Alpha Capital vs FTUK - Prop Firm Comparison (March 2026)
Head-to-head comparison of Alpha Capital and FTUK. 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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FTUK
FTUK (FTUK Inc.) is a US-based prop firm offering simulated Forex and Futures funding via Instant Funding and 1-step/2-step evaluation programs, with trading on DXtrade, MatchTrader and TradeLocker, profit shares that scale up to 80%, and a published maximum scaling...
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| Overview | ||
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.7 | 3.8 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 17,698 | 602 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United States |
| Age (Years) | N/A | N/A |
| Max Funding | $400,000 | $6,400,000 |
| Profit Split Start | 80% | 50% |
| Profit Split Max | 80% | 80% |
| Platforms | MT5 cTrader DXtrade TradeLocker | Match-Trader DXtrade TradeLocker |
| Assets | FX Metals Indices Oil (Energy) | FX Metals Indices Commodities Crypto Futures |
| Leverage | ||
| FX Leverage | 100 | 100 |
| Metals Leverage | 30 | 10 |
| Crypto Leverage | 0 | 2 |
| 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... | Maximum Daily LossDaily drawdown limits depend on the program: Instant Funding uses a 5% daily drawdown, One Step uses a 4% daily drawdown, and Two Step uses a 5% daily drawdown in both evaluation phases and funded levels.FTUK states daily drawdown is calculated using the higher value of balance or equity at the end-of-day snapshot (22:00 UTC), which means open profit can increase the daily-loss threshold but open losses still count toward it. |
| 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). | Maximum Overall LossFTUK applies different overall drawdown models across programs: Instant Funding uses a 6% relative max drawdown, One Step uses an 8% relative max drawdown, and the Two Step program uses static maximum drawdown limits of 10% (Phase 1) and 5% (Phase 2) calculated on equity. |
| 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 ModelFTUK distinguishes between relative (trailing) drawdown and static drawdown. On One Step and Instant Funding, the trailing max drawdown is based on balance (not equity) and only moves upward as profits accumulate. On the Two Step program, drawdown is static and calculated on equity, meaning floating profit/loss is included in the drawdown check. |
| 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 FrequencyInstant Funding: Payouts are available on demand, subject to meeting the Consistency Score requirement.One Step & Two Step: Payouts are typically available every 14 days (bi-weekly) once the trader meets minimum trading-day requirements and other eligibility checks (including the challenge-program Payout Locker terms where applicable). |
| Days to First Payout | 14 | 14 |
| 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 ProcessingFTUK states payout requests are usually approved within 1–2 working days after account review. After approval, funds are typically reflected in the trader’s wallet within 1–3 working days depending on the payout method. |
| Payout Methods | Bank Transfer (WIRE/ACH/SWIFT) Wise Rise (Riseworks) | RiseWorks USDT (TRC20) |
| 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;... | Instant Funding: News trading is permitted at all stages with no restrictions.One Step & Two Step: FTUK applies a 10-minute no-trade window around major economic releases (from 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after). Trades opened or closed inside this window are treated as a soft breach where profits are erased and losses are not compensated. |
| 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. | Forex programs: Holding positions overnight and over the weekend is allowed on Instant Funding, One Step and Two Step accounts.Futures programs: FTUK Futures does not allow holding positions overnight or over the weekend; positions must be closed by the daily cutoff time specified by FTUK. |
| 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. | Forex programs: Copy trading is allowed between your FTUK account and your personal external accounts, but copying between multiple FTUK accounts (or running identical trades across multiple FTUK accounts) is prohibited.Futures programs: Copy trading is 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) and automated trading are permitted for standard intraday strategies, but FTUK’s permitted-styles matrix restricts EAs from a range of behaviors (e.g., martingale, scalping, tick scalping, hedging, and prohibited arbitrage styles). FTUK also warns that any trading style that constitutes high-frequency trading is not allowed. |
| 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. | FTUK uses RiseWorks for payout processing and requires trader verification to access and withdraw via Rise. FTUK states payouts above $500 are processed via RiseWorks in USD, while payouts below $500 are processed via USDT (TRC20). If Rise is not supported in a trader’s country, FTUK can manually send payouts via USDT (TRC20). |
| 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 | Algeria Democratic Republic of the Congo Iran Libya Morocco North Korea Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan Vietnam Yemen Tunisia |