Select 2 or more firms to compare evaluation costs, drawdown rules, profit splits, payout structures, and trading restrictions across the CME futures prop firms we track.
Specific tiers and funded paths from the selected firms, ranked with public-rule fit and blockers visible.
Not a like-for-like comparison
| Category | Apex Trader Funding· Intraday Trail Checked Jul 10, 2026 · apextraderfunding.com(76%)· 77 changes pending review since Sep 30, 2026May be out of date | DayTraders· Full Checked Jun 12, 2026 · daytraders.com(79%)· 269 changes pending review since Jun 13, 2026May be out of date | Topstep Checked Jun 16, 2026 · topstep.com(83%)· 47 changes pending review since Jun 14, 2026May be out of date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $25K | $25K | $50K |
| Overall Score | |||
| Trader Friendliness | 72/100Good | 74/100Good | 68/100Good |
| Cost Summary | |||
| Eval Cost | $20(Regular price $199; current public one-time price $19.9.)UnknownNot independently verified | $25UnknownNot independently verified · change pending review since Jul 23, 2026 | $49/moUnknownNot independently verified |
| Total to Start | $89(eval + activation) | $155(eval + activation) | $198(first mo + activation) |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — | — |
| Activation Fee | $69 | $130 | $149 |
| Reset Fee | — | — | $49 |
| Evaluation Rules | |||
| Profit Target | $1,500 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified | $1,500 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified | $3,000 (6%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Min Trading Days | 1 day | 2 days | 2 days |
| Min Days to Funded | 1 day | 2 days | 2 days |
| Pass Rate | N/A | N/A | 16.8% |
| Drawdown Rules | |||
| Type | Intraday Trailing | Intraday Trailing | EOD Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $1,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified | $1,500(6%)UnknownNot independently verified | $2,000(4%)UnknownNot independently verified |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | None | None |
| Daily Loss Limit Breach | Soft | N/A | N/A |
| Lock Behavior | Trails indefinitely | Locks at $25,000 after $1,500 profit | Locks at $50,000 after $2,000 profit |
| Strictness | Strict | Moderate | Moderate |
| Trading Restrictions | |||
| News Trading | News trading is allowed for your normal trading strategy. Using news trading strategies that chase the market or place orders on both sides to gamble the outcome of news is not allowed. Non-directional bracket trading (orders left open on both sides) to catch windfall moves is also prohibited. | News trading allowed on all accounts (eval + funded). Not recommended due to volatility/liquidity risks. No flat window, no prohibited events. Exercise caution during high-impact releases. | No explicit news trading restriction. CBOT commodity market pause 7:45-8:30 AM CST on TopstepX (exchange-level, no orders accepted during pause). No swing trading allowed — all positions must close by 3:10 PM CT daily. |
| Automation | Banned | Banned | Conditional |
| Hedging | Banned | Cross-Acct Banned | Cross-Acct Banned |
| Overnight Holds | |||
| Must Be Flat By | 4:59 PM ET | — | 3:10 PM CT |
| Inactivity Limit | — | — | — |
| Weekend Holding | Must Flat | Allowed | Must Flat |
| Account Rolling | Stockpiling evaluation accounts prohibited. Purchasing multiple discounted evaluations to cycle through and intentionally blow up accounts in pursuit of windfall profits is not permitted. | No Restriction | No Restriction |
| Min Payout | $500 | $500 | $125 |
| Funded Account | |||
| Payout Accessibility | 59/100 | 58/100 | 78/100 |
| Consistency Rule | 50% max/dayFavorable | 30% max/dayModerate | None |
| Funded Rules | |||
| Funded Consistency | 50% max/day | 30% max/day | None |
| Funded Daily Loss Limit | $1,250(soft) | None | None |
| Buffer Requirement | $1,100 | None | None |
| Activation Fee | $69 | $130 | $149 |
| Min Profitable Days | 5 days | 8 days | 5 days |
| Profit Split | 100% UnknownNot independently verified | 100% UnknownNot independently verified | Held for review |
| Payout Frequency | Weekly | On Demand | Daily |
| Max Payout | $1,000 | — | $2,000 |
| Winning Days | 5 days($100+) | 8 days($100+) | 5 days |
| Days Between Payouts | 5 trading days | 8 qualifying days | 5 trading days |
| Qualifying Day Min | $100/day | $100/day | $150/day |
| Max Payout % | — | — | 50% of profit |
| Min Balance for Payout | $26,600 | $26,600 | — |
| Min Balance After Payout | $26,100 | $26,000 | — |
| Max Payouts | 6 total | — | — |
| Account Closure | total_payouts: 6 (closes) | — | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $500 | $125 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | — | Free |
| Processing Time | 5-11 business days | average approval time 32 minutes; same-day reflection if approved before 5:00 PM ET | 1-3 business days |
| Payout Methods | ACH direct deposit (US), Plane (international) | Plane | Prop Payout to Brokerage (Free), Aeropay (Free), Wise (Free), ACH ($30), Wire/SWIFT ($30) |
| Max Contracts | 4 full / 40 micro | 6 full / 60 micro | 5 full / 50 micro |
| Max Accounts | 20 accounts | 15 accounts | 5 accounts |
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts | ONYX, Quantower | TopstepX, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower |
| Buffer Required | No buffer | Yes, must clear buffer before payouts | No buffer |
| Buffer Amount | $1,100 | — | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $500 | $125 |
| Max Per Request | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | — | Free |
| Funded Fee | $0/mo | $0/mo | — |
| Payout Caps | $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 | No cap | No cap |
| Post-Payout DD | — | — | Converts to Static, floor $50,000 (start) |
| Account Lifecycle | |||
| Max Funded Accounts | 20 | 15 | 5 |
| Reactivation | — | — | Yes ($599) |
| Max Reactivations | — | — | 2 |
| Reactivation Window | — | — | 7 days |
| Inactivity Limit | — | — | 30 days |
| Reactivation Eligibility | — | — | Before first payout only |
| Quick Math | |||
| Eval + Activation | $89 $20 eval + $69 activation | $155 $25 eval + $130 activation | $198 $49/mo eval + $149 activation |
| Daily Profit Target | $1,500/day over 1 day | $750/day over 2 days | $1,500/day over 2 days |
| First Payout Timeline | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Activation Fee, Buffer Clearance Required, Fee Monthly|Fee Onetime, Field Evidence Ledger, Funded Monthly Fee, Max Payout Per Request, Min Trading Days, Payout Processing Time. | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Field Evidence Ledger, PublicSourceUrls. | Needs model proof Missing public evidence: Buffer Clearance Required, Min Profitable Days Before Payout, Min Trading Days, Payout Processing Time, PublicSourceUrls. |
| Best Profit Split | 100% | 100% | Held for review |
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