Compare
Topstep vs Apex Trader Funding
Fees from each venue's own fee page, market data from DefiLlama and CoinGecko, and the campaigns running on each right now. We don't pick a winner: what fits depends on what and where you trade.
| Type | Prop firm | Prop firm |
| Trade | Futures | Futures |
| Maker fee | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Taker fee | from $49/month (50K Trading Combine, Standard Path) | Not confirmed |
| Fee notes | Standard Path $49/$99/$199 per month for 50K/100K/150K plus a one-time $149 activation fee per Express Funded Account; No Activation Fee Path $95/$149/$229 per month. Traders keep 90% of profits. Trading commissions and exchange fees are deducted per trade; Level 2 data $38/month. | Official site blocked automated fetches (HTTP 403), so prices are unconfirmed. Apex search snippets describe a one-time evaluation fee with 30 days of access (no subscription), an activation fee after passing, and 100% of the first $25,000 of profits per account then 90%. Third-party sites quote conflicting 50K prices; verify on the site before publishing. |
| Open interest | – | – |
| Volume 24h | – | – |
| Volume 30d | – | – |
| Launched | 2012 | – |
| Regulators | – | – |
| Venue score (beta) | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Live campaigns | 0 | 0 |
| Join Topstep ↗ | Join Apex Trader Funding ↗ |
By Julian Stafford, Co-Founder, Surgence Labs · 11 Oct 2026 · 5 min read
Topstep and Apex Trader Funding both sell futures evaluations that lead to funded accounts, and both set a $3,000 profit target on a 50K account. The main split is how you pay: Topstep bills a monthly subscription until you pass, while Apex charges a one-time fee for 30 days of access with no resets. Figures are as at 12 October 2026, from each firm's own pages.
The Short Version
- Pricing: Topstep's 50K Trading Combine is $49 a month plus $149 on activation. Apex's 50K evaluation is a one-time $249 (Intraday Trail) or $590 (End of Day), plus $99 or $129 on activation, at list price.
- Drawdown: Topstep trails the end-of-day balance. Apex offers an Intraday Trail or an End of Day trail.
- Split: Topstep pays 90%. Apex pays 100% of approved payouts, up to six per account.
- Platforms: Topstep runs on its own TopstepX. Apex offers Tradovate, Rithmic and Wealthcharts.
- Status: both evaluations are simulated. Topstep has a separate live funded track.
Fees
Topstep's pricing page lists two paths, and you cannot switch after buying. The Standard Path costs $49, $99 or $199 a month for 50K, 100K or 150K, with a $149 activation fee for each Express Funded Account you earn. The No Activation Fee Path costs $95, $149 or $229 a month with nothing to pay on passing. Level 2 data is $38 a month, and commissions and exchange fees come off your balance with each fill.
Apex's evaluation fee page describes a one-time, non-refundable fee that gives 30 calendar days of access. There are no recurring charges and no resets: if you hit the drawdown or run out of time, you buy a new evaluation. After passing you have seven days to pay the Performance Account activation fee. List prices from the selector on the Apex homepage:
| Account | Topstep Standard Path | Topstep No Activation Fee Path | Apex Intraday Trail | Apex End of Day Trail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $49 a month + $149 activation | $95 a month | $249 once + $99 activation | $590 once + $129 activation |
| 100K | $99 a month + $149 activation | $149 a month | $790 once + $129 activation | $1,190 once + $129 activation |
| 150K | $199 a month + $149 activation | $229 a month | $1,190 once + $149 activation | $2,190 once + $159 activation |
Apex also sells No Activation Fee evaluations: $799 for a 50K Intraday Trail and $1,190 for a 50K End of Day.
What You Can Trade
Topstep allows CME Group futures across equity indices, currencies, energy, metals, grains, livestock, Treasuries and micro bitcoin and ether. It is a day trading program: positions must be flat by 3:10 PM CT every weekday. Trading runs on TopstepX, a browser platform with no mobile app.
Apex lists equity, currency, agricultural, energy and metal futures plus micros on its homepage, with some Eurex products on Tradovate only. See more venues on /markets/futures.
Account Sizes and Rules
Profit targets match: $3,000, $6,000 and $9,000 at 50K, 100K and 150K. Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit is $2,000, $3,000 and $4,500. It rises with your end-of-day balance, never falls, and triggers on open losses in real time. Its consistency target means no single day may exceed 55% of the profit target, or the target rises. You can pass in two days.
Apex's Intraday Trail is $2,000, $3,000 and $4,000. It follows your peak balance including unrealised profit, so a winning trade that reverses still lifts your floor. On Tradovate evaluations it trails indefinitely. The End of Day version adds a daily loss limit, $1,000 at 50K. Apex has no evaluation consistency rule and you can pass in one day.
Topstep's payout policy needs five winning days of $150 or more, then pays up to 50% of the balance, capped at $2,000 per request on a 50K Standard account. Minimum $125, split 90/10, $30 for ACH or wire. Apex's Intraday payout rules need five days of $200 or more on a 50K account, 50% consistency and a $500 minimum. Each Performance Account takes at most six payouts, rising from $1,500 to $3,000 at 50K, which is $14,500 in total before the account closes.
Campaigns and Offers
Our calendar has no live campaign for either firm. Apex's coupon page advertises code SAVENOW for up to 92% off evaluations of any size, not valid on resets or activation fees. With it, the 50K Intraday Trail showed $19.92 against $249. Apex also says Legacy accounts are back for a limited time.
Topstep gives new traders 15% off a first purchase with another trader's referral code, and promo codes cover the first month only. As a limited-time offer, it doubles payout caps for traders who add a daily loss limit at checkout. Deals we list are on /bonuses.
Who Can Use It
Topstep requires traders to be 18 or over, and US citizenship is not needed. Its eligibility page excludes countries including Russia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey and Ukraine. Traders in places such as Germany, Hong Kong and Vietnam can earn Express Funded Accounts but not Live accounts, with total payouts capped at $200,000.
Apex's restricted countries page says traders from over 100 countries can join and lists those it cannot take, including China, Cyprus, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Vietnam. Canadians can join. Its site footer says services are intended for US users, so check with Apex before buying from elsewhere.
Regulation and Record
Topstep was founded in Chicago in 2012 by Michael Patak. Its homepage footer says TopstepTrader LLC runs the simulated Combine and Express Funded Account, and TopstepFunded LLC the live funded accounts. Topstep Brokerage LLC is a registered introducing broker and NFA member, NFA ID 0567079. The footer also publishes 2025 results: 16.8% of Trading Combines passed, 33.3% of traders who reached the funded level received a payout, and 0.71% of Express Funded traders were called up to a Live account.
Apex Trader Funding Inc. was founded in 2021 and is based in Austin, Texas. Its homepage says all activity is simulated with virtual funds, payouts are discretionary, and Apex is not a broker-dealer or futures commission merchant. It changed its product line on 1 March 2026, and older Legacy accounts keep their rules and monthly billing.
The money you risk with either firm is the fees you pay, and Topstep's own figures show most evaluations end without a pass. Apex publishes no pass rate.
Which Fits Which Trader
- Topstep fits traders who want a live funded track, an end-of-day drawdown on every account and one platform, and who accept monthly billing until they pass.
- Apex fits traders who want a single fee with no renewal, a choice of platform, intraday or end-of-day drawdown, and no split on payouts, within a six-payout limit.
- Either way, read the full rules for the exact account first. Compare others on /prop-firms and /rankings/prop-firms, and see how prop firm challenges work.
This comparison is information, not financial advice. Trading carries risk, and fees and terms change: check each firm's own pages before you buy.
Questions and answers
Is Topstep or Apex Trader Funding cheaper?
It depends on how long you take to pass. Topstep's 50K Trading Combine costs $49 a month plus a $149 activation fee on the Standard Path. Apex's 50K Intraday Trail evaluation is a one-time $249 list price plus a $99 activation fee, or $590 plus $129 for End of Day. Apex was advertising up to 92% off evaluations with a coupon when we checked on 12 October 2026.
What profit split do Topstep and Apex pay?
Topstep pays a 90/10 split, so traders keep 90% of profits, according to its payout policy as at 12 October 2026. Apex says approved payouts on its new Performance Accounts are paid at 100%, but each account can receive at most six payouts, with a cap on each one, and then closes. Topstep's Live Funded Account has no dollar cap on payouts.
What is the difference between Topstep's and Apex's drawdown?
Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit trails the end-of-day balance and is checked against open losses in real time. Apex lets you choose: an Intraday Trail that follows your highest balance including unrealised profit, or an End of Day trail. At 50K both firms set the limit at $2,000. At 150K Topstep allows $4,500 and Apex $4,000, as at 12 October 2026.
Are Topstep and Apex funded accounts real money?
Mostly not. Topstep's Trading Combine and Express Funded Account are simulations, and only its Live Funded Account trades live. Apex says all its evaluation and Performance Account activity is simulated with virtual funds and that reward payouts are discretionary. With either firm, the money you put at risk is the fees you pay, and most traders do not reach a payout.