City Traders Imperium Prop Firm Review
By Omer Rapaport
Published: · Last updated:
- One of the longest-running prop firms (brand since 2018), built for swing/long-term traders; simulated forex/CFD on MT5 & Match-Trader
- Signature: balance-based drawdown (from closed balance, not floating equity) + no time limits — positions can breathe
- Scaling that doubles the account at each 10% milestone, advertised to $4M (via the funding ladder; evaluations cap ~$200K)
- Offers swap-free Islamic accounts; base split 90% up to 100% at top VIP tier; accepts US traders
- Note: now an offshore/unregulated structure (Comoros/Costa Rica/Dubai), not a UK-regulated broker
Updated and verified on 17 September 2026
Table of contents
TL;DR: City Traders Imperium in 30 seconds
- What it is: one of the longest-running prop firms still trading, founded in 2018 by Daniel Martin and Martin Najat. Operated by City Traders Imperium Limited, licensed in the Comoros Union (Anjouan) under number 15969, with an operating address in San José, Costa Rica and a Dubai company, CTI FZCO, running the academy.
- Four programmes: 1-Step from $29, 2-Step from $39, Instant Funding from $79 and Direct Funding from $229. Scaling reaches $2M per account and $4M in total funding.
- Split: starts at 80% on the challenges and 70% on Direct Funding, rising to 100% through the VIP programme.
- The 1-Step is unusually permissive: no daily drawdown, no time limit, and news trading, third-party EAs, martingale, weekend holds and overnight holds are all allowed. Almost nothing else in the market allows all five.
- First payout: 7 days on the challenges, 5 days on Instant, and on demand from day 5 on Direct Funding. The firm states payouts are approved within 24 hours and advertises an 8-hour average.
- Trustpilot 4.2 from 1,625 reviews, with only 6% at one star and a 100% reply rate to negative reviews. That is the healthiest review profile of any firm we have re-verified this month.
- Watch out: Instant Funding starts you on half the advertised balance at a 50% share, and fees are non-refundable.
Pricing snapshot
Every figure below is the one-time list price read from City Traders Imperium’s four programme pages on 17 September 2026. CTI charges a single fee per account with no monthly subscription, and a failed account can be reset at a 15% discount on the challenges or 10% on the funded programmes.
CFD pricing
CTI 1-Step Challenge
| Account size | Price | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.5K | USD 29 | One-time | List price. 8% target, 5% trailing balance-based max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit, 3 minimum profitable days. News trading, third-party EAs, martingale, weekend and overnight holds all allowed. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $5K | USD 49 | One-time | List price. 8% target, 5% trailing balance-based max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit, 3 minimum profitable days. News trading, third-party EAs, martingale, weekend and overnight holds all allowed. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $10K | USD 79 | One-time | List price. 8% target, 5% trailing balance-based max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit, 3 minimum profitable days. News trading, third-party EAs, martingale, weekend and overnight holds all allowed. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $25K | USD 159 | One-time | List price. 8% target, 5% trailing balance-based max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit, 3 minimum profitable days. News trading, third-party EAs, martingale, weekend and overnight holds all allowed. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $50K | USD 299 | One-time | List price. 8% target, 5% trailing balance-based max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit, 3 minimum profitable days. News trading, third-party EAs, martingale, weekend and overnight holds all allowed. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $100K | USD 449 | One-time | List price. 8% target, 5% trailing balance-based max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit, 3 minimum profitable days. News trading, third-party EAs, martingale, weekend and overnight holds all allowed. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
CTI 2-Step Challenge
| Account size | Price | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.5K | USD 39 | One-time | List price. 10% then 5% targets, 10% static max drawdown, 5% daily drawdown on start-of-day balance, no time limit, 3 profitable days per phase. Personal EAs only and no martingale. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $5K | USD 59 | One-time | List price. 10% then 5% targets, 10% static max drawdown, 5% daily drawdown on start-of-day balance, no time limit, 3 profitable days per phase. Personal EAs only and no martingale. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $10K | USD 99 | One-time | List price. 10% then 5% targets, 10% static max drawdown, 5% daily drawdown on start-of-day balance, no time limit, 3 profitable days per phase. Personal EAs only and no martingale. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $25K | USD 199 | One-time | List price. 10% then 5% targets, 10% static max drawdown, 5% daily drawdown on start-of-day balance, no time limit, 3 profitable days per phase. Personal EAs only and no martingale. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $50K | USD 329 | One-time | List price. 10% then 5% targets, 10% static max drawdown, 5% daily drawdown on start-of-day balance, no time limit, 3 profitable days per phase. Personal EAs only and no martingale. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
| $100K | USD 549 | One-time | List price. 10% then 5% targets, 10% static max drawdown, 5% daily drawdown on start-of-day balance, no time limit, 3 profitable days per phase. Personal EAs only and no martingale. First payout at 7 days, 80% to 100% share. Reset at a 15% discount. |
CTI Instant Funding
| Account size | Price | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.5K | USD 79 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, but starting capital is 50% of the stated size at a 50% share until the first 10% milestone, then the full balance at 70% to 100%. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. First payout at 5 days once fully funded. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
| $5K | USD 139 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, but starting capital is 50% of the stated size at a 50% share until the first 10% milestone, then the full balance at 70% to 100%. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. First payout at 5 days once fully funded. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
| $10K | USD 259 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, but starting capital is 50% of the stated size at a 50% share until the first 10% milestone, then the full balance at 70% to 100%. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. First payout at 5 days once fully funded. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
| $20K | USD 449 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, but starting capital is 50% of the stated size at a 50% share until the first 10% milestone, then the full balance at 70% to 100%. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. First payout at 5 days once fully funded. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
| $40K | USD 849 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, but starting capital is 50% of the stated size at a 50% share until the first 10% milestone, then the full balance at 70% to 100%. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. First payout at 5 days once fully funded. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
| $80K | USD 1599 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, but starting capital is 50% of the stated size at a 50% share until the first 10% milestone, then the full balance at 70% to 100%. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. First payout at 5 days once fully funded. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
CTI Direct Funding
| Account size | Price | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5K | USD 229 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, funded at the full balance immediately on a 70% share from the first trade, rising to 100% via VIP. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. Payouts on demand from day 5. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
| $10K | USD 399 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, funded at the full balance immediately on a 70% share from the first trade, rising to 100% via VIP. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. Payouts on demand from day 5. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
| $20K | USD 999 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, funded at the full balance immediately on a 70% share from the first trade, rising to 100% via VIP. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. Payouts on demand from day 5. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
| $40K | USD 1999 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, funded at the full balance immediately on a 70% share from the first trade, rising to 100% via VIP. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. Payouts on demand from day 5. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
| $80K | USD 3999 | One-time | List price. No evaluation, funded at the full balance immediately on a 70% share from the first trade, rising to 100% via VIP. 6% static max drawdown, no daily drawdown, no time limit. Payouts on demand from day 5. Scales to $2M per account. Reset at a 10% discount. |
Pricing last verified: 2026-09-17
Who runs City Traders Imperium
CTI has been trading since 2018, which in this industry is close to ancient. It was co-founded by Daniel Martin, a trader and coach the firm describes as having more than 24 years of market experience, and Martin Najat, who leads operations and strategy from a banking and prop-firm background. Eight years of continuous operation and a named, public founding team is a meaningfully different risk profile from a firm incorporated eighteen months ago.
The corporate structure is split across three jurisdictions and the firm publishes all of it. The evaluation business is City Traders Imperium Limited, company number 15969 under licence L15969/CTI, registered at Hamchako, Mutsamudu, Autonomous Island of Anjouan, Comoros Union, with an operating address at Edificio Faro, Oficina 4, Avenidas 12 y 14, Calle 12, Barrio Luján, San José, Costa Rica. The academy is delivered by CTI FZCO, company number DSO-FZCO-21340, registered at Dubai Silicon Oasis, Building A1, Dubai.
Anjouan is a low-bar licensing jurisdiction and the licence should not be read as meaningful supervision. CTI does not pretend otherwise. Its own legal disclosure states that neither CTI FZCO nor City Traders Imperium Limited is a broker, dealer, exchange, or investment adviser, and neither accepts nor manages client deposits, that all trading occurs in a demo environment using virtual capital, and that fees are educational service fees. That is a more candid framing than most of the industry manages, and it tells you exactly what you are buying.
The restricted list is short: North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Russia, plus anyone under international sanctions. Notably, the United States is not restricted, which puts CTI in a small group alongside DNA Funded and against FXIFY, Blueberry Funded and SpiceProp, all of which exclude US residents.
The four programmes
1-Step Challenge
One phase, an 8% profit target, a 5% maximum trailing drawdown calculated on balance, no daily drawdown at all, a minimum of 3 profitable trading days and no time limit. First payout after 7 days, on a share that starts at 80% and reaches 100% through the VIP programme. Scaling runs to $200,000 per account and $400,000 in total funding on this programme.
The trading permissions are the story here. On the 1-Step, CTI allows news trading, expert advisors including third-party EAs, martingale, weekend holds and overnight holds. Read that list against the other firms on this site: FXIFY blocks EAs on its instant accounts, Blueberry Funded bans martingale and grid outright, SpiceProp restricts copy trading, and almost everyone restricts news. A single-phase challenge with no daily loss limit and no strategy restrictions is genuinely rare.
Prices are $29 for $2,500, $49 for $5,000, $79 for $10,000, $159 for $25,000, $299 for $50,000 and $449 for $100,000.
2-Step Challenge
The conventional route and the tighter rulebook. 10% then 5% targets, a 10% maximum static drawdown measured from the initial balance, a 5% daily drawdown measured from the start-of-day balance, 3 profitable days per phase and no time limit. Same 7-day first payout and the same 80% to 100% share.
Two permissions change relative to the 1-Step, and they matter: expert advisors are limited to your own, with no third-party EAs, and martingale is not allowed. If you run a purchased EA or a recovery-based strategy, the 1-Step is the only CTI programme that will take you.
Prices are $39 for $2,500, $59 for $5,000, $99 for $10,000, $199 for $25,000, $329 for $50,000 and $549 for $100,000.
Instant Funding
This is the programme most likely to be misread, so read this paragraph twice. There is no evaluation and you are funded from day one, but your starting capital is 50% of the advertised account size, and your profit share on that starting balance is 50%, not 70% or 80%. You reach the full balance and the 70% to 100% share only after clearing the first 10% scaling milestone. So an $80,000 Instant Funding account begins as a $40,000 account paying you half your gains.
Once past that, the scaling is aggressive: a 100% balance increase per 10% milestone, up to $2M per account and $4M in total funding. Risk is a 6% static maximum drawdown from the initial balance with no daily drawdown and no time limit. First payout comes at 5 days once fully funded. News trading, weekend holds and overnight holds are allowed; only personal EAs are permitted and martingale is not.
Prices are $79 for $2,500, $139 for $5,000, $259 for $10,000, $449 for $20,000, $849 for $40,000 and $1,599 for $80,000.
Direct Funding
The premium route and, on the published terms, the cleanest. No evaluation, funded at the full balance right away, a 70% share from your first trade rising to 100% through VIP, a 6% static maximum drawdown, no daily drawdown and no time limit. The same 10% milestone doubles your balance, to $2M per account and $4M total.
The payout term is the differentiator: on demand from day 5, rather than on a fixed cycle. Combined with the firm’s claim that payouts are approved within 24 hours and its advertised 8-hour average processing time, Direct Funding is built for traders who want money out quickly and are willing to pay for the privilege.
Prices are $229 for $5,000, $399 for $10,000, $999 for $20,000, $1,999 for $40,000 and $3,999 for $80,000. That is roughly three times the Instant Funding price for the same nominal size, and what you are buying is the full balance from day one and the higher share from the first trade.
Rules at a glance
| Programme | Target | Max drawdown | Daily DD | Share | First payout | EAs / martingale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Step Challenge | 8% | 5% trailing, balance based | None | 80% to 100% | 7 days | Both allowed, third-party EAs included |
| 2-Step Challenge | 10% then 5% | 10% static | 5% of start-of-day balance | 80% to 100% | 7 days | Personal EAs only, no martingale |
| Instant Funding | None (10% to scale) | 6% static | None | 50% until fully funded, then 70% to 100% | 5 days | Personal EAs only, no martingale |
| Direct Funding | None (10% to scale) | 6% static | None | 70% to 100% | On demand from day 5 | Personal EAs only, no martingale |
Read on 17 September 2026 from CTI’s four programme pages. News trading, weekend holds and overnight holds are allowed on all four. No programme has a time limit. Platforms are MetaTrader 5, Match-Trader throughout.
Platforms, instruments and payments
CTI runs on MetaTrader 5, Match-Trader, and it publishes a live symbols page showing 53 instruments across five asset classes: major FX pairs, crosses, commodities, indices and crypto, with bid, ask and spread refreshed every two seconds and a trading-hours table. A live spread feed on the public site is rare and useful, because it lets you check execution conditions before you pay rather than after.
Fifty-three instruments is a narrower book than the 150-plus that FXIFY and Blueberry Funded advertise, and there are no individual stocks. If your strategy is FX, metals, energy, indices or crypto, the coverage is sufficient; if you trade equities, it is not.
Payment options are unusually broad: Visa, Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, Bitcoin and other crypto, Skrill, Neteller and bank transfer. Fees are non-refundable except as set out in the firm’s refund policy, and they are described in the legal terms as educational service fees.
Payouts and the VIP ladder
The published timings are among the fastest in the market: first payout at 7 days on the challenges, 5 days on Instant Funding once fully funded, and on demand from day 5 on Direct Funding. CTI states that payouts are approved within 24 hours and advertises an 8-hour average payout time on its homepage, alongside a running list of named payouts.
The profit share is a ladder rather than a number. Challenges start at 80%, Direct Funding starts at 70% from the first trade, Instant Funding starts at 50% until the account reaches its full balance, and all four routes reach 100% through the VIP programme. CTI does not publish the VIP qualification criteria on the programme pages, so treat the 100% figure as a ceiling you would need to confirm with the firm rather than a rate you start on.
Reputation
This is where CTI separates itself. Its Trustpilot profile, claimed in January 2020, holds 4.2 out of 5 from 1,625 reviews, distributed 82% five star, 9% four star, 2% three star, under 1% two star and 6% one star. The firm replies to 100% of negative reviews.
A 6% one-star share is the number to focus on. Across the firms we re-verified this month the comparable figures were 12% for FXIFY, 21% for SpiceProp, 34% for DNA Funded and 35% for Blueberry Funded, whose rating Trustpilot has suppressed entirely. In an industry where payout disputes reliably produce angry reviews, 6% over six years and 1,625 reviews is the strongest signal on this page, and it is worth more than any award badge.
CTI also carries four 2025 industry awards, publishes verified payout proof, and lists a named leadership team with individual profiles. None of that is independent verification, but the combination of longevity, a named team and a clean review distribution is about as much reassurance as an unregulated prop firm can offer.
Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere
It suits you if you run an algorithm, a purchased EA, or a recovery or martingale strategy. The 1-Step Challenge is the only programme on this site that allows third-party EAs and martingale together, alongside news trading, weekend holds and overnight holds, with no daily loss limit and no time limit. If that is your edge, the search is basically over.
It suits you if you are a US resident. CTI does not restrict the United States, which rules out most of its direct competitors immediately.
It suits you if you want to test a firm cheaply. $29 for a $2,500 1-Step is the lowest entry price of any firm we have re-verified this month, and a failed attempt resets at a 15% discount.
It suits you if track record matters to you more than headline numbers. Eight years, 1,625 reviews, 6% at one star and a 100% reply rate to complaints is a different kind of evidence from a scaling ladder.
Look elsewhere if you trade individual stocks. Fifty-three instruments across FX, commodities, indices and crypto does not include equities.
Look elsewhere if you need a regulated counterparty. An Anjouan licence is a registration, not supervision, and CTI states plainly that it is not a broker, dealer, exchange or investment adviser.
Be careful with Instant Funding. The advertised size is not the size you start on. You begin at half the balance on a 50% share and only reach the full account and the 70% to 100% share after a 10% gain. At $1,599 for an $80,000 account that actually opens at $40,000, Direct Funding at $3,999 may be the better arithmetic if you intend to trade the full size from day one.
Our verdict
City Traders Imperium is the most straightforward recommendation we have written in this batch, and the reasons are unglamorous. It has been paying traders since 2018. Its founders are named and public. Its legal disclosures say what the product actually is rather than dressing a simulator up as a fund. Its symbols page publishes live spreads. And its complaint profile is a fraction of its competitors’.
The 1-Step Challenge in particular is close to a category outlier: 8% to pass, 5% trailing drawdown, no daily loss limit, no time limit, and no strategy restrictions worth the name, for $29 at the smallest size. Very few firms will let you run a bought EA with martingale through a news release and hold it over the weekend. CTI will.
The honest caveats are the Instant Funding structure, which is advertised in a way that flatters it, a VIP ladder whose 100% ceiling is not documented on the buying pages, and an instrument list that is narrow if you need equities. None of those is a reason to avoid the firm. All three are reasons to buy the programme you actually understand rather than the one with the biggest number on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City Traders Imperium regulated?
No. City Traders Imperium Limited holds a Comoros Union (Anjouan) licence, number 15969, which is a registration rather than meaningful financial supervision. The firm states in its own legal disclosure that neither it nor CTI FZCO is a broker, dealer, exchange or investment adviser, that it does not accept or manage client deposits, and that all trading takes place in a demo environment using virtual capital.
Does CTI accept US traders?
Yes. Its published restricted list covers only North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba and Russia, plus anyone under international sanctions. The United States is not restricted, which distinguishes CTI from most of its direct competitors.
Which CTI programme allows expert advisors and martingale?
The 1-Step Challenge allows expert advisors including third-party EAs, and allows martingale. The 2-Step Challenge, Instant Funding and Direct Funding all limit you to your own personal EAs and prohibit martingale. News trading, weekend holds and overnight holds are allowed on all four.
How fast does CTI pay out?
The first payout comes after 7 days on the challenges, 5 days on Instant Funding once fully funded, and on demand from day 5 on Direct Funding. CTI states that payouts are approved within 24 hours and advertises an 8-hour average payout time.
What is the catch with CTI Instant Funding?
Your starting capital is 50% of the advertised account size, and your profit share on that starting balance is 50%. You reach the full balance and the 70% to 100% share only after clearing the first 10% scaling milestone. An $80,000 Instant Funding account therefore opens as a $40,000 account paying half your gains.
How much does a CTI challenge cost?
The 1-Step runs from $29 for a $2,500 account to $449 for $100,000. The 2-Step runs $39 to $549 over the same sizes. Instant Funding runs $79 for $2,500 to $1,599 for $80,000, and Direct Funding $229 for $5,000 to $3,999 for $80,000. Fees are one-time with no subscription, and a failed account resets at a 15% discount on the challenges or 10% on the funded programmes.
How large can a CTI account get?
Scaling runs to $200,000 per account and $400,000 in total funding on the two challenges, and to $2,000,000 per account and $4,000,000 in total funding on Instant Funding and Direct Funding, with a 100% balance increase for every 10% milestone reached.
What can you trade with CTI?
Fifty-three instruments across five asset classes: major FX pairs, crosses, commodities, indices and cryptocurrencies. There are no individual stocks. The firm publishes a live symbols page with bid, ask and spread refreshed every two seconds.
What is CTI’s Trustpilot rating?
4.2 out of 5 from 1,625 reviews as of 17 September 2026, on a profile claimed in January 2020. The breakdown is 82% five star, 9% four star, 2% three star, under 1% two star and 6% one star, and the firm replies to 100% of negative reviews.
Official resources and pricing
Links we checked while writing this review:
- City Traders Imperium official homepage
- City Traders Imperium terms and conditions
- City Traders Imperium programs and pricing
Prices and rules change often. Check these pages before buying.
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