Research
50![FTMO vs. FundedElite: Which Should You Buy? | A 1-Year Simulation of 5 Plans Under the Same Assumptions Puts FTMO 1-Step on Top, With FundedElite's Lite Putting Up a Good Fight [September 2026]](/og/en/ftmo-vs-fundedelite-2026-09.png)
FTMO vs. FundedElite: Which Should You Buy? | A 1-Year Simulation of 5 Plans Under the Same Assumptions Puts FTMO 1-Step on Top, With FundedElite's Lite Putting Up a Good Fight [September 2026]
A 1-year Monte Carlo comparison of FTMO (2-Step / 1-Step) and FundedElite (2-Step / 2-Step Lite / 1-Step), run strictly to the official rules of each. Covers expected value at 0.5%/1%/1.5% risk per trade and 50–58% win rates, plus the differences in EA rules, refunds, free retries, and coupons.
![What's FundingPips' Expected Value? A 1-Year Simulation of 6 Plans Under the New Rules (From September 28, 2026): At 1% Risk, 1 Step Flex (3% Daily) Is 1st and 2 Step Standard (3% Daily) Is 2nd [September 2026]](/og/en/fundingpips-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What's FundingPips' Expected Value? A 1-Year Simulation of 6 Plans Under the New Rules (From September 28, 2026): At 1% Risk, 1 Step Flex (3% Daily) Is 1st and 2 Step Standard (3% Daily) Is 2nd [September 2026]
A 1-year Monte Carlo simulation of FundingPips' new rules from September 28, 2026, covering 2 Step Standard (3% and 5% daily), 2 Step Flex, 2 Step Pro and 1 Step Flex (2% and 3% daily). Compares annual take-home at 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% risk per trade and 50-58% win rates. For 2 Step Standard, the 3% daily option beat 5% in every scenario; for 1 Step Flex, 3% daily was better at 1% risk and 2% daily was better otherwise.
![What's Alpha Capital's Expected Value? A 1-Year Simulation of Alpha One vs. Alpha Pro: Pro 10% Comes Out on Top [September 2026]](/og/en/alphacapital-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What's Alpha Capital's Expected Value? A 1-Year Simulation of Alpha One vs. Alpha Pro: Pro 10% Comes Out on Top [September 2026]
A 1-year Monte Carlo simulation of Alpha Capital Group's Alpha One (6%, 10%) and Alpha Pro 10% (On-Demand, Bi-Weekly), run exactly to the official rules. Covers annual take-home at 0.5%/1%/1.5% risk per trade and 50-58% win rates, Alpha One's trailing max loss, the consistency rule set by payout method, the lack of any fee refund, and the Max Risk Rule.
![What is Blueberry Funded's expected value? Running a 1-year simulation on Prime, 1-Step, Flex 1-Step, and Instant Elite puts Instant Elite 1st with an edge — and at the biggest loss with zero edge [September 2026]](/og/en/blueberryfunded-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What is Blueberry Funded's expected value? Running a 1-year simulation on Prime, 1-Step, Flex 1-Step, and Instant Elite puts Instant Elite 1st with an edge — and at the biggest loss with zero edge [September 2026]
A one-year Monte Carlo simulation of Blueberry Funded's Prime 2-Step, 1-Step, Flex 1-Step, and Instant Elite, run under the official rules. Covers annual take-home at 0.5%/1%/1.5% risk per trade and 50–58% win rates, the per-trade-idea risk cap (1% on Flex 1-Step and 1-Step, 1.5% on Instant), and Instant Elite's trailing max loss.
![What's BrightFunded's Expected Value? A 1-Year Simulation of 1-Step, 2-Step Bright, and 2-Step Classic Shows the Two 2-Steps Nearly Double the 1-Step [September 2026]](/og/en/brightfunded-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What's BrightFunded's Expected Value? A 1-Year Simulation of 1-Step, 2-Step Bright, and 2-Step Classic Shows the Two 2-Steps Nearly Double the 1-Step [September 2026]
A 1-year Monte Carlo simulation of BrightFunded's 1-Step, 2-Step Bright, and 2-Step Classic ($100K) run strictly by the official rules. Covers how per-trade risk of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% and win rates of 50-58% affect annual take-home pay, and how BrightFunded's quirks — the 1-Step's trailing max loss, no refund on the challenge fee, and a 30-day wait for the first payout — play into the result.
![What's the Expected Value of City Traders Imperium (CTI)? Running 1-Step and 2-Step for a Year Shows 2-Step on Top [September 2026]](/og/en/citytradersimperium-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What's the Expected Value of City Traders Imperium (CTI)? Running 1-Step and 2-Step for a Year Shows 2-Step on Top [September 2026]
A year-long Monte Carlo run of City Traders Imperium's (CTI) 1-Step Challenge and 2-Step Challenge ($100K) under the official rules. Covers annual net take-home at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% risk per trade with 50–58% win rates, and how 1-Step's 5% trailing drawdown, 7-day profit-day requirement, and once-a-month payouts affect expected value.
![What's E8 Markets' Expected Value? Simulating E8 One, E8 Pro, and E8 Signature Over 1 Year: E8 Pro Wins at 1% Risk, E8 One Wins If You Size Up [September 2026]](/og/en/e8markets-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What's E8 Markets' Expected Value? Simulating E8 One, E8 Pro, and E8 Signature Over 1 Year: E8 Pro Wins at 1% Risk, E8 One Wins If You Size Up [September 2026]
A 1-year Monte Carlo of E8 Markets' E8 One, E8 Pro (80%/100% split), and E8 Signature, run to the official rules. Covers annual take-home at 0.5%/1%/1.5% risk per trade and 50–58% win rates, plus E8 Pro's '2% daily profit cap,' 'payouts capped at 50% of profit,' the max-loss line rising to the initial balance on the first payout, and the fact that fees are non-refundable.
![What's Eightcap Challenges' Expected Value? One Phase Beats Two Phase in a 1-Year Simulation [September 2026]](/og/en/eightcapchallenges-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What's Eightcap Challenges' Expected Value? One Phase Beats Two Phase in a 1-Year Simulation [September 2026]
A 1-year Monte Carlo simulation of Eightcap Challenges' One Phase (1-step) and Two Phase (2-step) plans, run exactly to the official rules. Covers annual take-home at risk levels of 0.5%/1%/1.5% per trade and win rates of 50–58%, along with the no-refund policy, the 30%/35% Profit Distribution rule at withdrawal, and the unresolved question of whether Japan-based traders can use it.
![What's Fintokei's Expected Value? A 1-Year Simulation of Challenge vs. SwiftTrader: SwiftTrader If You Have Edge, Challenge If You Don't [September 2026]](/og/en/fintokei-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What's Fintokei's Expected Value? A 1-Year Simulation of Challenge vs. SwiftTrader: SwiftTrader If You Have Edge, Challenge If You Don't [September 2026]
A 1-year Monte Carlo simulation of Fintokei's Challenge plan (ProTrader) and SwiftTrader plan (SwiftTrader) run exactly to the official rules. Covers annual take-home at 0.5%/1%/1.5% risk per trade and 50-58% win rates, the Scaling Dojo's contract-fee refund (equal to the fee paid), and SwiftTrader's overall 3% cap and its 'at least 3% profit per payout' requirement.
![What's the Expected Value of Forge of Traders? Running 1-Phase, 2-Phase, and Instant for a Year Shows the Funded 1% Rule Caps You at 0.5% Per Trade [September 2026]](/og/en/forgeoftraders-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What's the Expected Value of Forge of Traders? Running 1-Phase, 2-Phase, and Instant for a Year Shows the Funded 1% Rule Caps You at 0.5% Per Trade [September 2026]
A year-long Monte Carlo run of Forge of Traders' 1-Phase, 2-Phase, and Instant plans under the official rules. Covers annual net take-home at 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% risk per trade with 50–58% win rates, the Funded account's 1% aggregated-risk rule, the Equity Lock, the 2-Phase's 100% fee refund, and the total ban on EAs.
![What's FTMO's Expected Value? A One-Year Simulation of 2-Step vs. 1-Step Shows 1-Step Wins at Every Lot Size [September 2026]](/og/en/ftmo-expected-value-2026-09.png)
What's FTMO's Expected Value? A One-Year Simulation of 2-Step vs. 1-Step Shows 1-Step Wins at Every Lot Size [September 2026]
We ran FTMO's 2-Step and 1-Step ($100K) through a one-year Monte Carlo simulation using the official rules. Covers the annual take-home at 0.5%/1%/1.5% risk per trade and 50–58% win rates, how 2-Step's 100% fee refund and 1-Step's "the account resets on every payout" mechanism play out.
![FTMO vs. The5ers vs. Fintokei vs. Hantec: Expected Value Compared | Cap Daily Loss at 2.5% and Run 7 Plans for a Year — FTMO 1-Step Comes Out on Top [September 2026]](/og/en/ftmo-the5ers-fintokei-hantec-expected-value-2026-09.png)
FTMO vs. The5ers vs. Fintokei vs. Hantec: Expected Value Compared | Cap Daily Loss at 2.5% and Run 7 Plans for a Year — FTMO 1-Step Comes Out on Top [September 2026]
I compared 7 plans — FTMO (2-Step / 1-Step), The5ers High Stakes (Classic / New), the Fintokei challenge, and Hantec (Enhanced / Endurance) — with a year-long Monte Carlo simulation that follows each firm's official rules exactly. Capping daily loss at 2.5% across every plan puts FTMO 1-Step in first place at every lot size, followed by Fintokei and FTMO 2-Step.