Topstep vs Apex Trader Funding: Which Prop Firm Is Better in 2025?

Topstep and Apex Trader Funding are the two most widely used futures prop firms among retail traders. Both offer funded accounts with real CME market access — but the evaluation mechanics, drawdown structures, payout terms, and platform support differ in ways that matter depending on how you trade.

This comparison is based on direct experience. YMI members have earned over $50M in funded account approvals across both platforms. Here is the data-driven breakdown.

Quick Comparison: Topstep vs Apex Trader Funding

Feature	Topstep	Apex Trader Funding
Evaluation type	Single step	Single step
Account sizes	$50K, $100K, $150K	$25K–$300K (10 sizes)
Drawdown type	End-of-day trailing (EOD)	Intraday trailing
Consistency rule	No (removed 2024)	No (most plans)
Data provider	Rithmic or CQG	Rithmic only
NinjaTrader support	Yes (NT8)	Yes (NT8)
Automated strategies	Yes (own bots)	Yes (own bots)
First payout timing	After 10 trading days	After 7 trading days
Profit split	90%	90%
Monthly fee range	$165–$375/month	$97–$167/month (promo: $7–$20)

Drawdown Mechanics: The Most Important Difference

The drawdown structure is where Topstep and Apex diverge most significantly — and it directly impacts which traders will succeed on each platform.

Topstep: End-of-Day Trailing Drawdown

Topstep calculates the trailing drawdown from the highest end-of-day equity balance, not intraday peaks. This is meaningfully more forgiving for intraday traders.

Example: You start with $100K. During the day you hit $103K intraday, then close the day at $101K. Your trailing drawdown locks at $101K end-of-day — not $103K. The intraday $3K peak does not "count" against you permanently.

For traders who take intraday profits but have drawdown before close, EOD trailing gives significantly more room. The drawdown threshold on the $100K account is $3,000 — you cannot let your balance drop below $97K (from the EOD high).

Apex: Intraday Trailing Drawdown

Apex trails from the intraday high equity. If you hit $103K at any point during the session, the drawdown now calculates from $103K. If you give back those gains intraday, the trailing threshold moved with you.

This means on Apex, intraday swings directly affect your cushion. A trader who goes up $2K then gives it back has less drawdown buffer than when they started that session — even if they end the day flat. The $100K Apex account has a $3,000 trailing drawdown.

Which is better? EOD trailing (Topstep) is structurally easier for active intraday traders. Intraday trailing (Apex) rewards traders with tight session management and high first-pass win rates. YMI members using systematic strategies tend to do well on both — but beginners typically find Topstep's EOD trailing more forgiving.

Evaluation Costs

Apex runs aggressive promotions — often 80–90% off — making evaluations available for under $20/month. A $50K Apex account during a promotion can cost $7–$15/month. Without promotions, regular pricing ranges from $97–$167/month.

Topstep pricing is higher and less variable: $165/month for the $50K account, $245/month for $100K, $375/month for $150K. Topstep rarely runs the same magnitude of promotions as Apex.

For traders who plan to attempt multiple evaluations simultaneously or want to maximize probability of passing through repetition, Apex's lower entry cost makes running 3–5 accounts simultaneously much more accessible.

Platform and Data Feed Compatibility

Both firms support NinjaTrader 8 via Rithmic, which is what YMI members use. Topstep additionally supports CQG connections, giving access to a wider range of front-end platforms. Apex is Rithmic-only.

For automated NinjaScript strategies (like YMI's Marty Bot and KPL Bot), both platforms work identically. Both permit your own automated strategies as long as they are not third-party signal services or copy trading.

Payout Structure

Both offer a 90% profit split. Topstep requires 10 qualifying trading days before first payout; Apex requires 7. Topstep's minimum payout is $500; Apex's is $500 as well.

Topstep processes payouts through their own system and has a well-documented payout history. Apex uses a third-party payout processor. Both have paid out millions of dollars to funded traders, and both have strong community track records with documented withdrawals.

Maximum Contracts: Scale Potential

On the largest accounts, maximum contract limits differ:

• Topstep $150K: Up to 15 ES contracts, 15 NQ contracts
• Apex $300K: Up to 35 ES contracts, 35 NQ contracts

Apex's higher account ceilings and contract limits offer more scaling potential for traders growing into larger position sizes.

Which Prop Firm Should You Choose?

There is no universal answer — the right choice depends on your trading profile:

Choose Topstep if:

• You trade intraday and frequently have open profit during the session before closing with smaller gains
• You prefer the EOD trailing drawdown safety net
• You want CQG data feed option alongside Rithmic
• You prioritize a single well-established firm over running multiple accounts

Choose Apex if:

• You want to run multiple evaluations simultaneously to increase funded probability
• Cost is a priority — especially during Apex promotions
• You trade with a high win rate and tight intraday drawdown
• You need the largest available account sizes ($300K) and contract limits
• You want faster first payout eligibility (7 days vs 10)

Consider running both:

Most serious YMI members run evaluations on both platforms simultaneously. The strategies are identical — same NT8 setup, same Rithmic connection, same ATM strategies. Running 2–3 Apex accounts plus 1 Topstep account diversifies your path to funded status and lets the statistics work in your favor.

Common Mistakes on Both Platforms

1. Not configuring the NT8 daily loss limit — Both Apex and Topstep have maximum daily loss limits. Configure this in NinjaTrader's Accounts panel before any live session. A single session that violates the daily limit fails the evaluation regardless of overall balance.
2. Trading news events without a protocol — FOMC, NFP, and CPI releases move ES and NQ violently. Without a specific news protocol (reduce size or flat before release), these events disproportionately cause evaluation failures.
3. Oversizing to "make up" losses — The trailing drawdown mechanic punishes revenge trading severely. One oversized loss can fail an account that was on track for three weeks.
4. Not tracking days toward payout — Both firms count qualifying trading days. Days with fewer than the minimum required trades may not count. Know the rules before your funded period starts.

YMI Member Results

YMI members have earned over $50M in funded account approvals across Apex, Topstep, Tradeify, and other prop firms using the KPL strategy and Marty Bot. The systematic approach — defined entries, ATM-managed exits, fixed risk per trade — maps perfectly to prop firm evaluation rules because consistency is exactly what the evaluations test for.

Related Reading

• How to Pass a Prop Firm Evaluation — Step-by-step funded account process
• Apex Trader Funding Full Review — Deep dive on Apex rules and setup
• NinjaTrader 8 Setup Guide — Connect NT8 to Rithmic for prop firm trading
• Why Automation Is the Future of Prop Firm Trading — Bots on funded accounts

Ready to approach prop firm evaluations systematically? Start your 7-day free trial and get the KPL daily trade plans, NT8 bot library, and prop-firm-tested strategies that have funded over $50M in trader accounts.