rules fit the trader’s strategy.

A scaling plan should ultimately make disciplined trading more sustainable, not encourage traders to take larger risks simply to reach the next milestone.

For more prop firm comparisons, scaling guides, payout explainers, and trader education, explore Prop Firm Insider.