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Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep: Full Comparison

A side-by-side comparison of Apex Trader Funding and Topstep built from our normalised 31-firm dataset. Every figure was read off the firms’ own pages, and each row carries its source and check date. Where we could not verify something we mark it “not verified” rather than leaving it blank.

Key findings

  • Topstep comes out ahead on Lowest entry fee ($49 vs $177).
  • Topstep comes out ahead on Payout cycle (5 days vs 8 days).
  • Apex Trader Funding comes out ahead on Payout processing time (2 days vs 3 days).
  • Apex Trader Funding holds the higher Trustpilot rating (4.2 (20,407) vs 3.6 (14,632)).

Terms compared

Item Apex Trader Funding Topstep
Evaluation model 1-step 1-step
Lowest entry fee $177 $49 Better
Max profit split 100% 100%
Profit target 6% 6%
Daily loss limit 2% 2%
Max drawdown 4% 4%
Drawdown type End-of-day trailing End-of-day trailing
Min trading days 0 days 0 days
Payout cycle 8 days 5 days Better
Payout processing time 2 days Better 3 days
Max leverage Not verified Not verified
Account sizes $25,000 / $50,000 / $100,000 / $150,000 $50,000 / $100,000 / $150,000
Asset classes futures futures
Trustpilot 4.2 (20,407) Better 3.6 (14,632)
Third-party payout verification Self-reported only Self-reported only
Recorded rule changes 1 2

Apex Trader Funding: Read the review Topstep: Read the review

How the drawdown works

Both firms use a end-of-day trailing drawdown, so open profit affects your loss allowance the same way at each.

Third-party payout verification

Apex Trader Funding

833.87M — Self-reported only

Three live counters, none carrying a currency symbol as rendered — the figure displays as bare "833.87M". Wording is "Compensation to Customers", not payouts, and the homepage separately claims "No Payout Denials". apextraderfunding.com returns HTTP 403 to automated fetches; the values were read from the counters’ data attributes in a browser on the check date and will have moved since. Payouts go by ACH in the US and through the payment partner Plane internationally, so no public settlement record exists; Apex is not among the firms Payout Junction tracks.

Apex Trader Funding — homepage counters ("Total Compensation to Customers Since 2022") · 2026-08-05

Topstep

$1.4B+ — Self-reported only

The largest claim in the set and the least checkable rail: payouts settle by ACH, wire/SWIFT, Wise or prop-to-brokerage transfer, none of which leave a public record, and Topstep does not appear among the firms Payout Junction tracks. It is nonetheless the only firm here that publishes a dated participant-level payout statistic: "From January through December 2025 … (c) 33.3% of all individual participants at the Funded Level received a payout". A cumulative total with no denominator says nothing about a reader’s odds; that disclosure does.

Topstep — homepage ("$1.4B+ Paid out to prop firm traders") and 2025 Trader Performance Statistics · 2026-08-05

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Recorded rule changes

Apex Trader Funding

  • Effective 2026-03-01 Before: Performance Accounts paying 100% of the first $25,000 then 90/10, on an 8-day payout cycle with a 30% consistency rule. → After: EOD and Intraday Performance Accounts: 100% split, $500 minimum, 5 qualifying days, 50% consistency rule, and a maximum of 6 payouts after which the account closes. Apex Trader Funding Support — Legacy Products Overview

Topstep

  • Observed 2026-08-22 Before: Third-party platforms NinjaTrader, Tradovate and TradingView were offered as the trading platform lineup. → After: TopstepX, Topstep's in-house browser platform, is the standard for all accounts; the one external option is a Quantower connection via TopstepX credentials (Trading Combine and Express Funded Account only). Topstep Help Center — TopstepX™
  • Effective 2026-01-12 Before: 100% of the first $10,000 in lifetime profits, then a 90/10 split. → After: 90/10 split from the first dollar. Topstep Help Center — Topstep Payout Policy

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Which one fits you

What the data says, priority by priority. The decision is yours; we do not give investment advice.

  • Topstep comes out ahead on Lowest entry fee ($49 vs $177).
  • Topstep comes out ahead on Payout cycle (5 days vs 8 days).
  • Apex Trader Funding comes out ahead on Payout processing time (2 days vs 3 days).
  • Apex Trader Funding holds the higher Trustpilot rating (4.2 (20,407) vs 3.6 (14,632)).

FAQ

Which is cheaper to start, Apex Trader Funding or Topstep?
Apex Trader Funding is $177 and Topstep is $49, so Topstep is the better of the two on Lowest entry fee. This page is an informational comparison, not investment advice. Passing an evaluation is not guaranteed and entry fees may not be refundable.
Which one pays the higher profit split?
Apex Trader Funding is 100% and Topstep is 100%.
Which one has the shorter payout cycle?
Apex Trader Funding is 8 days and Topstep is 5 days, so Topstep is the better of the two on Payout cycle. This page is an informational comparison, not investment advice. Passing an evaluation is not guaranteed and entry fees may not be refundable.
Do they calculate drawdown the same way?
Both firms use a end-of-day trailing drawdown, so open profit affects your loss allowance the same way at each.
What do their Trustpilot ratings look like?
Apex Trader Funding: 4.2 (20,407). Topstep: 3.6 (14,632). Profiles were checked on 2026-07-31. Where Trustpilot has withheld a rating for a guideline breach we publish no score.

Sources

Data currency

Terms data 2026-06-22 / payout verification 2026-08-05 / rule changes 2026-08-22. Prop firm terms change without notice — always confirm on the official site before you buy.

This page is an informational comparison, not investment advice. Passing an evaluation is not guaranteed and entry fees may not be refundable.

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