Apex is the largest futures prop firm with up to 20 accounts, one-time evaluation fees, and 100% profit on the first $25K. Tradeify is a newer firm with three account families (Select, Growth, Lightning), $0 activation fees, and EOD trailing drawdown across all plans. Apex wins on account scaling and brand reliability. Tradeify wins on total evaluation cost and funded-phase flexibility. Both support NinjaTrader.
Apex Trader Funding and Tradeify are two of the most discussed futures prop firms in 2026. Apex is the veteran with the largest community and the most aggressive promotional discounts. Tradeify is the newer challenger with three distinct account families, $0 activation fees, and a built-in trading journal. Below is a complete side-by-side comparison.
| Category | Apex Trader Funding | Tradeify |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2021 (Austin, TX) | 2024 (Florida, US) |
| Trustpilot | 4.4/5 (18,000+ reviews) | 4.6/5 (2,500+ reviews) |
| Evaluation type | One-step | One-step (Select or Growth) + Lightning instant funding |
| 50K eval cost | ~$167–$207 one-time | ~$159/mo (Select) or ~$97/mo (Growth) |
| Profit target (50K) | $3,000 (6%) | $3,000 (Select) / $2,500 (Growth) |
| Max drawdown (50K) | $2,500 (trailing) | $2,000 (trailing EOD) |
| Daily loss limit | Yes (EOD accounts only) | Yes (Growth only) / No (Select) |
| Min trading days | 1 (eval), 5 qualifying for payout | 3 (Select) / 1 (Growth) |
| Drawdown type | Intraday trailing OR EOD (choice at purchase) | EOD trailing (all plans) |
| Consistency (eval) | None | 40% (Select) / None (Growth) |
| Consistency (funded) | 50% | 0% (Select Flex) / 35% (Growth) |
| Profit split | 100% on first $25K, then 90/10 | 90/10 (sim funded) / 80/20 (live) |
| Payout frequency | Up to 2x/month | Every 5 days (Flex) or daily |
| Activation fee | $79–$99 | $0 |
| Max accounts | Up to 20 | Up to 5 funded |
| Platforms | NinjaTrader, TradingView, Tradovate | NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradeSea, WealthCharts |
| Copier allowed | Yes (bracket orders mandatory) | Yes (no HFT bots) |
| Built-in journal | No | Yes (dashboard 3.0) |
Apex switched to one-time evaluation fees in March 2026 — no more recurring monthly billing on new accounts. A 50K evaluation costs roughly $167 on Rithmic or $207 on Tradovate at full price, though Apex regularly runs 70–90% off promotions that drop it to under $50. Once you pass, activation costs $79 (intraday) or $99 (EOD).
Tradeify charges a monthly subscription for evaluations. A 50K Select evaluation is roughly $159/month, and Growth is $97/month. Both see frequent promotional discounts of 30–40% off. The key cost difference: Tradeify charges $0 activation fee. Over a two-month timeline, Tradeify's total out-of-pocket is lower.
| Cost (50K account) | Apex (Rithmic) | Tradeify Select |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation fee | ~$167 one-time | ~$159/month |
| Activation fee | $79–$99 | $0 |
| Total (pass in 1 month) | ~$246–$306 | ~$159 |
At Apex's typical 80% off, a 50K evaluation drops to roughly $33. At Tradeify's 40% off, a 50K Select drops to roughly $95. Always check for active discount codes before purchasing either firm.
Apex lets you choose at purchase: intraday trailing drawdown (updates in real time as equity reaches new highs) or end-of-day trailing (updates only at session close). EOD accounts also have a daily loss limit. The intraday option is harder because a temporary open profit raises your drawdown floor even if you close flat.
Tradeify uses EOD trailing drawdown across all account families. This is a meaningful advantage for traders who need intraday room to manage positions. There is no intraday option — everyone gets EOD.
Apex funded rules: 50% consistency rule (no single day exceeds 50% of total profit), 5 qualifying days needed for first payout, six-step payout ladder with increasing caps, mandatory bracket orders, DCA prohibited. Profit split is 100% on the first $25K, then 90/10. Payouts processed through Deel, up to twice per month.
Tradeify funded rules (Select Flex): No consistency rule in the funded phase, $0 activation, payouts every 5 winning days, minimum $1,000 payout, 90/10 profit split on sim funded. Growth funded accounts have a 35% consistency rule. All paths lead to Tradeify Elite live accounts after meeting progression criteria.
| Funded Rule | Apex (PA) | Tradeify (Select Flex) |
|---|---|---|
| Consistency rule | 50% | None |
| Profit split | 100% first $25K, then 90/10 | 90/10 (sim) / 80/20 (live) |
| Payout frequency | Up to 2x/month | Every 5 winning days |
| Bracket orders required | Yes | No |
| DCA allowed | No | Yes |
| Activation fee | $79–$99 | $0 |
Apex allows up to 20 accounts per trader — four times Tradeify's 5-account limit. For traders running a trade copier across many prop accounts simultaneously, Apex's capacity is unmatched. The trade-off: Tradeify's $0 activation fee means 5 accounts cost nothing beyond evaluation fees, while 5 Apex activations cost $395–$495.
Many traders run accounts at both Apex and Tradeify simultaneously. A local NinjaTrader copier like Tradecovex copies one lead account to followers at both firms — every trade logged and analyzed by the AI journal across all accounts.
Apex's 20-account limit is the highest in the industry. No other major firm comes close for copier traders managing many simultaneous accounts.
Founded 2021, 18,000+ Trustpilot reviews, $378M+ paid out. Apex has the longest modern track record among futures prop firms.
100% profit on the first $25K is the most generous initial split in the industry. No other firm matches it.
$0 activation fee, cheaper monthly evaluations at promotional pricing, and no recurring billing pressure on Growth evaluations.
EOD drawdown across all plans means no risk of an open profit raising your drawdown floor mid-session. Maximum intraday flexibility.
Select Flex has no consistency rule in the funded phase. One big day does not ruin your payout eligibility.
There is no universally better firm. Apex wins on account capacity (20 vs 5), brand trust, and the 100% initial profit split. Tradeify wins on total evaluation cost, EOD drawdown consistency, $0 activation, and funded-phase flexibility with no consistency rule on Select Flex.
If you run a copier managing 10 or more accounts, Apex's scaling capacity is the deciding factor. If you run 1–5 accounts and want the lowest total cost with the fewest funded-phase restrictions, Tradeify's Select Flex is the stronger package. Many traders run both. A local NinjaTrader trade copier replicates your lead account across both firms simultaneously.