City Traders Imperium Review 2027Core Trading Conditions and Fees

City Traders Imperium review 2027: low leverage, VIP tiers and a 1-step with no daily limit

City Traders Imperium, known as CTI, was founded in London in 2018 by Daniel Martin and Martin Najat and is now based in Dubai. It is one of the older retail prop firms and began with a strong emphasis on trader education and conservative risk. It has kept that character. Leverage is lower than at most competitors, and the best terms are earned over time through a loyalty system. This review covers the programmes for 2027.

Four programmes

CTI sells a 1-Step Challenge, a 2-Step Challenge and two instant funding accounts. None has a time limit. On the challenges, the fee is refunded with the first payout.

The 1-Step Challenge

The single-phase challenge has an 8% profit target and a 5% drawdown that trails the account's high. It has no daily loss limit, which is rare. A minimum number of profitable days is required. The lack of a daily limit suits traders whose results vary from day to day, though the trailing 5% leaves little room for error overall.

The 2-Step Challenge

The two-phase challenge follows the familiar pattern: a 10% target, then 5%, with a 5% daily loss limit and a 10% maximum. It is the more forgiving structure for most styles.

Instant Funding

The instant accounts provide a funded account from the first day. They carry a maximum drawdown of about 6% with no daily limit. The starting balance is modest, and it grows as the trader hits profit milestones. Fees are higher than for the challenges. A Pro version offers larger sizes.

The VIP ladder

Every account starts on an 80% split. Sustained performance moves the trader up a set of VIP tiers. The first tier raises the split to 90% and unlocks weekly payouts. Higher tiers offer up to 100% and payouts on demand, along with discounts on future purchases. The conditions for each tier are published. The practical effect is that CTI's headline split is a reward for longevity, not a starting point.

Scaling

Balances can grow to $4 million through the scaling plan. Each step requires a profit target of around 10% on the current balance.

Leverage and markets

Leverage ranges from about 1:10 on instant accounts to 1:30 on challenges. That is much lower than the 1:100 common elsewhere, and it limits position size on short-term trades. The instrument list is also short: forex, gold and major indices. Trading is on MetaTrader 5.

Rules

News trading and weekend holding are allowed on most accounts. High-frequency strategies are not. The firm changed its drawdown calculations and split structure in April 2026, and older descriptions that mention a monthly salary or a 60% starting share no longer apply.

Reputation

CTI's founders are public and its history is long, which counts in its favour. Independent trust scores are mixed, ranging from high to middling depending on the reviewer, and some comparison sites record unresolved complaints. Payouts are generally reported as reliable.

Pros and cons

• History: operating since 2018 with named founders.
• No daily limit: on the 1-step and instant accounts.
• Scaling: up to $4 million.
• Fee refund: with the first payout on challenges.
• Leverage: low, from 1:10 to 1:30.
• Range: few instruments.

Who is CTI for?

CTI suits swing traders and patient intraday traders who use modest leverage and plan to stay with one firm long enough to climb the tiers. Scalpers and traders who want a wide choice of markets will find it restrictive.

Verdict

City Traders Imperium is a conservative firm that rewards persistence. For 2027 it is a reasonable option for lower-leverage strategies. Read the current rules, since several changed in 2026.

City Traders Imperium review: compare the alternatives

This City Traders Imperium review is part of our Top 40 Prop Trading Firms in 2027 ranking. To compare, read the Maven Trading review and the Funded Trading Plus review.