As a beginner into the trading business, I'm always scared of putting my money into altcoins but I do hear some people talk about how they make profits altcoins...
You need to understand that if you have a small capital, then it does not make sense for you to invest, since this is a long-term process during which you will be able to increase your capital. In this case, the best solution would be to trade altcoins, which are more volatile and can give a profit in the short term. But in any case, you need knowledge in order not to lose your money.
Trading altcoins will only be profitable if you also go for good and reputable altcoins. Otherwise, you will fall for those too good to be true altcoins and left you losing in the end. So definitely, whether you trade in altcoins or bitcoin, the risk is always there. But if you have enough capital, then chose to trade on bitcoin since it will most likely to give you good profits at the end of the day.