Head-to-head
Apex Trader Funding vs FTMO
A direct, side-by-side comparison of Apex Trader Funding and FTMO — profit splits, evaluation fees, payout cadence, supported assets, and trading rules. Data pulled live from our firm directory.
Quick verdict
Apex Trader Funding is best for
traders prioritizing profit share (100% vs 90%); scaling toward larger allocations (up to $300,000).
Full Apex Trader Funding profile →Cost to first payout
Cost to first payout
What it actually costs to reach payout — a normalized estimate built from each firm's lowest published evaluation cost, monthly fees, and first-payout window. Estimates, not guarantees. Each card shows the assumptions used.
Apex Trader Funding
estimateApprox. total
$34
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
18days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- $17
- Monthly fee
- $17/mo
How we estimated this
- Evaluation path: lowest published one-time evaluation fee.
- Adds ~10 calendar days for evaluation completion (most firms require ≥5 minimum trading days).
- Monthly fee ($17) × 1 month added to startup cost.
- Source — eval fee: $17–$300/month (frequent 80–90% off promos); monthly: Eval $17–$300; PA option one-time $130 or $85/mo; first payout: 8 days after first PA trade, 5 winning days $50+.
FTMO
estimateApprox. total
—
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
17days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- —
- Monthly fee
- None
How we estimated this
- Adds ~10 calendar days for evaluation completion (most firms require ≥5 minimum trading days).
- Source — eval fee: €89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass); monthly: No monthly fee — one-time challenge cost; first payout: First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request.
Trade-offs
Where each firm is weaker
No firm wins on every axis. These are the most meaningful drawbacks of each option — derived from the same structured fields shown in the table, never invented.
Apex Trader Funding trade-offs
No overnight holds
Closes positions intraday. FTMO allows overnight holds.
FTMO trade-offs
Lower profit split
Pays 90% versus 100% — 10 points less of every funded dollar.
Lower scaling ceiling
Scales to $200,000 vs $300,000 at Apex Trader Funding — caps long-term capital growth.
Decision guide
Best for your trader type
- Highest profit share
100% vs 90%
- Biggest scaling ceiling
Up to $300,000.
- Swing & overnight
Permits holding positions overnight.
| Attribute | Apex Trader Funding Evaluation Based · est. 2008 | FTMO Evaluation Based · est. 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Evaluation fee | $17–$300/month (frequent 80–90% off promos) | €89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass) |
| Monthly fee | Eval $17–$300; PA option one-time $130 or $85/mo | No monthly fee — one-time challenge cost |
| Evaluation required | Yes | Yes |
| Instant funding | No | No |
| Capital | ||
| Profit split | 100% | 90% |
| Max allocation | $300,000 | $200,000 |
| Account sizes | $25K, $50K, $75K, $100K, $150K, $250K, $300K | $10K, $25K, $50K, $100K, $200K (USD/EUR/GBP/CZK) |
| Scaling | Stack up to 20 funded accounts; copy trade across all with Trade Copier. | Scaling Plan: +25% balance every 4 months at 10%+ profit over 2 of 4 months. |
| Payouts | ||
| Frequency | Bi-weekly (up to 2 per month, every 8 days) | On-demand (default 14 days, weekly available) |
| First payout | 8 days after first PA trade, 5 winning days $50+ | First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request |
| Assets | ||
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Stocks | No | Yes |
| Options | No | No |
| Forex | No | Yes |
| Crypto | No | Yes |
| Trading rules | ||
| News trading | Yes | Yes |
| Overnight holding | No | Yes |
| Weekend holding | No | Yes |
| Copy trading | Yes | Yes |
| Technology | ||
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXtrade |
| Data feed | Rithmic / Tradovate (CME real-time) | Purple Trading / Spotware |
| Company | ||
| Headquarters | Austin, USA | Prague, Czech Republic |
About Apex Trader Funding
Futures-focused funded trader program using NinjaTrader and Rithmic. Popular for low-cost evaluations and frequent discount promotions.
Full Apex Trader Funding profile →Trust & stability
Reputation and rule-change activity
Two added decision signals: a weighted reputation score from independent review sources, and a 90-day view of structural rule-change activity where monitored sources are available.
Reputation
canonical- Sources used
- 1
- Confidence
- medium
Weighted blend of independent trader-review sources. See methodology.
Rule Stability
last 90d- Last change
- —
- Type
- —
- Sources monitored
- —
- Status
- No changes detected in monitored sources
Weekly diff of the firm's published rule pages (terms, rules, FAQ, legal). "No changes detected" only means none of the monitored monitored sources changed — other surfaces (Discord, email, dashboards) are not covered. "Limited" or "unavailable" means our monitor cannot reach enough sources to make an honest call.
Reputation
canonical- Sources used
- 1
- Confidence
- medium
Weighted blend of independent trader-review sources. See methodology.
Rule Stability
last 90d- Last change
- —
- Type
- —
- Sources monitored
- —
- Status
- No changes detected in monitored sources
Weekly diff of the firm's published rule pages (terms, rules, FAQ, legal). "No changes detected" only means none of the monitored monitored sources changed — other surfaces (Discord, email, dashboards) are not covered. "Limited" or "unavailable" means our monitor cannot reach enough sources to make an honest call.
Frequently asked
Common questions
- Which has a higher profit split — Apex Trader Funding or FTMO?
- Apex Trader Funding pays 100%; FTMO pays 90% of trader profits once funded. Apex Trader Funding pays a higher share to the trader.
- Is Apex Trader Funding cheaper to start than FTMO?
- Apex Trader Funding: evaluation from $17–$300/month (frequent 80–90% off promos). FTMO: evaluation from €89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass).
- Which pays out faster — Apex Trader Funding or FTMO?
- Apex Trader Funding payouts: Bi-weekly (up to 2 per month, every 8 days). FTMO payouts: On-demand (default 14 days, weekly available). First-payout eligibility: Apex Trader Funding — 8 days after first PA trade, 5 winning days $50+; FTMO — First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request.
- What's the maximum allocation at Apex Trader Funding vs FTMO?
- Apex Trader Funding scales up to $300,000. FTMO scales up to $200,000.
- Can I trade news at Apex Trader Funding or FTMO?
- Apex Trader Funding: permits news trading. FTMO: permits news trading.
- Can I hold positions overnight at Apex Trader Funding or FTMO?
- Apex Trader Funding: does not allow overnight holds. FTMO: allows overnight holds.
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