Scalping
Both firms permit scalping, but their restrictive measures on funded accounts target different behaviors.
- Rules and Limitations: Atlas Funded has a "3-minute rule" on funded accounts; profits from trades held for less than three minutes are deducted, although the account remains open. E8 Markets is more flexible, allowing trades of any duration as long as those under one minute do not represent more than 50% of the total trades.
- Risk and Drawdown: Scalpers at Atlas benefit from static drawdown on 1-Step and 2-Step plans, which doesn't move with balance growth. E8 Markets uses a mix of dynamic and trailing drawdowns, which can be more aggressive for high-frequency traders.
- Cost and Platforms: Both offer MatchTrader and TradeLocker, which are mobile-friendly for quick execution. E8’s $5,000 Pro account costs only $38, making it a very cheap entry point for high-volume scalpers.
News Trading
The freedom to trade high-impact news depends heavily on the specific plan chosen in both firms.
- Rules and Limitations: Atlas Funded allows news trading during evaluations without restrictions. However, on funded accounts, any profit made within 5 minutes before or after a high-impact news event is deducted. E8 Markets is more permissive in its Pro and Signature plans, where news trading is fully allowed; only the "One Forex" plan has a 5-minute restriction window.
- Risk: For Atlas traders, entries within the news window are automatically closed, which can lead to unexpected slippage or technical issues. E8 traders using the Pro plan don't have to worry about these deductions.
- Cost: If news trading is your main edge, the E8 Pro plan (starting at $38 for $5k) is superior as it removes the risk of profit forfeiture found in Atlas.
Automated Trading (EAs)
Both Atlas Funded and E8 Markets allow the use of Expert Advisors, but the technical environment differs.
- Rules and Limitations: Both firms prohibit toxic EA strategies like latency arbitrage, tick arbitrage, or high-frequency trading (HFT). Atlas requires that multiple locations do not hide the identity of the trader. E8 allows EAs but warns against multiple users using the exact same third-party EA.
- Platforms: E8 Markets offers cTrader, which is widely considered superior for coding and running sophisticated EAs compared to the MatchTrader or TradeLocker options available at Atlas. Both firms support MetaTrader 5.
- Interaction with Other Rules: A major advantage for Atlas is that it allows weekend holding on all accounts. In contrast, E8’s Signature plan closes all positions on Friday at 23:00 server time, which can break the logic of many swing-trading EAs.
Swing Trading
Swing traders will find a more hospitable environment at Atlas Funded due to its universal weekend policy.
- Rules and Limitations: Atlas Funded allows weekend holding across all its programs. E8 Markets allows it on "One" and "Pro" plans, but strictly prohibits it on the "Signature" plan, where positions are force-closed.
- Risk and Drawdown: Atlas’s 1-Step and 2-Step plans use static drawdown, which is ideal for swing traders who need a fixed floor that doesn't "trail" their unrealized profits. E8 Signature uses trailing drawdown, which is generally riskier for long-term holds.
- Cost: Atlas’s "Access" plan allows a $100k account with a very low initial fee ($5), which is attractive for swing traders who want to test strategies with minimal upfront risk.
Copy Trading and Hedging
These styles are heavily regulated to ensure the trader is the one actually performing the operations.
- Rules and Limitations: E8 Markets is more open, allowing copy trading even from external accounts. Atlas Funded only allows copy trading between your own Atlas accounts; external copying is prohibited.
- Hedging: Atlas allows hedging within a single account but prohibits it across different accounts or firms. E8 allows hedging but also prohibits it across multiple accounts to prevent "sure-bet" strategies.
- Platforms: Both firms use platforms that support these functions, but E8’s cTrader is better suited for managing complex hedged positions.
If you trade like this
- If you are a Scalper: Choose E8 Markets (One or Pro plans) because their "50% rule" is much more lenient than Atlas’s "3-minute rule" which deducts profits from all short trades.
- If you trade News: Choose E8 Markets Pro, as it has no news restrictions and allows you to keep 100% of the profits made during volatility.
- If you are a Swing Trader: Choose Atlas Funded because you can hold positions over the weekend on every single plan they offer without exception.
- If you use EAs: Choose E8 Markets to access cTrader, or Atlas Funded if your EA needs to stay open through the weekend.
Frequently asked questions
Between Atlas Funded and E8 Markets, which firm is cheaper to start a $100,000 challenge?
Atlas Funded is slightly cheaper for a standard evaluation, with its 1-Step $100k challenge priced at $478, compared to $488 for the E8 One $100k challenge. Furthermore, Atlas offers the "Access" model where you pay only $5 initially for a $100k account and pay the $492 activation fee only after passing the evaluation, whereas E8 requires the full payment upfront for all its evaluations.
Which firm offers more freedom for news trading, Atlas Funded or E8 Markets?
E8 Markets offers significantly more freedom, specifically in its Pro and Signature plans where news trading is fully permitted without profit deductions. In contrast, Atlas Funded deducts profits from trades opened or closed within 5 minutes of high-impact news on all its funded accounts, a restriction that also applies to E8’s "One Forex" plan but not to their higher-tier programs.
Regarding withdrawals, does Atlas Funded or E8 Markets provide faster access to profits?
E8 Markets is faster for consistent traders, as its Pro plan allows for daily payouts as long as there is at least 1% profit. Atlas Funded requires a 14-day wait for the first payout on most plans (28 days for Access). However, Atlas provides a "Payout Guarantee" where they pay $500 extra if they miss their 24-48 working hour processing window, a protection that E8 does not explicitly offer.
Entre Atlas Funded y E8 Markets, ¿cuál tiene reglas más estrictas para los scalpers?
Atlas Funded is stricter because it enforces a 3-minute minimum hold time for all trades on funded accounts; if you close a trade earlier, the profit is removed. E8 Markets is more flexible, only requiring that trades under one minute do not exceed 50% of your total trade count, allowing you to capture quick price movements without losing the profit from those specific trades.
