Passing a prop firm challenge like FTMO, MyForexFunds, or E8 Funding is one of the fastest ways to access significant trading capital, without risking large amounts of your own money.
But many traders overlook a silent killer that ruins countless challenges before they even begin: technical failure.
A power outage.
A Wi-Fi dropout.
A system crash mid-trade.
All of these can instantly cause a rule violation, and cost you your funded account.
That’s why setting up a VPS for FTMO is no longer optional if you’re serious about succeeding at prop firm challenges.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Why a VPS is critical for prop firm success
- What can go wrong without a VPS for FTMO
- The VPS features you need for prop trading
- A comparison of top VPS providers for prop traders
- Why QuantVPS is the best solution for serious traders
What Is a VPS, and Why Do Prop Firm Traders Need One?
A VPS is a remote server located in a professional data center that stays online 24/7, running your trading platform, independently of your local computer or internet connection.
Instead of relying on your home setup (with its unreliable Wi-Fi and power), you log into a professional-grade machine that keeps your trades running flawlessly at all times.
If you’re:
- Running automated EAs
- Using copy trading setups (like Replikanto) see setup guide here
- Managing strict prop firm rules around daily drawdowns and inactivity penalties
Then even one unexpected internet outage could wipe out weeks of disciplined trading.
Prop firms judge your ability to manage risk, including technical risk.
If your platform disconnects during volatile market sessions, your account can blow up, even if your strategy was correct.
5 Ways Trading Without a VPS Risks Your Prop Firm Challenge
| Risk | Impact | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Home Internet Drops Out | Trades get stuck or rejected | You miss an exit during NFP news volatility |
| Local Power Failure | Total trading blackout | Overnight EA crash leading to equity breach |
| Computer Crash | Session lost mid-trade | NinjaTrader freezes during open prop position |
| Laggy Connections | Poor execution prices | Entry/exit delayed by 300–500 ms |
| Software Updates | Forced reboots at wrong time | Windows Update restarts during London open |
A VPS for FTMO removes 99% of these risks by hosting your trading environment in an ultra-secure, always-online server farm optimized for speed and uptime.
VPS Features That Are Critical for Prop Trading
When choosing a VPS for FTMO or other prop firm challenges, don’t just pick the cheapest server.
You need specific trading-grade features to avoid trouble:
Near-Zero Latency to Broker Servers
- Target latency under 2 ms if possible.
- Servers located in New York (for US brokers) or London (for EU brokers) are ideal.
- Reduces slippage and improves order fills, especially critical during high-impact news releases.
99.99% or Higher Uptime
- Less than 1 hour downtime per year.
- Look for redundancy at network, hardware, and power layers.
Fast CPUs and Sufficient RAM
- Minimum 2–4 vCPU and 4–8 GB RAM.
- Needed for smooth running of MT4, MT5, NinjaTrader, and copy trading systems.
DDoS Protection and Security
- Essential to block malicious attacks or service disruptions during live trading.
24/7 Emergency Support
- You need immediate help, not a 24-hour ticket response, if your platform goes down mid-challenge.
Top VPS Options for Prop Firm Trading
| VPS Provider | Latency | Uptime | Price (Starting) | Best Use | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuantVPS | <2 ms (NY, LD4) | 99.99% | $35 USD/mo | FTMO, MyForexFunds, E8 Funding | Optimized for NinjaTrader, MetaTrader, copy trading |
| BeeksFX | 5–10 ms (various brokers) | 99.95% | $40 USD/mo | Forex trading | Good for MT4/MT5; slightly slower response |
| CNS VPS | 10–15 ms | 99.99% | $30 USD/mo | Budget traders | OK for light manual trading; not optimized for copier setups |
| Amazon AWS | Depends | 99.9% | $20–100 USD/mo | IT professionals only | Full custom control but complex setup |
Why QuantVPS Is the Best VPS for FTMO and Prop Firm Challenges
When it comes to prop firm challenges, you only get one shot.
Choosing the wrong VPS, or worse, no VPS, can instantly fail you for reasons outside your trading strategy.
QuantVPS is built for prop firm traders:
Pre-Optimized for Prop Firm Rules
QuantVPS ensures minimal latency and maximum uptime, key requirements for firms like FTMO that disqualify you for technical mishaps.
Blazing Fast Execution
Servers located at Equinix NY4, LD4, and AMS, the gold standard financial data centers used by investment banks and HFT firms.
Stability You Can Trust
Enterprise-level server redundancy, network backup systems, automatic monitoring, so your trades stay online when it matters most.
Fast Setup for Traders
Unlike Amazon AWS (where you need to set up instances, security groups, and VPS configurations manually), QuantVPS gives you a ready-to-trade server in minutes.
Experienced Trader Support
QuantVPS support teams understand prop trading and can troubleshoot fast if you encounter issues during your challenge.
Perfect for Copy Trading and EA Bots
If you’re using Replikanto or running MetaTrader EAs, QuantVPS provides an environment tuned for 24/7 automated operation.
Start Your Prop Firm Challenge with QuantVPS, Risk-Free Setup
Do You Need a VPS for FTMO If You Trade Manually?
Many manual traders think they can skip VPS because they “only trade a few hours per day.”
While that’s sometimes true, there are hidden risks even for manual trading:
- Unexpected platform freezes: Local devices (laptops, desktops) aren’t built for the heavy, multi-threaded demands of NinjaTrader, MT4, or MT5 during volatile news periods.
- Internet providers (ISP) maintenance windows: Many ISPs perform updates between midnight and 6 AM, which can disconnect you without warning, especially dangerous if you leave limit or stop orders overnight.
- Windows updates: Even if you think your computer is set to manual updates, Windows can force critical security updates during weekends or after major vulnerabilities are found.
Using a VPS for FTMO eliminates these hidden risks by running your trading session on a professional server built for 24/7 stability.
You simply remote into your VPS from your home or laptop device, keeping full control, but without risking local system failures.
Can You Pass an FTMO Challenge Without a VPS? (Technically, Yes, But Risky)
It’s technically possible to pass a prop firm challenge without a VPS, but it requires:
- A rock-solid home setup with backup internet (e.g., 5G dongle)
- Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) to guard against outages
- Manual intervention every time your system freezes or lags
Ask yourself:
“Would you risk your $100,000 funded account target to save $30–40 per month?”
The vast majority of traders who succeed at prop firms build professional-grade infrastructure early, and a VPS is a simple, critical part of that.
For algo traders, EA users, and copier users, it’s 100% mandatory.
How to Choose the Right VPS Plan for Prop Trading
Not every VPS plan is suited for FTMO or other prop challenges.
Here’s a simple checklist for selecting the right VPS plan:
| Feature | Minimum Requirement |
|---|---|
| CPU | 2–4 vCPUs (preferably Intel Xeon or similar) |
| RAM | 4–8 GB minimum |
| Storage | SSD preferred, 40–100 GB |
| Operating System | Windows Server 2016, 2019, or 2022 |
| Data Center Location | As close as possible to your broker’s server (usually NY4 or LD4) |
| Support Response Time | < 1 hour for critical issues |
Pro Tip:
Always choose a slightly higher spec VPS if you’re:
- Running multiple accounts
- Running more than 2–3 platforms simultaneously
- Using complex automated strategies with lots of indicators
QuantVPS offers multiple tiers that fit these needs perfectly, making scaling easy as your trading grows.
Real-World Example: VPS for FTMO Saved a $100,000 Account
One trader recently shared how a VPS saved his funded FTMO account:
- His home Wi-Fi crashed overnight due to ISP maintenance.
- Luckily, he was running his trades on a VPS.
- The EA continued operating flawlessly, closing positions and avoiding daily drawdown violations.
- He passed his challenge phase with no disruptions, something that would have been impossible without VPS protection.
Without the VPS for FTMO, he would have lost his $100K funded account opportunity, all over a basic internet failure.
When Can You Get Away Without a VPS for FTMO?
Very rarely.
You might skip VPS only if:
- You trade manually during very short sessions only (e.g., London open, 1–2 hours max)
- You have ultra-reliable business-grade internet and backup power at home
- You’re willing to accept the risk of random outages
For most serious prop traders aiming for long-term funded accounts and steady automation, a VPS for FTMO is non-negotiable.
Final Thoughts: Secure Your Prop Firm Future
Trading skill gets you most of the way to funded success.
Technology reliability gets you the rest of the way.
| Without VPS | With VPS |
|---|---|
| Risk of disconnections | Constant uptime |
| Random power/internet outages | Professional server redundancy |
| Possible violation of prop rules | Stable operation under all conditions |
If you want the best odds of passing your FTMO or other prop firm challenge
If you want your trade copier, EA, or manual sessions protected
If you want peace of mind while trading large funded accounts
Set Up Your QuantVPS Now — The Trading Edge That Never Sleeps
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