Entry price
Starting a $100,000 account reveals a major price gap. At Atlas Funded, a 1-Step challenge costs $478 and a 2-Step costs $443, with no additional fees once you pass. In contrast, IQ Capital charges $499 for its Core 100K evaluation plus a $149 activation fee upon passing, bringing the total to $648.
If you are looking for the absolute lowest entry, both firms have "cheap" entry models with a catch:
- Atlas Funded Access: You pay only $5 to start, but you must pay a $492 activation fee for the $100,000 account once funded.
- IQ Capital Welcome Offer: You pay $9 to start a $50,000 account, but then pay $129 to activate it.
Regarding refunds, Atlas Funded credits your fee back as "Atlas Balance" (internal credit for the platform) on your third payout, whereas IQ Capital does not emphasize a standard cash refund, focusing instead on lower reset prices during evaluation.
What you pay while trading
Trading at IQ Capital carries a constant "tax" on your performance. They charge a commission of $5 round trip per lot on Forex, Metals, and Energies. On the other hand, Atlas Funded does not specify a commission per lot in its data, but it implements a different cost mechanism: the Atlas Protector. If your floating loss hits 2% of the initial balance, your profit split is permanently cut to 50%, which is a massive indirect cost for traders who manage risk loosely.
Platforms also dictate execution costs. Atlas Funded offers MetaTrader 5, TradeLocker, and MatchTrader, while IQ Capital provides Metatrader 5, Volumetrica, and Tradingview. Using Volumetrica at IQ Capital introduces specific crypto fees (0.016% maker / 0.035% taker) that can erode a scalper's margin.
What mistakes cost you
The cost of a mistake is measured by how the drawdown is calculated. Atlas Funded uses a static drawdown of 7% for its 1-Step and 10% for its 2-Step plans, meaning your "floor" never moves up. This is much cheaper for the trader than IQ Capital, which uses a Trailing EOD (End of Day) drawdown. At IQ Capital, as your account balance grows at the end of the day, your drawdown floor follows it, effectively "locking in" your losses and giving you less room to breathe.
If you fail:
- Atlas Funded resets cost between 85% and 115% of the original fee.
- IQ Capital allows evaluation resets for as low as $39 (on 50K), but a funded reset on a 100K account is a steep $599.
What it costs to get paid
Getting your money out is more restrictive at IQ Capital. They limit your first payouts to specific amounts; for a $100,000 Core account, you can only withdraw $2,000 in your first two payouts, and you can never request more than 50% of your total profits at once. This significantly delays your "break-even" point.
Atlas Funded is more flexible, allowing withdrawals of all available profit on standard plans. However, they have a strict 3-minute rule: any profit made on trades held for less than 3 minutes is deducted. This makes scalping "expensive" because you do the work but don't keep the money. IQ Capital has a 15-second rule, which is much more lenient, but requires that at least half of your trades exceed that duration to qualify for a payout.
Where each one hides its cost
Atlas Funded hides its cost in its "Atlas Balance" system. Refunds and bonuses are paid in internal credit, not cash, forcing you to reinvest in their ecosystem rather than taking the money home. They also penalize news trading on funded accounts by deducting profits, which is an invisible cost for fundamental traders.
IQ Capital hides its cost in the activation fees and withdrawal caps. You might pay less to start an evaluation, but the "toll" to actually receive a significant check is much higher due to the mandatory activation payment and the staggered withdrawal limits that keep your capital locked in their platform for longer.
Cheapest for whom
- Atlas Funded is the cheapest for swing traders and intraday traders who want a simple, one-time payment and a static drawdown that doesn't punish growth.
- IQ Capital is the cheapest only for high-frequency traders who can pass the evaluation quickly and want to use the Rapid program for daily payouts, provided they are willing to pay the premium $1,125 entry fee for a $100,000 account.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper to pass a $100,000 challenge, Atlas Funded or IQ Capital?
Atlas Funded is cheaper. A 1-Step 100K challenge at Atlas Funded costs $478 total. At IQ Capital, the same size costs $499 for the evaluation plus a mandatory $149 activation fee, totaling $648. Even the 2-Step at Atlas Funded is lower at $443.
Does Atlas Funded or IQ Capital have more restrictive rules for scalpers?
Atlas Funded is more restrictive because it deducts all profits from trades held for less than 3 minutes on funded accounts. IQ Capital only requires a 15-second minimum for trades to count towards the majority of your profit, which is much easier for scalpers to navigate without losing their earnings.
Who offers faster payouts, Atlas Funded or IQ Capital?
IQ Capital offers faster payouts through its Rapid Daily program, which allows withdrawals after just 1 trading session. Atlas Funded typically requires 14 days for the first payout on standard accounts, though its Daily plans can reduce this to 3 trading days.
Which firm has a more trader-friendly drawdown, Atlas Funded or IQ Capital?
Atlas Funded is more friendly because it uses a static drawdown (up to 10% on 2-Step plans), meaning the loss limit never moves. IQ Capital uses an EOD Trailing drawdown, which moves the loss limit up as you make profit, giving the trader less margin for error as the account grows.
