Alpha Futures vs Topstep: which prop firm is better?

Cost: Alpha Futures vs Topstep

Both firms bill evaluations as a monthly subscription that stops when you pass. Alpha Futures charges no activation fee. Topstep charges $149 on its Standard path, or nothing on its more expensive No Activation Fee path.

Alpha Futures publishes its own discount codes on its website. When we checked on October 25, 2026, MYALPHA50 took 50% off Standard, Direct and Advanced, and MYALPHA40 took 40% off Zero, both valid until October 31. Topstep does not publish a sitewide code of its own; codes from its affiliate creators take 20% off the first month.

While MYALPHA50 runs, Alpha Futures is the cheapest way to start. Alpha's code page does not say whether the discount also applies to later monthly renewals, so if you need more than a month, check your renewal price. Without a code, Topstep is cheaper: its No Activation Fee path costs $95 a month against Alpha's $129, and its Standard path is cheaper still over a longer pass.

Rules and drawdown

The evaluations are close to identical. The differences show up once you are funded. Alpha's Standard Qualified Account adds a daily loss guard, a 40% consistency rule on profit since your last withdrawal and a scaling plan. Topstep's Express Funded Account has a Scaling Plan and applies a consistency rule (40%) only on its Consistency payout path.

One Alpha advantage: its end-of-day Maximum Loss Limit does not move when you withdraw, so payouts don't tighten your drawdown.

Alpha also offers Zero (no evaluation consistency rule, so you can pass in one day) and Advanced (higher target, but no daily loss guard, consistency rule or news rule once funded).

Payouts: Alpha Futures vs Topstep

Both pay 90% and need five winning days on the main routes. Alpha allows larger payouts, especially on Advanced, where a single request can reach $15,000.

Both firms invite top traders to live capital with no maximum withdrawal: Alpha's live accounts and Alpha Prime trading floor, and Topstep's Live Funded Account, which adds daily payouts after 30 winning days.

Platforms and trading rules

Alpha Futures supports AlphaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts, DeepCharts and Quantower. Topstep runs on TopstepX, with Quantower as the only alternative. Neither supports NinjaTrader or Tradovate.

• Automation: Topstep allows automated strategies. Alpha Futures does not allow bots, AI or full automation, or more than 100 trades a day.
• News: Topstep allows news trading but bans trading your full maximum size into major scheduled news. Alpha allows news in evaluations and on Advanced, but Zero, Standard and Direct funded accounts may not execute orders 2 minutes before or after high-impact news.
• Overnight positions: neither allows them. Close by 4:20 PM ET at Alpha and 3:10 PM CT at Topstep.
• Trade copiers: both allow copying across your own accounts.

Trust and track record

Topstep has run its Trading Combine since 2012 in Chicago, says it has paid more than $1.5 billion to traders and owns Topstep Brokerage, a separate introducing broker and NFA member. Alpha Futures was founded in 2023 in the UK by George Kohler, is part of Alpha Group alongside Alpha Capital, and reports more than $70 million in performance fees paid.

Both firms publish their rules in detailed public help centers, which we used for this comparison. Check Alpha's restricted country list before buying; it includes several EU states.

Bottom line

Pick Alpha Futures if you want the cheapest start while its own codes run, no activation fee, a drawdown that withdrawals don't tighten and larger payouts, and you use TradingView or WealthCharts. Pick Topstep if you want the lower price without a sale, automation, fewer news restrictions once funded and a firm with more than a decade of history. For every rule in detail, read our full Alpha Futures review and Topstep review.