Apex Trader Funding Review — Prop Firm Payouts

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OVERVIEW

Apex Trader Funding

review

Apex Trader Funding is the world's largest futures prop firm by cumulative payouts ($500M+ paid out), allowing traders to manage up to 20 Performance Accounts simultaneously.

Our verdict

4.2

★★★★★ · PropFirm score

20500

Apex Trader Funding is a top-tier choice for futures multi-account traders seeking 100% profit splits on their first $25,000 per account and Tradovate/TradingView execution. Main trade-offs include mandatory PA activation fees ($85–$159) and the 6-payout account lifetime cap.

Payout speed & reliability

4.3

Rule fairness & clarity

4.0

Challenge value

4.6

Platform & data feed

4.4

Support & payout UX

4.1

About the firm

World's largest futures prop firm by cumulative payouts, supporting 20 accounts per trader on Tradovate/Rithmic.

Apex Trader Funding is a Texas-based futures evaluation firm established in 2021 by Darrell Martin. Apex offers single-step evaluation accounts ranging from $25,000 to $300,000, allowing traders to manage up to 20 active Performance Accounts (PAs) simultaneously under a single login.Connecting directly to Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) group futures through Rithmic, Tradovate, and NinjaTrader, Apex provides real-time ECN market data. Traders keep 100% of their initial $25,000 in earned profits per account, scaling to a 90% profit split thereafter.

Firm type

Futures prop firm

Operating since

2021

Markets

CME Futures — ES, NQ, YM, RTY, CL, GC, sixes

Platforms

Rithmic / Tradovate / NinjaTrader

Data feed

Rithmic / Tradovate

Funding model

Simulated capital, real cash payouts

Payout rails

Bank wire transfer, Rise Works

Country availability

Global access — available in 150+ countries (standard compliance restrictions apply).

The team — who's behind it?

Who Apex Trader Funding works best for — and who should look elsewhere.

Darrell Martin

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Financial educator and active trader with over 20 years of market experience who founded Apex Investing Institute in 2008. He launched Apex Trader Funding in 2021 to pioneer multi-account futures evaluations with higher payout caps.

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Teresa Martin

Chief Operating Officer

Executive leading daily corporate administration, operational workflows, and internal management at Apex Trader Funding. She oversees organizational scaling, customer relations, and business expansion.

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The challenges they sell

$25K

$167

$1,500

None

$1,500

Rithmic Intraday Trailing (1-Step)

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4 · 40 micro

$85

$80

100%

Rithmic ECN data feed, No daily loss limit, Up to 20 accounts, Reset available

Firms often sell more than one challenge, and each can carry its own pricing, targets and — crucially — its own rules. Apex Trader Funding offers four: a Rithmic Intraday Trailing, a Tradovate Intraday Trailing, an End-of-Day Trail and a $100K Static Account. Switch between them to compare exactly what you're buying.

Which size to buy? Bigger accounts give more buying power but a proportionally wider target — drawdown room per dollar of target is similar across tiers. Most traders start at 50K or 100K. Figures are illustrative; confirm current numbers on the firm's own site.

$25K

$147

$1,500

None

$1,500

Tradovate Intraday Trailing (1-Step)

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4 · 40 micro

$85

$80

100%

Tradovate & TradingView support, No daily loss limit, Web & Mobile trading

$25K

$147

$1,500

$500

$1,000

End-Of-Day Trail (1-Step)

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4 contracts

$85

$80

100%

EOD trailing drawdown, Daily loss limit protection, No unrealized equity drawdown

$100K

$137

$2,000

None

$625 (Fixed Static)

Static Account

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2 mini · 20 micro

$85

$80

100%

Never-moving static drawdown, $2,000 profit target, Low monthly cost

$50K

$207

$3,000

None

$2,500

Rithmic Intraday Trailing (1-Step)

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10 · 100 micro

$85

$80

100%

$50K

$187

$3,000

None

$2,500

Tradovate Intraday Trailing (1-Step)

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10 · 100 micro

$85

$80

100%

$50K

$359

$3,000

$1,000

$2,000

End-Of-Day Trail (1-Step)

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10 contracts

$85

$80

100%

$100K

$307

$6,000

None

$3,000

Rithmic Intraday Trailing (1-Step)

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14 · 140 micro

$85

$80

100%

Hidden rules & fine print

50% Performance Account Consistency Rule [KNOW THIS]

On funded Performance Accounts (PA), no single trading day can account for 50% or more of cumulative profits generated since the last payout request.

6-Payout Account Lifetime Cap [KNOW THIS]

After receiving 6 successful payouts on a specific PA account, the account reaches its maximum lifetime limit and automatically closes.

Mandatory Activation Fee [STRICT]

Passing an evaluation requires paying a one-time activation fee ($85–$159 depending on plan and tier) before the PA account is issued.

Safety Net Buffer Requirement [STRICT]

Withdrawals require maintaining account balance above starting capital + max drawdown threshold + $100 safety cushion.

100% Profit Split on First $25K [TRADER-FRIENDLY]

Traders retain 100% of the first $25,000 in generated profits per account before a 90% profit split applies.

Mandatory 4:59 PM ET Close [STANDARD]

All positions must be flattened before 4:59 PM ET daily; overnight holding is strictly prohibited.

Who this firm is best for — and not

Ideal for futures copiers managing up to 20 accounts and traders utilizing Tradovate/TradingView web charts.

✓ Best for

Multi-Account Futures Copiers wanting to manage up to 20 active Performance Accounts simultaneously using trade copiers
High-Earning Funded Traders taking advantage of 100% profit split retention on the first $25,000 per account
Tradovate & Mobile Users trading directly through Tradovate web/mobile or TradingView charts

✕ Not the best fit

Long-term Swing Traders needing to hold futures positions overnight past the 4:59 PM ET close
Traders Disliking Upfront Activation Fees ($85–$159 PA activation fee required)
Metals Traders looking to trade Gold, Silver, or Copper contracts

Payout terms

Apex Trader Funding offers payouts every 5 trading days, retaining 100% of the first $25,000 in profit per account before scaling to 90%.

Profit split

100% 1st $25k, then 90% ㅤ ㅤ

Payout schedule

Every 5 Trading Days ㅤ ㅤ

First payout eligibility

5 qualifying trading days (min $250 profit/day) + safety net buffer

Minimum withdrawal

$500

Payout method

Bank wire transfer, Rise Works

Consistency rule

50% max single-day profit

Drawdown model

Intraday Trailing Drawdown | End-Of-Day (EOD) Drawdown

Platforms

Rithmic / Tradovate / NinjaTrader

Recent tracked payouts

Payouts processed every 5 trading days with 100% split retention on the first $25,000 per account.

No items found.

Strengths & trade-offs

✓ What PropFirm likes

Paid out over $500 million to traders since 2022, proving industry-leading payout volume
100% profit split retention on the first $25,000 per account
Multi-account scaling up to 20 accounts under one master login
Tradovate & TradingView integration allowing seamless web and mobile execution

! Worth checking