- The evaluation is a monthly subscription product called the Combine.
- The trailing drawdown follows the account’s high-water mark rather than sitting at a fixed level.
- Minimum 7 trading days, with no overall time limit while the subscription is active.
- On current Performance Accounts (purchased on or after March 1, 2026), approved payouts are paid at a 100% split, capped at six payouts per account.
Apex uses a single-phase Combine rather than the two-phase challenge common in FX firms. In practice, the rules to watch are the trailing drawdown and the prohibited-practice list, both of which differ from FTMO-style products.
Combine specs ($50K example)
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Profit target | $3,000 |
| Trailing drawdown | $2,500 |
| Minimum days | 7 |
| Time limit | None (while subscribed) |
How trailing drawdown works
The trailing drawdown is the loss line that follows your highest equity point. As your account grows, the line moves up with it.
Once your equity clears the required threshold, the line locks at initial balance + $100. From then on it behaves like a fixed drawdown, which makes risk planning meaningfully easier.
Performance Account
After passing, activation costs a one-time $85.
On accounts purchased on or after March 1, 2026 (the current EOD/Intraday Performance Accounts):
- 100% of each approved payout, with a $500 minimum.
- A payout request needs 5 qualifying trading days — days meeting a size-based minimum daily profit — so the fastest cycle is roughly weekly.
- A 50% consistency rule applies (no single day may account for 50% or more of profit since the last payout), and each payout has a size-based maximum.
- Each account is capped at six payouts, after which it closes and you must pass a new evaluation.
Accounts purchased before March 1, 2026 are Legacy and keep the older terms: 100% of the first $25,000 per account then 90/10, on an 8-day payout cycle. Full details in the Apex payout guide.
Prohibited practices
- High-frequency trading (HFT — sub-second order activity).
- Account-to-account hedging on the same instrument.
- Trading inside high-impact news windows.
- Copy trading from external signal sources.
In short, Apex tolerates discretionary and systematic strategies but draws a hard line at automation that mirrors trades across accounts or scalps news spikes.
Internal: Apex review For FX coverage: FTMO / The5%ers