Day one
The journey begins with the evaluation and entry costs. For a standard $50,000 account, Think Capital’s Dual Step Intraday is priced at $299, whereas Wall Street Funded’s Ultra (2-step) costs $349 and its Classic (1-step) costs $369. Think Capital offers a more affordable entry point for traditional evaluations, while Wall Street Funded provides a broader range of platforms including cTrader, MatchTrader, and DXTrade. Think Capital, however, stands out by offering TradingView and its proprietary ThinkTrader platform.
Risk rules on day one are distinct:
- Think Capital: Imposes a strict "stacking" rule, limiting traders to a maximum of 2 positions simultaneously.
- Wall Street Funded: Allows stacking but mandates a Stop Loss (SL) for every trade within 2 minutes of opening. It also requires trades to be held for at least 60 seconds (scalping protection).
The first months
Once funded, the focus shifts to maintaining the account and receiving the first payouts. Think Capital offers a bi-weekly payout frequency by default, which can be upgraded to weekly with a +25% add-on. Wall Street Funded has a tiered system: for 2-step accounts, the first payout is after 15 days, and subsequent payouts can be requested every 5 days.
The risk environment during these months is managed through daily drawdown limits. Think Capital uses a 3% to 4% daily limit depending on the plan, usually based on balance or equity. Wall Street Funded uses an "End of Day (EOD) High-Watermark," which tracks the highest balance or equity recorded at the close of the day.
Commission costs will also impact your net profit:
- Think Capital: $4 per lot on MetaTrader 5, but $0 commission on the ThinkTrader platform.
- Wall Street Funded: $3 per lot on Forex, Metals, and Energies.
The first year
For the consistent trader, the scaling plan becomes the most critical factor. Both firms require a three-month track record to begin increasing capital, but the requirements and rewards differ:
Think Capital Scaling Requirements:
- Reach a minimum profit of 10% within three months.
- Complete at least three payouts during that cycle.
- Reward: 20% increase of the original balance.
- Profit Split: Standard 80%, up to 90% with an add-on.
Wall Street Funded Scaling Requirements:
- Reach a 15% profit within three months.
- Complete at least three withdrawals.
- Reward: 25% increase of the balance.
- Profit Split: Can increase up to 95% as the account scales.
Neither firm explicitly mentions a feature to merge accounts, meaning traders must focus on scaling a single high-performing account to reach the maximum limits.
The ceiling
The ultimate "ceiling" defines how far a professional can go with either firm. Wall Street Funded offers a higher absolute maximum allocation through scaling, reaching up to $2,000,000. In contrast, Think Capital’s ceiling depends on the platform: $1,000,000 for MetaTrader 5 users and $1,500,000 for those using ThinkTrader.
Think Capital’s "Bolt" (Instant) program has a much lower ceiling of $500,000. When comparing the journey, Wall Street Funded offers more room for capital growth and a superior profit split (95% vs 90%) for those who can meet the higher 15% profit target for scaling.
Room to grow
Think Capital is the superior choice for traders who value platform variety (TradingView) and lower commission environments (ThinkTrader). However, its position stacking limit is a significant constraint for certain strategies. Wall Street Funded offers a more traditional "institutional" feel with a higher capital limit of $2,000,000 and faster payout cycles after the first month, though it demands more discipline regarding Stop Losses and trade duration.
