Blue Guardian vs FTMO 2025: Which Prop Firm Pays Faster?

You just closed a $3,000 winning trade on your funded account.

Now the question: when do you actually get paid?

With most prop firms, you're waiting 14 days minimum just to request a payout. Then another 2-5 business days for processing. That's almost 3 weeks before your profits hit your account.

But what if there was a faster way?

In 2025, payout speed has become one of the biggest deciding factors when choosing between prop firms. Traders want access to their profits quickly, not weeks later when the money matters less. This Blue Guardian vs FTMO comparison breaks down everything that matters - payout speed, profit splits, challenge structure, risk rules, and maximum capital - so you can choose the best prop firm for your trading style.

If you're serious about funded trading, understanding these differences could mean thousands of dollars in your pocket this year.

Who Gets You Paid Faster?

Let's cut straight to what matters most - getting your money.

FTMO operates on a standard 14-day minimum waiting period from your first trade before you can even request a payout. Once you submit the request, they process it within 1-2 business days, with an average processing time of 8 hours. Payouts are handled on a bi-weekly basis, meaning you can withdraw every 14 days after that initial waiting period.

Here's what that looks like in practice: You start trading on Monday, January 1st. Your earliest possible payout request is January 15th. If everything goes smoothly and they process it in 8 hours, you might see money in your account by January 16th. That's 16 days from your first trade to actual payment.

Blue Guardian takes a different approach to payout speed.

Their standard is also bi-weekly payouts, but here's where it gets interesting - you can add a 7-day payout option at checkout. This cuts your waiting time in half. Even better, Blue Guardian offers a 24-hour payout guarantee. If they don't process your payout within 24 hours, you keep 100% of your profits instead of your usual split. That's not just fast - it's guaranteed fast.

Processing time once you request? Same 1-2 business days as FTMO.

But the 24-hour guarantee changes everything. It means Blue Guardian is literally betting their own profit share that they'll get you paid quickly. FTMO doesn't offer anything comparable.

Here's the real-world difference:

Let's say you're managing a $100K account and you made $5,000 in profits. At an 80% profit split, that's $4,000 heading to your account.

With FTMO's 14-day minimum plus 1-2 day processing, you're looking at 15-16 days before that money lands. With Blue Guardian's 7-day option plus their 24-hour guarantee, you could be holding that $4,000 in as little as 8 days. That's twice as fast.

Why does speed matter this much?

Because faster payouts mean you can reinvest profits into larger challenges sooner. If you're scaling from a $25K account to a $100K account, getting paid a week earlier means you can purchase that bigger challenge a week earlier. Over a year, that speed advantage compounds into significantly more earning potential.

The speed winner? Blue Guardian, by a significant margin. The 24-hour guarantee and 7-day payout option make them one of the fastest-paying prop firms in 2025.

Profit Splits - Who Keeps More Money?

Raw payout speed means nothing if the firm is keeping most of your profits.

FTMO starts all funded traders at an 80% profit split. That means for every $1,000 you make, you keep $800 and FTMO keeps $200. Not bad, but it's industry standard - nothing special. However, if you meet their Scaling Plan requirements, that split increases to 90%. At that level, you're keeping $900 per $1,000 earned.

The catch? You need to qualify for the Scaling Plan first, which requires meeting specific performance criteria over time.

Blue Guardian structures their splits differently depending on which account type you choose.

Instant Funding accounts offer an 80% split right from the start - matching FTMO's baseline. But here's where Blue Guardian separates itself: challenge-based accounts start at 85% and can reach 90% with their add-on options. That extra 5% might not sound like much, but let's run the actual numbers.

Scenario: You make $10,000 in profit

• FTMO at 80%: You keep $8,000
• Blue Guardian at 85%: You keep $8,500
• Both firms at 90%: You keep $9,000

That's a $500 difference between 80% and 85% on a single $10K win. Over the course of a year, if you're consistently profitable, that gap adds up fast.

Scenario: Monthly profits of $5,000 over 12 months = $60,000 total

• At 80% split: You take home $48,000
• At 85% split: You take home $51,000
• At 90% split: You take home $54,000

The difference between 80% and 85% is $3,000 annually. The difference between 80% and 90% is $6,000 annually. These aren't small numbers when you're trying to build serious income through funded trading.

Blue Guardian's advantage here is accessibility. Their 85% split is available on standard challenge accounts without needing to qualify for scaling plans or hit special criteria. You get better splits faster.

Profit split winner? Slight edge to Blue Guardian for offering 85% baseline on challenges, but both firms match at 90% for top-tier traders.

Speed to Funding

How long does it actually take to get funded and start earning?

FTMO uses a traditional 2-step evaluation process. Phase 1 requires a 10% profit target with a minimum of 4 trading days. Phase 2 drops that target to 5% with another 4-day minimum. Both phases have no maximum time limit - you can take as long as you need to hit those targets without the pressure of a countdown timer.

The unlimited time approach works well for patient traders who want to build consistency without rushing. The downside? Even with no time pressure, you still need to pass two full evaluation phases before seeing a dime of real profit. That could take weeks or months depending on your trading frequency and strategy.

Blue Guardian offers multiple paths to funding, and this is where things get interesting.

1-Step Challenge: Hit a 10% profit target once and you're funded. No second phase, no waiting. This is the fastest traditional route for confident traders who can hit targets consistently.

2-Step Challenge: An 8% target in Phase 1, then 4% in Phase 2. Easier targets than FTMO's 10% first phase, which means less pressure and potentially faster completion.

3-Step Challenge: Three phases with 6% targets each. Designed for beginners who want the most gradual path with the lowest entry barrier.

But here's Blue Guardian's game-changer: Instant Funding.

No evaluation. No profit targets. No phases.

You pay $19 for the Instant Funding Starter account, get access to $5,000 in trading capital immediately, and you can request your first payout in as little as 7 days with the add-on option. You're earning real money within a week of signing up.

Let's compare the time-to-first-payout between the two firms:

FTMO realistic timeline:

• Day 1: Start Phase 1
• Day 15+: Pass Phase 1 (assuming you trade well)
• Day 16: Start Phase 2
• Day 30+: Pass Phase 2
• Day 31: Get funded
• Day 45: First payout request (14 days after first funded trade)
• Total: ~45 days minimum

Blue Guardian Instant Funding timeline:

• Day 1: Purchase account, start trading immediately
• Day 5: First payout request, instant payouts after meeting 5 minimum profitable days. Sent within 24hrs with our payout guarantee.
• Total: 5 days

That's not a small difference. That's trading for real profit within a week versus waiting a month and a half.

Even Blue Guardian's traditional 1-Step challenge is faster than FTMO because you only pass one evaluation instead of two. You're cutting weeks off the timeline.

Speed to funding winner? Blue Guardian dominates here. Instant Funding eliminates evaluation entirely, and their 1-Step option is faster than FTMO's 2-step process.

The Verdict: Which Prop Firm Wins in 2025?

Both firms are legitimate, well-established players in the funded trading space. Both pay theirtraders consistently and with no issues. The choice comes down to what matters most to you.

Choose FTMO if:

You want the highest possible scaling potential with a clear path to $2,000,000 in managed capital and old, "classic" model. You're comfortable with a traditional 2-step evaluation and don't mind waiting 14 days for your first payout. You value FTMO's long track record and massive trader community.

Choose Blue Guardian if:

Payout speed matters to you - the 24-hour guarantee and 7-day payout option get you paid faster than almost any other prop firm in 2025. You want the option to skip evaluation entirely with Instant Funding and start earning within a week. You prefer higher baseline profit splits (85%) without needing to qualify for scaling plans first. You like having multiple challenge paths (1-Step, 2-Step, 3-Step) so you can choose based on your experience level.

The real deciding factor? Speed.

If you're someone who values fast access to capital, fast payouts, and a fast track to funded status, Blue Guardian is built for you. The $19 Instant Funding Starter account removes every barrier between you and earning real money with funded capital.

FTMO is the better choice if you're playing the long game - building up to massive capital over years and you don't mind the slower traditional path.

For most traders in 2025, especially those just starting with funded trading or those who want to test a prop firm without committing weeks to an evaluation, Blue Guardian's speed advantages make it the smarter choice.

Ready to get funded and start earning? 

Start your Blue Guardian challenge today and see why traders are choosing speed over tradition in 2025.

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