Topstep and Apex Trader Funding are two of the most searched futures prop firms, and for good reason — both have been around long enough to build real track records, both publish their rules clearly, and both have active payout communities. For beginners, though, the question is not which firm is more popular. It is which evaluation actually fits how you trade.
This guide walks through how the two firms compare on rules, drawdown, cost, resets, payouts, and beginner friendliness. It is intentionally neutral. The goal is to help you make a confident decision before spending money on an evaluation you do not need to retry.
Quick Comparison
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Use the table below as a starting point, not a final answer. Both firms update their rules and pricing regularly, so always verify the current terms on the official site before purchasing.
Topstep Overview
Topstep is one of the longest-running futures prop firms. Beginners often gravitate toward it because the lineup is intentionally narrow: a single evaluation product (the Trading Combine) with a small number of account sizes. Less choice usually means less decision fatigue for a new trader.
Topstep applies a trailing drawdown on funded accounts and emphasizes consistency. Traders who pass the Combine activate an Express Funded Account, with potential progression based on the firm's current rules. Before signing up, beginners should read the trailing drawdown rules, the minimum trading day requirements, and the payout schedule on Topstep's official site.
Why beginners often like Topstep
- Simple product lineup — fewer choices to over-optimize
- Long-running brand with a clear payout history
- Education content and a built-in trading journal
- Rules are documented in plain language
What to review before signing up
- How the trailing drawdown is calculated on your specific account size
- Minimum trading day requirements before a payout
- Scaling plan and contract limits during evaluation and funded stages
- Reset cost relative to a new Combine purchase
Apex Trader Funding Overview
Apex Trader Funding is well known for its frequent promotional pricing and a wide range of account sizes. Many traders search for Apex discount codes because the firm regularly runs sitewide promotions across most evaluation tiers. That visibility is part of what makes Apex feel attractive to new traders — but it also makes it easier to buy an account size that does not match your strategy.
Apex currently lists evaluation account options with End-of-Day Drawdown and Intraday Drawdown variants. Eligible traders who pass an evaluation activate a simulated funded Performance Account, subject to Apex's posted payout rules and consistency requirements.
Why beginners search for Apex
- Multiple account sizes from small to large
- End-of-day drawdown option that some beginners find easier to reason about
- Promotional pricing is common — the headline price is rarely the everyday price
- Active community discussion around rules and payouts
What to watch before buying an Apex evaluation
- Confirm whether the discount code applies to the account size you actually want
- Understand the difference between the intraday and end-of-day drawdown variants
- Read the consistency and minimum trading day rules required for payout
- Avoid stacking multiple accounts before passing one
Which One Is Easier for Beginners?
There is no universal answer, but the comparison below is what most beginners actually need to weigh.
Rule simplicity
Topstep wins on simplicity for most new traders. One product, fewer account sizes, and a documented progression path. Apex has more options, which is a feature for experienced traders and a distraction for beginners.
Risk management
Both firms enforce hard daily and overall risk limits. Apex's end-of-day drawdown option can feel less punishing intraday, but the trailing logic still applies once profits are locked in. Topstep's trailing drawdown rewards traders who do not give back profits.
Cost to retry
Apex's frequent promotional pricing usually makes a retry cheaper in raw dollars, especially during major sales. Topstep retries are typically more expensive per attempt but on a narrower account lineup, so the decision is simpler.
Drawdown pressure
Trailing drawdown is the single most misunderstood rule in futures prop trading. Beginners should fully understand how the trailing value updates on their chosen firm — not after their first losing day. Both firms publish this; both deserve a careful read.
Payout expectations
Neither firm pays out instantly after passing. Both require minimum trading days, consistency, and adherence to ongoing rules on the funded account. Treat the first payout as a milestone that comes weeks after passing, not days.
Learning curve
Topstep tends to have a shorter onboarding curve because the product surface is small. Apex's flexibility is a long-term advantage, but it can overwhelm a first-time evaluation buyer.
Biggest Mistakes Beginners Make
- Choosing the cheapest challenge without reading the rules — a $50 evaluation on a 25K account often forces position sizing that fails the daily loss limit immediately.
- Ignoring trailing drawdown — the most common reason traders blow funded accounts is misunderstanding how the trailing value moves.
- Overleveraging — trading the maximum allowed contracts on a small account turns one bad trade into a failed evaluation.
- Buying too many accounts too early — managing five accounts before passing one rarely improves results and multiplies the rule mistakes.
- Focusing only on payouts instead of passing safely — payout rules only matter once you have an account that is not at risk of breach.
Where PropFirmV Helps
PropFirmV is an independent comparison and education resource. We pull the rules, drawdown types, account sizes, and payout structures into one place so you can compare firms before spending money on an evaluation. We do not currently list active affiliate codes — instead, we point you to the firm's official site and explain what to verify before buying.
If you are deciding between Topstep and Apex, the most useful next step is to compare both firms' rules side by side, read independent reviews, and confirm any active deals on the official sites before checkout. PropFirmV's comparison, review, and deals pages are built for that workflow.
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