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Futures· Premium Checked Jun 16, 2026 · help.alpha-futures.com(91%)· 84 changes pending review since Apr 6, 2026May be out of date | E8 Markets· E8 Signature Checked Jun 21, 2026 · e8markets.com· 76 changes pending review since Apr 6, 2026May be out of date |
|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $50K | $25K |
| Overall Score | ||
| Trader Friendliness | 67/100Good | 50/100Fair |
| Cost Summary | ||
| Eval Cost | $79/moUnknownNot independently verified | $110UnknownNot independently verified |
| Total to Start | $228(first mo + activation) | Incomplete: activation fee unknown |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — |
| Activation Fee | $149 | — |
| Reset Fee | $69 | — |
| Evaluation Rules | ||
| Profit Target | $3,000 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified | $1,500 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Min Trading Days | 2 days | 1 day |
| Min Days to Funded | 2 days | 1 day |
| Pass Rate | N/A | 17.7% |
| Drawdown Rules | ||
| Type | EOD Trailing | EOD Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $2,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified | $1,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | None |
| Daily Loss Limit Breach | N/A | Soft |
| Lock Behavior | Locks at $50,000 after $2,000 profit | Locks at $25,000 after $1,000 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. | E8 One Challenge: no news restrictions. E8 One Performance (funded): 5 min before and 5 min after high-impact news, no new orders, no closing trades, no SL/TP triggers, no pending orders. Profits within 10-min window are stripped (no account violation). Speeches: 5 min before until 5 min after end. Non-targeted instruments unaffected. |
| Automation | Semi-Auto Only | Banned |
| Hedging | Banned | Banned |
| Scalping Rules | Trades under 10 ticks AND under 2 minutes flagged as microscalping(min 2min) | 50% of profits from trades held 10+ seconds(min 10s) |
| Overnight Holds | ||
| Must Be Flat By | 4:20 PM ET | 3:10 PM CT |
| Inactivity Limit | 10 days | Temporarily unavailable |
| 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 | $100 |
| Funded Account | ||
| Payout Accessibility | 81/100 | 76/100 |
| Consistency Rule | 40% max/dayModerate | 35% max/dayModerate |
| Funded Rules | ||
| Funded Consistency | 40% max/day | 35% max/day |
| Funded Daily Loss Limit | None | $500(soft) |
| Buffer Requirement | None | $1,000 |
| Activation Fee | $149 | Unknown |
| Min Profitable Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Profit Split | 90% UnknownNot independently verified | Split temporarily unavailable |
| Payout Frequency | On Demand | On Demand |
| Max Payout | $15,000 | — |
| Winning Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Qualifying Day Min | $200/day | $75/day |
| Best Day Cap | — | 35% max |
| Max Payout % | 50% of profit | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $100 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | — |
| Processing Time | 48 business hours | 2-5 business days |
| Payout Methods | Rise | Rise |
| Max Contracts | 4 full / 40 micro | 2 full / 20 micro |
| Max Accounts | 5 accounts | 5 accounts |
| Platforms | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView |
| 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 |
| Buffer Amount | — | $1,000 |
| Min Payout | $500 | $100 |
| Max Per Request | $6,000 | — |
| Payout Caps | $3,000 → $3,500 → $4,000 → $5,000 → $6,000 | $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,250 → $1,250 → $1,500 |
| Account Lifecycle | ||
| Max Funded Accounts | 5 | — |
| Inactivity Limit | 10 days | Temporarily unavailable |
| Quick Math | ||
| Eval + Activation | $228 $79/mo eval + $149 activation | — $110 eval + activation fee unknown |
| Daily Profit Target | 2 or 3 days: the firm states the 50% consistency limit both as inclusive and as strict | $1,500/day over 1 day |
| 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% | Split temporarily unavailable |
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