Alpha Capital vs E8 Markets - Prop Firm Comparison (March 2026)
Head-to-head comparison of Alpha Capital and E8 Markets. Check max funding, profit splits, daily and overall drawdown rules, leverage, tradable assets, payout frequency, payment and payout methods, trading permissions and KYC restrictions before you buy a challenge. Data refreshed March 2026.
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Alpha Capital
Alpha Capital Group (Alpha Capital) is a UK-based CFD prop firm (founded 2021) that provides simulated-funded "Qualified Analyst" accounts via ACG Markets and lets traders choose between a 1-step (Alpha One), multiple 2-step options (Alpha Pro 6% / 8% /...
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E8 Markets
E8 Markets is a US-based prop-firm-style evaluation brand operating simulated accounts via third-party platforms, offering 1-step programs such as E8 One and E8 Signature (Forex/Crypto) with dynamic drawdown models, leverage up to 1:30 on FX, and performance-fee payouts via Plane...
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| Overview | ||
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.7 | 4.4 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 17,698 | 3,232 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United States |
| Age (Years) | N/A | N/A |
| Max Funding | $400,000 | $500,000 |
| Profit Split Start | 80% | 80% |
| Profit Split Max | 80% | 100% |
| Platforms | MT5 cTrader DXtrade TradeLocker | MT5 cTrader Match-Trader TradeLocker |
| Assets | FX Metals Indices Oil (Energy) | FX Metals Indices Energy Crypto |
| Leverage | ||
| FX Leverage | 100 | 30 |
| Metals Leverage | 30 | 15 |
| Crypto Leverage | 0 | 5 |
| Risk & Drawdown Rules | ||
| Max Daily Loss | Maximum Daily LossAlpha Capital Group enforces a plan-specific daily drawdown limit that is measured from defined daily reference points (based on balance or equity, depending on the plan). The daily loss limit is evaluated against the current equity value, and breaches are treated as a hard breach (trades are closed automatically).Alpha Pro 10%: 5% balance-based daily drawdown.Alpha Pro 8%: 4% balance-based daily drawdown.Alpha Pro 6%: 3% daily drawdown calculated over the higher of end-of-day balance or equity.Alpha Swing: 5% balance-based... | 3 |
| Max Total Loss | Maximum Overall LossMaximum total loss is defined by the plan’s maximum drawdown model and is set as a percentage of the initial starting balance. If balance or equity drops below the maximum drawdown threshold, the account is breached and trades are closed automatically.Alpha Pro: static max drawdown of 10% (Pro10) / 8% (Pro8) / 6% (Pro6).Alpha Swing: 10% static max drawdown.Alpha Three: 6% static max drawdown.Alpha One: 6% trailing max drawdown based on the high-water mark (maximum balance achieved). | 4 |
| Drawdown Type | Drawdown ModelAlpha Capital Group uses both static and trailing drawdown models depending on the plan:Static max drawdown: Used on Alpha Pro (6% / 8% / 10%), Alpha Swing (10%) and Alpha Three (6%). The maximum-loss line is fixed from the initial starting balance and does not move up as the account grows.Trailing max drawdown (high-water mark): Used on Alpha One (6%). As new balance highs are made, the trailing drawdown line moves up; once the account reaches a high-water mark... | Drawdown ModelE8 One uses a 3% Daily Drawdown (from the day's starting balance) plus a 4% Dynamic Drawdown that limits maximum running or closed loss. E8 Signature products use an end-of-day (EOD) Dynamic Drawdown limit (set as a fixed dollar amount by account size) plus a 2% Daily Pause that stops trading for the rest of the day but does not breach the account. |
| Payouts | ||
| Payout Frequency | Payout FrequencyAlpha Capital offers two payout schedules for qualified accounts, depending on the payout type selected at checkout:Bi-Weekly: performance-fee requests are available every 14 days (starting 14 days after the initial trade on the qualified account). The first request requires a minimum of 5 trading days using the same trading strategy, and the minimum withdrawal is $100 gross profits.On-Demand: traders can request a payout at any time once they have at least 2% gross profit in the account and meet... | Payout Frequency E8 Markets payouts are requested on-demand once a trader meets eligibility criteria. E8 Signature Forex/Crypto: First payout requires 3 profitable days; subsequent payouts require 5 profitable days (each profitable day is ≥0.3% realized closed PnL), plus a 35% Best Day Rule. Payout buffer and payout caps apply. E8 One (E8 Trader stage): 40% Best Day Rule and the trader's net profit (payout share) must be greater than 50% of the account's daily drawdown; buffer rules can apply in specific scenarios. |
| Days to First Payout | 14 | 0 |
| Payout Processing Time | Payout ProcessingPerformance-fee requests are submitted via the Alpha Capital dashboard and are processed and paid within about 2 business days once approved. Traders must close all trades before requesting, and the account remains locked while the balance is reset.Scaling requests (where applicable) are handled separately and are typically completed within 24–48 business hours. | Payout ProcessingPayouts are typically processed within 1–2 business days (excluding weekends) and then received in ~1–3 additional business days; the total process may take 2–5 business days. Payouts are delivered via Plane (bank transfer) or Rise (crypto options), subject to payout-provider onboarding/KYC. |
| Payout Methods | Bank Transfer (WIRE/ACH/SWIFT) Wise Rise (Riseworks) | Plane (Bank Transfer) Rise (Crypto) |
| Payments | ||
| Payment Methods | Credit/Debit Card Crypto PayPal | Credit/Debit Card Crypto |
| Trading Permissions | ||
| News Trading | News trading is permitted, but Alpha Capital applies plan-specific rules around certain high-impact announcements on Qualified Analyst accounts.Alpha Pro 8%/10% Qualified: no executing trades (opening or closing, including pending orders, stop-loss or take-profit fills) on targeted instruments within 2 minutes before and 2 minutes after the specified news releases.Alpha Pro 6% / Alpha One / Alpha Three Qualified: the same restriction applies within 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after the specified releases.Alpha Swing: trading during major news is allowed;... | E8 One: In Phase 1, news trading is allowed without restriction. On the E8 Trader stage, a prohibition window applies for high-impact news: 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after the release, during which opening/closing/modifying trades is prohibited; profits earned during the window may be removed without an account violation. E8 Signature Forex/Crypto: News trading is allowed without restrictions in both Phase 1 and the E8 Trader stage, with a reminder that high-impact news can cause volatility and slippage and that the user is responsible. |
| Weekend Trades | Weekend holding rules depend on the plan and stage.Alpha Pro: holding trades over the weekend is allowed during the Evaluation phase, but is not allowed on the Qualified Analyst account stage (treated as a soft breach with profits removed).Alpha Swing / Alpha One / Alpha Three: weekend holding is allowed during both the Evaluation phase and on the Qualified Analyst account stage.Swap/rollover charges still apply when positions are held over weekends. | E8 Signature Forex/Crypto: Overnight/weekend holding is not supported; positions are closed daily at 23:00 server time and trading reopens at 00:15.E8 One: The help center does not impose the same daily position-closure rule; weekend/overnight exposure remains subject to normal market gaps and drawdown calculations. |
| Copy Trading | Copy trading is allowed but tightly controlled. Alpha Capital permits copy trading only where the trader can provide proof of ownership of the master account (e.g., account number/investor password/server) when requested. Copy trading between two Alpha Capital accounts can also be permitted with both account numbers disclosed.Copy trading is currently supported on MT5 only; copying trades on or from cTrader, DXTrade or TradeLocker is not possible. Only one master account can be connected at a time, and copying other traders or group trading arrangements is prohibited. | E8 Markets allows copy trading across evaluations and E8 Trader accounts (and to/from personal accounts) as long as the accounts belong to you. A key restriction is that you cannot copy trades or reuse the same trading ideas between multiple E8 evaluation accounts; each evaluation must be traded independently. Team trading and third-party signal services are not permitted. |
| EA Allowed | Expert Advisors (EAs) are permitted on MT5 accounts, provided they comply with Alpha Capital’s rules. Traders must enable the EA feature at checkout and contact support for approval; Alpha Capital may request the EA's EX5 file and MQ5 market link for review.EAs are not supported on TradeLocker, DXTrade or cTrader accounts. Automated strategies that attempt to exploit unrealistic fills or use high-frequency/latency-style execution are prohibited. | Expert Advisors (EAs) are allowed. E8 states it limits one strategy per user and may terminate accounts if it detects multiple users executing the same trades/strategy. Server request limits (e.g., order/TP/SL modification limits and maximum positions per day) also apply. |
| KYC & Restrictions | ||
| KYC Required | Yes | Yes |
| KYC Stage | Alpha Capital requires identity verification (KYC) after passing an assessment and before issuing Qualified Analyst account credentials. Traders complete KYC via a third-party provider (Veriff) and must also provide the necessary withdrawal/payment details; qualified credentials are typically issued within a maximum of 2 working days after completing KYC.Payment details may be cross-checked against the verified identity, and third-party payments are not accepted. | KYC is required as part of eligibility and compliance checks. To receive a payout, traders must also be able to onboard and pass KYC with E8's payout providers (Plane or Riseworks/Rise); if a trader cannot complete provider onboarding, E8 states it cannot issue a payout. |
| Restricted Countries | Afghanistan Belarus Burundi Central African Republic Chad Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea Iran Iraq Libya Myanmar (Burma) North Korea Regions of Ukraine: Crimea Donetsk and Luhansk Republic of the Congo (Congo Brazzaville) Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Venezuela Vietnam Yemen | Afghanistan Albania Algeria Myanmar (Burma) Burundi Belarus Central African Republic Congo Democratic Republic of Congo Cuba Ethiopia Hong Kong Iran Iraq Kenya Kosovo Lebanon Libya Mali Midway Islands Nicaragua North Korea Pakistan Russia Samoa Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Ukraine United Arab Emirates Vatican City State Venezuela West Bank Western Sahara Yemen Zambia; Limited (E8 Signature Forex/Crypto only): Bulgaria India Romania Bangladesh Indonesia Taiwan Cambodia Laos Viet Nam Croatia |