Side-by-side comparison
| Rule | Alpha | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest evaluation | $89 | $49 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Rating | ★ 4.9 (Trustpilot) | ★ 3.6 (User rating) |
| Discount code | maor011095 | — |
Prices are the lowest list price before any coupon. Each firm has several plans with different rules — open the full rulebook for size-by-size tables.
Alpha Futures OUR PICK
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
Current deals
- 50% off evaluations (current site-wide promo) — Per Alpha's affiliate policy, partner codes get whatever promo is running. Use maor011095 at checkout. (Active)
Discount code: maor011095
Claim discount at Alpha ↗ Full rulebook →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
Current deals
- 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.
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