Apex wins for most futures traders in April 2026. The EOD trailing drawdown option is more forgiving than Topstep's trailing Max Loss Limit. Apex's 100% profit split on the first $10K beats Topstep's new 90/10 split for post-January 2026 signups. Apex evaluations are now one-time payments with no recurring billing, while Topstep still charges monthly. Topstep wins if you value brand reputation and longevity above all else, or if you were grandfathered into the old 100% split before January 12, 2026. For a three-way comparison including MyFundedFutures, see the Apex vs Topstep vs MFFU breakdown.
Both Apex and Topstep made major rule changes in early 2026. Apex launched an entirely new product structure on March 1, replacing the legacy recurring-billing model with one-time evaluation payments and giving traders a choice between EOD and Intraday trailing drawdown. Topstep changed its profit split for new members on January 12, moving from 100% of the first $10K to a flat 90/10 split. These changes fundamentally shift the comparison between the two firms.
Most comparison articles still online are based on pre-2026 rules. This page uses the April 2026 rule set for both firms. If you are reading a comparison written before March 2026, the information about Apex is outdated. For the full individual rule breakdowns, see Apex Trader Funding Rules 2026 and Topstep Combine Rules 2026.
| Category | Apex Trader Funding | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation model | One-time payment, 30-day access | Monthly subscription until cancelled |
| 50K eval price (list) | ~$165 one-time | ~$165/month recurring |
| 50K eval price (on sale) | $33–$50 (80–90% off frequent) | $50–$82 (50–70% off) |
| Profit target (50K) | $3,000 (6% of balance) | $3,000 |
| Drawdown type | Choice: EOD or Intraday trailing | Trailing MLL (real-time during session) |
| Daily loss limit (eval) | EOD: Yes ($1,000 on 50K). Intraday: No | Yes (varies by account) |
| Min trading days (eval) | None — pass in 1 day | None (removed in 2025) |
| Consistency rule (eval) | None during eval | None during Combine |
| Consistency rule (funded) | 50% rule (no single day > 50% of profit) | 40% target on EFA Consistency variant |
| Profit split | 100% first $10K, then 90/10 | 90/10 flat (post-Jan 12, 2026 signups) |
| Payout frequency | Weekly (after 5 qualifying days) | Bi-weekly windows (1st–5th, 15th–20th) |
| Max funded accounts | Up to 20 simultaneously | Multiple (no published hard cap) |
| Bracket orders | Mandatory (enforced at platform level) | Not mandatory |
| Metals trading | Suspended (gold, silver, copper) | Permitted |
| Platforms | NinjaTrader, Tradovate, WealthCharts | NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, others |
| Founded | 2021 | 2012 |
| Trade copier friendly | Yes — up to 20 accounts | Yes |
Drawdown is where most traders fail their evaluations, so understanding how each firm handles it is the single most important factor in choosing between them.
As of March 2026, Apex lets you pick between EOD and Intraday trailing drawdown when you purchase your evaluation. This choice is permanent for that evaluation and cannot be changed later.
EOD trailing drawdown recalculates your drawdown floor once per day at 4:59 PM ET based on your closing balance. During the next trading session, the new threshold is enforced in real time. The key advantage is that intraday swings in unrealized P&L do not ratchet up your drawdown floor. If you are up $2,000 mid-session but close the day at +$500, your floor only moves based on the $500 close. EOD accounts also include a Daily Loss Limit that pauses trading for the day if hit but does not fail the account.
Intraday trailing drawdown tracks your peak balance in real time, including unrealized gains. If your trade goes up $1,000 before pulling back to breakeven, your floor has already permanently moved up by $1,000. This is the legacy mechanic that ended most Apex accounts before the 2026 changes. It remains available for traders who prefer the more aggressive structure.
Topstep uses a trailing Max Loss Limit that updates during the session based on your realized P&L. The MLL trails upward as your account balance increases but never moves back down. Topstep also enforces a Daily Loss Limit on all accounts. The MLL is less aggressive than Apex's Intraday trail because it does not include unrealized gains in the calculation, but it is stricter than Apex's EOD model because it updates during the trading day rather than only at market close.
Topstep's drawdown sits between Apex EOD (most forgiving) and Apex Intraday (most aggressive). For traders who find Apex EOD too lenient and Apex Intraday too punishing, Topstep's MLL offers a middle ground.
This is where Apex pulled ahead in 2026. Apex pays 100% of the first $10,000 in profits per funded account, then switches to a 90/10 split. For traders running multiple smaller accounts through a copier, this is extremely favorable because each account gets its own $10K bracket at 100%.
Topstep changed to a flat 90/10 split for all new traders who joined after January 12, 2026. If you have a Topstep account from before that date, you keep the old 100% first $10K structure. For anyone signing up new in April 2026, Apex has the better economics on profit splits.
Apex requires 5 qualifying trading days before each payout. A qualifying day must meet a minimum daily profit threshold that varies by account size — $250 for a 50K EOD account, $200 for a 50K Intraday account. Payouts are processed weekly with a six-step ladder that caps withdrawal amounts per payout. After 6 payouts, the funded account closes and you need a new evaluation.
Topstep processes payouts in bi-weekly windows. The structure is less ladder-capped than Apex but requires meeting profit and consistency thresholds. Topstep does not have a hard cap on the number of payouts from a single funded account, which is an advantage for traders who want to run one account long-term rather than cycling through evaluations.
Apex is better for traders running multiple accounts and cycling them for maximum extraction. Topstep is better for traders who want to build one account over time without a hard payout cap. Your trading style determines which matters more.
Both firms have similar list prices for 50K evaluations, typically in the $150–$165 range. The difference is in billing structure and promotional discounts.
Apex moved to one-time payments in March 2026. You pay once, get 30 calendar days to pass, and the evaluation expires automatically. No recurring charges. During sales (which run frequently), Apex drops prices by 80–90%, bringing a 50K evaluation to $33–$50. Over the course of a year, the cost of multiple attempts at Apex during sales is often lower than paying Topstep's recurring monthly fee.
Topstep uses monthly subscriptions that continue until you cancel. If you pass quickly, you pay for one month and cancel. If you take three months, you have paid three times the list price. Topstep runs sales of 50–70% off, bringing the monthly cost down but still on a recurring basis.
Bottom line on cost: if you are likely to need multiple attempts, Apex's one-time payment model during sales is cheaper. If you are confident you will pass within one month, Topstep's subscription during a sale can be competitive.
Both firms support NinjaTrader and Tradovate, which are the two platforms most futures prop firm traders use. Topstep has a slight edge in platform diversity by also supporting TradingView natively, which Apex supports through Tradovate connectivity but not as a direct option.
For trade copier users, Apex is the clear winner. Apex explicitly supports up to 20 funded accounts running simultaneously, making it the most copier-friendly prop firm in futures trading. A NinjaTrader-based copier can replicate trades from a single lead account to up to 20 Apex follower accounts, with each account independently earning its own 100% first-$10K profit split. This is the primary reason multi-account traders gravitate toward Apex.
Topstep also allows trade copiers and multiple funded accounts, but does not emphasize the workflow to the same degree and does not publish a specific account cap.
Topstep has been around since 2012 and is the longest-running futures prop firm. That longevity carries real weight. Topstep has survived multiple market cycles, paid out consistently for over a decade, and has a track record that no newer firm can match purely on time in market.
Apex launched in 2021 and grew rapidly to become the largest futures prop firm by active trader count. Apex has paid out over $378 million since launch and has the most active community across Discord, YouTube, and Reddit. However, Apex has also faced more frequent criticism around policy changes announced with limited notice, particularly the March 2026 restructuring that caught some legacy traders off guard.
Both firms have strong Trustpilot ratings. Apex sits at 4.4 out of 5 with over 18,000 reviews. Topstep has maintained a solid reputation with fewer but consistently positive reviews.
Topstep wins on longevity and stability. Apex wins on community size and payout volume. Neither firm has a credibility problem, but if brand trust is your primary criterion, Topstep's 14-year track record is hard to beat.
Yes, and many serious prop firm traders do exactly this. Running evaluations and funded accounts at both Apex and Topstep simultaneously diversifies your exposure across firms. If one firm changes rules or has an operational issue, your other accounts are unaffected.
With a trade copier, you can send the same trades from a single NinjaTrader lead account to follower accounts at both firms. Each firm's funded accounts follow their own rules independently. The copier handles the execution replication while you focus on trading your lead account.
This dual-firm approach is especially powerful during evaluation phases. Buy a discounted Apex EOD evaluation and a discounted Topstep Combine at the same time. Trade your strategy once. If it works, you pass both. If it fails one but passes the other, you still come out ahead.