Head-to-head
Apex Trader Funding vs Top Tier Trader
A direct, side-by-side comparison of Apex Trader Funding and Top Tier Trader — 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%); copy-trading setups.
Full Apex Trader Funding profile →Quick verdict
Top Tier Trader is best for
scaling toward larger allocations (up to $400,000); swing traders holding overnight.
Full Top Tier Trader 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 is roughly $25 cheaper to reach a first payout than Top Tier Trader, based on published fees alone.
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+.
Top Tier Trader
estimateApprox. total
$59
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
24days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- $59
- Monthly fee
- None
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).
- Firm advertises no monthly fee.
- Source — eval fee: $59–$1,099 one-time; monthly: No monthly fee; first payout: 14 days after first funded trade.
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
Lower scaling ceiling
Scales to $300,000 vs $400,000 at Top Tier Trader — caps long-term capital growth.
No overnight holds
Closes positions intraday. Top Tier Trader allows overnight holds.
Top Tier Trader trade-offs
Lower profit split
Pays 90% versus 100% — 10 points less of every funded dollar.
No copy trading
Forbids copy / algo bridges. Apex Trader Funding permits them.
Decision guide
Best for your trader type
- Highest profit share
100% vs 90%
- Biggest scaling ceiling
Up to $400,000.
- Swing & overnight
Permits holding positions overnight.
- Copy & algo traders
Copy trading is permitted.
| Attribute | Apex Trader Funding Evaluation Based · est. 2008 | Top Tier Trader Evaluation Based · est. 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Evaluation fee | $17–$300/month (frequent 80–90% off promos) | $59–$1,099 one-time |
| Monthly fee | Eval $17–$300; PA option one-time $130 or $85/mo | No monthly fee |
| Evaluation required | Yes | Yes |
| Instant funding | No | No |
| Capital | ||
| Profit split | 100% | 90% |
| Max allocation | $300,000 | $400,000 |
| Account sizes | $25K, $50K, $75K, $100K, $150K, $250K, $300K | $10K, $25K, $50K, $100K, $200K (futures + FX) |
| Scaling | Stack up to 20 funded accounts; copy trade across all with Trade Copier. | 25% scale every 4 months at 10%+ profit. |
| Payouts | ||
| Frequency | Bi-weekly (up to 2 per month, every 8 days) | Bi-weekly |
| First payout | 8 days after first PA trade, 5 winning days $50+ | 14 days after first funded trade |
| 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 | No |
| Technology | ||
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, DXtrade, NinjaTrader, Rithmic |
| Data feed | Rithmic / Tradovate (CME real-time) | Multiple (FX brokers + Rithmic) |
| Company | ||
| Headquarters | Austin, USA | Toronto, Canada |
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 →About Top Tier Trader
Canadian evaluation prop firm with 1-step, 2-step and instant funding programs.
Full Top Tier Trader 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 Top Tier Trader?
- Apex Trader Funding pays 100%; Top Tier Trader 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 Top Tier Trader?
- Apex Trader Funding: evaluation from $17–$300/month (frequent 80–90% off promos). Top Tier Trader: evaluation from $59–$1,099 one-time.
- Which pays out faster — Apex Trader Funding or Top Tier Trader?
- Apex Trader Funding payouts: Bi-weekly (up to 2 per month, every 8 days). Top Tier Trader payouts: Bi-weekly. First-payout eligibility: Apex Trader Funding — 8 days after first PA trade, 5 winning days $50+; Top Tier Trader — 14 days after first funded trade.
- What's the maximum allocation at Apex Trader Funding vs Top Tier Trader?
- Apex Trader Funding scales up to $300,000. Top Tier Trader scales up to $400,000.
- Can I trade news at Apex Trader Funding or Top Tier Trader?
- Apex Trader Funding: permits news trading. Top Tier Trader: permits news trading.
- Can I hold positions overnight at Apex Trader Funding or Top Tier Trader?
- Apex Trader Funding: does not allow overnight holds. Top Tier Trader: allows overnight holds.
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