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One-Step vs Two-Step: Which Challenge to Pick
One-step challenges are faster and usually stricter. Two-step challenges take longer and usually give more room. Here is the trade-off with real rules.
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A two-step challenge asks you to hit a profit target twice. A one-step asks once. The obvious conclusion, that one step is easier, is often wrong, because firms compensate with tighter rules.
Side by side at FTMO
| FTMO 2-Step | FTMO 1-Step | |
|---|---|---|
| Profit target | 10%, then 5% | 10% |
| Daily loss limit | 5% | 3% |
| Maximum loss | 10%, static | 10%, trailing (end of day) |
| Minimum trading days | 4 per phase | None |
| Consistency | None beyond the objectives | 50% Best Day Rule |
| Split | 80%, up to 90% through scaling | 90% |
| $100,000 fee | €540, refunded with first reward | €499, not refunded |
The 1-Step is one phase shorter and pays a higher split from the start. In exchange its daily limit is 3 per cent instead of 5, its floor trails your end-of-day balance, no single day may be more than half your profit, and the fee is gone either way.
At FundedNext
FundedNext’s Stellar 2-Step asks for 8 per cent then 5 per cent and returns the fee with the first reward. Its Stellar 1-Step asks for 10 per cent in a single phase, and FundedNext says you can get your first reward within 7 days. Its Stellar Lite is a two-phase plan with 8 and 4 per cent targets at a lower upfront cost.
Which suits you
| Pick two-step if… | Pick one-step if… |
|---|---|
| Your losing days can reach 3–4% | Your worst days stay well under 3% |
| You let winners run and give some back | You bank profits steadily |
| You want the fee back | Speed matters more than the fee |
| Your profits come from a few big days | Your profits are spread evenly across days |
A trader with occasional 3.5 per cent losing days passes a 2-Step in nine weeks without touching the 5 per cent limit. On a 1-Step, the first of those days would have breached the 3 per cent limit. For this trader the slower format is the only one that works.
Look at your last 50 trading days on demo: your worst day and your best day as a share of total profit decide the format more than anything else.
Frequently asked
Is a one-step or two-step prop challenge better?
It depends on how you trade. One-step is faster but usually stricter: FTMO's 1-Step has a 3 per cent daily limit, a trailing maximum loss and a 50 per cent best-day rule, against 5 per cent, a static floor and no consistency rule on the 2-Step.
Is the one-step challenge easier?
Not usually. There is one target instead of two, but tighter loss limits and consistency rules mean a single bad day or one outsized winning day can fail it.
Which FTMO challenge is refundable?
The 2-Step fee is refunded with your first reward. The 1-Step fee is not refunded.
What are FundedNext's one-step and two-step targets?
FundedNext's Stellar 2-Step asks for 8 per cent then 5 per cent, with the fee back on the first reward; its Stellar 1-Step asks for 10 per cent in one phase.
Related reading
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