Apex Trader Funding is one of the most popular futures prop firms in the industry, founded in 2021 by Darrell Martin in Austin, Texas. Known for aggressive discounts (often 80–80% off), simple one-step evaluations, and frequent "1-day pass" sales, Apex has built a massive community of over 150,000 traders across 150+ countries.
The firm focuses exclusively on futures markets — including E-mini indices, metals, energy, agriculture, and micro contracts — accessible through Rithmic, Tradovate, and WealthCharts platforms.
Apex frequently runs deep discounts — often 80–80% off the first month. Below are the current prices with the active sale applied:
| Account | Regular | With 80% OFF | Profit Target | Drawdown | Lifetime PA Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $147 | $37.4090% | $1,500 | $1,500 | $75 |
| 50K | $167 | $39.4090% | $3,000 | $2,500 | $75 |
| 75K | $187 | $18.7090% | $4,250 | $2,750 | $75 |
| 100K | $207 | $59.4090% | $6,000 | $3,000 | $75 |
| 150K | $397 | $79.4090% | $9,000 | $5,000 | $95 |
| 250K | $517 | $51.7090% | $15,000 | $6,500 | $95 |
| 300K | $657 | $65.7090% | $20,000 | $7,500 | $95 |
* Prices reflect the current 80% off sale. From the 2nd month onward, the lifetime recurring discount is typically 50% off. Reset fee: $80 (Rithmic) for all accounts.
Apex has one of the simpler rule sets among futures prop firms. A single-step evaluation with no daily loss limit during eval, and a minimum of just one trading day to pass.
Apex uses a trailing drawdown that follows your highest unrealized profit — not your end-of-day balance. If you're up $1,000 intraday and the trade reverses to breakeven, you've used $1,000 of your drawdown cushion. This is stricter than firms using EOD drawdown (Tradeify, Topstep, MFFU). Plan your risk management accordingly.
This is critical. Many traders pass the eval then lose their funded account because rules change significantly. Here's exactly what's different on a 50K Full account:
| Rule | Value |
|---|---|
| Profit Target | $3,000 |
| Trailing Threshold (Drawdown) | $2,500 |
| Drawdown Type | Trailing (real-time, from unrealized highs) |
| Daily Loss Limit | None |
| Consistency Rule | None in eval |
| Min Trading Days | 7 days (1-day pass during promos) |
| Max Contracts | 10 minis / 100 micros |
| Scaling | None in eval |
| Monthly Fee | $197/mo (80% off = $39.40) |
| Reset Fee | $80 (Rithmic) / $100 (Tradovate) |
| Rule | Evaluation | Funded (PA) |
|---|---|---|
| Drawdown Type | Trailing (real-time) | Trailing → stops at balance+$100 (safety net) |
| Consistency Rule | None | 30% — no single day >30% of total profit |
| 30% Negative P&L (MAE) | Not enforced | Active — unrealized loss can't exceed 30% of day-start profit |
| 5:1 Risk-Reward | Not enforced | Active — stop can't exceed 5x target |
| Contract Scaling | None | Half contracts until safety net reached |
| Hedging | Allowed | Prohibited (one direction only) |
| Monthly Fee | Eval subscription | $85/mo (Rithmic) or $105/mo (Tradovate) Or Lifetime: $140 (50K Rithmic) |
| Profit Split | N/A | 100% first $25K → 90/10 |
| Max Accounts | Unlimited evals | 20 PA accounts max |
| Size | Price/mo | 80% Off | Profit Target | Trailing DD | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K Full | $187 | $37.40 | $1,500 | $1,500 | 4 / 40μ |
| 50K Full | $197 | $39.40 | $3,000 | $2,500 | 10 / 100μ |
| 100K Static | $297 | $59.40 | $2,000 | $625 (static) | 2 / 20μ |
| 100K Full | $297 | $59.40 | $6,000 | $3,000 | 14 / 140μ |
| 150K Full | $397 | $79.40 | $9,000 | $5,000 | 17 / 170μ |
| 250K Full | $397 | $79.40 | $15,000 | $6,500 | 27 / 270μ |
| 300K Full | $397 | $79.40 | $20,000 | $7,500 | 35 / 350μ |
The funded account is harder than the evaluation. New rules kick in: 30% consistency, 30% negative P&L (MAE), 5:1 R:R, contract scaling, no hedging, and $85–$105/mo fees. The drawdown improves (stops trailing at safety net), but the added rules catch many traders off guard. The daily drawdown is "None" in both phases — only trailing threshold matters.
Apex's profit split is among the most generous in the industry. The 100% retention on the first $25K significantly exceeds Topstep ($10K) and most competitors. However, the 30% consistency rule on payouts means you need to distribute your profits across multiple trading days — you can't just hit one massive trade and withdraw.
First payout is available 8 business days after your first funded trade. After that, you can request payouts twice per month on the 1st and 15th.
Apex offers two primary data feed and execution options. Your choice affects available platforms, fees, and execution speed.
Most serious futures traders prefer Rithmic with NinjaTrader for advanced charting and order flow tools. Tradovate is a solid choice if you want simplicity or prefer TradingView's interface. You choose your data feed when purchasing — it cannot be changed later for that specific account.
Account stacking — running multiple funded accounts simultaneously — is one of the most powerful scaling strategies in prop trading. Apex leads the industry here by a wide margin.
Apex allows up to 20 active PA (funded) accounts per household — the highest limit in the entire futures prop firm industry. The limit applies across all platforms (Rithmic, Tradovate, WealthCharts) and includes accounts from the same person, household members, and owned LLCs. Each account is treated independently for payouts.
Stacking example: 10 × $50K PA accounts = $20,000 in withdrawals every 8 trading days ($2,000 per account). Over 16 trading days, that's potentially $40,000. This is why serious prop traders use Apex as their primary stacking firm.
Multi-firm trading: Apex has no restrictions on trading with other prop firms simultaneously. You can run Apex accounts alongside Topstep, Tradeify, MFFU, TakeProfitTrader, or any other firm. Many traders use copy trading software (Replikanto, TraderSyncer, Apex Copy Trader) to mirror trades across multiple firms for maximum exposure.
Apex prohibits hedging across accounts (going long on one, short on another). You also cannot exceed max contract limits by splitting across correlated instruments (e.g., 10 ES + 10 YM on a 10-contract max). PA accounts cost $85/month each ($105 for 250K/300K). Violations can result in account termination and forfeiture of payouts.
Apex Trader Funding delivers one of the best value propositions in the futures prop firm space. The combination of rock-bottom evaluation prices (as low as $37.40 with discounts), a simple one-step process, no daily loss limit during eval, and an industry-leading profit split makes it the go-to choice for traders who prioritize affordability and simplicity.
The trailing drawdown is the main drawback — if you're a scalper or aggressive intraday trader, the trailing mechanism can be unforgiving. Consider Tradeify or Topstep if you prefer EOD drawdown. But for swing traders, patient position traders, and anyone on a budget, Apex is hard to beat.
Apex isn't perfect for everyone. Here are the top alternatives depending on what matters most to you: