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.
| 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Futures· Premium Checked Jun 16, 2026 · help.alpha-futures.com(91%)· 84 changes pending review since Apr 6, 2026May be out of date | Topstep Checked Jun 16, 2026 · topstep.com(83%)· 47 changes pending review since Jun 14, 2026May be out of date |
|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $50K | $50K |
| Overall Score | ||
| Trader Friendliness | 67/100Good | 68/100Good |
| Cost Summary | ||
| Eval Cost | $79/moUnknownNot independently verified | $49/moUnknownNot independently verified |
| Total to Start | $228(first mo + activation) | $198(first mo + activation) |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — |
| Activation Fee | $149 | $149 |
| Reset Fee | $69 | $49 |
| Evaluation Rules | ||
| Profit Target | $3,000 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified | $3,000 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Min Trading Days | 2 days | 2 days |
| Min Days to Funded | 2 days | 2 days |
| Pass Rate | N/A | 16.8% |
| Drawdown Rules | ||
| Type | EOD Trailing | EOD Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $2,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified | $2,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | None |
| Lock Behavior | Locks at $50,000 after $2,000 profit | Locks at $50,000 after $2,000 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. | No explicit news trading restriction. CBOT commodity market pause 7:45-8:30 AM CST on TopstepX (exchange-level, no orders accepted during pause). No swing trading allowed — all positions must close by 3:10 PM CT daily. |
| Automation | Semi-Auto Only | Conditional |
| 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 | 3:10 PM CT |
| Inactivity Limit | 10 days | — |
| Weekend Holding | Unknown | Must Flat |
| 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 | $125 |
| Funded Account | ||
| Payout Accessibility | 81/100 | 78/100 |
| Consistency Rule | 40% max/dayModerate | None |
| Funded Rules | ||
| Funded Consistency | 40% max/day | None |
| Funded Daily Loss Limit | None | None |
| Buffer Requirement | None | None |
| Activation Fee | $149 | $149 |
| Min Profitable Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Profit Split | 90% UnknownNot independently verified | Held for review |
| Payout Frequency | On Demand | Daily |
| Max Payout | $15,000 | $2,000 |
| Winning Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Days Between Payouts | — | 5 trading days |
| Qualifying Day Min | $200/day | $150/day |
| Max Payout % | 50% of profit | 50% of profit |
| Min Payout | $500 | $125 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | Free |
| Processing Time | 48 business hours | 1-3 business days |
| Payout Methods | Rise | Prop Payout to Brokerage (Free), Aeropay (Free), Wise (Free), ACH ($30), Wire/SWIFT ($30) |
| Max Contracts | 4 full / 40 micro | 5 full / 50 micro |
| Max Accounts | 5 accounts | 5 accounts |
| Platforms | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower | TopstepX, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower |
| Live Transition | +$40K payable balance or 5 payouts per account; Alpha may move the trader to LIVE earlier after review | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $125 |
| Max Per Request | $6,000 | $2,000 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | Free |
| Payout Caps | $3,000 → $3,500 → $4,000 → $5,000 → $6,000 | No cap |
| Post-Payout DD | — | Converts to Static, floor $50,000 (start) |
| Account Lifecycle | ||
| Max Funded Accounts | 5 | 5 |
| Reactivation | — | Yes ($599) |
| Max Reactivations | — | 2 |
| Reactivation Window | — | 7 days |
| Inactivity Limit | 10 days | 30 days |
| Reactivation Eligibility | — | Before first payout only |
| Quick Math | ||
| Eval + Activation | $228 $79/mo eval + $149 activation | $198 $49/mo eval + $149 activation |
| Daily Profit Target | 2 or 3 days: the firm states the 50% consistency limit both as inclusive and as strict | $1,500/day over 2 days |
| First Payout Timeline | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Activation Fee, Buffer Clearance Required, Funded Monthly Fee, Max Payout Per Request, Min Payout Amount, Min Profitable Days Before Payout, Payout Processing Time, Selected Economic Product. | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Buffer Clearance Required, Min Profitable Days Before Payout, Min Trading Days, Payout Processing Time, PublicSourceUrls. |
| Best Profit Split | 90% | Held for review |
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