Alpha Futures Rules Explained

Alpha Futures runs three evaluation tiers (Zero, Standard and Advanced) plus a Direct account, and the rules shift once you pass. A plan with no consistency rule in evaluation can pick one up when funded, and the daily loss guard can appear or disappear. This guide explains each rule as Alpha's help center and how-it-works page showed them on November 3, 2026. Alpha calls a funded account a "Qualified" account. For prices and our verdict, see the Alpha Futures review.

Rules at a glance

Rule	Evaluation	Qualified (funded)
Maximum loss limit	End-of-day trailing, locks at starting balance. Zero $1K / $2K / $3K; Standard $2K / $3K / $4.5K; Advanced $1.75K / $3.5K / $5.25K	Same amounts and mechanics
Daily loss guard	Zero: $500 / $1,000 / $2,000. Standard and Advanced: none	Zero: same. Standard: $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000. Advanced: none
Consistency	Zero none, Standard 50%, Advanced 40%	Zero and Standard 40%, Advanced none, Direct 20%
Minimum days	Zero 1, Standard 2, Advanced 3	5 winning days of $200+ per payout
Scaling	Full limit	Zero 50K/100K and Standard scale by profit; Advanced and Direct none
News	No restrictions	Zero, Standard and Direct: no orders 2 minutes either side of high-impact news. Advanced: none
Profit split	n/a	90% from the first payout

Sizes: Zero 25K / 50K / 100K; Standard and Advanced 50K / 100K / 150K.

Maximum loss limit

Alpha says none of its accounts use an intraday trailing drawdown. The maximum loss limit (MLL) trails your highest end-of-day balance, never moves down, and stops trailing for good once it reaches the starting balance. Open losses still count, though. Alpha says a breach happens if the MLL is broken by "floating equity or closed balance."

Worked example: Zero 50K

• You start at $50,000. The MLL is $48,000.
• Day 1 closes at $50,500. The MLL rises to $48,500.
• Day 2 closes at $50,000. The MLL stays at $48,500.
• Later, a day closes at $52,000. The MLL reaches $50,000 and stays there for the life of the account.
• If, on any day before that, an open trade pulls your equity down to the MLL, the account is breached even if the trade recovers.

A breached evaluation is liquidated and can no longer qualify; you can buy a reset or wait for the monthly rebill. A breached Qualified account is closed. Payouts do not drop the MLL to $0: Alpha's example is an MLL of $49,200 that stays at $49,200 after a withdrawal. Use our trailing drawdown calculator to track your room, and see EOD vs intraday trailing drawdown for the background.

Daily loss guard

Alpha's daily loss guard is a soft rule. On Zero accounts it is 2% of the starting balance: $500, $1,000 or $2,000. When your day's P&L hits it, Alpha flattens positions, cancels orders and blocks new trades until the next trading day starts at 6:00 p.m. ET. The account is paused, not failed. Both open and closed P&L count, including simulated commissions and fees. Because exits are market orders, the final loss can land a little past the guard in a fast market.

Standard evaluations have no guard, but Standard Qualified accounts get one of $1,000, $2,000 or $3,000. Advanced has none in either stage, though you can set your own in your platform. Plan around these numbers with our daily loss calculator.

Consistency rule

Alpha divides your biggest single-day profit by your total net profit. In evaluation, Standard's limit is 50% and Advanced's is 40%; Zero has none. You don't pass until the rule is met. Alpha's recommended best day is $1,500 or less on Standard 50K and $1,600 or less on Advanced 50K.

On Qualified accounts the total is your net profit since your last withdrawal request, and the rule resets after each request. Zero and Standard Qualified use 40%, Direct uses 20%, and Advanced Qualified has none. The limit is strict: Alpha treats exactly 40% as a fail. Its example is $2,000 of net profit with an $800 best day, which is 40% and not allowed. At $2,500 of profit the same day is 32%, which is fine.

Breaking the rule does not breach the account. The withdrawal button simply stays unavailable until your profit grows enough. Our consistency rule guide explains the math in more detail.

Minimum trading days

Zero can pass in one day, Standard needs two and Advanced needs three. Qualified accounts need five winning days of $200 or more between payout requests, not necessarily consecutive.

Contract limits and scaling

Evaluation limits are 1 / 3 / 6 minis on Zero, 5 / 10 / 15 on Standard and 5 / 10 / 15 on Advanced, with ten micros per mini. On Qualified accounts, Zero 50K and 100K and all Standard sizes follow a scaling plan based on profit in the account:

Profit	Zero 50K	Zero 100K	Standard 50K	Standard 100K	Standard 150K
Under $1,500	1	2	2	3	3
$1,500 to $2,000	2	3	3	4	4
$2,000 to $3,000	3	4	5	5	5
$3,000 to $4,500	Not listed	5	5	10	10
$4,500+	Not listed	6	5	10	15

Figures are minis; multiply by ten for micros. Alpha's table stops at $3,000 for Zero 50K, whose full limit is 3 minis. Zero 25K, Advanced and Direct have no scaling plan. Alpha's article does not say what happens if you exceed a tier, so stay inside it. Our position size calculator helps match size to your limit.

News, overnight and weekend rules

Evaluations have no news restrictions, and neither do Advanced Qualified accounts. On Zero, Standard and Direct Qualified accounts, you may not execute orders to open or close positions from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after a high-impact event. Alpha uses ForexFactory red-folder events tied to your product's currency, so USD events cover ES, NQ, GC and CL. Holding a position through the release is allowed. A first violation brings a warning, voided profits on those trades and a denied payout; repeat violations breach the account. Our economic calendar guide lists the usual high-impact releases.

The Alpha pages we checked do not state an overnight or weekend holding rule. Confirm with Alpha before holding past the close.

Prohibited practices

Alpha's prohibited trading practices article bans:

• High-frequency systems, including more than 100 trades a day, and AI, bots or fully automated trading on any account. Signal tools are fine if you place and manage every trade yourself.
• "All or nothing" trading: maximum size on one position, or using the daily loss limit as your stop.
• Tick or micro scalping: trades under 10 ticks and under 2 minutes, especially as a pattern.
• Tight brackets to exploit sim fills, stacking limit orders at one price, and order book spamming.
• Hedging, including long NQ and short MNQ in one account or opposite positions across accounts.
• Account stacking or rolling, and group trading across unconnected accounts.
• Using a VPN to hide your location. A VPS is allowed.

Breaches can mean termination and voided profits, and passed evaluations can be reviewed before you qualify.

Payouts step by step

Account	Minimum	Maximum per request
Zero Qualified	$200	$1,000 / $1,500 / $2,500
Standard Qualified	$500	$3,000 / $4,000 / $5,000
Advanced Qualified	$1,000	$15,000 on every size
Direct	$500	$1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000

1. Log five winning days of $200 or more since your last request (Direct instead needs its withdrawal profit target, such as $3,000 first and $2,000 after on 50K).
2. Check that your consistency percentage is under your account's limit.
3. Request up to 50% of account profit, within your cap. You can do this up to four times a month, with no set payout dates.
4. The full amount leaves the account and you receive 90%. Alpha says approved payouts are currently paid within five business days.

Compare payout speed across firms in our fastest-paying prop firms roundup.

Common ways traders fail

• Ignoring floating losses. The MLL moves only at the close, but open losses can still breach it intraday.
• Using the daily guard as a stop. Alpha lists that as prohibited "all or nothing" behavior.
• Trading in the news window. On Zero, Standard and Direct Qualified accounts, even closing a trade inside the 2-minute window counts.
• Sizing up too early. Standard and Zero Qualified accounts start well below the evaluation limit.
• Landing exactly on 40%. Alpha treats 40% as over the limit, so a payout request stays locked.
• Micro scalping. Many trades under 10 ticks and 2 minutes can void profits.

Compare Alpha's rules with other firms on our prop firm comparison page, or start with how prop firm evaluations work.

Frequently asked questions

Is Alpha Futures drawdown trailing?

Yes, on an end-of-day basis. It trails your highest closing balance and locks at the starting balance, but open losses can still breach it.

What is the Alpha Futures consistency rule?

Evaluations: none on Zero, 50% on Standard, 40% on Advanced. Qualified: 40% on Zero and Standard, none on Advanced, 20% on Direct.

Does hitting the daily loss guard fail the account?

No. It flattens positions and pauses trading until 6:00 p.m. ET the next trading day.

Can I trade news at Alpha Futures?

Yes in evaluations and on Advanced Qualified accounts. Zero, Standard and Direct Qualified accounts can't place orders within 2 minutes of high-impact news.

Are bots allowed at Alpha Futures?

No. Alpha prohibits AI, bots and automated trading on all account types. Indicators that signal trades are fine if you place each trade yourself.

How often can I withdraw?

Up to four times a month, after each set of five winning days of $200 or more, taking up to 50% of profit per request.