Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep
Rule-by-rule comparison from each firm's own website, last verified . The marked figure is the stronger one on that line.
Quick take
- Cheaper entry: Topstep ($49 vs $167).
- Higher headline split: Apex Trader Funding (100%).
- Faster payout cycle: Apex Trader Funding (Weekly).
- Higher Trustpilot rating: Apex Trader Funding (4.2).
- Overall PA Score: Apex Trader Funding 6.5 vs Topstep 6.4.
Apex Trader Funding stronger on 4Topstep stronger on 4of 9 lines where both publish a comparable figure
| Apex Trader Funding6.5 PA Score | Topstep6.4 PA Score | |
|---|---|---|
| PA Score | 6.5 (stronger figure) | 6.4 |
| Trustpilot | 4.221,430 (stronger figure) | 3.714,989 |
| Founded | Not published | 2012 (stronger figure) |
| HQ | Austin, TX (mailing address) | Chicago, IL |
| Markets | Futures, Indices, Commodities (stronger figure) | Futures |
| Challenge types | 1-step | 1-step |
| Entry fee from | $167 | $49 (stronger figure) |
| Cost per $1K allocation | $4.98 | $0.98 (stronger figure) |
| Largest account | $150K | $150K |
| Profit target | 6% | 6% |
| Daily loss limit | none (Intraday); $500-$2K (EOD) | optional (automatic in Live Funded) |
| Max drawdown | $1,000-$4,000 | $2,000-$4,500 |
| Drawdown type | intraday trailing or EOD trailing | EOD trailing (locks at starting balance) |
| Profit split | 100% (stronger figure) | 90% |
| Leverage | Not published | Not published |
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, WealthCharts | TopstepX |
| Payout frequency | every 5 qualifying trading days (up to weekly) | after 5 winning days $150+ (Standard) or 3 days w/ 40% consistency (Consistency path) |
| First payout (days) | 5 | 3 (stronger figure) |
| Min trading days | 0 | 2 |
| Consistency rule | 50% (PA payouts); none in eval | 55% best-day rule in Combine; 40% on XFA Consistency path |
| News trading | Not published | Not published |
| Weekend holding | Not published | Not published |
| Discount code | 90% off all evals (time-limited banner) | Not published |
| Visit site (opens Apex Trader Funding in a new tab) | Visit site (opens Topstep in a new tab) |
Not published means we could not find the figure on the firm's own site. Sources are listed on each firm page.