Apex vs Topstep: Which Prop Firm Should You Use?
I've been paid out by both. Here's how they actually compare, who each one suits, and why the third option, your own live account, is sometimes the better choice.
Published · by Joakim Jusell
The short version
- Both are good choices. I've been paid by Topstep and by Apex, and every payout I requested went through.
- Topstep is more beginner friendly. Cleaner dashboard, more polished, and faster payouts in my experience. The downside is that new accounts get pushed onto their own platform, TopstepX.
- Apex suits more experienced traders. You can trade from your own charting platform, and that's the main reason I use Apex today.
- The third option is your own live account. No rules but yours and no payout caps, but every loss is your money.
- Whichever you pick, the firm rarely decides whether you pass. Your size and your rules do.
I trade my own live account every day, and I've traded prop firm accounts alongside it since January 2024, when I got funded for the first time. I was paid out on a Topstep Express Funded account in April 2025, and on an Apex Performance Account twice in July 2026. Today I use Apex to test new systems before they're allowed near my own money.
I'm not affiliated with either firm and there's no discount code on this page. This is just what I've seen from the inside.
Example payouts: Topstep already back in April 2025, and more recently Apex twice in July 2026. Both firms cap how much you can take out per payout, more on that below. Tap any image to see it full size.
Apex vs Topstep: The Rules Side by Side
Both firms changed a lot in 2026. Topstep added a second payout path in February, and Apex rebuilt its payout rules on March 1 for accounts bought after that date. This is how they compare as of October 2026, using the 50K account as the example.
| Topstep | Apex Trader Funding | |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation | Trading Combine, paid as a monthly subscription | One-step evaluation, often on big discount sales |
| 50K profit target | $3,000 | $2,500 |
| 50K drawdown | $2,000, trailing on the end-of-day balance | $2,500, you choose end-of-day or intraday trailing |
| Consistency rule | During the Combine: your best day has to stay under 50% of total profit | None during the evaluation. Applies when you request a payout from the funded account |
| Funded account | Express Funded Account, with a path to a Live Funded account | Performance Account (PA), small activation fee after you pass |
| Payout eligibility | Two paths: five winning days of $150+, or three trading days with a 40% consistency target | A set number of qualifying days per payout cycle, plus the consistency check |
| Payout limits | Up to 50% of your balance per request, with a dollar cap by account size and payout path | Minimum per request, and a cap per payout by account size that rises over your first payouts |
| Profit split | 90/10 on new accounts | 100% of the first $25K, then 90/10 |
| Platforms | New Combines pushed onto TopstepX, their own platform. Check what's supported before you buy | Rithmic and Tradovate connections, so NinjaTrader, MotiveWave and others work |
Prop firm rules change all the time, especially payout limits, which both firms adjusted during 2026. Always check the firm's own help center before you buy, and if something here disagrees with their site, their site wins.
The Differences That Actually Matter
Platforms
For me, this is the big one. I read the market with order flow and footprint charts in MotiveWave, and when I was funded at Topstep I traded through MotiveWave just like I do today. Then I noticed they'd stopped letting new Combines use other platforms and were pushing everyone onto TopstepX. I could see where that was going, so I moved over to Apex before it hit my own accounts.
TopstepX is a decent platform, but if you've built your whole process on a specific charting setup, being forced off it is a real cost. Apex still works with Rithmic and Tradovate, so I can keep my setup.
Where the consistency rule bites
Topstep puts its 50% consistency rule in the Combine, so one huge day can't carry the whole evaluation. Apex has no consistency rule during the evaluation, but checks it when you ask for a payout. Either way, one lucky day won't get you paid. You need steady days, which is how you should be trading anyway.
Drawdown
Topstep trails on the end-of-day balance. Apex lets you choose end-of-day or intraday trailing. I always take end-of-day, and I explain why with worked numbers in trailing drawdown explained.
Dashboard and payouts
This is where Topstep wins. The dashboard is cleaner, the whole thing feels more polished, and my payouts there came through faster.
Payout limits
Both firms cap how much you can take out each time you request a payout. At Topstep it's up to half of your balance, with a dollar cap on top that depends on your account size and which payout path you're on. At Apex there's a minimum per request, and the cap depends on your account size and goes up over your first few payouts. Both changed their caps during 2026, so check the current numbers in their help center before you plan around them.
In practice it means a great week doesn't come out all at once. You take it out in pieces, one payout at a time, and you have to keep following the rules in between. With your own account there's none of that, which is one more reason the third option is worth thinking about.
Cost
Topstep's Combine is a monthly subscription. Apex runs big discount sales on evaluations very often, which makes them cheap to start. Be careful with that. Cheap evals are exactly what turns them into lottery tickets, and that's how people end up buying ten of them.
Which One Should You Pick?
Topstep
If you're newer to futures or prop firms. Cleaner dashboard, more structure, clear rules and faster payouts in my experience. You'll be on their platform, but if you don't have a setup you depend on yet, that matters less.
Apex
If you're more experienced and already have a platform and process you trust. You get to keep your own charting and order flow tools, and more choice in how the drawdown works.
Your own live account
If you're consistent, have capital you can afford to risk, and are tired of trading around someone else's rules. More on this below.
The Third Option: Your Own Live Account
A lot of people treat prop firms as the only way to trade futures. They're not. My main trading is on my own live account, and for a consistent trader it has some big advantages.
- No rules except yours. No consistency rule, no trailing drawdown, no minimum days and no activation fees.
- No payout caps. Your profit is yours, and you take it out when you want.
- Real fills, real market. Your orders actually go to the exchange.
The downside is obvious. Every loss is your own money, and you need capital to start. Micro futures make that a lot more realistic than people think, since one MES contract is a tenth of an ES. I compare the two properly in MES vs ES.
The way I see it, prop accounts are a good place to prove a system with someone else's capital, and your own account is where you trade it once it's proven. That's how I use them today.
What Matters More Than the Firm
People spend hours comparing prop firms and five minutes on their own rules. It should be the other way around. I see traders fail evaluations at both firms, and they fail the same way: risking too much on each trade, no daily stop, and trying to pass in a day.
Treat the drawdown as your real account, risk a small slice of it per trade, and stop for the day after a couple of losses. I lay out the whole approach in how to pass a prop firm evaluation. And if you keep blowing evals the same way, revenge trading is usually where it starts.
Questions People Ask
Is Apex or Topstep better?
Neither is better for everyone. Topstep is more beginner friendly, with a cleaner dashboard, a more polished feel and faster payouts in my experience. Apex suits more experienced traders who want their own charting platform. Both have paid me every time.
Which prop firm is better for beginners, Apex or Topstep?
Topstep. The dashboard is cleaner, the rules are clearer, and the consistency rule in the Combine pushes you towards steadier trading. Pass in a simulator first before paying for any evaluation.
Do Apex and Topstep actually pay out?
In my experience, yes. Every payout I've requested from both was approved. Payouts depend on following each firm's rules, so read them first.
What are the payout limits at Apex and Topstep?
Both firms cap each payout. Topstep lets you request up to half of your balance, with a dollar cap that depends on your account size and payout path. Apex has a minimum per request and a cap per payout based on account size that goes up over your first few payouts. Both changed their caps during 2026, so check their help centers for the current numbers.
Can I use my own trading platform with Topstep or Apex?
Apex works with Rithmic and Tradovate, so platforms like NinjaTrader and MotiveWave work. At Topstep I traded from MotiveWave too, until they started pushing new Combines onto TopstepX. That's when I moved. Check what's supported before you buy.
Is a prop firm better than trading my own account?
It depends on your capital and your stage. A prop firm gives you a bigger account for a small fee, with strict rules and caps. Your own account has no rules but yours, but every loss is your money. Many traders prove a system on prop accounts first.
Can I trade Apex and Topstep at the same time?
Yes. Just trade them with the same size and the same rules, so more accounts don't turn into more risk.
Keep failing evals the same way, whichever firm you use? That's exactly what I fix with students in my trading mentorship, one issue at a time.
See 1-on-1 MentorshipKeep reading: How to Pass a Prop Firm Evaluation • Trailing Drawdown Explained • Revenge Trading • Micro Futures Guide • MotiveWave Review • All Free Resources
