The checkout price is only one part of a challenge’s cost. Compare what you pay before passing, what you may pay after passing, and what is refunded only if later conditions are met.
A fee ledger you can actually compare
| Cost | What to record | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Initial purchase | Amount, currency, tax and selected add-ons | Before evaluation |
| Subscription | Recurring amount, renewal date and cancellation rule | Every paid period while active |
| Reset or repeat purchase | Cost per attempt and what gets reset | After a failed or restarted attempt |
| Activation | Whether another fee is required after passing | Before the next account stage |
| Data or platform | Any separate market-data or platform subscription | During the relevant stage |
| Payout processing | Provider and payment-service fees, if any | When withdrawing an approved reward |
| Conditional refund | Trigger, timing and exclusions | Only after the condition has been fulfilled |
Three original worked examples
Plan A: a $149 one-time evaluation, no activation charge and no repeats costs $149 before any conditional refund.
Plan B: a $79 monthly evaluation kept active for three paid periods, plus a $149 activation fee, costs (3 × $79) + $149 = $386. A faster pass or different activation route would change that total.
Plan C: a $149 evaluation and two $89 resets costs $149 + (2 × $89) = $327. That amount is an observed spending scenario, not an estimate of how many attempts you will need.
No passing probability or future reward has been assumed. A lower advertised entry price does not establish a lower total cost.
Your cost calculator
Enter amounts in one currency. This tool runs in your browser and does not send these figures to PropRanking or analytics.
Refundable does not mean cost-free
FTMO’s comparison page distinguishes the refundable 2-Step entry fee from the non-refundable 1-Step offer. The trigger and the selected agreement still matter. A future conditional refund should be recorded separately from money already returned. Source: FTMO programme comparison.
For subscriptions, distinguish cancelling renewals from restoring an already cancelled account. Apex’s Legacy overview says existing Legacy subscriptions remain active until cancelled and cancelled Legacy subscriptions cannot be reinstated. Those are Legacy rules, not a universal description of current products.
Frequently asked questions
Can I subtract an advertised refund straight away?
Keep it separate until you fulfil the conditions and receive it. The calculator’s refund field is for an amount already received.
Does the calculator predict profitability?
No. It adds costs you enter. It does not predict passing, payouts, investment returns or trading performance.
What about different currencies?
Convert all inputs to one currency using a recorded rate and include conversion charges separately. Mixing currencies creates a meaningless total.
Next comparison
Read FTMO 1-Step versus 2-Step and the full comparison checklist. Preserve a copy of the terms you actually bought.
