Select 2 or more firms to compare evaluation costs, drawdown rules, profit splits, payout structures, and trading restrictions across all 14 CME futures prop trading firms.
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| Category | Apex Trader Funding· Intraday Trail ✓ Verified 5 days ago | Topstep ✓ Verified 5 days ago |
|---|---|---|
| Account Size | $25K | $50K |
| Overall Score | ||
| Trader Friendliness | 65/100Good | 72/100Good |
| Cost Summary | ||
| Eval Cost | $249/moSAVENOW | $49/mo |
| Total to Start | $328(first mo + activation) | $198(first mo + activation) |
| Monthly Cost (Funded) | — | — |
| Activation Fee | $79 | $149 |
| Reset Fee | $100 | $49 |
| Evaluation Rules | ||
| Profit Target | $1,500 (6%) | $3,000 (6%) |
| Min Trading Days | 1 day | 2 days |
| Min Days to Funded | 1 days | 2 days |
| Pass Rate | N/A | 12.4% |
| Drawdown Rules | ||
| Type | Intraday Trailing | EOD Trailing |
| Max Drawdown | $1,000(6%) | $2,000(4%) |
| Daily Loss Limit | None | $1,000 |
| DLL Breach Type | N/A | Soft |
| Lock Behavior | Locks at $25,500 at profit target | Locks at $50,000 after $2,000 profit |
| Strictness | 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. | 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 |
| Hedging | Banned | Banned |
| Overnight Holds | ||
| Must Be Flat By | 4:59 PM ET | 3:10 PM CT |
| Inactivity Limit | — | — |
| Weekend Holding | Must Flat | 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 |
| Min Payout | $500 | $125 |
| Funded Account | ||
| Payout Accessibility | 68/100 | 76/100 |
| Consistency Rule | 50% max/dayFavorable | None |
| Funded Rules | ||
| Funded Consistency | 50% max/day | None |
| Funded DLL | None | $1,000(soft) |
| Buffer Requirement | $26,100 | None |
| Activation Fee | $79 | $149 |
| Min Profitable Days | 5 days | 5 days |
| Profit Split | 100% | 100%(First $10K) 90% |
| Payout Frequency | Weekly | Daily |
| Max Payout | $1,500 | $5,000 |
| Winning Days | 5 days($50+) | 5 days |
| Days Between Payouts | 5 trading days | 5 trading days |
| Qualifying Day Min | $100/day | $150/day |
| Max Payout % | — | 50% of profit |
| Min Balance for Payout | $26,600 | — |
| Max Payouts | 6 total | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $125 |
| Withdrawal Fee | Free | $30 |
| Processing Time | 5 Trading Days | 1-3 business days |
| Payout Methods | Visa, Mastercard, Discover | Wire/ACH ($30), Wise (Free) |
| Max Contracts | 4 full / 40 micro | 5 full / 50 micro |
| Max Accounts | 20 accounts | 5 accounts |
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts | TopstepX, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower |
| Buffer Required | Yes — must clear buffer before payouts | No buffer |
| Buffer Amount | $26,100 | — |
| Min Payout | $500 | $125 |
| Max Per Request | — | $5,000 |
| Withdrawal Fee | — | $30 |
| Payout Caps | $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 → $1,000 | No cap |
| Post-Payout DD | — | Converts to Static ($0) |
| Consistency Expires | After payout #6 | — |
| Account Lifecycle | ||
| Max Funded Accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Inactivity Policy | None | None |
| Quick Math | ||
| True Cost to Start | $328 $249/mo eval + $79 activation | $198 $49/mo eval + $149 activation |
| Daily Profit Target | $1,500/day over 1 day | $1,500/day over 2 days |
| First Payout Timeline | ~11 days 1d eval + 5d winning + 5d processing | ~10 days 2d eval + 5d winning + 3d processing |
| Best Profit Split | 100% | 100% |
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