The split
The share of profits you take home depends on the account type and your stage in the journey:
- Alpha Futures: Offers a flat 90% profit split across all its plans (Zero, Standard, Advanced, and Direct). This high percentage is available from the first withdrawal.
- TradeDay: Uses a tiered system. In the "Funded Sim" phase, you receive 80% (though Quick Pay accounts only get 50% if gross profits are below $4,000). Once you transition to a "Funded Live" account, the split increases to 90%.
How often you can withdraw
Both firms have modernized their systems to avoid long monthly waits, but their rhythms differ:
- Alpha Futures: You can request payouts up to 4 times per month. They offer a "same day" guarantee for processing, making it one of the fastest in the industry for periodic withdrawals.
- TradeDay: There is no frequency limit. You can request a payout every single business day. Requests submitted before 17:30 CT are processed within 24 hours.
Minimums and methods
Getting your money out requires meeting a floor amount and using supported rails:
- Alpha Futures: The minimum varies by plan. It is $200 for Zero accounts, $500 for Standard and Direct, and $1,000 for Advanced. They support a wide range of methods: ACH, Wire Transfer, SWIFT, Wise, Rise, and Crypto.
- TradeDay: The minimum is a flat $250 per request. They support Wire Transfers (free for US, $15 international) and Crypto (L1 and L2 options).
What delays a payout
Before you can click "withdraw," you must navigate risk and consistency rules that act as filters:
- Alpha Futures: For most plans (Zero, Standard, Advanced), you need 5 "winning days" where you earn at least $200 before each performance fee request. Qualified accounts also face a 40% consistency rule (no single day can account for more than 40% of total profit). Direct accounts have a 20% consistency rule and specific withdrawal profit targets.
- TradeDay: Quick Pay accounts require 5 trading days. Fast Pass Sim accounts require 5 "profitable days" with specific daily minimums ($150 to $250 depending on size). Consistency rules are 30% for Quick Pay and 45% for Fast Pass during the evaluation/sim phases.
- Risk Rules: Both firms use Trailing Maximum Drawdown. Alpha Futures uses EOD (End of Day) trailing. TradeDay allows you to choose between Intraday or EOD trailing when you purchase the challenge.
What it takes to get there
The investment and tools required to reach the first dollar:
- The Path: Alpha Futures offers 1-step evaluations or the "Direct" path (no evaluation, just a one-time entry fee). TradeDay offers 1-step evaluations with different drawdown and payout profiles (Quick Pay vs. Fast Pass).
- The Cost: A 50K evaluation at Alpha (Advanced) costs $209/month, while a 50K Direct account (instant funding) costs $519. At TradeDay, a 50K Fast Pass costs $189 (often discounted to $85).
- Platforms: Alpha supports TradingView, Quantower, and AlphaTrader. TradeDay supports Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, and Jigsaw.
- Allowed Styles: Both allow scalping and news trading (with limitations in funded stages). Alpha prohibits EAs, while TradeDay allows them on supported platforms if they are not purchased from third parties.
Which pays out more comfortably
Alpha Futures is the choice for traders who want to skip the "exam" via the Direct plan and want a guaranteed 90% split from the start, even if they have to wait for 5 winning days of $200 to qualify for a payout.
TradeDay is more comfortable for the active trader who values liquidity and flexibility. The ability to withdraw daily and the choice between EOD and Intraday drawdown makes it easier to tailor the risk to a specific strategy, despite the lower initial 80% split in the Sim phase.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper for a 50K account, Alpha Futures or TradeDay?
TradeDay is generally cheaper for evaluation accounts; its 50K Fast Pass has a list price of $189 but is frequently discounted to $85, whereas Alpha Futures' 50K Advanced plan costs $209. However, Alpha Futures offers a "Direct" 50K account for $519 that bypasses the evaluation entirely, a path TradeDay does not offer.
Who has a better profit split, Alpha Futures or TradeDay?
Alpha Futures offers a superior split from the beginning, giving traders 90% across all plans. TradeDay starts traders at an 80% split in the Funded Sim phase (and as low as 50% for Quick Pay accounts with low profits), only matching Alpha's 90% once the trader is moved to a Funded Live account.
Which firm allows withdrawals faster, Alpha Futures or TradeDay?
TradeDay allows for faster withdrawal frequency as it has no limit on how often you can withdraw and processes requests daily within 24 hours. Alpha Futures is also very fast with same-day processing, but it limits users to 4 withdrawals per month and requires meeting a "5 winning days of $200+" rule for most plans.
Do Alpha Futures and TradeDay both use EOD drawdown?
Alpha Futures exclusively uses End of Day (EOD) trailing drawdown for all its plans. TradeDay is more flexible, allowing the trader to choose between an Intraday Trailing Maximum Drawdown or an End of Day (EOD) version at the time of purchase.
