ResearchCFD/FX accounts
FTMO vs FundingPips vs Alpha Capital Group: Three $100K Two-Step CFD Accounts Compared
These accounts match on opening loss allowance, but the daily calculation, funded trading restrictions and route to a payout can lead to different choices. FundingPips has a lower first evaluation target than the other two. Alpha and FundingPips both offer conditional on-demand requests, with different qualifying rules and risk consequences. FTMO's funded account has no extra consistency or minimum-day requirement, while its later payout-request timing remains partly unknown.
- Compares
- Alpha Capital Group · Alpha Pro 10% · $100,000
- FTMO · 2-Step Standard · $100,000
- FundingPips · 2 Step Standard · $100,000
Only these three accounts. Other programs, options and sizes can have different rules and costs.
- Values
- Quoted from the account pages, with sources checked 19 September – 31 October 2026. Each value’s information button opens its conditions and sources.
- Side by side
- Compare these accounts
On this page
This comparison covers Alpha Pro 10%, FTMO 2-Step Standard and FundingPips 2 Step Standard at $100,000, with the configurations below. It follows the decision from evaluation to the funded stage. The account size is not withdrawable cash, and matching loss allowances do not establish equal passing chances.
Which exact accounts are being compared?
The tables use alphabetical account order. Each firm has alternatives that would change the comparison.
| Account | Selected route |
|---|---|
| Alpha Capital Group · Alpha Pro 10% · $100,000 | Alpha Pro 10% on MT5 with Standard spreads (no commission), the On-Demand payout schedule, the standard 80% split and no add-ons: two evaluation phases, then a Qualified Analyst account. Raw spreads, EA use, the Bi-Weekly payout schedule, the 90% Profit Split add-on and Swap Free are options at checkout. |
| FTMO · 2-Step Standard · $100,000 | Standard account type, without the Swing option or add-ons. Two evaluation phases (the FTMO Challenge, then the Verification), followed by the funded FTMO Account. |
| FundingPips · 2 Step Standard · $100,000 | 2 Step Standard with the 5% daily loss limit and no add-ons: Phase 1, Phase 2, then the Master Account. The 3% daily loss limit, Swing and Swap Free are options at checkout. |
Alpha Pro 10% matches FTMO's targets and nominal loss percentages more closely than Alpha Pro 6% or 8%. Alpha Swing is a separate alternative for a trader who needs funded weekend holding. FundingPips Flex and Pro have different target and loss-limit combinations; they are not interchangeable names for Standard. Other sizes and optional configurations are outside these tables.
FTMO supplies a common reference with the earlier FTMO, The5ers and FundedNext CFD comparison. Here, the additional decisions are FundingPips' reward-cycle choice and Alpha's On-Demand conditions, alongside the differences in trading permissions.
What changes during the evaluation?
| Evaluation measure | Alpha Pro 10% | FTMO 2-Step Standard | FundingPips 2 Step Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening loss allowance | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Phase targets | 10% then 5% | 10% then 5% | 8% then 5% |
| Difficulty ratio | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.30 |
| Minimum days and time limits | At least 3 trading days in each phase; the evaluation has no time limit. | At least 4 trading days in each phase. There is no time limit, but FTMO's activation and inactivity terms still apply. | At least 3 trading days in each phase (none with the 3% daily loss option); no time limit; the account is closed after 30 days without a completed trade. |
FundingPips requires less profit in the first phase for the same opening loss allowance. That accounts for its lower Difficulty ratio here. The ratio adds each phase's target relative to its opening allowance; it does not measure execution quality, trading restrictions or the probability of passing. Read what the ratio includes and leaves out before treating it as a preference.
The day requirements are separate from the targets. An account can reach the profit objective before completing its required days. Likewise, no evaluation time limit does not remove an inactivity condition. Identify each account clock before planning a long break.
Why does the daily-loss basis matter?
| Account | Total and daily loss |
|---|---|
| Alpha Pro 10% | 10% static maximum drawdown ($10,000): the account fails if balance or equity falls below $90,000, however much the balance grows. 5% balance-based daily loss: equity may not fall more than 5% of the day's starting balance ($5,000 at a $100,000 balance), the day starting at 00:00 broker time. Breaching either closes the account. |
| FTMO 2-Step Standard | Static 10% total; 5% hard daily loss. Initial floor $90,000. |
| FundingPips 2 Step Standard | Static 10% max loss ($10,000; limit $90,000) in both phases and on the Master Account; 5% daily loss from the higher of the day's opening balance or equity, reset at 00:00 platform time (UTC+3). Touching either limit closes the account. |
At Alpha, the day's starting balance determines the daily calculation. At FundingPips, opening equity replaces balance when it is higher. For the same opening balance, an unrealized gain can therefore put FundingPips' daily equity threshold above Alpha's. Some room can disappear as that gain unwinds, even if the trade has not closed. A balance-based reference at Alpha still tests equity, so it does not exclude floating losses.
FTMO's Trading Objectives for 2-Step, checked 31 October 2026, supplies the detail behind its shorter quoted row: the daily threshold starts from the midnight balance and subtracts an allowance based on initial simulated capital. Its reset is midnight CE(S)T, and the monitored equity includes floating results, commissions and swaps. Unlike a percentage of a changing starting balance, that initial-capital allowance does not grow merely because the balance grows.
The figure compares calculation structure only. The quoted rules supply the percentages, reset clocks and breach conditions. These are separate daily tests alongside each account's overall limit. See the daily-loss formulas for a worked calculation and the distinction between an allowance and remaining room.
What do you pay, and what might come back?
| Purchase cost | Alpha Pro 10% | FTMO 2-Step Standard | FundingPips 2 Step Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| List price | $447 one-time | $652 one-time | |
| Fee per $1,000 of opening risk | $44.70 | $60.33 | $65.20 |
| Activation fee | None | None | None |
| Platform and data fees, base configuration | None | None | None |
FTMO's fee is priced in euros. Use the site's USD estimate with the ECB date shown in its calculation; your payment provider can use a different rate. A temporary offer, when displayed, has its own eligibility and check date.
The cost metric compares a stated base purchase, not every charge incurred while trading. Alpha's selected setup uses Standard spreads; Raw spreads and other options change that setup. FundingPips' base platform-fee row does not make every platform choice free. Its platform quote below identifies the paid alternative. FTMO's final checkout charges remain unverified behind its login. Keep execution charges, swaps, optional purchases and payment charges in your full cost record.
| Account | Fee refund with a reward | Cancellation refund |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Pro 10% | None: Alpha's evaluation plans are non-refundable, including after the evaluation is completed. Separately, a discretionary bonus of 0.25% of the initial account size ($250) is applied on the fourth performance-fee request. | The return policy (dated 21 December 2021) says all sales are final and no refund will be issued. The terms give consumers 14 days from opening the Alpha account to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, a right they waive when they place their first virtual trade. |
| FTMO 2-Step Standard | The challenge fee is refunded with the first reward. It still has to be paid upfront. | Consumers can cancel within 14 calendar days if they have not placed a trade, with the refund paid within 14 days, under FTMO's evaluation terms. |
| FundingPips 2 Step Standard | The registration fee is refunded with the 4th reward on the Master Account. | None: payments are final and fees are non-refundable, except where the law requires otherwise. |
FTMO's reward-linked refund comes earlier in the payout sequence than FundingPips'. Neither reduces the amount needed to start. Alpha's discretionary performance-fee bonus is not a refund of the purchase price. Its cancellation wording also distinguishes the return policy from the terms' consumer provision; establish which applies before buying rather than treating the final-sale sentence as the whole answer.
What must happen before you can request a payout?
Passing the evaluation does not establish when a request can be made. Compare the share, request clock, profit requirement and consistency test together.
| Account | Initial share | First and later payouts |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Pro 10%, On-Demand | 80% | No fixed wait: on the On-Demand schedule a payout can be requested whenever the Best Day Rule and the minimum profit are met. All trades must be closed when requesting, and the account stays locked while the payout is processed. |
| FTMO 2-Step Standard | 80% | You can request a Reward claim in the Account MetriX on the 14th or any following day after the first placed trade on the specific account (partly unknown) |
| FundingPips 2 Step Standard, Bi-Weekly base share; other cycles in its conditions | 80% | Weekly: 7 days after the first trade on the Master Account; Bi-Weekly: every 14 calendar days after it; On Demand: whenever its consistency score and profitable days are met. |
| Account | Funded consistency and day conditions | Payout minimums and caps |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Pro 10% | Best Day Rule: no single trading day may contribute more than 40% of the total profits. A partial withdrawal resets the consistency score to 0; once a new trade is placed, a new payout and consistency window starts. | A request needs gross profits of at least 2% of the account ($2,000); no maximum is stated. |
| FTMO 2-Step Standard | No extra consistency rule and no minimum number of trading days on the funded account for this 2-Step route. | Bank requires $20 closed profit; crypto $50. |
| FundingPips 2 Step Standard | On Demand cycle: a 35% consistency score and 7 profitable days of at least 0.5% ($500) each, both reset after each reward; none on the Weekly and Bi-Weekly cycles. | Request at least 1% of the account size ($1,000) including FundingPips' split; Rise and bank transfer need $500; no cap stated. |
Alpha: meeting the conditions matters more than waiting out a calendar. A sufficiently profitable account can still fail the Best Day Rule. The minimum-profit condition and the concentration test both have to pass. All trades must then be closed, and the processing lock matters if you intended to keep trading while the request is reviewed.
A partial withdrawal also changes the next decision. The score resets to 0, and the remainder can be requested at any time until you trade again; a new trade opens a new payout and consistency window. Alpha's On-Demand explanation, checked 31 October 2026, says retained profit from the previous window does not count as new-window profit for that test. Leaving money in the account therefore does not let you carry the old qualifying calculation through the next trade unchanged.
FTMO: no extra funded consistency condition does not settle the request clock. The quoted wait remains marked Partly unknown even though it contains a first-request statement. Do not turn that into a complete recurring payout schedule. Confirm when later requests can be made on the specific funded account. Its funded consistency row is documented and stands apart from that gap.
FundingPips: the selected cycle changes more than the waiting time. Weekly accepts a lower share for earlier scheduled requests; Bi-Weekly uses the displayed base share. On Demand has no fixed wait once its consistency score and qualifying profitable days are met, and both measures reset after each reward. It offers an on-demand route alongside Alpha's, with different qualifying conditions. Open the share's conditions for all three rates and the permanent choice at Master Account setup. The Striking System, listed among On Demand's requirements, can reduce the share and is covered below. Keep the fee refund tied to its reward count, separately from the share.
The consistency guide explains the measurement-window question. The profitable-day guide explains why a traded day need not count toward a payout condition.
| Account | Processing | Payout charges |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Pro 10% | Payout requests are processed and paid within 2 business days, or up to 14 business days when the account needs additional verification. | No Alpha fee is stated for payouts; an exchange-rate fee set by the payment provider applies when performance fees are received in a domestic currency. |
| FTMO 2-Step Standard | FTMO says it reviews a reward request and replies within 1–2 business days, and typically sends payment 1–2 business days after the invoice is approved. The time for money to arrive is separate. | FTMO says it charges no withdrawal commission. |
| FundingPips 2 Step Standard | Reward requests are processed within 1-3 working days, and funds can take a further 1-2 working days to arrive; card rewards are listed as instant to 1-5 days. | No FundingPips fee is stated; crypto rewards (USDT or USDC on ERC20) are reduced by service fees, exchange rates and network fees, and transfers are subject to exchange rates and transaction fees. |
These describe steps after a request, not interchangeable promises of money received. Compare the quoted processing stages and the chosen payment method after you establish eligibility. Request, approval and receipt are separate events.
Can the strategy continue unchanged after passing?
| Account | Overnight and weekend holding | News trading |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha Pro 10% | Overnight holding is allowed (swaps apply). Weekend holding is allowed in both evaluation phases but not on the Qualified Analyst account, where it is a soft breach: the profits of those trades are removed and the account stays active if the balance stays above the maximum drawdown. | Unrestricted in the evaluation. On the Qualified Analyst account, no trade may be opened or closed on the targeted instruments from 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after listed high-impact news, through pending orders, stop losses and take profits too, and for speeches over their whole duration; positions opened more than 5 minutes before may be held. A stop or take profit filled in the window is a soft breach: those profits are not eligible for a performance fee. |
| FTMO 2-Step Standard | Allowed during the evaluation. On the funded Standard account, positions must be closed over the weekend and over market breaks longer than 2 hours. | No news restriction during the evaluation (the FTMO Challenge and the Verification). On the funded FTMO Account, trades on the instruments a selected news release affects cannot be opened or closed, and pending orders such as a stop-loss or take-profit cannot execute, from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after the release. Positions opened more than 2 minutes before may be held, but a stop-loss or take-profit triggered in that window is a breach, and a breach may end the FTMO Account. |
| FundingPips 2 Step Standard | Allowed in the evaluation; on the Master Account, open positions are closed automatically every day (20:45-21:00 UTC in summer time, 21:45-22:00 UTC in winter time) unless the Swing add-on was bought. The closure is not a breach. | Evaluation: no news restriction, but deliberately trading news closes the account in any phase. Master Account: profit from trades opened or closed on the affected currency from 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after high-impact news, or from 5 minutes before a high-impact speech begins to 5 minutes after it ends, is deducted, unless the trade was opened 5 hours or more before. The trader is responsible if a deduction breaches the daily or maximum loss limit. |
An evaluation that permits holding does not establish permission on the funded account. Alpha Pro and FTMO Standard restrict funded weekend holding. FundingPips' selected Master Account goes further by automatically closing positions each day without the Swing add-on. That closure ends the intended trade, but the quoted holding rule does not make the closure itself a breach.
For news, read the order action and consequence. An earlier-opened position is not blanket permission for every later fill. FundingPips' stated early-entry exception changes the profit-deduction test, while deliberately trading news still closes the account. Alpha distinguishes holding from opening or closing during its window, and a stop or take-profit fill can make profits ineligible. FTMO also restricts those fills, with potential account termination. FundingPips warns that a profit deduction can itself leave the account in breach of a loss limit.
For a method built around news or holding periods, make this check before comparing the purchase fee. Use orders and actions around news and the holding checklist to record the exact trade you need to place and keep.
Which tool and risk restrictions change the fit?
| Account | Expert advisors and copying |
|---|---|
| Alpha Pro 10% | EAs only on MT5 and only as risk-management and trade-assistance tools (lot size, stop loss and take profit, break-even): choose EA use at checkout and have each EA pre-approved by support; to use one on the Qualified Analyst account it must be enabled and used in the evaluation. Not on Swap Free accounts or in the Focused Trader Group; EAs that trade on their own are prohibited. Copying is allowed from your own external account as the master (with proof of ownership) or between your own Alpha accounts (master and slave account numbers given first), one master at a time and on MT5 only; copying other traders is prohibited. |
| FTMO 2-Step Standard | Your own expert advisors are allowed under conditions. FTMO's CFD rules do not cover copying between your own accounts; FTMO's support told us on 5 October 2026 that you may, without opposite or hedging positions across the accounts and within the $400,000 allocation limit. (interpretation) |
| FundingPips 2 Step Standard | Third-party EAs only as trade or risk managers; your own EA may fully automate trading with proof of ownership. Copying between your own FundingPips accounts, or from yours out to an external account, is allowed; copying into the account and copying between different traders' accounts are prohibited. |
Owning an EA does not give the same permission at every firm. Alpha allows specified assistance tools under prerequisites, not autonomous trading, and using an EA on its Qualified Analyst account depends on enabling and using it during evaluation. A trader who discovers that requirement after passing cannot treat approval as a fresh funded-stage choice.
FundingPips distinguishes your own automated strategy from a third-party EA, and the direction of a copier matters: sending trades out is not the same permission as importing an external master. FTMO's copying entry is an Interpretation supported by the stated support response, not an unconditional published CFD policy. Record the ownership, account allocation and strategy conditions before connecting accounts. The automation and copying guide provides that record.
Alpha also has risk and trading-behavior rules beyond the headline loss limits, some of them on the Qualified Analyst account only:
Breaching the daily or maximum drawdown is a hard breach that closes the account. On the Qualified Analyst account (bought after 21 July 2026), an open loss on one asset reaching 2% ($2,000), with losing positions on that asset combined and a re-entry in the same direction within 10 minutes counted together, closes the account. The lot limit is 40 lots: a first violation makes the profit from the excess lots ineligible, a second forfeits the performance fee and deactivates the account. Under the 2-minute average trade duration rule a breach means restarting the evaluation from phase 1, or on the Qualified Analyst account losing all profits and a reset to the initial balance. Gambling-style trading leads to removed profits and possibly termination of the contract. Alpha can also move a Qualified Analyst account into its Focused Trader Group, with lower leverage and lot limits, a 1% risk limit per position and no EAs.
In particular, a same-asset open loss can end the Qualified Analyst account before the overall loss allowance is used. Separate that per-asset test from the daily limit, and keep its purchase-cohort condition. The lot and trade-duration rules can also change whether your existing method fits. Where a rule removes profit instead of closing the account, as Alpha's funded weekend-holding rule does, the account stays active only while the balance stays above the maximum drawdown.
FundingPips lists a separate Striking System among its On Demand requirements:
Prohibited practices (including gap trading, high-frequency trading, latency arbitrage, hedging, copying other traders and third-party account management) can lead to removed profits, declined rewards, disqualification and termination without a refund, and in serious or repeated cases exclusion from future participation; no fine is stated. FundingPips lists the Striking System among the On Demand reward cycle's requirements: a trade idea (one trade, trades running together on the same instrument in the same direction, or new trades opened within 10 minutes of closing a losing one) whose closed and floating loss reaches 1% of the Master Account size ($1,000) gets a warning and its profit is deducted; warnings are cumulative, the 2nd halves the reward split, the 3rd cuts it to 20% and the 4th breaches the account.
Both rules combine related positions rather than letting each order stand alone. Alpha tests open losses on an asset and can close the Qualified Analyst account at that limit. FundingPips combines closed and floating losses for a trade idea, with warnings, removed profits and reduced shares before the final account breach. FundingPips' 2 Step Standard article, checked 31 October 2026, adds that warnings do not reset between reward cycles, even though the qualifying score and profitable days reset after each reward. A fresh payout cycle therefore does not clear the warning history.
Read the FTMO contractual consequences before purchase too. This comparison does not assess a firm's reliability or predict enforcement in an individual dispute.
Which requirements separate the accounts?
Use the table to test a specific need. It is not an overall score.
| Your requirement | Alpha Pro 10% | FTMO 2-Step Standard | FundingPips 2 Step Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hold through a funded weekend, without changing the selected setup | Does not meet: funded weekend holding is restricted. | Does not meet: Standard requires closing for the weekend. | Does not meet: the selected Master Account closes positions; Swing is outside this setup. |
| Run your own EA that places trades autonomously | Does not meet: assistance tools only. | Conditional fit: legitimate-strategy and allocation conditions apply. | Conditional fit: proof of ownership and trading-conduct conditions apply. |
| Copy from your own external master account | Conditional fit on MT5, with prior ownership/account details and the stated limits. | Not established: our reading covers copying between your own FTMO accounts; an external master is not addressed. | Does not meet: copying into the account is prohibited. |
| Make a funded request without an additional consistency test | Does not meet on the selected On-Demand schedule. | Meets this condition; later request timing remains partly unknown. | Weekly and Bi-Weekly meet this condition; On Demand does not. |
| Recover the evaluation fee with a reward | Does not meet: the separate discretionary bonus is not a fee refund. | Conditional on reaching the specified reward. | Conditional on reaching the later specified reward count. |
If a required behavior fails here, compare an explicitly permitted alternative before buying. Changing to Alpha Swing, FTMO Swing or a FundingPips add-on means reviewing a different setup; it does not create permission on the configuration already compared.
What should you verify before buying?
| Account | Platform choices |
|---|---|
| Alpha Pro 10% | MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DX Trade and TradeLocker. US residents can use DX Trade and TradeLocker, and cTrader only if they are already cTrader customers; MT5 accounts must not be used while in the US. EAs run only on MT5, and copy trading is not possible on cTrader, DX Trade or TradeLocker. |
| FTMO 2-Step Standard | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader or TradingView, chosen when you buy. |
| FundingPips 2 Step Standard | MetaTrader 5, MatchTrader and cTrader, chosen at checkout; cTrader adds $20 to the price. |
| Account | Platform access and eligibility |
|---|---|
| Alpha Pro 10% | MT5, one of four platforms (also cTrader, DX Trade and TradeLocker); 18 or over; nationals and residents of 22 listed countries and the sanctioned areas of Ukraine are not accepted; US residents can use DX Trade and TradeLocker (cTrader only as existing customers), and buying on MT5 requires declaring that you are not a US resident or citizen; identity verification (KYC) before the Qualified Analyst account. |
| FTMO 2-Step Standard | Compared on MT5. Open to traders aged 18 or over, with country exclusions. The route for US residents differs from the global one. |
| FundingPips 2 Step Standard | MetaTrader 5, MatchTrader or cTrader (cTrader adds $20); 18 or over; residents of Iran, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates are not accepted; identity verification (KYC) before trading the Master Account. |
Check residence, identity verification and payment eligibility against the exact platform and route. Alpha's platform access is not uniform across locations; FTMO distinguishes its US route from the global one. Use each firm's current Alpha eligibility, FTMO eligibility and FundingPips eligibility record instead of transferring access from another trader's setup.
Then resolve the decisive open item for your shortlist, such as FTMO's later request timing or any tool approval your method requires. Verify the options at checkout, including Alpha's payout schedule and any holding or platform choice. FundingPips' reward cycle is chosen later, when the Master Account is set up, and its share conditions say that choice is permanent.
Compare these three exact accounts. If you choose another size or option, open its own account page and repeat the relevant checks.
Related reading
- FTMO vs The5ers vs FundedNext: Three $100K CFD Accounts Compared, for the shared FTMO reference and two other evaluation routes.
- Daily loss limits, for the reference, allowance and reset calculation.
- Consistency rules, for the profit denominator and payout window.
- When official prop firm rules conflict, for recording a discrepancy without choosing an unsupported answer.
Sources and method
This comparison selects ordinary two-phase CFD configurations with matching opening loss allowances. Alpha Pro 10% also matches FTMO's targets and nominal loss percentages; FundingPips Standard is included with its different first target. Options, alternative variants and other sizes are excluded unless identified as alternatives. There is no ranking or estimate of passing or payout probability.
The quoted facts come from PFW's approved account records. The structural figure contains no live amounts. Three official pages, also consulted directly and listed below, supply the detail behind FTMO's daily calculation, Alpha's payout window and FundingPips' warning history.
- Alpha Capital Group · Alpha Pro 10% · $100,000, for the scoped account facts and their official sources.
- FTMO · 2-Step Standard · $100,000, for the scoped account facts and their official sources.
- FundingPips · 2 Step Standard · $100,000, for the scoped account facts and their official sources.
- FTMO: Trading Objectives, 2-Step section, for the midnight balance and initial-capital allowance, checked 31 October 2026.
- Alpha Capital Group: On-Demand performance fee, for the payout window after a partial withdrawal, checked 31 October 2026.
- FundingPips: 2 Step Standard, for the Striking System's warnings across reward cycles, checked 31 October 2026.
Requests, approval, account adjustments and money received remain separate events. An unmet payout condition is not automatically an account breach; the applicable rule determines the consequence.