Buyer-first futures comparison · checked October 13, 2026
Lucid Trading vs Alpha Futures Buyer’s Scorecard
Lucid Trading and Alpha Futures both sell simulated futures accounts with end-of-day drawdowns, a 90/10 split, no activation fee on current plans and a straight-to-funded option. The biggest structural difference is billing: every Lucid account is a one-time fee, while Alpha’s Zero, Standard and Advanced evaluations rebill monthly until you pass. Alpha’s funded rules are also stricter on payout timing (5 winning days per request), news and automation, while its Advanced plan allows far larger payout requests.
| Decision point | Lucid Trading | Alpha Futures |
|---|---|---|
| Matched product | 50K LucidPro (one-day pass, no evaluation consistency rule) | 50K Alpha Zero (one-day pass, no evaluation consistency rule) |
| Entry price | $172 one-time list; $115.40 with Lucid’s published VAULT code (30% off) and the daily loss limit on | $139 per month until you pass; $83.40 for the first month with Alpha’s published ALPHA40 code (40% off Zero, valid to October 31, 2026) |
| Activation / renewal | $0 activation; no monthly rebill; reset $115 with the daily loss limit on | $0 activation; rebills monthly until you pass or cancel; reset $119 |
| Profit target / minimum days | $3,000; 1 day | $3,000; 1 day |
| Evaluation loss rules | $2,000 end-of-day trailing; optional $1,200 soft daily loss limit | $2,000 end-of-day trailing; mandatory $1,000 soft Daily Loss Guard |
| Funded drawdown | $2,000 EOD; locks at $50,100 once the balance closes above $52,100 | $2,000 EOD; locks at $50,000 once the end-of-day balance reaches $52,000; payouts do not move it |
| Funded payout gate | 40% consistency, $500 profit per cycle, balance above $52,100, any day once met | 5 winning days of $200+, under 40% consistency, up to 50% of profit, up to 4 times a month |
| Payout min / max per request | $500 / $2,000 (payout 1), then $2,500 | $200 / $1,500 |
| Funded contract limit | 4 minis from the first funded trade | Starts at 1 mini, scales to 3 as profit grows |
| News on the funded account | Allowed | No orders from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after red-folder events |
| Best fit | Traders who want one-time pricing instead of a monthly bill, a daily-payout plan (LucidDaily), NinjaTrader, Tradovate or Rithmic platforms such as Sierra Chart and Bookmap, news trading on funded accounts, fully automated strategies and a 90/10 split that continues in live. | Traders who want very large payout requests (up to $15,000 on Advanced), Treasury, Micro Bitcoin or Micro Ether futures, crypto checkout, AlphaTrader or WealthCharts, or who live in a country Lucid restricts, such as Indonesia, South Africa, Morocco or Lithuania. |
Advanced checks before paying
- If you choose Alpha, estimate how many billing months you will need to pass. A monthly evaluation that takes two months costs twice the sticker price; a Lucid evaluation costs the same however long you take.
- Check whether your platform exists at the other firm. Alpha does not offer NinjaTrader, Tradovate or Rithmic platforms, and its platform choice is locked at checkout.
- Check the news calendar rule for the funded stage you will actually trade: Alpha Zero, Standard and Direct Qualified accounts and LucidDaily restrict red-folder releases.
- Read the automation rules before running a bot: Lucid permits automated systems, Alpha bans fully automated and AI trading on every account.
- Confirm your country is not on the firm’s restricted list. The two lists differ by 51 countries and regions.
Figures are tied to the products named in each row and were read from each firm’s public pages and help centre on October 13, 2026. Coupon prices are calculated from published list prices and codes, not verified by purchase. Recheck checkout before paying.
Short answer:Lucid Trading vs Alpha Futures is mostly a choice between a one-time fee and a monthly subscription. Lucid sells four current plans (LucidPro, LucidFlex, LucidDaily and the straight-to-funded LucidDirect) for a single payment, pays 90/10 on every plan, offers daily payouts on LucidDaily, supports 12 platforms over CQG and Rithmic, allows news trading on most funded accounts and permits automated strategies. Alpha Futures sells Zero, Standard and Advanced evaluations billed monthly plus a one-time Direct account; it pays 90/10, uses end-of-day drawdown on every account, and its Advanced Qualified account allows payout requests of up to $15,000, but every evaluation-route payout needs 5 winning days of $200 or more, several funded accounts block trading around red-folder news, automation is banned and its platform list excludes NinjaTrader and Tradovate. Both firms have a 4.4 Trustpilot score. Alpha had a disrupted July 2026 after a platform partner exit and says approved payouts now arrive within five business days. Neither firm is better for everyone.
This page compares Lucid Trading and Alpha Futures plan by plan. Every number below comes from the firms’ own websites and help centres, read on October 13, 2026, and each section links to its source. Where a firm’s own pages disagree, we say so.
Checked October 13, 2026: lucidtrading.com, support.lucidtrading.com, alpha-futures.com and help.alpha-futures.com. Prices with codes are calculated from the published list price and each firm’s own published code; they were not verified by purchase.
Both firms run simulated evaluation and funded accounts. Alpha calls its funded stage “Qualified” and its payouts “performance fees”; its footer states that references to trading, revenue and profit on its site mean virtual trading. Payouts from the funded stage at both firms are paid from simulated profits under each firm’s rules, and only a small share of traders reach accounts that trade real capital. This is educational research, not financial advice.
Lucid Trading vs Alpha Futures at a glance
| Factor | Lucid Trading | Alpha Futures |
|---|---|---|
| Current plans | LucidPro, LucidFlex, LucidDaily (evaluations) and LucidDirect (straight to funded) | Zero, Standard, Advanced (one-step evaluations) and Direct (straight to Qualified) |
| Account sizes | 25K, 50K, 100K, 150K on every plan | Zero 25K–100K; Standard and Advanced 50K–150K; Direct 25K–150K |
| Fee model | One-time fee on every plan, no monthly subscription | Monthly subscription on Zero, Standard and Advanced until you pass; one-time fee on Direct |
| Activation fee | $0 | $0 on Zero, Standard and Direct, and on Advanced accounts bought after July 8, 2026 ($149 before that) |
| Simulated funded split | 90/10 on every plan | 90/10 on every plan |
| Fastest payout cadence | Daily (LucidDaily) | Up to 4 times a month, each after 5 winning days (Zero, Standard, Advanced); Direct once its profit target and 20% rule are met |
| Largest single payout (150K) | $3,500 (LucidPro and LucidDirect); LucidDaily pays all profit above the buffer | $15,000 (Advanced, every size) |
| Funded drawdown | End-of-day on Pro, Flex and Direct; intraday on LucidDaily | End-of-day on every account |
| Straight to funded | Yes, LucidDirect | Yes, Alpha Direct |
| Platforms | CQG: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView. Rithmic: Quantower, Tradesea, MotiveWave, Sierra Chart, Jigsaw, Bookmap, ATAS, R|Trader Pro, MultiCharts | AlphaTrader (web and mobile), TradingView via Plus500, WealthCharts, DeepChart by Volumetrica, Quantower |
| Automation | Automated systems and trade copiers permitted | AI, bots and full automation banned; semi-automated signals traded by hand allowed |
| Checkout payment | Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, Diners Club, Maestro; no crypto | Crypto through CoinPayments (ETH, USDT, USDC, SOL) for evaluations; card types not listed in the articles we read |
| Payout delivery | Plaid (US), WorkMarket by ADP (bank or PayPal), crypto for international traders | ACH (US), wire, SWIFT, Wise or Rise, all in US dollars |
| Inactivity rule | Deleted after 30 calendar days without a $1 net profit or loss | At least one trade every 10 trading days |
| Trustpilot (read October 13, 2026) | 4.4 from 6,869 reviews | 4.4 from 6,155 reviews |
Plan lineups and how they pair up
The two firms name their plans differently, so the useful comparison is by design. This is how the current plans line up.
| If you are looking at… | Lucid plan | Closest Alpha Futures plan | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| A one-day pass with no evaluation consistency rule | LucidPro | Zero | LucidPro is a one-time fee and pays 90/10 any day once its 40% rule and $500 goal are met, with 4 minis at 50K from day one. Zero bills monthly, adds a mandatory 2% Daily Loss Guard, and its Qualified account needs 5 winning days, a 40% rule, the 2-minute news rule and a scaling plan that starts at 1 mini. |
| A 50% evaluation consistency rule and no evaluation daily limit | LucidFlex | Standard | Flex has no funded consistency rule and pays 50% of profit up to $2,000 at 50K. Standard Qualified adds a 40% rule and a Daily Loss Guard but allows $3,000 to $5,000 per request. |
| Daily payouts | LucidDaily | None | Alpha’s simulated accounts pay at most 4 times a month. Alpha offers daily payouts only once a trader is moved to a live account. |
| A large payout cap | None (LucidDaily has no per-request cap but a maximum daily profit) | Advanced | Advanced has a $15,000 cap per request, no Qualified consistency rule, no daily guard and no news rule, but its evaluation target is more than twice the drawdown and it costs $209 to $489 a month. |
| Skip the evaluation | LucidDirect | Direct | The closest pair on this page. Both use a 20% consistency rule and a withdrawal profit target. Lucid’s rule allows a day of exactly 20%; Alpha’s fails at exactly 20%. Lucid’s drawdown is larger on 100K and 150K; Alpha’s position limit is larger on 100K. |
Lucid also has legacy products (LucidBlack and older Live and LucidMaxx structures) and an invite-only LucidMaxx programme. Alpha’s Premium plan was discontinued on July 12, 2026. Neither firm’s legacy plans are part of this comparison. For every Lucid plan side by side, see Lucid Trading accounts compared.
Prices at 25K, 50K, 100K and 150K
Both firms quote list prices and advertise their own discount codes. Lucid’s homepage shows “FOR THE BEST DEAL USE CODE: VAULT” for 30% off all four plans. Alpha’s promotions page lists ALPHA40 (40% off Zero) and ALPHA50 (50% off Standard, Advanced and Direct), valid October 6 to 31, 2026. BestProps has no codes of its own; our Lucid Trading deals and Alpha Futures deals pages track each firm’s offers.
| Lucid plan (one-time fee) | 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidPro list | $108 | $172 | $272 | $365 |
| LucidPro with VAULT, DLL on | $70.60 | $115.40 | $180.40 | $245.50 |
| LucidFlex list | $79 | $136 | $258 | $372 |
| LucidFlex with VAULT, DLL on | $50.30 | $90.20 | $170.60 | $250.40 |
| LucidDaily list (EOD / intraday evaluation) | $93 / $79 | $136 / $108 | $222 / $179 | $315 / $258 |
| LucidDaily with VAULT, DLL on (EOD / intraday) | $65.10 / $55.30 | $95.20 / $75.60 | $155.40 / $125.30 | $220.50 / $180.60 |
| LucidDirect list (straight to funded) | $329 | $515 | $700 | $836 |
| LucidDirect with VAULT | $230.30 | $360.50 | $490.00 | $585.20 |
| Alpha Futures plan | 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero evaluation, per month | $89 | $139 | $279 | Not offered |
| Zero with ALPHA40 (first month) | $53.40 | $83.40 | $167.40 | Not offered |
| Standard evaluation, per month | Not offered | $129 | $239 | $349 |
| Standard with ALPHA50 (first month) | Not offered | $64.50 | $119.50 | $174.50 |
| Advanced evaluation, per month | Not offered | $209 | $349 | $489 |
| Advanced with ALPHA50 (first month) | Not offered | $104.50 | $174.50 | $244.50 |
| Direct (one-time fee) | $349 | $519 | $689 | $859 |
| Direct with ALPHA50 | $174.50 | $259.50 | $344.50 | $429.50 |
Monthly vs one-time: what an attempt really costs
Alpha’s Zero, Standard and Advanced evaluations rebill on the same day each month until you pass or cancel. Lucid charges once, and its help centre says you can take as long as you need. The monthly model is cheaper if you pass inside the first month and dearer the longer you take.
| Scenario at 50K | Lucid Trading (LucidPro) | Alpha Futures (Zero) |
|---|---|---|
| Pass in the first billing month | $115.40 with VAULT ($172 list) | $83.40 with ALPHA40 ($139 list) |
| Pass in the second billing month, no reset | $115.40; no further charge | $83.40 + $139 rebill = $222.40, if the code does not apply to the rebill ($278 at list) |
| Fail once, buy one reset, pass | $115.40 + $115 reset = $230.40 | $83.40 + $119 reset = $202.40 if it all happens inside the first month |
| Fail, then wait for the rebill instead of buying a reset | Not applicable: no rebill, buy a reset or a new account | $83.40 + $139 = $222.40; the rebill restores the starting balance |
Resets
- Lucid resets are evaluation-only and restore the starting balance. List prices: LucidPro $75 / $120 / $190 / $255, LucidFlex $55 / $95 / $180 / $260, LucidDaily EOD $65 / $95 / $155 / $220 and intraday $55 / $75 / $125 / $180 (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K). The VAULT code does not reduce resets; the daily-loss-limit discount does, so the 50K LucidPro reset is $115. Funded accounts and LucidDirect cannot be reset. A breached evaluation is deleted after 30 days unless you reset it.
- Alpha evaluation resets cost Zero $79 / $119 / $249, Standard $109 / $199 / $289 and Advanced $189 / $319 / $449, and do not change the rebill date. If you do nothing, the next monthly rebill also returns a failed evaluation to its starting balance.
- Alpha Qualified resets are unusual: a breached Zero ($399 / $499 / $799) or Standard ($599 / $799 / $999) Qualified account can be reset up to twice, within 7 days of the breach, and only if that account has never reached a payout request. Advanced and Direct Qualified accounts cannot be reset. Lucid has no funded reset.
Profit targets, minimum days and time to get funded
Targets match at 50K ($3,000) on every evaluation except Alpha Advanced ($4,000). At other sizes Lucid’s targets are $1,250 / $6,000 / $9,000 (25K / 100K / 150K); Alpha’s are $1,500 / $6,000 on Zero 25K / 100K, $6,000 / $9,000 on Standard 100K / 150K and $8,000 / $12,000 on Advanced 100K / 150K.
| Plan (50K) | Target | Minimum days | Evaluation consistency | Evaluation daily limit | Upgrade to funded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidPro | $3,000 | 1 | None | Optional $1,200 | Real time, 5–30 minutes after the target |
| LucidFlex | $3,000 | 2 in practice (50% rule with a small cushion) | 50% | Optional $1,200 | Real time, 5–30 minutes |
| LucidDaily | $3,000 | 2 in practice | 50% | Optional $1,200 | Real time, 5–30 minutes |
| Alpha Zero | $3,000 | 1 | None | $1,000 (mandatory) | KYC, contract, then within 24 hours |
| Alpha Standard | $3,000 | 2 | 50% | None | KYC, contract, then within 24 hours |
| Alpha Advanced | $4,000 | 3 | 40% | None | KYC, contract, then within 24 hours |
| LucidDirect / Alpha Direct | No evaluation | Trade from purchase | 20% in the funded stage | Lucid $1,200 / Alpha $1,000 | Account issued after purchase |
Alpha passes are not instant: the evaluation closes when you pass, then you complete KYC through Veriff (allow up to 48 hours for review), sign the Qualified Trader contract within 30 days, and receive the Qualified account within 24 hours of those steps. Alpha recommends completing KYC during the evaluation. Lucid upgrades to a funded account 5–30 minutes after the target is hit, with KYC handled at payout when the payout provider requires it.
Drawdown rules: EOD, intraday and when they lock
Both firms trail the maximum loss limit on end-of-day balances on most plans and stop trailing once you build a cushion. Alpha says none of its accounts use an intraday trail. Lucid’s LucidDaily is the exception on either side: its funded stage trails intraday.
| Plan | Evaluation drawdown | Funded drawdown (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K) | Where it stops trailing |
|---|---|---|---|
| LucidPro / LucidFlex | EOD | EOD $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 | Starting balance + $100 once the balance closes above the initial trail balance (e.g. $50,100 after $52,100 on 50K). On Flex it also locks there as soon as you request a payout. |
| LucidDaily | EOD or intraday (chosen at checkout) | Intraday $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 | Starting balance + $100 after the trail balance is passed |
| LucidDirect | No evaluation | EOD $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,500 / $5,000 | Starting balance + $100 after $26,100 / $52,100 / $103,600 / $155,100 |
| Alpha Zero | EOD | EOD $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 (no 150K) | The starting balance, once the end-of-day balance reaches start + MLL (e.g. $50,000 after $52,000) |
| Alpha Standard | EOD | EOD $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 (50K–150K) | The starting balance |
| Alpha Advanced | EOD | EOD $1,750 / $3,500 / $5,250 (50K–150K) | The starting balance |
| Alpha Direct | No evaluation | EOD $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 | The starting balance |
Breach checks are live at Alpha. Alpha updates its MLL at the close, but a breach on floating equity or closed balance at any moment liquidates the account. Size stops to the live distance from the limit, not to yesterday’s balance.
What a payout does to the floor. At Alpha the MLL does not move after a withdrawal (“If MLL was at $49,200 before payout, it will be after as well”). On LucidFlex, requesting a payout locks the floor at the starting balance + $100 immediately. On LucidPro and LucidDaily the buffer already equals the trail balance, so the floor is locked before the first payout. In practice: withdraw $1,500 from a $53,000 Alpha Zero 50K and $1,500 of room remains above $50,000; withdraw $1,500 from a $53,000 LucidFlex 50K and $1,400 remains above $50,100.
For more firms compared on this point, see our EOD drawdown prop firm list.
Daily loss limits
- Lucid: every daily loss limit is a soft breach. On LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDaily you choose at checkout whether to have one ($1,200 / $1,800 / $2,700 at 50K / 100K / 150K); the choice cannot be changed later and turning it off costs extra. On LucidPro and LucidDirect, once the funded balance closes above the initial trail balance the fixed limit becomes LucidScale: 60% of your highest end-of-day profit, which never decreases.
- Alpha: the Daily Loss Guard is 2% of the starting balance and is mandatory where it applies: Zero evaluation and Qualified ($500 / $1,000 / $2,000), Standard Qualified ($1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000) and Direct ($500 / $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000). Standard evaluations and all Advanced accounts have none. It counts open and closed P&L plus simulated commissions, flattens positions and locks the account until 6 PM ET. Alpha lists using the guard as a stop on a maximum-size position as a prohibited “all or nothing” approach.
Consistency rules and minimum trading days
Both firms use the same formula: largest single-day profit divided by total profit in the cycle. Missing it never fails the account at either firm; you keep trading until the ratio falls back under the limit, and on funded accounts the count restarts after each payout. The wording at the limit differs, and it matters.
| Plan | Evaluation | Funded (per payout cycle) | Exactly at the limit | Other payout-day rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidPro | None | 40% | Allowed (“no more than”) | $250 / $500 / $750 / $1,000 profit goal per cycle |
| LucidFlex | 50% (with a cushion) | None | — | 5 days of at least $100 / $150 / $200 / $250 profit |
| LucidDaily | 50% (with a cushion) | None | — | Any net profit since the last payout |
| LucidDirect | No evaluation | 20% | Allowed (“no more than”) | Profit goal $1,500 / $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000, then $1,250 / $2,500 / $3,500 / $4,500 |
| Alpha Zero | None | 40% | Fails (“greater than or equal to”) | 5 winning days of $200 or more |
| Alpha Standard | 50% | 40% | Fails | 5 winning days of $200 or more |
| Alpha Advanced | 40% | None | — | 5 winning days of $200 or more |
| Alpha Direct | No evaluation | 20% | Fails | Withdrawal target $1,500 / $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000, then $1,000 / $2,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 |
Worked example, straight-to-funded 50K. Both Direct accounts need $3,000 for the first payout and a 20% rule. Five days of $600 put each day at exactly 20%: that passes Lucid’s “no more than 20%” and fails Alpha’s “greater than or equal to 20%”, so Alpha Direct needs at least six profitable days in practice, and Lucid’s card says “Min Day to Payout 5”. With a $900 best day, Lucid needs $4,500 of cycle profit and Alpha needs more than $4,500.
Worked example, 40% funded rule. On LucidPro 50K a $1,200 best day needs $3,000 in the cycle. On Alpha Zero or Standard Qualified the same day needs more than $3,000, plus 5 winning days of $200 or more. On Alpha Advanced Qualified there is no consistency rule at all, which is that plan’s main attraction. Our Lucid consistency rule guide works through every Lucid plan.
Payouts: split, cadence, minimums and caps
| Plan | Split | How often | Request size | Minimum | Maximum per request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidPro | 90/10 | Any day once gates are met | Profit above the $26,100 / $52,100 / $103,100 / $154,600 buffer | $500 | Payout 1: $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000. Payouts 2+: $1,500 / $2,500 / $3,000 / $3,500 |
| LucidFlex | 90/10 | After every 5 qualifying days | Up to 50% of profit | $500 | $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000 |
| LucidDaily | 90/10 | Daily | All profit above the buffer | $500 | No per-request cap; a $6,000 / $8,000 / $10,000 / $12,000 day triggers a move to live |
| LucidDirect | 90/10 | Any day once gates are met | Up to the cap | $500 | Payouts 1–3: $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000. Payouts 4–5: $1,000 / $2,500 / $3,000 / $3,500 |
| Alpha Zero | 90/10 | Every 5 winning days, up to 4 a month | Up to 50% of profit | $200 | $1,000 / $1,500 / $2,500 (25K–100K) |
| Alpha Standard | 90/10 | Every 5 winning days, up to 4 a month | Up to 50% of profit | $500 | $3,000 / $4,000 / $5,000 (50K–150K) |
| Alpha Advanced | 90/10 | Every 5 winning days, up to 4 a month | Up to 50% of profit | $1,000 | $15,000 on every size |
| Alpha Direct | 90/10 | Once the withdrawal target and 20% rule are met, up to 4 a month | Up to the cap | $500 | $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000 |
Alpha’s “up to 4 times a month” is a ceiling: each request needs 5 new winning days of $200 or more, so four requests need 20 winning days. Lucid’s Flex, Pro and Direct accounts enter the live review pool after payout 5; Alpha may call a trader to live after 5 performance fees on one Qualified account.
Worked payout examples at 50K
These examples assume every day-count, profit-goal and consistency rule is already met for the cycle and the balance started at $50,000.
| Plan (50K) | Profit $3,000: request | You receive | Profit $6,000: request | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidFlex | $1,500 (50% of profit) | $1,350 | $2,000 (cap) | $1,800 |
| LucidPro (payout 1) | $900 (above $52,100) | $810 | $2,000 (cap) | $1,800 |
| LucidDaily | $900 (above $52,100) | $810 | $3,900 | $3,510 |
| LucidDirect (goal $3,000 met) | $2,000 (cap) | $1,800 | $2,000 (cap) | $1,800 |
| Alpha Zero | $1,500 (50% and the cap) | $1,350 | $1,500 (cap) | $1,350 |
| Alpha Standard | $1,500 (50% of profit) | $1,350 | $3,000 (cap) | $2,700 |
| Alpha Advanced | $1,500 (50% of profit) | $1,350 | $3,000 (50% of profit) | $2,700 |
| Alpha Direct (target $3,000 met) | $2,000 (cap) | $1,800 | $2,000 (cap) | $1,800 |
What this shows: at 50K the two firms pay similar amounts on small and medium cycles. Alpha Standard and Advanced pull ahead on bigger cycles, because their caps ($3,000 at Standard 50K, $15,000 on Advanced) exceed Lucid’s $2,000 to $2,500 at 50K. LucidDaily pays all profit above the buffer every day, which no Alpha simulated account does. Advanced only reaches its $15,000 cap with $30,000 of profit in the account, because each request is limited to 50% of profit.
For how caps work across the industry, see how prop firm payout caps work. Plan-by-plan detail: Lucid Trading payouts and Alpha Futures payouts.
Payout methods and speed
- Lucid: once approved, the payout is deducted within minutes and disbursed “within 2 business days”. US traders can link a bank through Plaid; Lucid’s FAQ says Plaid transfers typically arrive within 5–15 minutes and international payouts can take up to 2 business days. WorkMarket by ADP serves US and international traders by bank or PayPal, and international traders can take BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT or USDC. Payout requests are final once submitted.
- Alpha: payouts are in US dollars by ACH (US banks), wire, SWIFT, Wise or Rise; Rise users sign an agreement before the first payment. Its September 15, 2026 update says approved payouts are paid in five business days or less and that same-day payouts are the target “in the coming weeks”. The five days start after approval, and approval time is not published. Approved payouts from the discontinued Premium plan follow a separate batch schedule.
- Both firms: trading after you request can get a payout denied if the balance drops back below the buffer or target before processing. Trade as if the money has already left the account.
We have not tested a payout at either firm; the times above are the firms’ own statements.
Moving to a live account
| Question | Lucid Trading | Alpha Futures |
|---|---|---|
| What triggers a live review | Payout 5 on Flex, Pro or Direct; the maximum daily profit on LucidDaily; large lifetime payouts; strong sim results; a previous live account | For example 5 performance fees on one Qualified account, a large lifetime total, outstanding Qualified performance, or a previous live or Alpha Prime account |
| Can you decline | You can take a cashout instead, described as 50% of the live starting balance at 90/10, within 24 hours of the email | Alpha says traders who decline its live programmes “sacrifice all relations with any branch of the Alpha Group” |
| What happens to sim accounts | All closed; one live account per funded account that had at least one payout | All Qualified accounts closed; one live account per Qualified account that had at least one payout |
| Live starting point | $0 balance, EOD drawdown $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500, no daily loss limit, daily payouts | $0 balance, EOD drawdown equal to the old MLL ($1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500), half the contract limit until the drawdown floor reaches $0, a daily loss limit of 30% of the account |
| Live split | 90/10, plus a repeatable Live Bonus of $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 after a live profit target and 20 trading days | Live Program: 80% with daily, uncapped withdrawals. Alpha Prime: 60%, plus a 12-month salary funded from 50% of existing Qualified sim profit (capped at $75,000) |
| Overnight holding live | Not allowed: hold until 4:45 PM EST (Tradovate) or 4:15 PM EST (Rithmic) | Allowed; live positions do not have to close by 4:20 PM ET |
| After losing a live account | Standard 2-week cooldown before buying a new evaluation | Up to a 3-month cooldown, shorter the longer you were live; afterwards, payout requests above $10,000 go toward funding the next live account |
The live terms are where the firms differ most. Lucid keeps 90/10 and lets you take a cashout instead of going live. Alpha’s live split falls to 80%, or 60% with a salary in Alpha Prime, and it says a trader who declines both programmes gives