Head-to-head
Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep
A direct, side-by-side comparison of Apex Trader Funding and Topstep — 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); copy-trading setups.
Full Apex Trader Funding profile →Quick verdict
Topstep is best for
traders who prefer Evaluation-Based Funding and a Chicago, USA-based firm.
Full Topstep 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 $64 cheaper to reach a first payout than Topstep, 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+.
Topstep
estimateApprox. total
$98
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
15days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- $49
- Monthly fee
- $49/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 ($49) × 1 month added to startup cost.
- Source — eval fee: $49–$149/month (Trading Combine); monthly: Combine $49–$149; Funded $135/mo flat after first payout; first payout: 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach.
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 structural disadvantages versus the other firm based on the fields we track.
Topstep trade-offs
Lower profit split
Pays 90% versus 100% — 10 points less of every funded dollar.
Lower scaling ceiling
Scales to $150,000 vs $300,000 at Apex Trader Funding — caps long-term capital growth.
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 $300,000.
- Copy & algo traders
Copy trading is permitted.
| Attribute | Apex Trader Funding Evaluation Based · est. 2008 | Topstep Evaluation Based · est. 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Evaluation fee | $17–$300/month (frequent 80–90% off promos) | $49–$149/month (Trading Combine) |
| Monthly fee | Eval $17–$300; PA option one-time $130 or $85/mo | Combine $49–$149; Funded $135/mo flat after first payout |
| Evaluation required | Yes | Yes |
| Instant funding | No | No |
| Capital | ||
| Profit split | 100% | 90% |
| Max allocation | $300,000 | $150,000 |
| Account sizes | $25K, $50K, $75K, $100K, $150K, $250K, $300K | $50K, $100K, $150K |
| Scaling | Stack up to 20 funded accounts; copy trade across all with Trade Copier. | Scale via larger Combine accounts; no automatic in-account scaling. Up to 5 funded accounts. |
| Payouts | ||
| Frequency | Bi-weekly (up to 2 per month, every 8 days) | Weekly (after 5 profitable days) |
| First payout | 8 days after first PA trade, 5 winning days $50+ | 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach |
| Assets | ||
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Stocks | No | No |
| Options | No | No |
| Forex | No | No |
| Crypto | No | No |
| Trading rules | ||
| News trading | Yes | Yes |
| Overnight holding | No | No |
| Weekend holding | No | No |
| Copy trading | Yes | No |
| Technology | ||
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower | TSTrader, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower, Tradovate |
| Data feed | Rithmic / Tradovate (CME real-time) | CME Group (real-time included) |
| Company | ||
| Headquarters | Austin, USA | Chicago, USA |
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 Topstep?
- Apex Trader Funding pays 100%; Topstep 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 Topstep?
- Apex Trader Funding: evaluation from $17–$300/month (frequent 80–90% off promos). Topstep: evaluation from $49–$149/month (Trading Combine).
- Which pays out faster — Apex Trader Funding or Topstep?
- Apex Trader Funding payouts: Bi-weekly (up to 2 per month, every 8 days). Topstep payouts: Weekly (after 5 profitable days). First-payout eligibility: Apex Trader Funding — 8 days after first PA trade, 5 winning days $50+; Topstep — 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach.
- What's the maximum allocation at Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep?
- Apex Trader Funding scales up to $300,000. Topstep scales up to $150,000.
- Can I trade news at Apex Trader Funding or Topstep?
- Apex Trader Funding: permits news trading. Topstep: permits news trading.
- Can I hold positions overnight at Apex Trader Funding or Topstep?
- Apex Trader Funding: does not allow overnight holds. Topstep: does not allow overnight holds.
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