What you are signing up for
A prop firm evaluation is a test where you trade with simulated money to prove you are profitable; if you pass, the firm allows you to trade their capital and share the profits. This process always has a cost. With Alpha Futures, most plans like the Advanced or Standard use a monthly subscription, meaning you pay a fee every 30 days until you pass the test. In contrast, Upcomers Futures uses a one-time payment model for its Thunderbolt Classic plans, which is more expensive upfront but removes the pressure of a recurring bill.
How hard each one is
The difficulty is measured by the "drawdown," which is the maximum amount you are allowed to lose before your account is closed.
- Alpha Futures uses "End of Day" (EOD) trailing drawdown. This means your loss limit only updates at the end of the trading day based on your balance. It is much more forgiving for beginners because it doesn't penalize you if a trade goes into high profit and then drops back down during the session.
- Upcomers Futures uses "Real-time" trailing drawdown. This is much harder because the loss limit follows the highest point your profit reaches in real-time. If you are up $500 and don't close the trade, and then the market turns, your allowed loss space has already shrunk.
The "profit target" is the specific amount of money you must earn to pass the evaluation. In Alpha, this is usually between 6% and 8% of the account size, while Upcomers sets a fixed 6% target for its Classic evaluations.
How long it takes
Both firms allow you to progress quickly if you are talented.
- Alpha Futures requires between 1 and 3 "minimum trading days" (days where you place at least one trade) depending on the plan you choose.
- Upcomers Futures allows you to pass their Classic evaluation in just 1 day.
Neither firm has a "maximum trading days" limit, so you can take as much time as you need to reach the target without feeling rushed.
Where beginners fail
Most first-timers lose their accounts due to the "consistency rule," which dictates that no single trading day can represent too much of your total profit. This prevents "gambling" on a single lucky trade.
- Alpha Futures is more flexible, requiring that no day exceeds 40% or 50% of your total gain.
- Upcomers Futures is very strict, with a 20% consistency rule. This means you need at least five balanced winning days to pass or withdraw, making it harder for those who rely on a few big moves.
Additionally, Alpha Futures prohibits "news trading" (placing orders during high-impact economic announcements) on most funded accounts, while Upcomers is more relaxed and generally allows trading during these volatile times.
What happens if you make it
Once you become a "funded" or "qualified" trader, you can start requesting withdrawals.
- Alpha Futures offers "same day" payout guarantees and uses platforms like TradingView or Quantower. They don't charge an activation fee after you pass the test.
- Upcomers Futures also processes payouts the same day but charges a fee for withdrawals (around 2.49% for bank transfers). They use their own platform, Upcomers X.
Both firms offer a 90% "profit split," meaning you keep $90 for every $100 you earn.
If it is your first time
For a beginner, Alpha Futures is the better choice. Even though it has a monthly fee, the "End of Day" drawdown is significantly easier to manage than the real-time version at Upcomers. Furthermore, Alpha's 40-50% consistency rule gives a new trader much more room for error than the strict 20% rule at Upcomers, which requires almost professional-level stability from day one.
