Select 2 or more firms to compare evaluation costs, drawdown rules, profit splits, payout structures, and trading restrictions across the CME futures prop firms we track.
Specific tiers and funded paths from the selected firms, ranked with public-rule fit and blockers visible.
Not a like-for-like comparison
| Category | Alpha Futures· Premium Checked Jun 16, 2026 · help.alpha-futures.com(91%)· 84 changes pending review since Apr 6, 2026May be out of date | DayTraders· Full Checked Jun 12, 2026 · daytraders.com(79%)· 269 changes pending review since Jun 13, 2026May be out of date |
|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $50K | $25K |
| Overall Score | ||
| Trader Friendliness | 67/100Good | 74/100Good |
| Cost Summary | ||
| Eval Cost | $79/moUnknownNot independently verified | $25UnknownNot independently verified · change pending review since Jul 23, 2026 |
| Total to Start | $228(first mo + activation) | $155(eval + activation) |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — |
| Activation Fee | $149 | $130 |
| Reset Fee | $69 | — |
| Evaluation Rules | ||
| Profit Target | $3,000 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified | $1,500 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Min Trading Days | 2 days | 2 days |
| Min Days to Funded | 2 days | 2 days |
| Pass Rate | N/A | N/A |
| Drawdown Rules | ||
| Type | EOD Trailing | Intraday Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $2,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified | $1,500(6%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | None |
| Lock Behavior | Locks at $50,000 after $2,000 profit | Locks at $25,000 after $1,500 profit |
| Strictness | Moderate | Moderate |
| Trading Restrictions | ||
| News Trading | Evaluations have no news trading restrictions. Premium and Advanced Qualified accounts have no news restriction. Standard legacy and Zero Qualified accounts may hold through news but cannot execute orders within 2 minutes before or after high-impact news. All paths still prohibit all-or-nothing gambling behavior. | News trading allowed on all accounts (eval + funded). Not recommended due to volatility/liquidity risks. No flat window, no prohibited events. Exercise caution during high-impact releases. |
| Automation | Semi-Auto Only | Banned |
| Hedging | Banned | Cross-Acct Banned |
| Scalping Rules | Trades under 10 ticks AND under 2 minutes flagged as microscalping(min 2min) | None |
| Overnight Holds | ||
| Must Be Flat By | 4:20 PM ET | — |
| Inactivity Limit | 10 days | — |
| Weekend Holding | Unknown | Allowed |
| Account Rolling | Prohibited. Account Rolling (max leverage with no plan, hitting MLL, then buying more accounts) and Account Stacking (excessive evaluations and storing multiple passed accounts) are both banned. | No Restriction |
| Min Payout | $500 | $500 |
| Funded Account | ||
| Payout Accessibility | 81/100 | 58/100 |
| Consistency Rule | 40% max/dayModerate | 30% max/dayModerate |
| Funded Rules | ||
| Funded Consistency | 40% max/day | 30% max/day |
| Funded Daily Loss Limit | None | None |
| Buffer Requirement | None | None |
| Activation Fee | $149 | $130 |
| Min Profitable Days | 5 days | 8 days |
| Profit Split | 90% UnknownNot independently verified | 100% UnknownNot independently verified |
| Payout Frequency | On Demand | On Demand |
| Max Payout | $15,000 | — |
| Winning Days | 5 days | 8 days($100+) |
| Days Between Payouts | — | 8 qualifying days |
| Qualifying Day Min | $200/day | $100/day |
| Max Payout % | 50% of profit | — |
| Min Balance for Payout | — | $26,600 |
| Min Balance After Payout | — | $26,000 |
| Min Payout | $500 | $500 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | — |
| Processing Time | 48 business hours | average approval time 32 minutes; same-day reflection if approved before 5:00 PM ET |
| Payout Methods | Rise | Plane |
| Max Contracts | 4 full / 40 micro | 6 full / 60 micro |
| Max Accounts | 5 accounts | 15 accounts |
| Platforms | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower | ONYX, Quantower |
| Live Transition | +$40K payable balance or 5 payouts per account; Alpha may move the trader to LIVE earlier after review | — |
| Buffer Required | No buffer | Yes, must clear buffer before payouts |
| Min Payout | $500 | $500 |
| Max Per Request | $6,000 | $1,000 |
| Funded Fee | — | $0/mo |
| Payout Caps | $3,000 → $3,500 → $4,000 → $5,000 → $6,000 | No cap |
| Account Lifecycle | ||
| Max Funded Accounts | 5 | 15 |
| Inactivity Limit | 10 days | — |
| Quick Math | ||
| Eval + Activation | $228 $79/mo eval + $149 activation | $155 $25 eval + $130 activation |
| Daily Profit Target | 2 or 3 days: the firm states the 50% consistency limit both as inclusive and as strict | $750/day over 2 days |
| First Payout Timeline | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Selected Economic Product. | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Selected Economic Product. |
| Best Profit Split | 90% | 100% |
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