Apex
Bulenox
Earn2Trade
ETF
FFF
FundedNext
Lucid
MFFU
Phidias
TPT
Top One
TradeDay
Alpha
TopstepAt a glance
Starting price
Compared on the lowest price you can pay: with a verified code where the provider shows one, else the list price.
Drawdown type
Tie.
Consistency
Shown, not scored: firms measure consistency differently.
Profit split
Tie.
Activation fee
Best for…
Edges follow fixed rules (cheaper with the same billing, EOD on every account, higher split, no activation fee) applied to our dataset. Commercial relationships play no part. Your plan, size and stage can change the picture.
Full firm reviews: Alpha Futures review and rules · Topstep review and rules
Compare with another firm → Add up to two more firms, pick the account size and plans.
Side-by-side comparison
| Rule | Alpha | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest evaluation | $89 (Zero 25K)$53.40 first month with maor011095 (Zero 25K) | $49 (Standard 50K) |
| Billing | Monthly (Direct one-time) | Monthly |
| Activation fee | No activation fee | $149 or no-fee plan |
| Drawdown | EOD only (all accounts) | EOD |
| Daily loss limit | Zero: $500–$2,000 soft · Advanced: none | Optional (RTA) · required on LFA |
| Consistency | Zero none · Standard 50% · Advanced 40% in eval · funded 40% (Advanced none, Direct 20%) | 55% in Combine · XFA Consistency 40% |
| Profit split | 90/10 | 90/10 |
| Payouts | Up to 4×/month (every 5 winning days $200+) | 5 winning days $150+ · LFA daily after 30 days |
| News trading | Eval allowed · funded Zero/Standard/Direct: 2-min window | Allowed (no slippage refunds) |
| Max accounts | 5 funded (Advanced 3) | Unlimited Combines · 5 XFA · 1 LFA |
| Profit target (50K) | Zero: $3,000 Standard: $3,000 Advanced: $4,000 | Standard: $3,000 |
| Max contracts (50K, mini / micro) | Zero: 3 / 30 Standard: 5 / 50 Advanced: 5 / 50 | Standard: 5 / 50 |
| Plans | Zero, Standard, Advanced, Direct | Standard, No Activation Fee, XFA & RTA |
| Max funding | $750K | $750K |
| Platforms | AlphaTrader (in-house), TradingView (via Plus500), WealthCharts, DeepChart by Volumetrica (OrderFlow package included), Quantower (dxFeed) | TopstepX only |
| Discount code | maor011095Our partner code | — |
Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss. Prop firm evaluations are paid products; most traders do not pass.
Prices are the lowest list price before any coupon; the lowest price with a code is shown underneath where the provider displays one (or as a marked estimate). Each firm has several plans with different rules — open the full rulebook for size-by-size tables.
Who is better for what
- The lowest price you can payTopstep
- EOD drawdown tradersEven: both firms are the same on this rule
- Keeping more of each payoutEven: both firms are the same on this rule
- Avoiding an activation feeAlpha Futures
- News tradersEven on news trading: Alpha — Free in evaluations; funded: no orders 2 min before/after high-impact news (Advanced Qualified exempt); Topstep — Minis: no new positions 5 min before/after Tier 1 releases
- Holding overnightEven on overnight holding: Alpha — No: close before 4:20 PM ET every day; Topstep — No: flat by 4:10 PM ET (3:10 PM CT) every weekday
- Automated trading (bots, EAs)Topstep: Allowed with conditions, at your own risk
- Copying between accountsEven on copy trading: Alpha — Allowed only if you alone trade all the accounts; Topstep — Trade copier on Combine and Express Funded; not Live Funded
Decided only by the rows above and the rules table (each value with its source and date). Partner status plays no part; where the data does not decide, we say so.
Alpha Futures
Alpha Futures
UK-based one-step evaluation, EOD-only drawdown on every account, a $15,000 payout cap on Advanced — and your MLL doesn't reset when you withdraw.
Pros
- EOD trailing drawdown on every account — no intraday trailing
- MLL stays where it was after a payout (no reset to starting balance)
- Advanced: $15,000 max payout, no consistency when funded, no news restrictions
- No activation fee on accounts bought after July 8, 2026
- 90% split from the first payout, up to 4 payouts a month
Watch out for
- Monthly subscription on evaluations (Direct is one-time)
- 40% funded consistency on Zero and Standard; 20% on Direct
- News: no orders 2 min before/after red-folder events on funded Zero/Standard/Direct
- Bots and full automation banned; 100+ trades/day not accepted
- Must be flat by 4:20 PM ET
Promotions recorded in the dataset
- No firm-wide promo listed right now.
Discount code: maor011095
Claim discount at Alpha ↗ Full rulebook →Topstep
Topstep
The industry veteran (since 2012, $1B+ paid out). Trading Combine → XFA → LFA, traded on TopstepX only.
Pros
- Longest-running firm, $1B+ in payouts
- 2 payment paths + RTA with doubled payout caps
- Back2Funded — reinstate an XFA without a new Combine
- No dollar cap on LFA payouts
- Same-day payouts for US traders
Watch out for
- Closed platform — TopstepX only
- $149 activation on the standard plan; one LFA only
- 55% Combine consistency
- Strict single max-loss rule at every stage
Promotions recorded in the dataset
- No firm-wide promo listed right now.
How to choose between them
- Drawdown: Alpha — EOD only (all accounts); Topstep — EOD. EOD drawdown only moves on the daily close, intraday drawdown also trails open profit.
- Consistency: Alpha — Zero none · Standard 50% · Advanced 40% in eval · funded 40% (Advanced none, Direct 20%); Topstep — 55% in Combine · XFA Consistency 40%. Check whether the rule applies in the eval, when funded, or both.
- Real cost: Alpha is monthly (direct one-time) with no activation fee; Topstep is monthly with activation $149 or no-fee plan. Add resets to the math.
- Payouts: Alpha — Up to 4×/month (every 5 winning days $200+); Topstep — 5 winning days $150+ · LFA daily after 30 days.
Questions
Which is cheaper, Alpha or Topstep?
Lowest prices in our data: Alpha from $53.40 first month after code (Zero 25K); Topstep from $49/mo list price (Standard 50K). Add activation fees and resets for the real cost.
What drawdown do Alpha and Topstep use?
Alpha: EOD only (all accounts). Topstep: EOD.
Do Alpha and Topstep have a consistency rule?
Alpha: Zero none · Standard 50% · Advanced 40% in eval · funded 40% (Advanced none, Direct 20%). Topstep: 55% in Combine · XFA Consistency 40%.
How often do Alpha and Topstep pay out?
Alpha: Up to 4×/month (every 5 winning days $200+). Topstep: 5 winning days $150+ · LFA daily after 30 days.
Explore the comparison
See the futures prop firm comparison table, browse individual firm data, or read our comparison methodology.