DayTraders.com vs Apex Trader Funding

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: DayTraders.com ($40 vs $167).
  • Faster payout cycle: Apex Trader Funding (Weekly).
  • Higher Trustpilot rating: DayTraders.com (4.6).
  • Overall PA Score: DayTraders.com 7.4 vs Apex Trader Funding 6.8.

DayTraders.com stronger on 5Apex Trader Funding stronger on 2of 8 lines where both publish a comparable figure

DayTraders.com compared with Apex Trader Funding
DayTraders.com7.4 PA ScoreApex Trader Funding6.8 PA Score
PA Score7.4 (stronger figure)6.8
Trustpilot4.6517 (stronger figure)4.221,430
Founded20232021 (stronger figure)
HQLas Vegas, NV, United StatesAustin, TX (mailing address)
MarketsFuturesFutures, Indices, Commodities (stronger figure)
Challenge types1-step, instant1-step
Entry fee from$40 (stronger figure)$167
Cost per $1K allocation$0.47 (stronger figure)$4.98
Largest account$300K (stronger figure)$150K
Profit target$1,500-$15,0006%
Daily loss limit$800-$3,250 (EOD); none on Trail/Staticnone (Intraday); $500-$2K (EOD)
Max drawdown$750-$7,000$1,000-$4,000
Drawdown typeEOD trailing, intraday trailing or static (chosen at checkout)intraday trailing or EOD trailing
Profit split100% on sim-funded accounts; 80% on live (S2L)100%
LeverageNot publishedNot published
PlatformsRithmic, R|Trader Pro, Onyx, Quantower, MotiveWave, ATAS, Bookmap, Finamark, JigsawRithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, WealthCharts
Payout frequencyPer payout cycle of Qualifying Days (evaluations' Pro accounts); S2F every 10 Qualifying Days; S2L live: daily. Requests from $500 in $50 stepsevery 5 qualifying trading days (up to weekly)
First payout (days)Not published5
Min trading days20
Consistency ruleEOD/Trail/Static: 50% in evaluation, 30% per Pro payout cycle; S2F 20%; S2L evaluation 25%50% (PA payouts); none in eval
News tradingAllowedNot published
Weekend holdingAllowedNot published
Discount codeNot published90% off all evals (Intraday, EOD, Legacy, any size)
Visit site (opens DayTraders.com in a new tab)Visit site (opens Apex Trader Funding 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.

Which should you choose?

DayTraders.com scores 7.4/10 and Apex Trader Funding 6.8/10, a clear but not huge gap. Both are futures prop firms, so the rule differences below are like for like. Which one is better depends on how you trade, so here is who each firm suits, based only on what they publish.

Pick DayTraders.com if

  • you want the cheaper way in ($40 vs $167 for the smallest account)
  • you care about cost per $1K of account ($0.47 vs $4.98)
  • you prefer a static drawdown floor (Apex Trader Funding uses intraday trailing or EOD trailing)
  • you trade high-impact news
  • you hold positions over the weekend
  • you do not want an evaluation deadline

Pick Apex Trader Funding if

  • you want a faster payout cycle (weekly)
  • you need Tradovate, NinjaTrader and WealthCharts
  • review volume matters to you (21,430 Trustpilot reviews vs 517)

Price at each account size

Cheapest program each firm sells at the sizes both offer.

AccountDayTraders.comApex Trader Funding
$25K$40$167
$50K$50$249
$100K$75$790
$150K$90$1.2K

Payouts

DayTraders.com: Per payout cycle of Qualifying Days (evaluations' Pro accounts); S2F every 10 Qualifying Days; S2L live: daily. Requests from $500 in $50 steps. Methods: Plane (payout method set up in dashboard), DT Wallet credit.

Apex Trader Funding: every 5 qualifying trading days (up to weekly). First payout after 5 days.

Firm-reported payout totals are the firms' own figures. We have not audited them.

Rule changes

DateFirmFieldWasNow
Apex Trader FundingDiscount codeOffersSAVENOW (90% off all evals (time-limited banner))SAVENOW (90% off all evals (Intraday, EOD, Legacy, any size))

Legit check

Track record, review volume, payout terms and restrictions for each firm, on one page each: Is DayTraders.com legit? · Is Apex Trader Funding legit?

FAQ

Which is cheaper, DayTraders.com or Apex Trader Funding?

Smallest published entry fee: DayTraders.com $40, Apex Trader Funding $167. Cheapest per $1K of account: DayTraders.com $0.47, Apex Trader Funding $4.98.

Which pays out faster, DayTraders.com or Apex Trader Funding?

DayTraders.com: Per payout cycle of Qualifying Days (evaluations' Pro accounts); S2F every 10 Qualifying Days; S2L live: daily. Requests from $500 in $50 steps. Apex Trader Funding: every 5 qualifying trading days (up to weekly).

Which has the higher profit split?

DayTraders.com: 100% on sim-funded accounts; 80% on live (S2L); Apex Trader Funding: 100%. Headline splits often need scaling or an add-on.

Which is better for beginners, DayTraders.com or Apex Trader Funding?

On our six-point beginner checklist DayTraders.com meets 3 and Apex Trader Funding meets 0. The checklist is explained on the best prop firms for beginners page.

Are DayTraders.com and Apex Trader Funding legit?

Both publish their rules and are listed with sources. See the evidence pages: propanalyse.com/firms/daytraders/legit/ and propanalyse.com/firms/apex-trader-funding/legit/.