Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep
Apex Trader Funding sells 2 evaluations (Intraday Trail Eval and EOD Trail Eval); Topstep sells 1 evaluation (Trading Combine). Below, their drawdowns, consistency rules, daily loss limits, list prices and payout requirements side by side, plan by plan, read from each firm's own help center.
There's no single winner: the same trading can pass one firm's rules and fail the other's. The pass rate calculator runs your numbers against both.
Full Apex Trader Funding rules · Full Topstep rules · Firms change these rules often, so check each source before you buy.
At a glance
| Apex Trader Funding | Topstep | |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluations | Intraday Trail Eval and EOD Trail Eval | Trading Combine |
| Straight to funded (no evaluation) | None | None |
| Account sizes | 25K, 50K, 100K and 150K | 50K, 100K and 150K |
| Evaluation drawdown |
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| Consistency to pass |
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| Evaluation daily loss limit |
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| 50K evaluation list price |
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| Payout consistency (funded) |
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List prices are from each firm's website as of September 25, 2026; firms discount often. "Not listed" means the price or fee isn't in the published price list we track, not that there isn't one.
Every evaluation, by account size
| Firm | Plan | Size | List price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Trails | Stops trailing at | Daily loss limit | Consistency | Max minis / micros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Trader Funding | Intraday Trail Eval | 25K | $167 one-time, activation $59 | $1,500 | $1,000 | Intraday | Never | — | — | 4 / 40 |
| Apex Trader Funding | Intraday Trail Eval | 50K | $249 one-time, activation $59 | $3,000 | $2,000 | Intraday | Never | — | — | 6 / 60 |
| Apex Trader Funding | Intraday Trail Eval | 100K | $790 one-time, activation $59 | $6,000 | $3,000 | Intraday | Never | — | — | 8 / 80 |
| Apex Trader Funding | Intraday Trail Eval | 150K | $1,190 one-time, activation $59 | $9,000 | $4,000 | Intraday | Never | — | — | 12 / 120 |
| Apex Trader Funding | EOD Trail Eval | 25K | $490 one-time, activation $90 | $1,500 | $1,000 | End of day | Never | $500 | — | 4 / 40 |
| Apex Trader Funding | EOD Trail Eval | 50K | $590 one-time, activation $90 | $3,000 | $2,000 | End of day | Never | $1,000 | — | 6 / 60 |
| Apex Trader Funding | EOD Trail Eval | 100K | $1,190 one-time, activation $90 | $6,000 | $3,000 | End of day | Never | $1,500 | — | 8 / 80 |
| Apex Trader Funding | EOD Trail Eval | 150K | $2,190 one-time, activation $90 | $9,000 | $4,000 | End of day | Never | $2,000 | — | 12 / 120 |
| Topstep | Trading Combine | 50K | $49 a month, activation $149 | $3,000 | $2,000 | End of day | $50,000 (start) | $1,000 | 55% to pass | 5 / 50 |
| Topstep | Trading Combine | 100K | $99 a month, activation $149 | $6,000 | $3,000 | End of day | $100,000 (start) | $2,000 | 55% to pass | 10 / 100 |
| Topstep | Trading Combine | 150K | $199 a month, activation $149 | $9,000 | $4,500 | End of day | $150,000 (start) | $3,000 | 55% to pass | 15 / 150 |
Apex Trader Funding plans in detail
The drawdown trails your highest balance during the day, including open profit, and never stops trailing.
| Size | Profit target | Max drawdown | Stops trailing at | Daily loss limit | Consistency | Max minis / micros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $1,500 | $1,000 | Never | — | — | 4 / 40 |
| 50K | $3,000 | $2,000 | Never | — | — | 6 / 60 |
| 100K | $6,000 | $3,000 | Never | — | — | 8 / 80 |
| 150K | $9,000 | $4,000 | Never | — | — | 12 / 120 |
- 30 days of access from purchase.
- The one-time $59 activation fee applies to the standard option; a No Activation Fee version sells for $690 / $799 / $999 / $1,890 (by size).
- Flat by 4:59 PM ET.
The drawdown trails your highest end-of-day balance, and never stops trailing.
| Size | Profit target | Max drawdown | Stops trailing at | Daily loss limit | Consistency | Max minis / micros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $1,500 | $1,000 | Never | $500 | — | 4 / 40 |
| 50K | $3,000 | $2,000 | Never | $1,000 | — | 6 / 60 |
| 100K | $6,000 | $3,000 | Never | $1,500 | — | 8 / 80 |
| 150K | $9,000 | $4,000 | Never | $2,000 | — | 12 / 120 |
- 30 days of access from purchase.
- The one-time $90 activation fee applies to the standard option; a No Activation Fee version sells for $1,090 / $1,190 / $1,590 / $2,490 (by size).
- Flat by 4:59 PM ET.
The drawdown trails your highest balance during the day, including open profit, and stops at $100 above the starting balance.
| Size | Max drawdown | Stops trailing at | Daily loss limit | Consistency | Max minis / micros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $1,000 | $25,100 | $500 | 50% for payouts | — |
| 50K | $2,000 | $50,100 | $1,000 | 50% for payouts | — |
| 100K | $3,000 | $100,100 | $1,750 | 50% for payouts | — |
| 150K | $4,000 | $150,100 | $2,500 | 50% for payouts | — |
- The daily loss limit and contract limit rise in tiers as your profit grows (and can step back down).
- Consistency applies to payouts only: no day may be 50% or more of profit since your last payout.
- Inactivity rules apply.
- Flat by 4:59 PM ET.
- Balance at least $1,100 / $2,100 / $3,100 / $4,100 (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K) above the starting balance before a payout.
- 5 days with at least $100 / $200 / $250 / $300 (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K) profit since the last payout.
- Payout consistency: best day at most 50% of the profit since the last payout.
- Up to 6 payouts per account.
The drawdown trails your highest end-of-day balance, and stops at $100 above the starting balance.
| Size | Max drawdown | Stops trailing at | Daily loss limit | Consistency | Max minis / micros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $1,000 | $25,100 | $500 | 50% for payouts | — |
| 50K | $2,000 | $50,100 | $1,000 | 50% for payouts | — |
| 100K | $3,000 | $100,100 | $1,750 | 50% for payouts | — |
| 150K | $4,000 | $150,100 | $2,500 | 50% for payouts | — |
- The daily loss limit and contract limit rise in tiers as your profit grows (and can step back down).
- Consistency applies to payouts only: no day may be 50% or more of profit since your last payout.
- Inactivity rules apply.
- Flat by 4:59 PM ET.
- Balance at least $1,100 / $2,100 / $3,100 / $4,100 (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K) above the starting balance before a payout.
- 5 days with at least $100 / $250 / $300 / $350 (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K) profit since the last payout.
- Payout consistency: best day at most 50% of the profit since the last payout.
- Up to 6 payouts per account.
Topstep plans in detail
The drawdown trails your highest end-of-day balance, and stops once it reaches the starting balance.
| Size | Profit target | Max drawdown | Stops trailing at | Daily loss limit | Consistency | Max minis / micros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $3,000 | $2,000 | $50,000 (start) | $1,000 | 55% to pass | 5 / 50 |
| 100K | $6,000 | $3,000 | $100,000 (start) | $2,000 | 55% to pass | 10 / 100 |
| 150K | $9,000 | $4,500 | $150,000 (start) | $3,000 | 55% to pass | 15 / 150 |
- The daily loss limit is optional and depends on how you bought the Combine.
- If your best day goes over 55% of total profit, Topstep raises your target instead of failing you.
- Flat by 3:10 PM CT. No overnight positions.
The drawdown trails your highest end-of-day balance, and stops once it reaches the starting balance of $0. Taking a payout moves it straight to that level.
| Size | Starting balance | Max drawdown | Stops trailing at | Daily loss limit | Consistency | Max minis / micros |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $0 | $2,000 | $0 (start) | $1,000 | — | — |
| 100K | $0 | $3,000 | $0 (start) | $2,000 | — | — |
| 150K | $0 | $4,500 | $0 (start) | $3,000 | — | — |
- Express Funded balances start at $0, with the loss limit below zero until it locks at $0.
- After your first payout the loss limit moves to $0 wherever it was.
- A scaling plan limits your contracts by account balance.
- The daily loss limit is optional.
- Flat by 3:10 PM CT.
- Either path qualifies: standard path (5 days with at least $150 profit), or consistency path (at least 3 trading days, best day at most 40% of the cycle's profit).
Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep: common questions
Is Apex Trader Funding or Topstep cheaper?
At 50K, list prices are: Apex Trader Funding: Intraday Trail Eval $249 one-time, activation $59; EOD Trail Eval $590 one-time, activation $90. Topstep: Trading Combine $49 a month, activation $149. Both firms discount often, and what it really costs to get funded depends on how many attempts you need (and, for plans billed monthly, how many months each attempt takes), so compare with your own pass rate in the evaluation cost calculator.
Do Apex Trader Funding and Topstep have a consistency rule?
Apex Trader Funding: Intraday Trail Eval, no consistency rule to pass; EOD Trail Eval, no consistency rule to pass; Intraday PA, best day at most 50% of profit for payouts; EOD PA, best day at most 50% of profit for payouts. Topstep: Trading Combine, best day at most 55% of total profit to pass; Express Funded, 40% on one payout path; another path has none.
Do Apex Trader Funding and Topstep use an end-of-day drawdown?
Apex Trader Funding: Intraday Trail Eval, trails intraday, never stops trailing; EOD Trail Eval, trails end of day, never stops trailing. Topstep: Trading Combine, trails end of day, stops at the starting balance. Funded account rules are in each plan's details on this page.
Do Apex Trader Funding and Topstep have a daily loss limit?
Apex Trader Funding: Intraday Trail Eval, no daily loss limit; EOD Trail Eval, $500 / $1,000 / $1,500 / $2,000 (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K); hitting it ends trading for the day without failing the account. Topstep: Trading Combine, $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 (50K / 100K / 150K), depending on how you buy the account. Funded account rules are in each plan's details on this page.
Can you skip the evaluation at Apex Trader Funding or Topstep?
Apex Trader Funding doesn't sell a straight-to-funded account in the plans we track. Topstep doesn't sell a straight-to-funded account in the plans we track.
Would your trading pass Apex Trader Funding or Topstep?
TradeHarbor replays your own trades against every plan at both firms, then tracks your drawdown, daily limit, consistency and payout requirements as you trade.
Get early access Start freeTradeHarbor is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any firm listed here. Firm and plan names are trademarks of their owners. This page summarizes rules the firms publish, for comparison only; it may be incomplete or out of date, and each firm's own current rules always govern. Nothing here is investment, financial, or trading advice.