Quick answer: Alpha Capital publishes five evaluation programmes (1-, 2-, and 3-step); FTMO publishes two. Alpha suits traders who want plan variety, swing-friendly paths, and Alpha Group career options; FTMO suits traders who want a proven two-plan structure and longer industry track record. Both use simulated funds — compare published rules before buying.
Part of our prop firm guide series. Start with What is a Prop Firm? (2026 complete guide), then explore: trading evaluation, simulated funds, Alpha Capital rules.
| Alpha Capital | FTMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Published plan count | 5 (One, Pro, Swing, Three) | 2 (1-Step, 2-Step) |
| Max entry (published) | Up to $200K | Varies by plan |
| Performance split (published) | Up to 80% | Up to 90% |
| Weekend/swing paths | Alpha Swing + others | Swing account tier (extra) |
| Best if you want… | Plan variety, multi-brand path | Simple proven challenge |
When to choose Alpha Capital
- You need more than two plan templates (scalp vs swing vs 3-step).
- Weekend holds matter without buying a separate swing product tier.
- You want Alpha Group pathways (futures, broker, education) under one umbrella.
- You want a published path from evaluation to Alpha Prime — live capital for top-performing Qualified Analysts.
When to choose FTMO
- You want the longest track record and largest brand recognition in forex prop.
- A higher published profit split (up to 90%) matters more than plan count.
- Two well-tested plan structures are enough for your style.
May 13, 2026. All competitor information in this article is based on each firm's own published help center and trading objectives pages, accurate at the time of writing. Trading rules and account structures change frequently in the prop firm industry. Re-verify before making purchase decisions.
Most traders comparing Alpha Capital Group and FTMO get pulled into the same surface-level debate. Who has the higher profit split? Who has the bigger Trustpilot score? Whose drawdown is friendlier? All fair questions. But they miss the two structural advantages that actually shape your trading career.
Alpha Capital Group offers five distinct evaluation plans across 1-step, 2-step, and 3-step structures. FTMO offers two. That is the first structural advantage.
Alpha Capital is part of the Alpha Group ecosystem, a multi-brand network that includes Alpha Capital (forex prop), Alpha Futures (futures prop), ACG Markets (regulated broker), Alpha Prime (live capital programme), and Divento Financials (education arm). FTMO operates as a standalone forex prop firm. That is the second structural advantage.
This article explains why both matter and what they mean for traders who are choosing between the two firms.
Why Plan Variety Is the Underrated Edge
The wider trading community often searches for "best prop firm challenges" before they understand that the structure of those challenges (which Alpha Capital Group calls Evaluations) is half of the equation. A trader who scalps the London open during high-impact news has nothing in common with a trader who holds swing positions through the weekend. Yet most prop firms expect them both to fit into the same one or two plan templates.
At Alpha Capital, the position is different. The firm has built its product line around the idea that no two profitable traders trade the same way, so the evaluation should reflect that. The result is five plan variants. At FTMO, the structure is consolidated into two plans.
When traders search online for terms like "funded account" or "prop firm challenge", they tend to assume every firm offers roughly the same product. They don't. Alpha Capital's wider plan line gives traders more published options to match different styles; scalping, swing, multi-phase, and tighter or wider drawdown buffers.
The Evaluation Plans Inside Alpha Capital
Alpha Capital's plan line covers every major trading style.
Alpha One is the 1-step evaluation. One phase. 10% profit target. 6% trailing maximum drawdown. Minimum of 1 trading day to pass. This is built for traders with a sharp, conviction-led style who do not want a multi-month evaluation hanging over them. It is also one of the fastest paths to a Qualified Analyst account in the industry.
Alpha Pro 8% is the more conservative 2-step evaluation. 8% phase 1 profit target, 5% phase 2 profit target, 8% static drawdown, 1:100 FX leverage. The Pro 8% strikes the balance most retail traders ask for when they are coming from a generic 10% target challenge elsewhere.
Alpha Pro 10% is the standard 2-step. Same structure as Pro 8% but with a slightly more aggressive 10% phase 1 target in exchange for a larger 10% drawdown buffer.
Alpha Swing is purpose-built for traders who hold positions for days or weeks. Weekend hold is permitted on the Qualified Analyst account, not just during the evaluation. News trading has special swing-friendly rules. This plan is built specifically for traders who hold positions over weekends and through news events, conditions not universally accommodated across the industry.
Alpha Three is a 3-step evaluation. 8% phase 1, 4% phase 2, 4% phase 3. The drawdown is tighter (6% static), but the targets compound across three phases for traders who want to prove a longer-term track record before being granted a Qualified Analyst account.
Across those five plans, account sizes range from $5,000 to $200,000, with a maximum allocation of $400,000 across all plans combined.
FTMO's Two-Plan Structure
FTMO publishes two plan structures on its Trading Objectives page. The FTMO Challenge: 1-Step (the newer offering, with 10% profit target, 3% daily loss limit, and a 10% trailing maximum loss) and the FTMO Challenge: 2-Step (the historical default, with 10% phase 1 target, 5% phase 2 target, 5% daily loss, and 10% static maximum loss).
Both plans are well-built and battle-tested. FTMO has been refining them since 2015, and the 4.8 / 5 Trustpilot score they hold reflects that. FTMO offers two plan structures, and traders whose style falls outside those parameters would need to look elsewhere or adapt their approach to fit the published rules.
The Standard account type at FTMO restricts news trading and weekend position holds once you reach the post-evaluation phase. To unlock those freedoms, traders pay extra for the Swing account type. At Alpha Capital, weekend holds are included on Alpha One, Alpha Three, and Alpha Swing without an additional product tier.
Why Plan Choice Actually Matters
The most common reason traders fail an evaluation is not their strategy. It is the mismatch between their strategy and the rules they are evaluated against. A swing trader penalised for holding through a Friday close. A news trader breached on a 5-minute window they were not used to. A patient trader is given 30 days when they need 60.
Alpha's five-plan structure is a deliberate response to this problem. The variety is the product.
Choosing an evaluation (also known in the wider market as a prop firm challenge) whose rules align with how you actually trade makes it easier to stay inside the parameters through the evaluation and into the Qualified Analyst phase. Passing on a plan whose rules fight your natural style often leads to friction later, even after you qualify.
This is a category where Alpha Capital publishes more plan options than FTMO, and the difference is structural rather than cosmetic.
Beyond the Evaluation: The Alpha Group Ecosystem
The second advantage is what happens after you become a Qualified Analyst.
At Alpha Capital, the firm is part of a larger group designed for the long arc of a trading career. The Alpha Group includes:
- Alpha Capital for forex and CFD prop trading.
- Alpha Futures for futures prop trading inside a separate simulated environment with its own Qualified Trader pathway.
- ACG Markets, a regulated broker. When a Qualified Analyst is ready to graduate to managing their own capital alongside the simulated programme, ACG Markets provides the broker infrastructure.
- Alpha Prime, the live capital programme for top performers. Qualified Analysts who reach key milestones become eligible for the Alpha Prime pathway, which includes elevated splits and (for selected traders) salary and access to the London trading floor.
- Divento Financials, the in-house education partner with 56 lessons and a structured curriculum.
What this means in practice: a trader who joins Alpha Capital today has a structural path forward whether they want to trade forex, expand into futures, eventually trade their own capital with a regulated broker, or be invited into the live capital programme. Every step lives under one umbrella.
FTMO's Standalone Approach
FTMO has been around since 2015 and is, by most measures, one of the most settled forex prop firms. The firm has 3.5 million customers across 140+ countries and has paid out $500 million in rewards. Those numbers are not in dispute.
The firm operates as a standalone forex prop. It has a strong Premium Programme for its top traders and a partnership with Quantlane (a quant trading firm). Both are useful. Neither is a multi-brand ecosystem in the way that Alpha Group is structured.
This means an FTMO trader who wants to expand into futures markets, work with a sister broker, or progress into a live capital programme has to find those somewhere else. With Alpha Capital, all of that is inside the same group.
This is a difference that does not show up in the headline split percentage. For traders who want to expand across asset classes or progress toward Alpha Prime, this structural difference is worth considering.
Ready to Pick the Plan That Actually Fits You?
Alpha Capital Group runs five distinct Evaluations, every one of them built for a different trading style. View evaluation plans and pick the structure that matches the way you actually trade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alpha Capital better than FTMO?
Neither is universally better. Alpha publishes more plan options; FTMO publishes a simpler two-plan line and longer operating history. Match rules to your strategy.
How many evaluation plans does Alpha Capital offer?
Five published families: Alpha One, Alpha Pro (6/8/10% variants), Alpha Swing, and Alpha Three.
Does FTMO allow weekend holds?
On the standard account, weekend holds are restricted post-evaluation unless you use FTMO's Swing account type. Verify on FTMO's Trading Objectives page.
Alpha Capital Group is a proprietary trading firm based in the United Kingdom. All accounts operate in a simulated trading environment with simulated funds unless a specific product states otherwise. Performance fees are based on eligible simulated trading results and outcomes are not guaranteed. Always confirm live rules, pricing, and eligibility on alphacapitalgroup.uk/product and help.alphacapitalgroup.uk before purchasing an evaluation.
