The biggest scale play in futures prop trading. Maximum capital, maximum accounts, maximum complexity.
TL;DRApex Trader Funding is the largest futures prop firm by volume, with the widest range of account sizes ($25K-$300K) and up to 20 simultaneous accounts. 100% of your first $25K in profits. Underwent a major rules overhaul in March 2026. Frequent 50-80% off sales make evaluations very affordable, but the funded rules have become more complex.
Apex Trader Funding was founded in 2021 by Darrell Martin in Austin, Texas. It has grown into one of the most searched and highest-traffic prop firms in the world, with over 4 million monthly website visitors and reported payouts exceeding $700 million.
Apex built its early reputation on simple rules and aggressive promotions. Sales of 50-80% off are common and widely promoted through affiliate channels and social media. At these discounted prices, a $50K evaluation can cost as little as $35 per month, making it one of the cheapest ways to attempt a prop firm evaluation.
However, Apex has undergone significant changes, particularly a major rules overhaul in March 2026 that redesigned how funded accounts work.
Apex uses a one-step evaluation. You purchase an account, hit the profit target, and transition to a Performance Account (PA). The minimum trading days requirement is just 1 day during the evaluation phase.
The evaluation has no consistency rule, which means you can pass with a single large winning day. This is one of the most permissive evaluation structures in the industry.
As of March 2026, Apex uses hard-stop enforcement through Rithmic and Tradovate. The platform automatically rejects any order that doesn't include a bracket (stop loss and take profit). This is a mandatory rule, not optional. While it prevents accidental drawdown violations, it also limits discretionary traders who manage exits manually.
Apex offers both end-of-day (EOD) and intraday trailing drawdown options. The EOD trail is more forgiving. The intraday trail adjusts in real time as your equity reaches new highs during the session. Choose carefully, because this affects your probability of survival significantly.
Apex offers five account sizes: $25K, $50K, $100K, $150K, and $300K. Monthly evaluation costs range from $147 to $517 at full price.
However, almost nobody pays full price. Apex runs frequent promotions (50-80% off) that are essentially the real pricing. A $50K evaluation during an 80% off sale costs approximately $35 per month. If you're considering Apex, wait for a sale. They happen regularly.
The March 2026 update began transitioning from monthly subscriptions to one-time fee models on some account types. Check the current pricing structure directly on their site, as this transition is still in progress.
Profit targets range from $1,500 on the $25K account to $20,000 on the $300K account. Drawdown thresholds vary by account size.
Apex's rule set became significantly more complex after the March 2026 overhaul. Here are the details that matter most.
The 50% consistency rule on funded accounts requires that no single trading day accounts for more than 50% of your total profit at payout time. This replaced the previous 30% rule and is more lenient, but still requires spreading your profits across multiple days.
Mandatory bracket orders on all trades since March 2026. Every entry must include a stop loss and take profit. The platform will reject orders without brackets.
Automated contract scaling enforced by the platform. You cannot exceed the position limit for your account tier. The system physically prevents it rather than flagging it after the fact.
Payout structure uses tiered caps for the first 6 payouts. The maximum you can withdraw increases with each payout cycle. After 6 payouts, the account is closed under the new model. This is a significant change from the previous structure.
No overnight holding. All positions must be closed by 4:59 PM ET.
The 30% negative P&L rule: your open trades cannot exceed 30% of your start-of-day profit in unrealized losses.
Apex's biggest selling point is the profit split: 100% of your first $25,000 in profits with no split. After that, the split is 90/10 in favor of the trader. This is the highest initial retention in the industry.
Payout eligibility begins after 8 trading days with at least 5 days showing $50 or more in profit. Payouts are processed through Deel and traders can request up to 2 withdrawals per month.
The new model (March 2026) introduces tiered payout caps for the first 6 withdrawals. The amount you can withdraw per request increases as you progress through the tiers. After 6 total payouts, the funded account is closed.
This structure is designed to reward consistent, sustained profitability rather than large one-time withdrawals. However, the 6-payout closure is a hard limit that some traders find restrictive.
You can run up to 20 funded accounts simultaneously, which is the highest in the industry. This allows aggressive scaling for traders with proven strategies.
| $25K | $50K | $100K | $150K | $300K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $147 | $167 | $207 | $297 | $517 |
| With 80% sale | ~$29 | ~$33 | ~$41 | ~$59 | ~$103 |
| Profit target | $1,500 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 | $20,000 |
| Max contracts | 4 | 10 | 14 | 17 | 25 |
Verify current pricing directly with Apex Trader Funding. Prices change frequently.
pros
100% of first $25K in profits (highest retention in industry)
Up to 20 simultaneous accounts for maximum scaling
Widest platform selection (Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts)
Frequent 50-80% sales make evaluations extremely affordable
Largest account sizes available (up to $300K)
No consistency rule during evaluation phase
cons
March 2026 overhaul added complexity (mandatory brackets, tiered payouts, 6-payout closure)
Full-price evaluations are expensive without a sale
Intraday trailing drawdown option is punishing for most traders
Trustpilot rating dropped amid frequent rule changes
The 30% negative P&L rule on open trades adds another constraint
Account closes after 6 payouts under the new model
Apex offers the most capital and the best profit retention (100% of first $25K), but the March 2026 rule changes added genuine complexity. The mandatory bracket orders, 6-payout account closure, and tiered withdrawal caps mean you need to plan your payout strategy carefully. The frequent sales make evaluations very cheap, which is a real advantage. Best suited for experienced traders who can navigate the rules and want maximum scale potential through multiple accounts.
best for
Experienced traders who want maximum capital access, platform choice, and can handle a complex rule set. Traders who want to run many accounts simultaneously.
avoid if
You're new to prop firms and want simple rules. Or if the mandatory bracket order requirement conflicts with how you manage trades.