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FTMO vs City Traders Imperium: which prop firm is better? (2026)
We compare FTMO and City Traders Imperium using the same data: published prices, published rules and Trustpilot ratings. The full table and our verdict are below.
Point by point
| FTMO | City Traders Imperium | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.0/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Trustpilot | 4.8 | 4.2 |
| Profit split | 90% | 80% |
| Max leverage | up to 1:100 | up to 1:30 |
| 100K challenge from | €499 (1-Step Standard) | $449 (1-Step Challenge) |
| Programs | 3 | 4 |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | MT5, Match-Trader |
| Payouts via | Bank Transfer, Crypto | Crypto, Bank Transfer, PayPal |
| News trading | Restricted | Allowed |
| Weekend holding | Restricted | Allowed |
| Expert advisors (EAs) | Allowed | Restricted |
| Hedging | Allowed | – |
| Scalping | Allowed | – |
| Copy trading | Not allowed | Allowed |
| Martingale | Restricted | Restricted |
Our verdict
On our scores, FTMO (7.0) comes out ahead of City Traders Imperium (6.5).
City Traders Imperium has the cheaper 100K challenge ($449); the cheapest at FTMO costs €499.
Customers rate FTMO higher: 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot against 4.2.
FTMO allows more trading styles (news, EAs, weekend holding and so on).
- Choose FTMO if you want better customer reviews, a higher profit split, more leverage.
- Choose City Traders Imperium if you want a cheaper challenge, more programs to choose from, the Match-Trader platform.
The two firms in brief
FTMO
FTMO, based in Prague, is one of the longest-running prop firms in Europe. You can pick a 2-Step or a 1-Step challenge on accounts from $10,000 to $200,000, and on the 2-Step the fee comes back with your first payout. It is the benchmark most other firms are measured against.
City Traders Imperium
City Traders Imperium (CTI) is a UK prop firm. It offers 1- and 2-Step challenges, instant accounts and direct funding, on MT5 and Match-Trader.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, FTMO or City Traders Imperium?
On our scores, FTMO (7.0) comes out ahead of City Traders Imperium (6.5).
Which is cheaper, FTMO or City Traders Imperium?
City Traders Imperium has the cheaper 100K challenge ($449); the cheapest at FTMO costs €499.
Can I have accounts with FTMO and City Traders Imperium at the same time?
Yes. You can buy challenges from several firms at once. What almost every firm bans is copying trades between different people's accounts or hedging across firms.