Side-by-Side Comparison
See how Apex Trader Funding and Topstep compare on profit split, challenge fee, drawdown rules, payout frequency, and verified trader ratings — all in one place.
Profit Split
Max Allocation
Challenge fee (50K, 1-step)
Trader Satisfaction
Apex Trader Funding
Topstep
Program name
Profit split
Max allocation
Challenge fee (50K, 1-step)
Discounted challenge fee
Profit target
Daily Loss Limit
Daily Loss Type
Max Loss Limit
Max Loss Type
Consistency rule
Min trading days
Payout frequency
Platforms
News trading
EA / algo trading
Scaling plan
Estimate your monthly take-home based on account size and expected monthly return.
Monthly earnings
$4K
100% of $4K gross profit
Monthly earnings
$3.6K
90% of $4K gross profit
The headline difference is profit split — Apex Trader Funding offers 100% while Topstep offers 90%. Beyond that, Apex Trader Funding charges $249 with a max allocation of $3,000,000, compared to Topstep's $49 and $750,000.
Topstep's challenge fee of $49 is lower than Apex Trader Funding's $249, making it the lower-cost option for traders focused on upfront fees.
Apex Trader Funding offers a 100% profit split, compared with Topstep's 90%. The 10 percentage point difference can become meaningful as trading profits increase.
Apex Trader Funding offers a maximum allocation of $3,000,000, compared with Topstep's $750,000. Traders looking to manage larger amounts of capital may prefer Apex Trader Funding.
Both firms use a 1-step evaluation. Apex Trader Funding requires 1 minimum trading days per phase, while Topstep requires 2. Apex Trader Funding provides greater scheduling flexibility.
Both Apex Trader Funding and Topstep use Equity Based drawdown rules, so there is no difference in how your loss limit is calculated.
Apex Trader Funding pays out every 5 days, while Topstep pays out every 3 days.
Topstep offers more frequent access to profits, which may appeal to traders who prioritize regular cash flow.
Both Apex Trader Funding and Topstep offer a scaling plan, allowing funded traders to increase their account allocation over time by meeting performance targets.
Topstep holds a 4.6 rating from 8 reviews, while Apex Trader Funding holds a 3.1 rating from 10 reviews. Topstep scores higher, but Apex Trader Funding's rating is based on a larger sample size, so both factors are worth considering.
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