Apex Trader Funding rules
Rule explorer
One-time-fee evaluation with a real-time trailing drawdown that follows your highest balance including open profit, and no daily loss limit during the eval. Pass with a one-time PA activation fee into an Intraday PA with tier scaling, a daily loss limit and 100% payouts.
Evaluation
passing the test- Profit target
- $3,000
- Max drawdown
- $2,000 intraday trailing: your balance (including open-trade profit) can never touch $2,000 below its highest point reached, checked in real time. Starts at $48,000. On Rithmic/WealthCharts it stops trailing once it reaches the profit-target balance ($53,000); on Tradovate it trails forever during the eval.
- Daily loss limit
- None
- Consistency rule
- None during the evaluation
- Minimum trading days
- None - you can pass in 1 day
- Max contracts
- 6 minis / 60 micros (fixed, no scaling)
- Also know
- 30 calendar days of access from purchase (no extension, no reset). After passing you have 7 days to activate the PA.
Funded
after you pass- Activation fee
- $99 one-time
- Max drawdown
- $2,000 intraday trailing (real time, includes unrealized profit). Touching it closes the PA permanently.
- When the drawdown stops trailing
- Stops trailing once the threshold reaches starting balance + $100 ($50,100), i.e. when your peak balance (open or closed) hits $52,100. After that the floor is fixed at $50,100.
- Daily loss limit
- Tier-based (see contracts): hitting it flattens you and pauses trading until the 6 PM ET reset; the PA stays open.
- Consistency rule
- 50% rule for payouts only: your best day must be under 50% of net profit since the last approved payout.
- Max contracts / scaling
- Up to 4 minis / 40 micros at the top tier. Scaling: Level 1 (profit $0-$1,499): 2 contracts, $1,000 DLL; Level 2 ($1,500-$2,999): 3 contracts, $1,000 DLL; Level 3 ($3,000-$5,999): 4 contracts, $2,000 DLL; Level 4 ($6,000+): 4 contracts, $3,000 DLL. Tier is set once a day from your 4:59:59 PM ET closing balance and applies to the whole next session; it moves down if your balance falls (never below Level 1).
- Also know
- Sim-funded. Inactivity: need 2 days of $50+ net profit in every rolling 30 days or the PA is closed. Max 20 PAs per household.
Payouts
getting paid- Days needed before a payout
- 5 trading days (not necessarily consecutive) each with at least $200 net profit, counted since the last payout
- How often
- As often as weekly (every 5 qualifying days); no deadline to complete the days
- Profit split
- 100% to the trader
- Minimum payout
- $500
- Maximum payout
- Max 6 payouts per PA, capped by payout number: #1 $1,500, #2 $2,000, #3 $2,500, #4 $2,500, #5 $3,000, #6 $3,000. After the 6th payout the PA is closed.
- Buffer / safety net
- Safety net = drawdown + $100 = $52,100, kept for the life of the PA. Only profit above it can be withdrawn; you need at least $52,600 to request the $500 minimum.
- Also know
- Tradovate: no open positions and real-time balance must meet the minimum when requesting.
Heads up: recent changes and conflicting pages 9
- March 1, 2026: Apex retired its old plans (now 'Legacy') and launched the new Intraday Trail and EOD Trail products with one-time fees, 30-day access, no resets, built-in PA tier scaling, a PA daily loss limit, 50% payout consistency, 100% split and a 6-payout cap per PA. Existing Legacy accounts keep their old rules (no retroactive changes) and can't be converted to new types. Source: apextraderfunding.com and apextraderfunding.com
- As of 2026-11-02 the homepage advertises 'Legacy Accounts Are Back - for a limited time' (6 sizes, 3 platforms); the Legacy Products Overview article still says Legacy evals are no longer available for purchase - the promo page is newer. Source: apextraderfunding.com
- Homepage 'coming soon' items: Instant PAs and bulk checkout. Source: apextraderfunding.com
- New-product prices are list prices from the homepage product selector (identical across Rithmic/Tradovate/WealthCharts); the site shows a coupon that takes ~90% off (e.g. 50K Intraday $249 -> $24.90). 5-pack bundles also sold (e.g. 50K Intraday 5-pack $950 list).
- Minor inconsistency on Apex's site: the 50K PA top tier (Level 4) starts at $5,999 profit on the Scaling page but $6,000 on the DLL page.
- Evaluation drawdown lock differs by vendor: on Rithmic/WealthCharts the eval threshold stops at the profit-target balance; on Tradovate it trails indefinitely during the eval. In PAs (all vendors) it locks at starting balance + $100.
- Legacy minimum payout balances for 100K ($103,100) and 150K ($155,100) are reproduced exactly as Apex lists them even though they don't follow the drawdown+$100+$500 pattern of the other sizes.
- Automation: the current Prohibited Activities page says 'No Automation or Algorithm Usage allowed' - relevant if running NinjaScript strategies on Apex accounts.
- support.apextraderfunding.com (Zendesk) URLs show up in search but the current help center lives at apextraderfunding.com/help-center/; all rules here were read from the latter.
All Apex Trader Funding accounts at a glance
Every plan and size the firm sells, with the headline numbers. Pick one in the explorer above for the full rules.
Intraday Trail (Standard)
One-time-fee evaluation with a real-time trailing drawdown that follows your highest balance including open profit, and no daily loss limit during the eval. Pass with a one-time PA activation fee into an Intraday PA with tier scaling, a daily loss limit and 100% payouts.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $167 one-time | $1,500 | $1,000 · intraday | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 50K | $249 one-time | $3,000 | $2,000 · intraday | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 100K | $790 one-time | $6,000 | $3,000 · intraday | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 150K | $1,190 one-time | $9,000 | $4,000 · intraday | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
Intraday Trail (No Activation Fee)
Identical rules to the Standard Intraday Trail; you pay more upfront and the PA activation fee is $0. Also sold as 5-packs.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $690 one-time | $1,500 | $1,000 · intraday | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 50K | $799 one-time | $3,000 | $2,000 · intraday | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 100K | $999 one-time | $6,000 | $3,000 · intraday | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 150K | $1,890 one-time | $9,000 | $4,000 · intraday | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
EOD Trail (Standard)
One-time-fee evaluation where the drawdown floor only moves at the daily close (based on your best closing balance), plus a fixed daily loss limit during the eval. Pass with a one-time activation fee into an EOD PA with tier scaling and 100% payouts.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $490 one-time | $1,500 | $1,000 · EOD | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 50K | $590 one-time | $3,000 | $2,000 · EOD | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 100K | $1,190 one-time | $6,000 | $3,000 · EOD | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 150K | $2,190 one-time | $9,000 | $4,000 · EOD | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
EOD Trail (No Activation Fee)
Identical rules to the Standard EOD Trail; higher upfront price and $0 PA activation. 5-packs offered for 25K and 50K only.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $1,090 one-time | $1,500 | $1,000 · EOD | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 50K | $1,190 one-time | $3,000 | $2,000 · EOD | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 100K | $1,590 one-time | $6,000 | $3,000 · EOD | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
| 150K | $2,490 one-time | $9,000 | $4,000 · EOD | Tiered | 100% | $500 |
Legacy (limited-time promotion)
The pre-March-2026 'Full' plans, re-offered for a limited time on Rithmic, Tradovate and WealthCharts. Monthly subscription with resets, intraday trailing drawdown, and the old Legacy PA rules (half-size until the drawdown locks, 30% MAE, 5:1 risk-reward, 30% consistency, 8-day payout cycle). Apex says Legacy is a different program from the new products.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $177 / month | $1,500 | $1,500 · intraday | None | 100% | $500 |
| 50K | $197 / month | $3,000 | $2,500 · intraday | None | 100% | $500 |
| 100K | $397 / month | $6,000 | $3,000 · intraday | None | 100% | $500 |
| 150K | $597 / month | $9,000 | $5,000 · intraday | None | 100% | $500 |
| 250K | $697 / month | $15,000 | $6,500 · intraday | None | 100% | $500 |
| 300K | $797 / month | $20,000 | $7,500 · intraday | None | 100% | $500 |
Rules for every Apex Trader Funding account
Trading hours, news, banned strategies, account limits, fees and more.
- What's sold now
Since March 1, 2026 Apex sells two new evaluation paths: 'Intraday Trail' and 'EOD Trail', each in 25K, 50K, 100K and 150K, and each available as 'Standard' (pay a one-time PA activation fee after passing) or 'No Activation Fee' (higher upfront price, $0 activation). The older plans are called 'Legacy' and are back for sale as a limited-time promotion (25K-300K, monthly subscription).
source · apextraderfunding.com - Simulated accounts
Both evaluations and Performance Accounts (PAs) are simulated (sim-funded), not live money. Apex may later invite strong PA traders to a separate Apex Live program.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Platforms / data vendors
You choose a vendor at checkout: Rithmic, Tradovate or WealthCharts. Accounts cannot be converted between vendors. Level 1 real-time data is included; NinjaTrader platform license is included on Rithmic/Tradovate plans. Extra depth-of-market data you buy yourself is your responsibility to cancel (Rithmic DOM expires at month end).
source · apextraderfunding.com - Pricing model (new accounts)
New evaluations are a one-time fee, not a subscription: 30 calendar days of access, no rebill, nothing to cancel, no extensions and no resets. If you fail or run out of time you buy a new evaluation. Prices are the same across Rithmic, Tradovate and WealthCharts. The site routinely advertises large coupon discounts (e.g. 90% off) on the list prices.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Resets
There are no reset fees and no resets on the new Intraday/EOD evaluations. Resets exist only on Legacy evaluations.
source · apextraderfunding.com - PA activation
After you pass, the evaluation is marked Passed after the 6 PM ET reopen; you then have 7 calendar days to pay the one-time PA activation fee (or $0 on No Activation Fee evals). Miss the window and it's gone for good. PA is created within ~6 hours using the same login. The passed eval is locked from further trading.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Trading day & when to be flat
A trading day runs 6:00 PM ET to 4:59 PM ET the next day. All trades must be closed before 4:59 PM ET (agricultural futures earlier: livestock 2:05 PM ET, grains 2:20 PM ET; early closes on holidays). Holding positions through the market close is a prohibited activity and can forfeit the account. Trading reopens at 6:00 PM ET.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Products allowed
CME/CBOT/NYMEX/COMEX futures: equity index (ES, NQ, YM, RTY, EMD, NKD), currencies (6A, 6B, 6C, 6E, 6J, 6S, 6N), agricultural (HE, LE, GF, ZC, ZW, ZS, ZM, ZL), energy (CL, QM, NG, QG, HO, RB), metals (GC, HG, SI, PL, PA), micros (MES, MYM, MNQ, M2K, M6A, M6E, MCL, MGC) and Micro Bitcoin/Ether (MBT/MET). Some exchanges (e.g. EUREX) only on Tradovate.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Micros vs minis
10 micro contracts count as 1 mini/standard contract. Contract limits apply to all open positions combined across all instruments; orders over the limit are simply rejected (no violation).
source · apextraderfunding.com - News trading
Trading during news is allowed for your normal strategy. 'News trading' strategies that chase the market or put orders on both sides to gamble on the outcome are not allowed.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Hedging / direction
No hedging of any kind: you may not hold long and short at the same time on the same or correlated instruments, and you may not pass evaluations by hedging accounts against each other. Directional trading only.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Automation / algos
'No Automation or Algorithm Usage allowed' appears in Apex's Prohibited Activities list (rewards are meant for human traders; see the user agreement). Fully automated strategies are therefore not allowed.
source · apextraderfunding.com - HFT & sim exploitation
High-frequency trading, exploiting sim fills, and non-directional bracket orders left on both sides of the market are prohibited.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Risk-management conduct
Every trade must have a pending or mental stop loss. Tiny targets with huge stops (example given: 5-tick target vs 150-tick stop) are prohibited, as is using the full trailing threshold as your stop, 'stockpiling' cheap evals to gamble, and any unsustainable or non-professional strategy. Breaches can lead to Trader Probation or closure.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Copy trading
Copy trading across your OWN PAs (personal and your business name) is allowed, but all copies must trade the same direction (no hedging). Sharing trade copying, computers, IPs, MAC addresses or cards with OTHER traders is forbidden.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Number of accounts
Max 20 active PAs per household (all people in the home, companies you own, all vendors, and Legacy + EOD + Intraday combined). Exceeding 20 can mean payout ineligibility, forfeiture and a ban. No limit on evaluation accounts. Only one user account per person.
source · apextraderfunding.com - PA inactivity
Every Intraday and EOD PA (and promo Legacy PAs bought after March 1, 2026) must have at least 2 trading days with $50+ net profit in every rolling 30 calendar days. Courtesy emails at day 15 and 20; at 30 days the PA is permanently closed and payout eligibility is forfeited.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Consistency (PA payouts)
On the new Intraday and EOD PAs, no single profitable day can be 50% or more of your net profit since the last approved payout (or since the start). Not a violation - the payout button just stays hidden until you're under 50%. There is NO consistency rule during evaluations.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Payout split & limits
New PAs: 100% of approved payouts go to you. Max 6 payouts per PA; after the 6th the PA is closed and you need to pass a new evaluation. Min payout $500.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Tradovate payout check
On Tradovate PAs, the payout request is only accepted if your real-time balance meets the minimum and you have no open positions at that moment.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Trading after a payout request
You can keep trading after requesting, but trade as if the money is already gone; if the balance drops below the minimum the request is auto-denied (account stays open).
source · apextraderfunding.com - KYC / countries
Must be 18+. Traders from 100+ countries accepted; a long list of restricted countries (e.g. Russia, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam, Ukraine, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and more) can't open new accounts. Valid physical government ID required; payments and payouts only via accounts in your own name; no VPNs/proxies to hide location. While physically in a restricted country you can't buy, trade or request payouts.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Platform/data problems
Apex is not responsible for losses from data delays, platform lag, glitches or trader errors; if the threshold is hit during such events, the account fails. Avoid holding positions near limit-up/limit-down.
source · apextraderfunding.com - Refunds
Evaluation and activation fees are non-refundable, non-transferable, and the size/type can't be changed after purchase.
source · apextraderfunding.com
- apextraderfunding.com/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/additional-helpful-items/50-consistency-requirement/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/additional-helpful-items/daily-loss-limit-explained/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/additional-helpful-items/position-sizing-evaluation/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/additional-helpful-items/scaling-levels-pa-explained/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/billing/evaluation-plan-fees-and-access-explained/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/billing/inactivity-policy-on-performance-accounts-pa/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/billing/pa-activation-process-deadline-explained/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/eod-trailing-drawdown-accounts/eod-drawdown-explained/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/eod-trailing-drawdown-accounts/eod-evaluations/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/eod-trailing-drawdown-accounts/eod-payouts/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/eod-trailing-drawdown-accounts/eod-performance-accounts-pa/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/evaluation-accounts-ea/intraday-trailing-drawdown-evaluations/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/evaluation-accounts-ea/legacy-evaluation-rules/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/intraday-trailing-drawdown-accounts/intraday-trailing-drawdown-explained/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/intraday-trailing-drawdown-accounts/intraday-trailing-drawdown-payouts/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/intraday-trailing-drawdown-accounts/intraday-trailing-drawdown-performance-accounts-pa/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/legacy-payouts/legacy-pa-payout-parameters/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/legacy-payouts/legacy-safety-net-requirement-rule/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/legacy-products/legacy-performance-account-pa-trading-rules/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/legacy-products/legacy-products-overview/
- apextraderfunding.com/help-center/uncategorized/no-activation-fee-evaluations/
- apextraderfunding.com/legacy-products/