Most traders pass a challenge on a fixed account size. A scaling plan is the firm’s promise to make that account bigger if you keep performing, so the same percentage returns pay more. The headline maximum is always large. The conditions are what matter.

FTMO’s scaling plan, line by line

FTMO’s scaling plan, line by line. How often: Every 4 months of trading on the FTMO Account (or since the last scale-up); Increase: 25% of the account balance each time; Maximum: $2,000,000 across all your FTMO Accounts; Profit needed: At least 10% net profit above the starting balance in those 4 months; Payouts needed: At least 2 processed rewards in the same period; Balance: Positive at the time of the scale-up; Applies to: Accounts from the 1-Step or 2-Step Challenge; not
FTMO’s scaling plan, line by line: the figures from this section at a glance.
ConditionFTMO’s published terms
How oftenEvery 4 months of trading on the FTMO Account (or since the last scale-up)
Increase25% of the account balance each time
Maximum$2,000,000 across all your FTMO Accounts
Profit neededAt least 10% net profit above the starting balance in those 4 months
Payouts neededAt least 2 processed rewards in the same period
BalancePositive at the time of the scale-up
Applies toAccounts from the 1-Step or 2-Step Challenge; not the FTMO Instant Account
Profit share90% on the 2-Step through scaling (80% before)

What the growth looks like

Each step is 25 per cent of the current size, so growth compounds slowly: a $100,000 account becomes $125,000 after the first qualifying four months, then about $156,000, then about $195,000. Reaching the $2,000,000 ceiling from $100,000 would take many years of meeting the conditions every period.

What the growth looks like. 4 months: $125,000; 8 months: $156,250; 12 months: $195,313; 16 months: $244,141
What the growth looks like: the figures from this section at a glance.
AfterAccount size (from $100,000)
4 months$125,000
8 months$156,250
12 months$195,313
16 months$244,141

Each step also needs 10 per cent net profit in four months and two payouts. That is roughly 2.5 per cent a month, every period, without breaching the daily or maximum loss rules. Few traders sustain it, which is why the ceiling is rarely reached.

How to judge a scaling plan

  • How much profit is required per period, and over how long.
  • Whether payouts in the period are required, or reset the count.
  • Whether the drawdown rules scale with the account or stay at the old size.
  • Whether the profit share rises, as FTMO’s does on the 2-Step.
  • Whether the plan applies to the account type you are buying.

A realistic scaling plan rewards steady months. Treat any plan that needs double-digit monthly returns to progress as marketing.

Scaling vs buying a bigger account

There are two ways to trade a larger prop balance: earn it through a scaling plan, or buy a larger challenge from the start. They suit different traders.

Scaling upBuying a larger account
CostNo extra fee; earned through resultsA higher challenge fee
TimeMonths of qualifying periodsImmediate, once passed
Risk of failingLow per step, but every period must qualifyA larger fee lost if you fail
Track recordBuilt in, which can raise your shareStarts from zero

For most traders, starting with a size they can pass and scaling from there is cheaper. Buying the largest account first makes sense only for traders whose method already works at that size.

What usually stops a scale-up

  • Missing the profit condition. FTMO, for example, needs 10 per cent net profit over the four months. A flat month or two can make that hard to reach.
  • Too few payouts. Its plan also needs two processed rewards in the period. Traders who let profit build to take one large payout can miss this.
  • A losing streak near the end of the period. The balance must be positive when the scale-up happens.
  • Breaching a loss limit. A breached account cannot scale.

If you aim to scale, take payouts on the regular cycle. It meets the payout condition and protects the profit you have made.

Risk as the account grows

Loss limits are usually set as percentages, so a larger account has larger dollar limits, but the same percentage rules. The habits that passed a $100,000 account work on a $125,000 one only if position sizes grow in proportion and no faster. Many traders who reach a scale-up raise their risk at the same time, out of confidence, and give the new size back quickly.

Illustrative example: scaling slowly on purpose

A trader on a $100,000 FTMO 2-Step account risks 0.5 per cent per trade, or $500. After a scale-up to $125,000 they keep 0.5 per cent, now $625, rather than jumping to 1 per cent. Their dollar results grow by a quarter; their chance of breaching stays where it was.

Other firms’ approaches

Scaling plans differ widely. Some firms scale more often with smaller steps, some tie scaling to a fixed profit level rather than a period, and some advertise very large maximums. The5ers, for example, advertises scaling up to $4 million. Compare the conditions per step and the time each takes, not the ceiling. Our rules comparison lists the main firms.

Profit share after scaling

Scaling often comes with a better share. At FTMO the 2-Step reward ratio rises from 80 to 90 per cent through the Scaling Plan, and FundedNext lists up to 90 per cent through scale-up. On a fixed monthly return, a higher share plus a larger account compounds: a trader making 2 per cent a month earns $1,600 on $100,000 at 80 per cent, and $2,250 on $125,000 at 90 per cent.

Treat a scaling plan as a reward for steady trading, not a target. Trading harder to qualify sooner is the most common way to lose the account you were trying to grow.

The short version

A scaling plan rewards steady months with a larger account and, often, a better share. Meet its conditions by trading normally and taking regular payouts, keep risk in proportion as the account grows, and never trade harder to qualify sooner.

Scaling ties into payouts, splits and how much a funded account can realistically earn.

Cite this guide

FX Recap, "Prop Firm Scaling Plans: How Account Size Grows", updated 14 October 2026, https://fxrecap.com/prop-trading/prop-firm-scaling-plans

Free to quote with a link. Journalists: data and comment in our press room.

Frequently asked

What is a prop firm scaling plan?

A promise to increase your funded account size after a period of profitable trading. At FTMO the account grows by 25 per cent every four months, up to $2,000,000, if you meet its profit and payout conditions.

What do you need to scale an FTMO account?

At least 10 per cent net profit above the starting balance in four months, at least two processed rewards in that period, and a positive balance at the time of the scale-up. It does not apply to the FTMO Instant Account.

Does the profit split change when you scale?

At FTMO, the 2-Step account's share rises to 90 per cent through the Scaling Plan, from 80 per cent by default.

How long does it take to reach $2 million at FTMO?

Many years. Growing 25 per cent every four months, a $100,000 account is about $195,000 after a year, and every step needs 10 per cent net profit and two payouts in the period.

Is it better to scale up or buy a bigger prop account?

For most traders, start with a size you can pass and scale up. It costs nothing extra and builds a record. Buying the largest account first only suits a method already proven at that size.

Why did my FTMO account not scale?

Usually because one condition was not met in the four months: at least 10 per cent net profit, two processed rewards, and a positive balance at the scale-up date.

Should I increase risk after a scale-up?

Only in proportion to the new balance. Keeping the same percentage risk per trade keeps your chance of breaching unchanged while your dollar results grow.