Alpha Futures vs Elite Trader Funding – Prop Firm Comparison
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Introduction
Alpha Futures and Elite Trader Funding 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). Elite Trader Funding, founded 2022 (United States) funds Multiple sizes (six evaluation pathways) accounts on CME futures, keeps up to 100%, and runs six pathways incl. Direct to Funded (instant), with standard processing. Alpha Futures is best for traders who want a static-drawdown option and futures platforms including AlphaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts, Quantower and DeepChart, while Elite Trader Funding suits futures traders who want flexible evaluation pathways and the option to hold over weekends.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Alpha Futures | Elite Trader Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 
| |
| Founded | 2024 (UK company 15655643; Trustpilot profile claimed July 2024) | 2022-02 |
| Profit Split | 90% on most account types; 80% on Generic Live and 60% plus a salary on Alpha Prime | Up to 100% SIM (round/lifetime caps); 80% LIVE ELITE |
| Maximum Account Size | 150000 per account | $250,000 |
| Evaluation Phases | 1, or none on Direct Qualified | 1 |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.4 | 3.8 |
| Expert Grade | 8.5 | 7.9 |
Program Types
| Program | Alpha Futures | Elite Trader Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Program | Zero 25K at $89 per month | 1-Step |
| Advanced Program | Advanced 150K, or Direct Qualified 150K | Diamond Hands |
| Scaling Options | No scaling plan on Direct. Alpha Prime invite at $40,000 payable balance or 5 payout cycles. | No |
| Demo Account | — | Yes |
Rules & Assessment
| Criteria | Alpha Futures | Elite Trader Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Plan-dependent: static, intraday or EOD trail; fixed breach floor remains after safety net |
| 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 | The Product Line — 1 Step Live Trailing: 5 The Product Line — Static: 5 The Product Line — End of Day: 5 The Product Line — Diamond Hands: 5 The Product Line — Fast Track: 3 The Product Line — Direct to Funded: None |
| 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. | Yes |
| 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 | The Product Line — 1 Step Live Trailing: None The Product Line — Static: None The Product Line — End of Day: Yes, from the prior day close The Product Line — Diamond Hands: Yes, from the prior day close The Product Line — Fast Track: None The Product Line — Direct to Funded: None |
| Drawdown Type | — | The Product Line — 1 Step Live Trailing: Intraday trailing, follows highest unrealised profit The Product Line — Static: Static, never trails The Product Line — End of Day: End-of-day trailing on the highest closing balance The Product Line — Diamond Hands: End-of-day trailing The Product Line — Fast Track: EOD trailing or static by variant, $500 floor The Product Line — Direct to Funded: EOD trailing on 10K, 25K and 50K, static on 100K |
| Time Limit | — | The Product Line — 1 Step Live Trailing: None, renews every 30 days The Product Line — Static: None, renews every 30 days The Product Line — End of Day: None, renews every 30 days The Product Line — Diamond Hands: None, renews every 30 days The Product Line — Fast Track: 10 calendar days The Product Line — Direct to Funded: None, one-time fee |
| Maximum Contracts | — | The Product Line — 1 Step Live Trailing: 8 (50K) / 14 (100K) / 24 (250K) minis; no limit published for 150K The Product Line — Static: 1 / 2 / 4 minis The Product Line — End of Day: 8 / 14 / 18 minis The Product Line — Diamond Hands: 2 minis The Product Line — Fast Track: 1 mini The Product Line — Direct to Funded: 2 (10K) / check dashboard (25K) / 5 (50K) / 3 (100K) minis |
Fees & Pricing
| Option | Alpha Futures | Elite Trader Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Futures $10K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | Static Drawdown / USD 147 / One-time Official evaluation list price; auto-renews every 30 days. Source Checked 2026-08-10 Fast Track EOD / USD 57 / One-time Official list price; no monthly renewal; funded activation is initially included, then USD 87 monthly. Source Checked 2026-08-10 Fast Track Static / USD 77 / One-time Official list price; no monthly renewal; funded activation is initially included, then USD 87 monthly. Source Checked 2026-08-10 Direct To Funded / USD 357 / One-time Official one-time list price; no monthly evaluation subscription. Source Checked 2026-08-10 |
| 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 | Static Drawdown / USD 277 / One-time Official evaluation list price; auto-renews every 30 days. 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 | 1 Step / USD 207 / One-time Official evaluation list price; auto-renews every 30 days. Source Checked 2026-08-10 Static Drawdown / USD 497 / One-time Official evaluation list price; auto-renews every 30 days. Source Checked 2026-08-10 End of Day / USD 347 / One-time Official evaluation list price; auto-renews every 30 days. Source Checked 2026-08-10 Direct To Funded / USD 747 / One-time Official one-time list price; no monthly evaluation subscription. 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 | 1 Step / USD 257 / One-time Official evaluation list price; auto-renews every 30 days. Source Checked 2026-08-10 End of Day / USD 487 / One-time Official evaluation list price; auto-renews every 30 days. Source Checked 2026-08-10 Diamond Hands / USD 397 / One-time Official evaluation list price; auto-renews every 30 days. Source Checked 2026-08-10 Direct To Funded / USD 997 / One-time Official one-time list price; no monthly evaluation subscription. 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 | 1 Step / USD 347 / One-time Official evaluation list price; auto-renews every 30 days. 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. | All sales final, no refunds. Narrow 100% satisfaction guarantee on first purchase only |
| Coupons / Discount | Alpha Futures discount | Elite Trader Funding discount |
Platforms & Markets
| Feature | Alpha Futures | Elite Trader Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms | AlphaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts, Quantower, DeepChart | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Rithmic, R | Trader, ATAS, and 8 more |
| Forex | Currency futures only, no spot FX | No |
| 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 | No |
Payout
| Feature | Alpha Futures | Elite Trader Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | SIM Mon/Wed batches after plan-specific ATDs and safety net; minimum $100-$1,000 by plan/date. $25K per SIM round, $150K lifetime across approved re-entries. LIVE ELITE daily business-day processing, $250 minimum; Rise |
| See all prop firm payouts → | ||
Verdict
| Key Element | Alpha Futures | Elite Trader Funding |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Six distinct evaluation pathways, Diamond Hands overnight/weekend holding, Direct to Funded bypass, up to 100% profit split, $13M+ distributed |
| 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 | 3.8/5 Trustpilot, futures-only, high ongoing costs, limited platform options |
| Best For | Futures traders who value EOD trailing drawdown and regular withdrawals, with plan-specific payout conditions | Futures traders seeking multi-day holding flexibility and program variety |
Conclusion and Final Recommendation
Choose Alpha Futures if you want a cheaper entry, from USD 89 and coverage of cryptocurrencies that the other does not offer. Choose Elite Trader Funding if a higher profit split, up to 100% and news trading allowed matter 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 Elite Trader Funding’s programs?
Elite Trader Funding distinguishes evaluation, Elite Sim-Funded and LIVE ELITE stages. Its revamped EOD plan requires at least five evaluation trading days. Elite Trader Funding official rules.
How do payouts differ between Alpha Futures and Elite Trader Funding?
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.
The revamped EOD guide describes Elite Sim payouts processed on Mondays and Wednesdays and Live Elite payouts on business days. Sim payout eligibility requires the safety net, active trading days, an active subscription and compliance review. Elite Trader Funding official rules.
Which account rules matter when comparing Alpha Futures and Elite Trader Funding?
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.
EOD drawdown trails the highest end-of-day balance, but open-position losses still count against intraday loss limits. Legacy accounts can have different payout and transition rules. Elite Trader Funding official rules.
Is Alpha Futures or Elite Trader Funding 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.
Elite Trader Funding Strengths: Six distinct evaluation pathways and Diamond Hands overnight/weekend holding. Watch-outs: 3.8/5 Trustpilot and futures-only. Best suited to: Futures traders seeking multi-day holding flexibility and program variety.
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 Elite Trader Funding 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 Elite Trader Funding offers standard 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 Elite Trader Funding keeps up to 100%. 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 Elite Trader Funding offers one (direct to Funded – skip evaluation, sim-funded).
Which firm gives more platform choice?
Alpha Futures supports AlphaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts, Quantower and DeepChart, while Elite Trader Funding supports NinjaTrader with Rithmic data feed.
How We Compared Alpha Futures and Elite Trader Funding
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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