Apex Trader Funding at a glance
An established prop trading firm, reviewed by the Tradelytic team and rated by traders.
Industry Dominance and Funding Structure
Darrell Martin founded Apex Trader Funding in 2021. Today, the firm dominates the retail futures prop space with hundreds of millions paid out to traders across the globe. Apex provides simulated capital access from $25,000 up to $300,000. Traders can trade popular CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX contracts like the E-mini S&P 500 (ES), Nasdaq (NQ), Crude Oil (CL), and Gold (GC). Evaluation models operate on a simple 1-Step qualification with no maximum time limits, allowing traders to pass in as little as one trading day.
Execution Infrastructure and Payout Terms
Traders can connect through Rithmic or Tradovate data engines to trade via NinjaTrader 8, Tradovate web, and TradingView. The firm lets clients choose between an Intraday Trailing Drawdown or an End-of-Day (EOD) Drawdown during checkout. Traders keep 100% of approved payouts across their Performance Accounts (PAs). In addition, users can operate up to 20 simultaneous funded accounts using trade copiers to scale size efficiently.
Our verdict
The Tradelytic editorial assessment — independent of any commercial relationship.
Apex Trader Funding remains an industry giant in futures prop trading due to its aggressive discounts, 1-step pass structure, and 100% profit split on approved withdrawals. Allowing traders to hold up to 20 Performance Accounts simultaneously makes it a premier destination for multi-account trade copiers. Furthermore, giving traders a choice between real-time intraday trailing and End-of-Day (EOD) drawdown models eliminates the forced trailing penalty that previously caught swing-style intraday runners.
However, traders must carefully respect strict post-evaluation rules. Positions must close daily before 4:59 PM EST with zero overnight holding permitted. At withdrawal, Apex enforces a 50% Consistency Rule (no single day can make up 50% or more of net profits) and requires a minimum of 5 qualifying profit days per payout cycle. Additionally, traders must reach a specific safety net buffer above starting capital before payouts unlock.
Our take: Apex Trader Funding is an unmatched value for disciplined futures day traders who leverage trade copiers and want to keep 100% of their approved profits.
Pros & cons
The honest summary, weighed from our testing and trader feedback.
- 100% profit split on all approved Performance Account payouts
- Option to choose between real-time Intraday trailing or End-of-Day (EOD) drawdown
- Fast 1-Step evaluation that can be passed in just 1 trading day
- Manage up to 20 concurrent Performance Accounts under one household
- Full support for trade copiers across multiple connected accounts
- News trading during major high-impact economic releases is allowed
- Free NinjaTrader 8 license key included with active subscriptions
- Wide asset selection covering CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX, and Eurex futures
- 50% Consistency Rule required when requesting payouts from funded accounts
- Strict daily market close rule requiring all positions flat by 4:59 PM EST
- Standard accounts cap lifetime withdrawals at 6 payouts per Performance Account
- One-time Performance Account activation fee applies upon passing evaluation
- No CFD, spot Forex, or direct crypto token trading
Who it's for
Here's how to tell if this prop firm is right for you.
- Trade CME equity indices (NQ, ES, YM, RTY) or commodities (CL, GC)
- Use trade copiers to manage and scale position sizing across up to 20 funded accounts
- Prefer End-of-Day (EOD) drawdown calculations that ignore intraday equity swings
- Want to keep 100% of your earnings on approved withdrawals
- Use NinjaTrader, Tradovate, or TradingView interfaces
- Swing trade futures contracts and need to hold positions overnight or over weekends
- Rely on one giant outlier trading day to withdraw profits (due to the 50% consistency rule)
- Trade spot Forex currency pairs or crypto CFDs rather than regulated futures contracts
- Dislike paying one-time activation fees once you pass an evaluation
Fees & platforms
What it costs to trade, and what you'll trade on.
Apex Trader Funding provides a streamlined evaluation path built specifically for active futures day traders. With no recurring time pressure, a 1-day minimum pass requirement, and the option to choose between Intraday and End-of-Day drawdown tracking, the firm offers a highly flexible qualification system. Below is a detailed breakdown of Apex's account tiers, risk mechanics, payout parameters, and software ecosystem
Evaluation Tiers & Pricing
Apex Trader Funding offers 1-Step Qualification evaluations across several account sizes: – $25,000 Account: Carries a $1,500 profit target and a $1,500 drawdown limit. Traders can trade up to 4 standard contracts or 40 micro contracts. – $50,000 Account: Sets a $3,000 profit target with a $2,500 drawdown threshold. The position limit allows up to 10 standard contracts or 100 micro contracts. – $100,000 Account: Features a $6,000 profit target paired with a $3,000 drawdown cushion. Traders can hold up to 14 standard contracts or 140 micro contracts. – $150,000 Account: Requires a $9,000 profit target alongside a $5,000 drawdown buffer. Allows up to 17 standard contracts or 170 micro contracts. – $250,000 Account: Demands a $15,000 profit target with a $6,500 drawdown limit. Traders can execute up to 27 standard contracts or 270 micro contracts. – $300,000 Account: Features a $20,000 profit target with a $7,500 drawdown buffer and a maximum volume of 35 standard contracts or 350 micro contracts.
Drawdown & Risk Rules
Traders can select their preferred drawdown framework at signup: – Intraday Trailing Drawdown: Trails open equity in real time as high watermarks are hit during active trades. Trailing stops once the trailing floor reaches initial balance plus $100. – End-of-Day (EOD) Drawdown: Calculates and moves only at daily market close based on closed session balance, protecting traders from intraday floating retracements.
Profit Split & Scaling
Traders keep 100% of all approved profit payouts from Performance Accounts with zero profit deduction applied. To scale capital, Apex allows traders to operate up to 20 active Performance Accounts per household, which can be linked to a trade copier to execute identical positions across all accounts.
Payout Policy
Payout requests are open twice per month during scheduled windows. Each payout requires a minimum of 5 qualifying trading days (where minimum daily profit targets are achieved). Accounts must also surpass a designated minimum safety net balance before payout requests are processed. Payouts are paid via ACH direct deposit, international wire, or cryptocurrency.
Trading Rules & Restrictions
Core operational rules include: – Time Limits: Unlimited (no deadlines to complete evaluations). – Minimum Days: 1 day minimum to pass an evaluation. – Market Close: All trades and orders must be flattened daily by 4:59 PM EST. – News Trading: Fully permitted across all evaluation and funded stages. – 50% Consistency Rule: Applies when requesting withdrawals from Performance Accounts; no single trading day can make up 50% or more of net accumulated profits.
Platform & Execution
Apex supports NinjaTrader 8, Tradovate, TradingView, R | Trader Pro, and Quantower. Data connectivity is handled via Rithmic or direct Tradovate credentials, providing full Level 2 depth-of-market (DOM) access.