FTMO Account Reset: When and How to Restart Your Challenge (2026)

An FTMO account reset is a paid option to restart a failed evaluation at a discounted fee rather than purchasing a brand-new challenge at full price. If you breach the rules during the 1-Step Challenge or during either phase of the 2-Step Challenge, FTMO gives you the option to re-enter the same account size from Phase 1, typically for roughly 20-30% less than a fresh challenge purchase. Progress from the failed attempt is wiped. The rules, targets, and drawdown geometry are identical to a new challenge. You're paying for the restart, not for any advantage.

This pillar covers the full reset mechanic: when it applies, when it doesn't, what it costs, what it does not do, how it compares to a refund, and how FTMO's reset structure sits against what peers like Take Profit Trader, Apex, and Bulenox offer. For the full account-type breakdown see the FTMO accounts overview. For the rules governing what triggers a breach see the FTMO rules overview. For the main firm review see the FTMO review.

Paul has traded FTMO for ~4 years, withdrawn $15K+ in real payouts, and scalped the 1-Step Challenge primarily on $50K and $100K sizes. He's been through the evaluation cycle multiple times. His working principle on resets: fix the plan before paying to restart. A discounted re-entry into the same trade decisions is not a discount. It's paying less to make the same mistake again.

What is an FTMO account reset?

An FTMO account reset is a repurchase of a failed evaluation at a reduced fee. FTMO makes the option available in your dashboard after a rule breach closes the account. You pay the reset fee, and the account restarts at Phase 1: same size, same rules, same profit target, zero progress.

It is not a second phase of the original evaluation. It is not a continuation from where the breach occurred. It is not discounted access to Phase 2 or to the funded stage. You start from the beginning, with the same minimum 4 trading days requirement, the same profit target, the same daily loss limit that ended the previous attempt.

The financial argument for a reset is straightforward: if the reset fee is lower than the cost of a new challenge at the same size, you pay less to re-enter. That is the entire value proposition. There is no mechanical advantage built into a reset versus a fresh purchase. The evaluation is identical.

The psychological argument is the part traders often skip. A reset lowers the cost to re-enter but does not change what caused the breach. The 1-Step's 3% daily loss limit is the dominant blow-up vector on that product. If you hit it on the first attempt, you hit a 3% daily loss. Paying a reset fee and re-entering the same product without changing how you manage intraday drawdown means you'll likely hit that limit again. The discount is real. The second attempt isn't automatically better.

For how the daily loss limit works mechanically on both the 1-Step and 2-Step see the FTMO daily loss limit article. For the maximum loss mechanics that can also trigger a breach see the FTMO max loss rule article.

When can you reset?

The reset option is available after rule breaches during the evaluation phases only. Two specific triggers make a reset available.

Challenge breach (1-Step or 2-Step Phase 1). If you breach the daily loss limit or maximum loss during the 1-Step Challenge or during Phase 1 of the 2-Step Challenge, FTMO closes the evaluation account. The reset option appears in your dashboard for that account. You can choose to pay the reset fee and restart from Phase 1.

Verification breach (2-Step Phase 2). If you pass Phase 1 of the 2-Step and then breach the rules during Phase 2 (Verification), FTMO closes the Phase 2 account. The reset option is available here too, and this is where the reset's value proposition is highest: you've already put in the Phase 1 work and a full new-challenge purchase would require you to redo Phase 1 from scratch anyway. A reset still puts you back at Phase 1, not at Phase 2, but the discounted fee makes re-entry less painful than a full new purchase.

What does NOT trigger a reset option: breaching the rules on a live funded FTMO Account. That is a separate and harder outcome, covered in the section below.

What also does NOT trigger a reset: abandoning an evaluation, failing to hit the profit target before a time limit (FTMO does not have a time limit, so this is moot), or simply not wanting to continue. Resets are for breach closures, not voluntary exits or inactive accounts.

For the mechanics of the 2-Step two-phase evaluation see the FTMO 2-Step Challenge article. For minimum trading day rules see FTMO minimum trading days.

How much does a reset cost?

FTMO typically prices resets at roughly 20-30% below the cost of a fresh challenge at the same size. These are not published as fixed rates. The reset fee shown in your dashboard is what matters, and it can vary by account size, current promotional periods, and other factors FTMO applies internally.

The table below shows the documented 2-Step Standard pricing and what a ~20-25% reset discount range would look like across sizes. 1-Step pricing is also shown. These reset fee estimates are illustrative. Always verify the actual reset fee in your FTMO dashboard before paying.

At the $100K size on the 2-Step path, a reset saving €108-€162 versus a new challenge is meaningful. That is roughly the equivalent of a $25K new-challenge purchase. At smaller sizes the absolute saving narrows but the percentage still holds.

One scenario where a fresh purchase can beat the reset fee: FTMO occasionally runs promotional discounts during anniversary events, Black Friday, or partner campaigns. If a new challenge is available at 30% off retail and the reset fee is only 20% off, you'd do better buying fresh. Compare both numbers before committing. Check current new-challenge pricing at ftmo.com and check whether any promo code applies to new purchases. As of May 2026 there is no active public promo code on FTMO, and the Prime Programme 10% loyalty discount applies only after 4 qualifying payouts, not on evaluation purchases.

What does a reset NOT do?

This is the section traders skip and later regret.

A reset does not carry over any trading progress. Zero. Days traded on the failed attempt do not count. Profit built up before the breach is gone. The reset account starts at the original balance, the original Phase 1 target, and the original minimum-days counter of zero.

A reset does not change the rules. The 1-Step's 3% daily loss limit that closed the account will still be 3% on the reset attempt. The 10% trailing max loss on the 1-Step will still trail from the new account's balance peaks. The 2-Step's 5% daily loss limit and 10% static floor are unchanged. If your execution against the rules caused the breach, the reset doesn't move the rules.

A reset does not move you forward in phases. A 2-Step Phase 2 breach followed by a reset puts you back in Phase 1, not Phase 2. You redo Phase 1 (10% target), then Phase 2 (5% target) again. The only thing the reset changes is the fee for re-entering that process.

A reset does not reverse profits or losses on other accounts. If you hold multiple FTMO accounts and one breaches, the reset applies only to that account. Profits on other running accounts are unaffected. Losses on the breached account remain losses.

A reset is not a refund. The original challenge fee is gone when the account breaches. The refund mechanic (where FTMO returns the challenge fee alongside your first reward payout from a live FTMO Account) applies to the fee for the attempt that leads to funding. If you buy a challenge, breach, pay a reset fee, pass, and process a first payout, the fee returned is the reset fee. The original challenge fee does not come back. This is covered in detail in the FTMO payout rules article.

Can you reset a funded account?

No. This deserves its own section because traders occasionally confuse the evaluation-stage reset with some hypothetical funded-stage recovery option. There is none.

If you breach the daily loss limit or maximum loss on a live funded FTMO Account, the account closes. FTMO does not offer a reset option on funded capital. The account is done. To return to a funded position, you purchase a new challenge at full price (or check for promotional pricing on a new challenge purchase) and go back through the evaluation from Phase 1.

The logic makes sense from FTMO's structure. On a live funded account you are trading with FTMO's simulated capital in a risk model that resembles real capital management. A funded breach is not a failed learning attempt. It is a risk event that exceeded the firm's defined tolerance. The reset mechanic exists at the evaluation stage where the financial stakes are the trader's own challenge fee. It does not extend to funded capital management.

For what happens to your account on a breach of the daily loss limit see the FTMO daily loss limit article. For the maximum loss mechanics and what the exact floor is see the FTMO max loss rule. For the full rule set across funded accounts see the FTMO rules overview.

When does a reset make sense?

The financial case is simple: if the reset fee is lower than a new challenge at the same size, and you intend to retry, the reset costs less.

The strategic case requires a harder question: what caused the breach?

Breach from a mechanical error: misjudged position size, a platform execution issue, an unexpected news spike on a day you were already near the daily limit. These are recoverable. A reset is reasonable because the underlying trade approach is sound and the breach was circumstantial.

Breach from a structural problem: consistent overtrading near the daily loss limit, trading through news restrictions you'd been warned about, size escalation after losses. These will recur. A reset shortens the time between paying and losing again. It is not the right tool until the structural issue is addressed.

Breach on a Verification phase (2-Step Phase 2): the psychological cost is higher because you passed Phase 1 and were close to funded. A reset is arguably at its most justified here from a pure-cost perspective: you've demonstrated you can pass Phase 1 once, the reset is cheaper than starting from scratch, and the breach was a single Phase 2 event. Still, examine what caused it before resetting.

A reset used as a psychological salve ("I need to feel like I'm still in the game") is the most expensive form of continued operation. The discounted fee does not reduce the emotional cost of a second breach if the first breach's lessons weren't absorbed.

For strategy frameworks and trading approaches that inform how to set up an evaluation attempt see the FTMO strategy guide.

How does a reset compare to a refund?

These two things sound related but work completely differently.

A reset is money out. You pay a discounted fee to re-enter the evaluation after a breach. You are spending more money. The original fee is gone and you are now spending a second fee. Smaller, but real.

A refund is money back. FTMO's refund policy is that the challenge fee (for the successful attempt that leads to funded status) is returned alongside your first reward withdrawal from the live FTMO Account. If you buy a challenge for €345, pass, go funded, and process a first payout, FTMO adds the €345 back to your payout. The refund is contingent on reaching funded status and processing that first payout.

The two mechanisms do not interact in a way that recovers the original fee after a breach. Here's the sequence:

1. Buy challenge for €345: €345 out
2. Breach: account closed, €345 gone (no refund for failed attempts)
3. Pay reset fee of ~€260: €260 out (total spent: €605)
4. Pass on reset attempt: go funded
5. Process first payout: FTMO refunds the reset fee of €260

Net cost after a successful funded stage via one breach + one reset: €345 (lost on breach) + €260 (reset fee, later refunded) = €345 permanent loss plus the time cost of the failed attempt. The refund recovers the reset fee, not the original challenge fee.

Understanding this math matters when evaluating the total cost of reaching funded status via an imperfect path. For the full payout and refund mechanics see the FTMO payout rules article and FTMO accounts overview.

How do peers compare on reset?

FTMO is not the only firm with a reset mechanism. The fee structures vary.

A few structural observations.

Take Profit Trader's flat $100 reset is the lowest fixed-cost option in the industry for any account size. You pay the same $100 whether you're resetting a $50K or a $150K evaluation. That is a better deal than FTMO's percentage-based pricing at larger sizes, but TPT is a futures-only firm with EOD intraday drawdown rules. It is a different product category to FTMO's Forex/CFD model. Traders who want futures funding should look at Take Profit Trader; FTMO does not offer futures.

Apex's promotional-window discounts (up to 80% off new challenge activation) can make fresh purchases comparable to or cheaper than FTMO resets on an absolute-dollar basis, but Apex is also a futures-only firm. The comparison is cross-category.

Within the Forex/CFD peer group (FTMO, FundedNext, FundingPips, E8 Markets) reset structures vary and change with product updates. FTMO's ~20-30% typical discount is a reasonable mid-range offering. It is not the cheapest in absolute terms but it is consistent and available on all sizes.

For the head-to-head FTMO vs The5ers comparison see FTMO vs The5ers. For the full cluster of FTMO accounts content see the FTMO accounts overview. For the FAQ covering all commonly asked FTMO questions see the FTMO FAQ.

The bottom line

FTMO's account reset lets you restart a failed 1-Step Challenge or 2-Step evaluation at roughly 20-30% below new-challenge price. The reset wipes all progress and returns you to Phase 1: same rules, same targets, same drawdown geometry as a fresh purchase. It costs less. That is the only advantage.

Funded account breaches do not qualify for resets. A live FTMO Account that hits the daily loss limit or maximum loss closes permanently. You re-enter by purchasing a new challenge from scratch.

The reset is not a refund. The original challenge fee is lost on breach. The reset fee is a new expenditure: a cheaper re-entry, not a recovery of sunk costs. If you pass on the reset attempt, FTMO refunds the reset fee (not the original fee) alongside your first reward payout from the live account.

Use resets as a cost tool after honest diagnosis of what caused the breach. Pay less to re-enter the same mistake and you've just paid less to make that mistake again.

For specific reset pricing, always verify the current fee shown in your FTMO dashboard against the current new-challenge price at ftmo.com. The exact numbers vary and this article hedges where it should. For the full FTMO firm review including Paul's 4-year history and $15K+ in withdrawals see the FTMO review.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an FTMO account reset?

An FTMO account reset is a paid option to restart your Challenge or Verification from Phase 1 after breaching a rule. The reset fee is typically ~20-30% cheaper than purchasing a new challenge at the same size. It does not carry over any progress from the failed attempt. You start again at zero on the same account size, same rules, same profit target. Check ftmo.com for current reset pricing as it varies by size.

When can you use an FTMO reset?

Resets are available when you breach the rules during the Challenge (1-Step) or during Phase 1 or Phase 2 of the 2-Step Challenge. The reset option typically appears in your FTMO dashboard after the account is closed due to a rule breach. It is not available for accounts that are simply inactive or that you abandoned. Only accounts that hit a hard breach trigger the reset option.

How much does an FTMO account reset cost?

FTMO typically prices resets at roughly 20-30% below the cost of purchasing a fresh challenge at the same size. Exact fees are not published as fixed rates and can vary by account size, current promotions, and timing. Always verify the reset fee shown in your dashboard against the current new-challenge price at ftmo.com before committing. A reset at the $100K 1-Step size is materially cheaper than €499 but the exact number should be confirmed live.

Does a reset carry over my trading progress?

No. An FTMO reset returns you to the start of Phase 1 with full account balance and zero profit progress. Any P&L from the failed attempt is wiped. Any trading days accumulated do not count. You restart fresh under the same rules and profit target for that account size and path. The reset is purely a cost-reduction mechanism. It gets you back into the evaluation at a discount versus a new purchase. Nothing more.

Can you reset a funded FTMO Account?

No. If you breach the rules on a live funded FTMO Account (specifically the daily loss limit or maximum loss), the account is closed permanently. There is no reset option on funded accounts. You must purchase a new challenge from scratch to re-enter the evaluation process. The reset mechanic exists only at the evaluation stage, not on funded capital.

Is an FTMO reset the same as a refund?

No. A reset is a repurchase at a discounted rate. A refund is when FTMO returns the original challenge fee. FTMO only refunds the challenge fee once, alongside your first successful payout from a live FTMO Account. If you fail, your original fee is gone. A reset costs you additional money to re-enter. A refund earns your original fee back. They are completely separate mechanisms.

When does an FTMO reset make sense financially?

A reset makes sense when the reset fee is materially less than buying a fresh challenge at the same size, and when you've identified and corrected the error that caused the breach. It does not make sense if you're resetting out of frustration without changing anything. The same habits will produce the same outcome on a cheaper entry. Use the reset as a cost tool only after honest post-mortem.

How do FTMO resets compare to what other prop firms offer?

Take Profit Trader offers a flat $100 Test reset on any account size, which is a low fixed-rate option. Apex Trader Funding offers new challenge activation at up to 80% off during promotional windows. Bulenox has tiered reset pricing by account size. FTMO's ~20-30% off structure is a mid-range option by industry standards. None of these are free. For futures-focused traders, alternatives like Take Profit Trader or Lucid Trading are separate category choices entirely, since FTMO is Forex/CFD only.

Does the reset clock restart on the minimum trading days requirement?

Yes. A reset returns your account to Phase 1 starting conditions. The minimum 4 trading days requirement restarts from zero. Any days traded on the failed attempt do not carry over. You need at least 4 trading days on the reset attempt before FTMO will process a pass.

Can you reset multiple times on the same account?

FTMO does not publicly cap the number of resets on a given account size. Traders have reported using multiple resets over several attempts on the same size. Each reset requires a new fee. FTMO reserves the right to refuse service at its discretion, but repeated reset usage alone is not documented as a grounds for account termination. Verify the reset availability in your specific dashboard. If FTMO has applied any limit in your case, it will appear there.

Does resetting affect the challenge fee refund on first payout?

The refund on first payout applies to the most recent fee paid, either the original challenge fee or the reset fee, depending on which attempt leads to the funded stage. If you buy a challenge, fail, pay a reset fee, pass, and process your first payout, the fee refunded is the reset fee (the fee for the successful attempt). The original challenge fee is already lost. Always check the current FTMO terms at ftmo.com for the precise refund policy on reset-originated accounts.

Should you reset or just buy a new challenge?

Buy the reset if it's cheaper and if you want the psychological cleanliness of continuing the same account identifier. Buy a new challenge fresh if FTMO is running a promotional discount that brings new-challenge pricing below the reset fee. That occasionally happens during anniversary or Black Friday periods. In most cases the reset is the cheaper option, but always compare the two numbers before clicking.