Alpha Futures vs OneUp Trader – Prop Firm Comparison
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Introduction
Alpha Futures and OneUp Trader are both futures prop firms built around CME Group markets, which makes them direct competitors for traders who want funded access to contracts like ES, NQ, CL and GC. Alpha Futures funds $25K to $150K accounts on CME futures, keeps 90% across all accounts, and runs 1-Step (Standard, Zero, Advanced), with standard processing, per-account caps ($1,000-$2,500). OneUp Trader, founded 2016 (United States) funds $25K to $250K accounts on CME futures, keeps 100% on first $10,000, then 90/10, and runs 1-Step Evaluation, with standard payout processing. Alpha Futures is best for traders who want a static-drawdown option and futures platforms including AlphaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts, Quantower and DeepChart, while OneUp Trader suits traders who want a long-established firm with free platform tools and no daily loss limit.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Alpha Futures | OneUp Trader |
|---|---|---|
| 
| |
| Founded | 2024 (UK company 15655643; Trustpilot profile claimed July 2024) | 2016 |
| Profit Split | 90% on most account types; 80% on Generic Live and 60% plus a salary on Alpha Prime | 100% first $10,000, then 90/10 |
| Maximum Account Size | 150000 per account | $250,000 |
| Evaluation Phases | 1, or none on Direct Qualified | 1 |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.4 | 4.7 |
| Expert Grade | 8.5 | 8 |
Program Types
| Program | Alpha Futures | OneUp Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Program | Zero 25K at $89 per month | Yes |
| Advanced Program | Advanced 150K, or Direct Qualified 150K | Not available |
| Scaling Options | No scaling plan on Direct. Alpha Prime invite at $40,000 payable balance or 5 payout cycles. | Yes |
| Demo Account | Not available | Yes |
Rules & Assessment
| Criteria | Alpha Futures | OneUp Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Profit Target | Rules at a glance - Zero: 6% Rules at a glance - Standard: 6% Rules at a glance - Advanced: 8% Rules at a glance - Direct: Withdrawal target | 6% |
| Maximum Drawdown | Rules at a glance - Zero: 3% to 4% Rules at a glance - Standard: 3% to 4% Rules at a glance - Advanced: 3.5% Rules at a glance - Direct: 3% to 4%, end of day | Real-time trailing, locks at starting balance; touching the floor breaches; includes commissions and fees |
| Minimum Trading Days | Rules at a glance - Zero: 1 Rules at a glance - Standard: 2 Rules at a glance - Advanced: 3 Rules at a glance - Direct: None | 10 standard; 5 Pro; 3 Express (eligible returning funded traders only) |
| News Trading | No news restriction on evaluations or Advanced Qualified, subject to prohibited practices. Zero, Standard and Direct Qualified: no order execution within 2 minutes before/after relevant high-impact events; holding allowed. | Evaluation: allowed; funded: flat 1 minute before, during and after specified major releases |
| Daily Loss Limit | Rules at a glance - Zero: Daily Loss Guard Rules at a glance - Standard: None Rules at a glance - Advanced: None Rules at a glance - Direct: Daily Loss Guard | Not available |
Fees & Pricing
| Option | Alpha Futures | OneUp Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Futures $25K Account | Alpha Futures Zero Evaluation / USD 89 / Monthly List price per month, no activation fee. 6% profit target, 1 minimum trading day, no consistency rule, Daily Loss Guard rather than a hard daily limit. Zero Qualified accounts block entries within 2 minutes of high-impact news. Resets $79 (25K), $119 (50K), $249 (100K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 Alpha Futures Direct Qualified / USD 349 / One-time List price, one-time. No evaluation. Withdrawal profit target instead of a pass target, 20% consistency rule, hard daily loss limit and end-of-day Maximum Loss Limit, no scaling plan. Payout cap $1,000 (25K), $2,000 (50K), $2,500 (100K), $3,000 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 | Evaluation / USD 65 / Monthly Monthly evaluation price shown on OneUp Trader homepage. Source Checked 2026-08-10 |
| Futures $50K Account | Alpha Futures Zero Evaluation / USD 139 / Monthly List price per month, no activation fee. 6% profit target, 1 minimum trading day, no consistency rule, Daily Loss Guard rather than a hard daily limit. Zero Qualified accounts block entries within 2 minutes of high-impact news. Resets $79 (25K), $119 (50K), $249 (100K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 Alpha Futures Standard Evaluation / USD 129 / Monthly List price per month, no activation fee. 6% profit target, 2 minimum trading days, 50% consistency rule, no Daily Loss Guard. Resets $109 (50K), $199 (100K), $289 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 Alpha Futures Advanced Evaluation / USD 209 / Monthly List price per month, no activation fee. 8% profit target, 3 minimum trading days, 40% consistency rule, 3.5% maximum drawdown. No news restriction on the Qualified account. Resets $189 (50K), $319 (100K), $449 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 Alpha Futures Direct Qualified / USD 519 / One-time List price, one-time. No evaluation. Withdrawal profit target instead of a pass target, 20% consistency rule, hard daily loss limit and end-of-day Maximum Loss Limit, no scaling plan. Payout cap $1,000 (25K), $2,000 (50K), $2,500 (100K), $3,000 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 | Evaluation / USD 75 / Monthly Monthly evaluation price shown on OneUp Trader homepage. Source Checked 2026-08-10 |
| Futures $100K Account | Alpha Futures Zero Evaluation / USD 279 / Monthly List price per month, no activation fee. 6% profit target, 1 minimum trading day, no consistency rule, Daily Loss Guard rather than a hard daily limit. Zero Qualified accounts block entries within 2 minutes of high-impact news. Resets $79 (25K), $119 (50K), $249 (100K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 Alpha Futures Standard Evaluation / USD 239 / Monthly List price per month, no activation fee. 6% profit target, 2 minimum trading days, 50% consistency rule, no Daily Loss Guard. Resets $109 (50K), $199 (100K), $289 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 Alpha Futures Advanced Evaluation / USD 349 / Monthly List price per month, no activation fee. 8% profit target, 3 minimum trading days, 40% consistency rule, 3.5% maximum drawdown. No news restriction on the Qualified account. Resets $189 (50K), $319 (100K), $449 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 Alpha Futures Direct Qualified / USD 689 / One-time List price, one-time. No evaluation. Withdrawal profit target instead of a pass target, 20% consistency rule, hard daily loss limit and end-of-day Maximum Loss Limit, no scaling plan. Payout cap $1,000 (25K), $2,000 (50K), $2,500 (100K), $3,000 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 | Evaluation / USD 150 / Monthly Monthly evaluation price shown on OneUp Trader homepage. Source Checked 2026-08-10 |
| Futures $150K Account | Alpha Futures Standard Evaluation / USD 349 / Monthly List price per month, no activation fee. 6% profit target, 2 minimum trading days, 50% consistency rule, no Daily Loss Guard. Resets $109 (50K), $199 (100K), $289 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 Alpha Futures Advanced Evaluation / USD 489 / Monthly List price per month, no activation fee. 8% profit target, 3 minimum trading days, 40% consistency rule, 3.5% maximum drawdown. No news restriction on the Qualified account. Resets $189 (50K), $319 (100K), $449 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 Alpha Futures Direct Qualified / USD 859 / One-time List price, one-time. No evaluation. Withdrawal profit target instead of a pass target, 20% consistency rule, hard daily loss limit and end-of-day Maximum Loss Limit, no scaling plan. Payout cap $1,000 (25K), $2,000 (50K), $2,500 (100K), $3,000 (150K). Source Checked 2026-09-17 | Evaluation / USD 175 / Monthly Monthly evaluation price shown on OneUp Trader homepage. Source Checked 2026-08-10 |
| Futures $250K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | Evaluation / USD 325 / Monthly Monthly evaluation price shown on OneUp Trader homepage. Source Checked 2026-08-10 |
| Refund Policy | No activation fee on Zero, Standard or Advanced. Resets priced separately per plan. A published return policy applies. | Not available |
| Coupons / Discount | Alpha Futures discount | OneUp Trader discount |
Platforms & Markets
| Feature | Alpha Futures | OneUp Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms | AlphaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts, Quantower, DeepChart | NinjaTrader, R|Trader, R|Trader Pro, Quantower, Sierra Chart, ATAS, and 16 more |
| Forex | Currency futures only, no spot FX | Yes |
| Stocks | No | No |
| Indices | Yes, equity and index futures | Yes |
| Commodities | Yes, including metals futures | Yes |
| Cryptocurrencies | Yes, crypto futures | No |
| Bonds | Not listed | Yes |
| EA/Algo Trading | Not published on the pricing pages | Yes |
Payout
| Feature | Alpha Futures | OneUp Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Payout Terms | Zero/Standard/Advanced: 5 winning days of $200+, up to 4 monthly requests, up to 50% of profit. Qualified Zero/Standard require 40% consistency; Advanced none. Caps: Zero $1,000-$2,500; Standard $3,000-$5,000; Advanced $15,000. Direct: fresh-profit target each cycle, 20% consistency, no winning-day requirement, caps $1,000-$3,000. Trader receives 90% of request. | Weekday requests; retained buffer; $1,000 minimum trader share. Wire receipt 1–3 business days. Crypto: once/week, $3,000 cap, 5% fee, up to 14 business days after approval. |
| See all prop firm payouts → | ||
Verdict
| Key Element | Alpha Futures | OneUp Trader |
|---|---|---|
| Strengths | Withdrawals do not automatically reset the MLL floor; remaining loss cushion still falls, Advanced Qualified payout cap up to $15,000 per request, Payouts processed within 48 business hours, UK company registered at Companies House rather than an offshore shell, Commission-free execution on the in-house AlphaTrader platform apart from regulatory fees, No news trading restrictions on any evaluation account or on Advanced Qualified, No activation fee and reset prices published next to each plan, Zero evaluation has no consistency rule and a one-day minimum | Founded 2016 one of longest-running, 100% profit on first $10K, No daily loss limit, 20+ platform support, Free NinjaTrader license, 4.7/5 Trustpilot |
| Weaknesses | The website advertises 4.9 on Trustpilot from 17,000+ reviews while its own profile shows 4.4 from 5,961, Sister brand Alpha Capital Group has its Trustpilot rating unavailable on the Trustpilot official website, Three of four account types bill monthly for as long as you hold the evaluation, Standard evaluation requires 50% consistency; Qualified Standard/Zero require 40%, Direct 20%, The 90% split drops to 80% or 60% once you qualify for Alpha Prime, Futures only, with no forex, stocks or CFDs, Direct has no scaling plan and a lower payout cap | Recurring evaluation fee plus activation; no overnight/weekend holding; funded news windows, weekly activity and 90-day probation rules; Express eligibility restricted |
| Best For | Futures traders who value EOD trailing drawdown and regular withdrawals, with plan-specific payout conditions | Experienced futures traders seeking established firm with generous early payouts |
Conclusion and Final Recommendation
Choose Alpha Futures if you want coverage of cryptocurrencies that the other does not offer. Choose OneUp Trader if a cheaper entry, from USD 65 matters more to you. Neither firm is better in the abstract. The right choice depends on your strategy, your budget and the instruments you trade, so read both full reviews before you commit. Verify current rules and pricing on each firm’s own site before purchasing.
Frequently asked questions
What should I know about Alpha Futures’s programs?
Alpha Futures distinguishes Standard, Advanced, Zero and Direct qualified accounts. Direct skips the evaluation but has separate withdrawal targets. Alpha Futures official rules.
What should I know about OneUp Trader’s programs?
OneUp Trader was founded in 2016 and carries a JoinProp Rating of 8 out of 10. Our comparison table lists a 1-phase evaluation, a 6% profit target and a maximum funded account of $250,000. Trading platforms are listed as 20+ including NinjaTrader, Rithmic, ATAS, Quantower, Sierra Chart, Bookmap. On the same table scaling is offered, a demo account is available and an entry level program is available. Confirm the current terms for the exact account you buy before you fund it.
How do payouts differ between Alpha Futures and OneUp Trader?
The policy lists a 90% trader share. Evaluation-to-qualified plans require five winning days of at least $200 between requests and allow up to 50% of account profit, subject to plan caps. Alpha Futures official rules.
OneUp Trader lists a profit split of 100% first $10,000, then 90/10. Its payout terms are listed as ACH, Wire transfer, Cryptocurrency.
Which account rules matter when comparing Alpha Futures and OneUp Trader?
Standard and Zero apply a 40% payout consistency rule; Advanced does not. Direct instead has a 20% consistency rule and account-size profit targets, without the same winning-day requirement. Alpha Futures official rules.
OneUp Trader applies 2.2%-6% trailing as its maximum drawdown. It also lists a 6% profit target and 15 minimum trading days. On this firm news trading is not permitted and EAs and algorithms are permitted.
Is Alpha Futures or OneUp Trader automatically the better choice?
No, neither firm is the automatic pick, and the honest answer depends on how you actually trade.
Alpha Futures Strengths: Maximum Loss Limit does not reset when you withdraw and unlike most futures firms. Watch-outs: The website advertises 4.9 on Trustpilot from 17 and 000+ reviews while its own profile shows 4.4 from 5. Best suited to: Active futures traders who withdraw regularly and value a drawdown buffer that survives the payout.
OneUp Trader Strengths: Founded 2016 one of longest-running and 100% profit on first $10K. Watch-outs: Futures only and No weekend holding. Best suited to: Experienced futures traders seeking established firm with generous early payouts.
Which one wins for you depends on how each firm measures drawdown, what the account actually costs once resets and add-ons are included, and the evaluation objectives on the exact size you buy, rather than on the headline numbers. Check both sets of current terms before you fund an account.
Are Alpha Futures and OneUp Trader both futures-only?
Yes. Both fund traders on CME Group futures – index, energy, metals and currency contracts. Neither offers forex or CFD funded accounts, so the choice comes down to rules, platforms and payouts rather than markets.
Which firm pays out faster?
Alpha Futures offers standard processing, per-account caps ($1,000-$2,500), while OneUp Trader offers standard payout processing. Match the payout cadence to how often you plan to withdraw.
Which firm has the better profit split?
Alpha Futures keeps 90% across all accounts, and OneUp Trader keeps 100% on first $10,000, then 90/10. The better deal depends on the account tier and how far you scale.
Does either firm offer instant funding?
Alpha Futures requires an evaluation, while OneUp Trader offers one (express Funding for returning traders).
Which firm gives more platform choice?
Alpha Futures supports AlphaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts, Quantower and DeepChart, while OneUp Trader supports 20+ platforms incl. free NinjaTrader license.
How We Compared Alpha Futures and OneUp Trader
Both firms carry a JoinProp Rating out of 10, scored on the same nine weighted factors, led by payout reliability at 20%, then fee structure, drawdown rules and profit split at 15% each. The scores come from our own firm reviews, built from each firm’s current terms rather than its marketing pages and re-checked at least every 90 days. Affiliate relationships have no effect on any rating, and ratings are never sold. The tables above are the evidence behind those scores. Read our full ranking methodology.
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