Scalping and High-Frequency Trading
Both firms allow scalping, but they define "allowance" with significant time-based restrictions that traders must respect to keep their profits.
- Atlas Funded: Traders can scalp, but any trade closed in less than 3 minutes on a funded account will have its profits deducted. Losses on these trades are still counted against the balance, which makes very fast scalping mathematically disadvantageous.
- Wall Street Funded: This firm is more lenient for fast traders, requiring positions to be held for at least 60 seconds. However, it explicitly prohibits "Tick Scalping" and High-Frequency Trading (HFT).
- Risk and Platforms: For scalpers, Wall Street Funded offers cTrader and DXTrade, which are generally preferred for fast execution. Atlas provides TradeLocker and MatchTrader. In terms of risk, Atlas's "Instant Zero" plan is unique because it has no daily loss limit, allowing scalpers to handle higher intraday volatility without breaching the account.
News Trading
The approach to macroeconomic events is one of the biggest differences between these two firms, affecting how traders must manage risk during "red folder" events.
- Atlas Funded: News trading is fully allowed during the evaluation phases. On funded accounts, Atlas does not ban the account for news trading but will deduct profits from trades opened or closed within 5 minutes of high-impact news. Their system automatically closes entries attempted within this window.
- Wall Street Funded: This firm is stricter. Trading high-impact news on funded accounts is restricted; you cannot open or close positions within a 4-minute window before or after the event. Violating this can be seen as a breach of terms.
- Cost Impact: If you are a news trader, Atlas is safer because a mistake results in a profit deduction rather than a potential account loss. However, you must account for the "Atlas Protector" rule, which closes all positions if a net floating loss reaches 2% of the initial balance.
Automated Trading (EAs) and Algorithms
Traders using Expert Advisors will find that both firms are welcoming, but they impose different technical requirements.
- Atlas Funded: EAs are permitted without many specific "hard" rules other than prohibiting toxic strategies like latency arbitrage or order flooding. Holding trades over the weekend is allowed, which is vital for many automated swing systems.
- Wall Street Funded: While EAs are allowed, the firm imposes a "Maximum Risk Limit" and a mandatory Stop Loss (SL) rule. An SL must be added to every trade within two minutes of opening. This must be hard-coded into your EA to avoid accidental breaches.
- Platforms: Both offer MetaTrader 5, the industry standard for EAs. Wall Street Funded’s inclusion of cTrader is a plus for those using C# based bots (cBots).
Copy Trading
If you plan to manage multiple accounts or use a signal service, the rules are highly restrictive at both firms to ensure the trader is the one actually performing the work.
- Atlas Funded: Only internal copy trading is allowed. This means you can copy trades between your own Atlas accounts, but copying from external sources, other traders, or other firms is strictly prohibited.
- Wall Street Funded: Copy trading is generally prohibited. The only exception is manual copying between accounts of different sizes during the evaluation phase. Using a trade copier to replicate trades from an external "master" account is a breach.
- Alternative: For those who want to manage more capital without copy trading, Atlas allows multiple accounts up to a total allocation of $400,000.
Swing Trading and Weekend Holding
Both firms are relatively friendly to long-term traders, allowing positions to remain open across sessions.
- Atlas Funded: Weekend holding is permitted across all plans. This pairs well with their "1-Step" and "2-Step" evaluations, which have no maximum trading day limits, giving swing traders all the time they need to reach profit targets.
- Wall Street Funded: Weekend holding is also allowed. However, swing traders must be careful with the EOD (End of Day) High-Watermark daily drawdown calculation, which resets based on the highest balance or equity recorded at the end of the day.
- Cost and Leverage: Wall Street Funded offers 50:1 leverage on 2-step accounts, which is lower than Atlas's 100:1. For swing traders who use wide stops and lower margin, Atlas’s higher leverage provides more breathing room.
If you trade like this
- The Fast Scalper (1-2 minute trades): Wall Street Funded is your best choice because Atlas will void profits on any trade under 3 minutes.
- The News Trader: Atlas Funded is better suited for you, as they only deduct profits instead of failing the account, and they allow news trading during evaluations.
- The EA User (No Stop Loss): Atlas Funded is the only option here, as Wall Street Funded requires a Stop Loss within 2 minutes on every trade.
- The Professional Swing Trader: Atlas Funded offers better conditions due to higher leverage (100:1) and a more straightforward static drawdown on evaluation accounts.
Frequently asked questions
Which firm is cheaper for a $100,000 two-step evaluation, Atlas Funded or Wall Street Funded?
Atlas Funded is cheaper for this specific size. An Atlas $100k "2 Step" evaluation costs $443, while the Wall Street Funded "Ultra" 100k evaluation costs $509. Additionally, Atlas offers the "1 Step Access" where you only pay $5 for the evaluation and then a $492 activation fee only if you pass.
Which firm has stricter rules for fast scalpers, Atlas Funded or Wall Street Funded?
Atlas Funded is stricter regarding trade duration, as it requires trades to be held for at least 3 minutes to keep profits on funded accounts. Wall Street Funded only requires a 60-second minimum duration, making it much more flexible for scalpers who close positions quickly.
How do Atlas Funded and Wall Street Funded differ in their news trading rules for funded accounts?
On funded accounts, Atlas Funded allows the account to stay open but will deduct any profits made from trades opened or closed within 5 minutes of high-impact news. Wall Street Funded is more restrictive, strictly prohibiting any opening or closing of positions within a 4-minute window of the news event, which can lead to account termination.
Can I copy trades from an external account into Atlas Funded or Wall Street Funded?
No, neither firm allows copying from external sources. Atlas Funded only permits copy trading between your own accounts within their firm. Wall Street Funded prohibits copy trading entirely, with the only minor exception being manual copying between different-sized accounts during the evaluation phase.
