How FTMO's scaling works
After a four-month period during which the trader earns at least 10% profit (averaged across the period) and meets consistency requirements, the account balance is increased by 25% of the original starting balance. Repeated four-month periods can scale the account substantially over a year. The exact terms are published on FTMO's official Scaling Plan page.
Why consistency matters more than peak performance
A trader who hits 30% profit in one month but loses 5% the next is less likely to be scaled than a trader who earned 10% steadily across four months. The scaling plan rewards the Discipline Score and the smoothness of the equity curve, not the headline number.
The compounding effect of scaling
An account that scales 25% every four months grows roughly 95% per year if the trader continues meeting criteria. After two years, the account is approaching 4× the original size. Funded traders who treat scaling seriously typically prioritize lower risk-per-trade than those who never plan to scale.
Related terms
Author
Maximilian Bossow
Independent prop-firm trader. Reached FTMO Platinum tier with verifiable Overall Rewards across multiple funded accounts. Founder of MB Capitals — a coaching system for traders who want to pass prop-firm challenges through structured risk management, not gurus. The proof is on the homepage: every cert, every payout, every receipt of what it took to get there.