City Traders Imperium Review 2026

Facts checked against citytradersimperium.com on 11 November 2026

Visit City Traders ImperiumSince 20181-step, 2-step, instant, directFrom $29MT5 and Match-Trader

Ad Prop firm challenges are paid evaluations on simulated accounts, and most traders do not pass. We never tell you to trade.

City Traders Imperium (CTI) has funded traders since 2018 and offers four routes, from a $29 one-step to fully funded accounts. It has no daily drawdown on its one-step, instant and direct accounts, and allows news trading. The trade-off is a low 50% split on instant accounts until you scale.

Good fit if

You trade news

Look elsewhere if Verdict →

You want a full split on an instant account from day one

Tap a face for rolesOur methodology →

An FX Recap team effort, from Abir Khan to Ranjan N. Mondol

City Traders Imperium review: programs, rules, costs and payouts, checked on citytradersimperium.com on 11 November 2026.

City Traders Imperium at a glance

Source: citytradersimperium.com, checked 11 November 2026

Programs: 1-Step Challenge, 2-Step Challenge, Instant Funding and Direct Funding
Account sizes: $2.5K to $100K on challenges; $2.5K to $80K instant and direct
Cheapest entry: $29 for a $2.5K 1-Step
1-Step rules: 8% target · 5% maximum drawdown · no daily limit
2-Step rules: 10% then 5% target · 5% daily · 10% maximum drawdown
Profit split: Up to 100% on challenges; 50% on instant until fully funded, then 70% to 100%
First withdrawal: 7 days on challenges, 5 days on instant and direct
Platforms: MT5 and Match-Trader
Company: City Traders Imperium Limited (Comoros) and CTI FZCO (Dubai)

City Traders Imperium rating: 3.9 out of 5

Our prop firm methodology →

City Traders Imperium scores 77.0 out of 100 (Very Good) on the FX Recap prop firm method. Each parameter is scored 0 to 10 from the firm's published rules and terms, weighted, and the total divided by 20 gives the stars.

Company & track record20%6.5/10
Funding traders since 2018 · Company and registration number published · Base: Comoros (operating address in Costa Rica)
Rules & room to trade20%8.5/10
Widest maximum loss 10% · A program with no daily limit · Lowest first target 8% · Static maximum loss on the main program
Payouts & profit split16%9/10
Best split 100% · First payout: 7 days on challenges; 5 on instant and direct · Methods: Bank transfer or crypto, within 24 hours · No scaling plan found
Cost of entry12%6/10
Cheapest $45 per $10K · No fee refund stated
Trading freedom15%9/10
EAs: with limits · News: allowed · Weekend: allowed
Trader feedback10%n/a
Not enough verified trader reviews yet
Programs & platforms7%6/10
3 program types · 2 platforms · Up to $100K

Trader feedback counts once enough verified trader reviews are in; until then the other weights are rescaled. Facts we could not verify earn half points and are marked "not verified".

City Traders Imperium pros and cons

What traders get

Funding traders since 2018
No daily drawdown on 1-Step, instant and direct accounts
News trading allowed with no blackout window
Low entry: $29 one-step, $39 two-step
First withdrawal after 7 days (5 on instant)
Static, balance-based drawdown on instant accounts

What to watch

Instant accounts start at half the balance and a 50% split
A 20% consistency score is needed to scale instant accounts
Only personal EAs; third-party EAs and martingale are banned
Licensed in Anjouan (Comoros), a light-touch offshore regime
Direct Funding is expensive: $3,999 for $80K
The 1-Step gives only 5% of room

How City Traders Imperium measures up

How to choose a prop firm →

The checklist explains the score: each line grades what City Traders Imperium publishes. We have not traded these programs, so nothing here is a claim about live results.

Track recordFunding traders since 2018; company and licence numbers published.Strength
Daily limitNone on 1-Step, instant and direct accounts.Strength
Entry costFrom $29 (1-Step $2.5K) and $39 (2-Step $2.5K).Strength
Room to lose1-Step 5%, 2-Step 10% with 5% daily, instant and direct 6% static.Mixed
Profit splitUp to 100% on challenges; instant starts at 50%.Mixed
News tradingAllowed with no restrictions before or after releases.Strength
First payout7 days on challenges, 5 days on instant and direct.Strength
RegulationCity Traders Imperium Limited holds an Anjouan (Comoros) licence, L15969/CTI.Mixed

City Traders Imperium programs and rules

4 programs. Pick one to see its rules and prices.

One 8% target with no daily limit, but only 5% of total room.

Rule	Challenge	Funded
Profit target	8%	–
Maximum drawdown	5%	5%
Daily drawdown	None	None
Profitable days	3	–
Profit share	–	Up to 100%
First withdrawal	–	7 days

$2.5K$29

$5K$49

$10K$79

$25K$159

$50K$299

$100K$449

CTI's most popular route: a 10% target then 5%, with 10% of room and a 5% daily limit.

Rule	Phase 1	Phase 2	Funded
Profit target	10%	5%	–
Maximum drawdown	10%	10%	10%
Daily drawdown	5%	5%	5%
Profitable days	3	3	–
Profit share	–	–	Up to 100%

$2.5K$39

$5K$59

$10K$99

$25K$199

$50K$329

$100K$549

No challenge: you start funded on half the account and grow to the full size by hitting 10%. The drawdown is a static 6% of the balance.

Rule	Starting balance	Fully funded
Balance ($10K plan)	$5,000	$10,000
Target to scale	10%	10%
Maximum drawdown	6% static, balance-based	6% static
Daily drawdown	None	None
Profit share	50%	70% to 100%

$2.5K$79

$5K$139

$10K$259

$20K$449

Scaling doubles the balance per 10% milestone, up to $2M per account and $4M in total.
A 20% consistency score is needed to scale.
First payout after 5 days.

Pay more to start on the full balance at once, with the same 6% static drawdown and no daily limit.

Rule	Funded
Target to scale	10%
Maximum drawdown	6%
Daily drawdown	None
Profit share	Up to 100%
First withdrawal	5 days

$5K$229

$10K$399

$20K$999

$40K$1,999

$80K$3,999

How to get funded with City Traders Imperium

The route through City Traders Imperium's evaluation, using the 2-Step rules. Every box is a stage you must clear before the next one opens.

1BuyPick a size
2Phase 110% target · 5% daily · 10% max loss
3Phase 25% target · 5% daily · 10% max loss
4FundedUp to 100% split
5Paid7 days on challenges

City Traders Imperium rules in dollars: a $100K 2-Step account

$10,000profit to reach the first target (10%)
$5,000the most you may lose in one day (5%)
$10,000total loss allowed before the account fails (10%)
5losing trades in a row at 1% risk ($1,000 each) before you hit the daily limit

An example to show the size of each limit, not advice and not a forecast. Risk sizing is explained in position sizing for a prop challenge.

What City Traders Imperium costs per $10,000 of account

One-time fee divided by the account size, from CTI's program cards on 11 November 2026. Instant accounts start at half that size.

1-Step $100K$45
2-Step $100K$55
1-Step $50K$60
1-Step $25K$64
2-Step $50K$66
1-Step $10K$79
2-Step $25K$80
1-Step $5K$98
2-Step $10K$99
1-Step $2.5K$116
2-Step $5K$118
2-Step $2.5K$156
Instant Funding $20K$225
Instant Funding $10K$259
Instant Funding $5K$278
Instant Funding $2.5K$316
Direct Funding $10K$399
Direct Funding $5K$458
Direct Funding $20K$500
Direct Funding $40K$500
Direct Funding $80K$500

How City Traders Imperium compares with 17 other prop firms

All 18 firms →

Four numbers that decide most choices, set against every prop firm we review. City Traders Imperium is the green bar. Firms that do not publish a figure are left out of that chart.

Cheapest fee per $10K

$45#6 of 14

lower is cheaper; best on the left

Widest maximum loss

10%#4 of 18

more room to lose; best on the left

Best profit split

100%#1 of 18

your share of profit; best on the left

Days to first payout

7 days#3 of 17

sooner is better; best on the left

City Traders Imperium alternatives worth a look

Audacity CapitalMore room (15% maximum loss)

Blueberry FundedMore room (12% maximum loss)

Maven TradingCheaper at $30 per $10K

How City Traders Imperium pays you

First withdrawal: 7 days on challenges; 5 days on instant and direct
Split: Up to 100% on challenges; instant 50% at start, 70% to 100% once fully funded
VIP tiers: Bronze: 90% and weekly payouts · Silver: 100% and anytime payouts
Payment options: Card, PayPal, Skrill and crypto shown at checkout

Trading rules to know

News: Allowed with no blackout windows
EAs: Personal EAs only; third-party EAs not allowed
Martingale: Not allowed
Weekend and overnight: Allowed
Scaling: 100% balance increase per 10% milestone on instant, with a 20% consistency score

Rules explained: daily loss · maximum drawdown · news trading · scaling plans

City Traders Imperium trading conditions

What you may and may not do on a City Traders Imperium account, from its own rules pages. "Not stated" means the pages we could read do not say.

Expert advisors (EAs)With limitsPersonal EAs only; no third-party EAs Guide →

News tradingAllowedAllowed with no blackout window Guide →

Weekend holdingAllowedWeekend and overnight holding allowed on every program

Time limitNo limitNo time limit on at least one program Guide →

Consistency ruleAvoidableAt least one program has no consistency rule Guide →

Fee refundNot statedNot stated on its pages

Payout methodsBank transfer or crypto, within 24 hours

First payout7 days on challenges; 5 on instant and direct Guide →

PlatformsMT5, Match-Trader

Track recordFunding traders since 2018, as the firm states

Operating baseComoros (operating address in Costa Rica)

Is City Traders Imperium legit? Who runs it and where it is open

Programs provider: City Traders Imperium Limited, Comoros Union, company no. 15969, licence L15969/CTI (Anjouan)
Operating address: Edificio Faro, Barrio Luján, San José, Costa Rica
Academy: CTI FZCO, DSO-FZCO-21340, Dubai Silicon Oasis
Since: 2018

Not available in

CTI's footer does not list banned countries on the pages we could read; its terms pages did not load for us. Check them before buying.

Neither company is a broker; all trading happens in a demo environment with virtual capital. Is a funded account real money? →

Our verdict on City Traders Imperium

CTI is one of the older names and one of the few with no daily drawdown across most programs, plus open news trading. The 2-Step at $39 to $549 is good value with 10% of room. Instant accounts are slower to pay well, starting at half size and a 50% split.

Good fit if

You trade news
You dislike daily loss limits
You want a long track record
You want a cheap two-step with 10% of room

Look elsewhere if

You want a full split on an instant account from day one
You use third-party EAs
You need a 1-step with more than 5% of room
You want a firm under a major regulator

Visit City Traders ImperiumAd We earn a commission if you buy through this link. It never changes the facts above.

City Traders Imperium FAQ

Is City Traders Imperium legit?

CTI says it has funded traders since 2018. Its programs come from City Traders Imperium Limited, incorporated in Comoros (no. 15969) with an Anjouan licence (L15969/CTI). Trading is in a demo environment.

Does CTI have a daily drawdown?

Not on the 1-Step, Instant or Direct Funding accounts. The 2-Step has a 5% daily limit.

How much is a CTI challenge?

The 1-Step runs from $29 to $449 and the 2-Step from $39 to $549.

What is CTI's profit split?

Up to 100% on challenges. Instant accounts start at 50% and rise to 70%–100% once fully funded.

Can you trade news with CTI?

Yes, with no blackout windows.

Does City Traders Imperium allow EAs?

Partly. Personal EAs only; no third-party EAs.

Can you hold trades over the weekend with City Traders Imperium?

Yes. Weekend and overnight holding allowed on every program.

When is the first City Traders Imperium payout?

7 days on challenges; 5 on instant and direct. City Traders Imperium pays by bank transfer or crypto, within 24 hours.

Does City Traders Imperium have a time limit?

No, at least one City Traders Imperium program has no time limit, though inactivity rules can still close an account.

Guides to read before you buy a City Traders Imperium challenge

One-Step vs Two-Step: Which Challenge to Pick

The Prop Firm Consistency Rule, Explained

Expert Advisor and Automation Rules at Prop Firms

Instant Funding Prop Firms: The Trade-Offs

How Prop Firm Payouts Work: Splits, Schedules and the First Withdrawal

Position Sizing for a Prop Challenge: The Exact Math

Prop trading terms used in this review

Daily loss limit: The most your account may fall in one trading day. Break it once and the account fails, even if you are in profit overall.
Maximum drawdown: The total loss allowed from the starting balance. Static means the floor never moves; trailing means it follows your highest balance up.
Consistency rule: A cap on how much of your total profit may come from one day or one trade, so a single lucky win cannot pass you.
Minimum trading days: The fewest days you must trade before a phase counts as passed, even if you hit the target sooner.
Profit split: Your share of the profit on the funded account. The firm keeps the rest.
Expert advisor (EA): A program that places trades for you on MetaTrader. Many prop firms limit or ban them.
Instant funding: Paying a higher fee to skip the challenge and trade a funded account from day one, usually with tighter limits.

How we checked this review

Jannatul Ferdaush checked every figure against City Traders Imperium's own pages on 11 November 2026. We did not buy or trade a challenge for this review. The rating applies our prop firm methodology to those published facts.

citytradersimperium.com · Program cards, prices, rules, VIP tiers, company footer
citytradersimperium.com/instant-funding · Instant rules, scaling, EA and martingale rules, platforms

City Traders Imperium trader reviews

What traders say about City Traders Imperium in their own words. These ratings are separate from FX Recap's own rating of 3.9, which comes from our review.

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