Pick Topstep if you want an end-of-day drawdown, a published pass rate (16.8% of 2025 Combines) and, at US banks that support real-time payments, an instant transfer once a payout is approved. Pick Apex if you want a 100% split and will accept six payouts per funded account before it closes. I read both firms' help centers on 8 October 2026 and didn't buy an account at either.
Apex vs Topstep at a glance
Both firms trade futures only. The numbers are for a 50K account. Apex sells two versions, so it gets two columns.
| Topstep 50K Combine | Apex 50K Intraday Trail | Apex 50K EOD Trail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing | $49 a month until you pass or cancel | $249 once, 30 days of access | $590 once, 30 days of access |
| Activation fee | $149, or $0 on the $95-a-month plan | $99 | $129 |
| Reset | The monthly price again | None. You rebuy | None. You rebuy |
| Profit target | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Max loss | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Drawdown type | End-of-day trailing | Intraday trailing | End-of-day trailing |
| Daily loss limit | Optional, $1,000 | None in the evaluation | $1,000, pauses the day |
| Minimum days | 2 in practice | None | None |
| Consistency, evaluation | Best day at or below 55% of profit | None | None |
| Consistency, funded | Only on the Consistency payout path, 40% | 50%, per payout | 50%, per payout |
| Profit split | 90% | 100% | 100% |
| Days per payout | 5 winning days of $150+ | 5 days of $200+ | 5 days of $250+ |
| Payout cap | 50% of balance, up to $2,000 | $1,500 rising to $3,000 | $1,500 rising to $3,000 |
| Payouts per account | No limit found | 6, then the account closes | 6, then the account closes |
| Funded accounts at once | 5 | 20 | 20 |
| Platforms | TopstepX, Quantower | Rithmic, Tradovate, WealthCharts | Rithmic, Tradovate, WealthCharts |
| Pay with | Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, Apple Pay, Google Wallet | Visa, Mastercard, Discover | Visa, Mastercard, Discover |
| Pass rate published | Yes | None found | None found |
Topstep's figures are from its Combine parameters, pricing and payout policy articles. Apex's are from its evaluation and payout pages, and its prices from the product list on its homepage. The full Apex rule set by size is in Apex Trader Funding rules.
If a comparison you read elsewhere says Apex bills monthly or pays 100% of the first $25,000, it describes Apex's legacy accounts, which it replaced on 1 March 2026 and has since put back on sale for a limited time. A page that says Apex has no consistency rule is wrong for both: it was 30% on legacy accounts and is 50% on the current ones. Topstep's old "100% of the first $10,000" only applies to traders who joined its new dashboard before 12 January 2026.
What a 50K account costs
List prices on 8 October 2026. The sums are mine.
| Scenario | Topstep Standard | Topstep, no activation fee | Apex Intraday | Apex EOD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass on the first attempt | $198 | $95 | $348 | $719 |
| Two fails, pass on the third | $296 | $285 | $846 | $1,899 |
Three things change these totals.
- Topstep is a subscription. These sums assume every attempt happens inside the first month. A second month costs another $49 or $95, and brings one free reset credit with it.
- Apex's coupon. The code SAVENOW took up to 92% off evaluations when I checked, with an end date of 13 October 2026, and it never applies to activation. At 92% off, my arithmetic puts the three-attempt Intraday total at $158.76 and the EOD total at $270.60. I didn't reach checkout, so I can't confirm either.
- Refunds. Topstep returns up to one monthly payment within 14 days of your first Combine if you haven't passed. Apex refunds nothing.
At list price Topstep is cheaper in every scenario. With the 92% coupon, my arithmetic puts Apex Intraday below Topstep Standard in both scenarios, $118.92 against $198 and $158.76 against $296. Against Topstep's no-activation plan it only wins after two fails, since a first-attempt pass there costs $95. I don't know whether the code works on repeat purchases. You can rerun this with any number of failed attempts in the prop firm calculator.
100K and 150K accounts
| Topstep 100K | Apex 100K Intraday | Apex 100K EOD | Topstep 150K | Apex 150K Intraday | Apex 150K EOD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $99 a month | $790 | $1,190 | $199 a month | $1,190 | $2,190 |
| Activation | $149 | $129 | $129 | $149 | $149 | $159 |
| Pass first time | $248 | $919 | $1,319 | $348 | $1,339 | $2,349 |
| Profit target | $6,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 |
| Max loss | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| Contracts in the evaluation | 10 minis | 8 minis | 8 minis | 15 minis | 12 minis | 12 minis |
| Payout cap | $3,000 per request | $18,500 over six | $18,000 over six | $5,000 per request | $21,500 over six | $20,500 over six |
The "pass first time" row is my sum of the price and the activation fee. The price gap widens with size. An Apex 150K EOD evaluation costs about eleven times a month of Topstep's 150K Combine.
Drawdown rules
Both firms give a 50K account $2,000 of room. What differs is when the floor moves.
Topstep's Combine is end-of-day trailing. Its limited Labs drops have used static floors, and I couldn't confirm that one is on sale. The Maximum Loss Limit rises with your closing balance and locks at the starting balance, so on a 50K it stops at $50,000 once a closing balance reaches $52,000. Topstep still checks it in real time, open trades included, and "makes no exceptions" (Maximum Loss Limit).
Apex Intraday Trail follows your real-time peak, open profit included. A trade that runs up $1,300 and comes back to flat has moved the threshold up $1,300. That is the version with the $249 price.
Apex EOD Trail works like Topstep's and recalculates at 4:59:59 p.m. ET. It costs $590, more than twice the Intraday price.
So the like-for-like comparison is Topstep at $49 a month against Apex EOD at $590. The cheap Apex account has the harsher drawdown.
The lock points differ too. Topstep's floor locks at the starting balance. Apex's funded-account threshold stops at the starting balance plus $100. In an Apex evaluation on Tradovate it never stops trailing (EOD drawdown).
Evaluation rules
Time. Topstep has no time limit. You pay each month until you pass or cancel. Apex gives you 30 calendar days, ending at 6:00 p.m. ET on day 30 with no extensions.
Consistency. Topstep's best day must stay at or below 55% of total profit, or the target rises to best day ÷ 0.55. In practice that makes two trading days the fastest pass (consistency). Two other Topstep pages say "below" 55%. The formula is the same on all three. Apex has no consistency rule in the evaluation and no minimum days, so you can pass in one.
| Topstep Combine | Topstep Consistency payout path | Apex funded account | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threshold | Best day at or below 55% of total profit | Best day at or below 40% of net profit | Best day under 50% of net profit since the last payout |
| Applies | In the evaluation | On the funded account, only if you chose this path | On the funded account, every payout |
| If you miss it | The profit target rises | No payout yet | The payout button is blocked |
| Fails the account | No | No | No |
Position size. Topstep allows 5 minis on a 50K Combine. Apex allows 6.
Daily loss. Topstep's is optional. You choose it at checkout and can't change it later, and hitting it flattens you until 5 p.m. CT without failing the account. Apex Intraday has none in the evaluation. Apex EOD has $1,000, which pauses the day.
After a fail. A Topstep reset costs the monthly price and pushes the rebill date out 30 days. Apex sells no resets on its current accounts.
Funded account rules
Topstep calls its funded account the Express Funded Account. Apex calls its one the Performance Account. Both are simulated.
| Topstep Express | Apex Performance Account | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting balance | $0, with the floor at minus $2,000 | $50,000 |
| Daily loss limit | Only if you chose one at checkout | Tiered, open losses included: $1,000 on a 50K until $3,000 in profit |
| Contracts | A scaling plan tied to the balance | 2 on a 50K, then 3 at $1,500 in profit and 4 at $3,000 |
| Inactivity | May close after more than 30 days without trading | Two days of $50+ net profit in every rolling 30 days, or it closes |
| Automation | An API through ProjectX at $29 a month, on simulated accounts | Bots and algorithms prohibited |
| Daily close | Flat by 3:10 p.m. CT | Flat before the 4:59 p.m. ET close |
| After the first payout | The loss floor is set to $0, so the remaining balance is all the room you have | The $52,100 safety net stays for the life of the account |
| Move to live | At Topstep's discretion. 0.71% of Express traders in 2025 | At Apex's discretion. The simulated balance becomes a "Bonus Vault" that isn't cash |
Topstep's rows are from its Express account parameters and API access articles. Apex's are from its daily loss limit, prohibited activities and inactivity pages.
Apex also requires a stop on every trade and bans using the whole drawdown as that stop. Topstep bans trading maximum size into scheduled major news, and blocks new opening trades in index and metals minis for five minutes either side of a CPI release.
Payout rules
What triggers a payout. Both ask for five days. Topstep's Standard path needs five winning days of $150 or more. Apex needs five qualifying days of $200 or more on Intraday and $250 on EOD. Apex adds two gates. Your largest day must be under 50% of net profit since the last payout, and your balance must sit above a safety net of $52,100. With its $500 minimum, an Apex 50K needs $52,600 before you can request anything.
Take $2,000 of profit on each, which is my example. At Topstep the Express balance is $2,000, a request can take half of it, and you keep 90%, so $900 reaches you. At Apex the balance is $52,000, which is under the $52,100 safety net, so nothing is payable. An Apex 50K needs $2,600 of profit before the first $500 request. You can run your own days through both sets of rules in the prop firm calculator.
Topstep has a second route. On the Consistency path you need three trading days with your best day at 40% or less of net profit, and the cap per request is higher.
How much per request.
| Topstep Standard | Topstep Consistency | Apex Intraday | Apex EOD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | $125 | $125 | $500 | $500 |
| Cap on a 50K | 50% of balance, up to $2,000 | 50% of balance, up to $3,000 | $1,500, $2,000, $2,500, $2,500, $3,000, $3,000 | $1,500, $1,500, $2,000, $2,500, $2,500, $3,000 |
| Your share | 90% | 90% | 100% | 100% |
| Limit per account | None found in the payout policy | None found in the payout policy | $14,500 over six payouts | $13,000 over six payouts |
Topstep doubles its caps if you added a daily loss limit when you bought the Combine. Its payout policy has labelled that "Limited Time" since 2 June 2026 with no end date.
The Apex totals are my sums of its six caps. After the sixth approved payout the account closes, whatever it has earned. I found no such limit in Topstep's payout policy. An Apex 50K account ends at $14,500 on Intraday or $13,000 on EOD, and you start again with a new evaluation.
How fast. Topstep says approval takes 1–3 business days, then the method's own time. For US traders, Aeropay is instant after approval at banks that support real-time payments, with no Topstep fee. ACH takes 1–3 business days and costs $30. Apex says "most users receive payouts within 5–11 business days total" (payout methods). I found no payout fee on any Apex page. Neither firm pays in crypto.
None of these times is measured. They are what each firm publishes.
Canada and other countries
Both take Canadian residents. Topstep pays Canadians through Wise in 1–3 business days with no Topstep fee. Apex pays through Plane to a bank in your declared country of residence, and Canadians can't open a live Tradovate account with it.
Apex lists 87 restricted countries. Topstep's list is shorter and includes Russia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. Both ban VPNs.
What each firm tells you about your odds
Topstep prints its results in the footer of its site. In 2025, 16.8% of Combines were passed, 51.8% of the people who tried got funded at least once, and 33.3% of funded traders received a payout (disclosures).
Apex published a pass rate of 43.13% for January to September 2023 (archived homepage), and I found none on any page I read this month. That figure counted customers, so set it against Topstep's 51.8%, not its 16.8%. Apex does run a public payout ledger with masked names.
Both firms' pages contradict themselves in places. Topstep gives its all-time payout total as $1.4B+ on one page and $1.5B+ on another. Apex's "How it works" page still advertises the pre-2026 split and "No Total Cap on Maximum Payouts". I compared every published rate in prop firm pass rates.
Which to pick
Pick Topstep if you let trades run and give some back, since its floor only moves at the close. It also suits you if you want an account with no payout-count limit that I could find, an instant transfer after approval at a US bank that supports real-time payments, or the cheapest start at list price.
Pick Apex if you want to keep 100% of each payout, run many accounts at once, or pass in a single day. Buy the EOD version if intraday trailing would stop you out, and price it against Topstep, not against the $249 headline.
Skip both if you trade forex or CFDs. Neither offers them. FTMO does, and I compared it with Topstep in FTMO vs Topstep.
In my comparison of four prop firms I rated Topstep 4.3 out of 5 and Apex 3.5, on a published rubric. The largest part of the gap is payout reality, where Apex has the six-payout limit and the slower payouts. Rule fairness, cost at list price and disclosure, where Topstep publishes its funnel, make up the rest.
See Topstep's current prices → · See Apex's current prices →
Disclosure: both links go through il.ly/go/ redirects to each firm's own site. Neither carries a referral code today. If I join an affiliate program, the link will, and I may earn a commission.
Apex vs Topstep FAQ
Is Apex or Topstep cheaper?
At list price, Topstep. A first-attempt pass on a 50K costs $198 at Topstep and $348 on Apex Intraday. Apex becomes cheaper when a large coupon is running, because the coupon cuts the evaluation price. I saw no Topstep sale on 8 October.
Which has the easier drawdown?
Topstep's, against the standard Apex account. Topstep's floor moves once a day from the closing balance. Apex Intraday moves it on every new high, open profit included. Apex's EOD account matches Topstep's rule and costs $590.
Does Apex or Topstep pay out faster?
By their own published numbers, Topstep. It states 1–3 business days of approval, then an instant Aeropay transfer for US banks that support it. Apex states 5–11 business days in total. Neither figure is a measurement.
How many accounts can I hold at each?
Topstep allows 5 Express accounts and Apex allows 20 Performance Accounts per household. Both ban opposite positions across their own accounts. Neither firm's pages that I read say whether an account at another firm counts.
Can I reset a failed account?
At Topstep, yes. A reset costs the monthly price again, $49 on a 50K Standard Combine. Apex sells no resets on its current accounts, so a failed or expired evaluation is a new purchase.
Which platforms do they use?
Topstep runs on its own TopstepX platform and on Quantower. Apex runs on Rithmic, Tradovate and WealthCharts, and you can't move an account between them later.
Does Topstep have a consistency rule like Apex?
A different one. Topstep's 55% rule applies in the Combine and raises your profit target if your best day is too large. Apex's 50% rule applies only to the funded account and blocks a payout until the ratio drops.
