PROP FIRM RULES
Apex Trader Funding RULES & LIMITS
Apex Trader Funding specializes in futures trading with a single-phase evaluation. Known for frequent promotions (50–80% discounts) and a trader-friendly trailing threshold, Apex offers accounts from $25,000 to $300,000. No daily drawdown limit during evaluation makes it one of the most accessible prop firms for developing futures traders.
Strategy guide
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KEY RULES
Daily Drawdown
None (eval) / $1,000–$2,500 (funded)
Max Loss
Trailing threshold
Profit Target
$1,500–$20,000 (varies by account)
Min Trading Days
7 days
Max Duration
Unlimited
Leverage
Full futures contracts
EVALUATION PHASES
Evaluation
PA (Funded)
RULE EXPLANATIONS
The Trailing Threshold — The Most Misunderstood Rule
The trailing threshold is Apex's version of a maximum drawdown — but unlike a static limit, it trails upward as your account equity grows. On a $50,000 account, the trailing threshold starts at $47,500 (a $2,500 buffer). If you trade up to $52,000, the threshold trails up to $49,500. The threshold locks in once you reach a set level (account size + profit target). After that point, it stops trailing and becomes a static floor. This means your best-ever equity high determines your survival threshold.
Edge case: The trailing threshold is based on real-time equity, including floating P&L on open positions. If your account is at $51,000 but you have a -$4,000 floating loss, your effective equity is $47,000 — and if the threshold has already trailed up to $48,000, you are already in breach without having closed a single trade.
No Daily Drawdown During Evaluation — But It Returns in Funded
During the evaluation phase, Apex has no daily loss limit. You can lose $3,000 in a single day and continue trading the same day. This is a major advantage for traders testing volatile strategies. However, once funded, a daily loss limit applies — typically $1,000–$2,500 depending on account size. Many traders build bad habits during eval (ignoring daily exposure) and then breach the funded account in week one because they did not adapt to the new constraint.
Edge case: The daily loss limit in funded accounts is based on the previous day's closing balance, not the original account balance. Profitable traders have a higher daily loss allowance in absolute dollar terms.
7-Day Minimum Trading Requirement
Apex requires a minimum of 7 calendar days of trading during the evaluation. A trading day counts when at least one trade is opened. The 7-day minimum is longer than FTMO's 4-day requirement and is specifically designed to prevent traders from making one large trade, hitting the target immediately, and requesting funding. Spread your evaluation over at least 2 full trading weeks.
Edge case: Weekends do not count as trading days. If you trade Monday through Friday of one week, you have only 5 trading days. You need to trade at least 2 more days the following week to qualify.
Profit Split — 90% After First Withdrawal
Apex funded traders receive 100% of the first $25,000 in profits, then 90% thereafter. The first payout can be requested after 7 trading days in the funded account, with a minimum profit of $100. Payouts are processed via ACH, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
Edge case: If you pass multiple Apex accounts simultaneously (which is allowed), the profit split and withdrawal terms apply independently to each account.
ACCOUNT SIZES & PRICING
| Account | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| $25K | $25,000 | $147/mo |
| $50K | $50,000 | $167/mo |
| $100K | $100,000 | $207/mo |
| $150K | $150,000 | $297/mo |
| $300K | $300,000 | $517/mo |
TIPS TO PASS APEX TRADER FUNDING
Understand exactly how the trailing threshold works before placing your first trade. Draw it out on paper: start at your account floor, add $1 for each $1 of profit, and the floor follows. Most traders who blow Apex accounts do so because they did not realize a large floating loss had pushed their equity below the trailing floor. Simulate the scenario before going live.
Watch for Apex promotional sales — they frequently run 50–80% discount events. The monthly subscription fee drops from $147 to under $30 during sales. There is no disadvantage to waiting for a promotion if you are not yet ready to trade.
Keep 1–2 instruments maximum during evaluation. Apex supports all major futures contracts (ES, NQ, CL, GC, 6E, etc.) but spreading across many instruments during evaluation fragments your data and makes it harder to identify patterns in your trading. Master one market first.
Do not carry positions overnight in the funded phase. Apex does not allow weekend holding in funded accounts, and overnight positions in volatile futures markets introduce gap risk that can exceed your daily loss limit before markets open. Set alerts or use automated close rules for end-of-day.
Build the daily loss limit habit during evaluation, not after. Even though there is no daily limit in eval, choose a personal daily stop of $1,000–$1,500 and treat it as a hard rule. When you transition to the funded account, the official daily limit will already feel natural rather than restrictive.
WHY TRADERS FAIL APEX TRADER FUNDING
Not understanding the trailing threshold and getting stopped out at peak equity. The most common Apex failure pattern: a trader builds their account from $50,000 to $58,000, the threshold trails up to $55,500, then one bad session erases $4,000 in a day — pushing equity to $54,000, below the $55,500 floor. The account is breached even though the trader is still profitable overall from the starting balance. The trailing nature of the threshold is non-negotiable and irreversible.
Trading too many contracts relative to account size during evaluation. No daily drawdown limit does not mean unlimited risk. Trading 10 MES contracts on a $25,000 account creates $500/point exposure on the S&P 500 — a 20-point adverse move wipes $10,000 and may breach the trailing threshold. Position sizing discipline is just as critical here as at any other firm.
Holding positions through market close in the funded phase. Apex funded accounts do not allow overnight holding. Positions that are open at the end of the trading session are automatically closed by the platform — often at unfavorable prices near market close. Many traders are surprised by this when transitioning from eval (where the rule is looser) to funded.
Building evaluation habits that do not work in funded. The eval phase has no daily loss limit, creating a false sense of safety. Traders take large swings, have a few bad sessions, recover, and pass. In the funded phase, the same large swings immediately trigger the daily loss limit and fail the account within the first week. The evaluation is not just about hitting the profit target — it is about proving you can trade within funded-account constraints.
FAQ — APEX TRADER FUNDING
Can I hold Apex positions over the weekend?
No — not in funded accounts. All positions must be closed before the weekly market close (Friday at 5pm ET for most futures markets). Positions held through the weekend in funded accounts are automatically closed. During the evaluation phase, overnight holding is allowed on weekdays but not through weekends.
Does Apex allow multiple accounts simultaneously?
Yes. Apex allows traders to hold multiple evaluation and funded accounts at the same time, across different account sizes. There is no limit on the number of accounts. This is a major advantage for traders who want to scale without waiting to pass a single large account.
How does the Apex trailing threshold lock?
The trailing threshold stops trailing (locks in place) once your account equity reaches the initial account balance plus the profit target. For example, on a $50,000 account with a $3,000 profit target, the threshold locks once equity reaches $53,000. After that point, it never moves again — giving you a permanent floor equal to the locked level.
What markets can I trade on Apex?
Apex is futures-only. Supported instruments include equity index futures (ES, NQ, YM, RTY), commodities (CL, GC, SI, NG), currencies (6E, 6B, 6J), interest rates (ZB, ZN), and more. Forex spot, stocks, and crypto are not available.
When can I request my first Apex payout?
After 7 trading days on the funded account and a minimum of $100 in profit. Payouts are processed within 1–7 business days depending on the payment method.
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Futures prop firm — 18K funded traders, $598M payouts (post-Apex 4.0 March 2026).