Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep

A plain side-by-side of what you pay and the rules you trade under. Every figure comes from each firm's official site. If we haven't verified something, it says "check official site".

Apex Trader Funding: verified 2026-09-27 (source) · Topstep: verified 2026-09-27 (source)

The short answer

If you pass on the first try, Topstep costs less: $198 vs $680 (50K, list price, evaluation + activation).
If you need 2 retries, Topstep is cheaper: $296 vs $1,860.
Apex Trader Funding charges a one-time evaluation fee (no subscription).
Apex Trader Funding has no resets on this product: a failed attempt means buying a new evaluation.
Topstep bills monthly, so every extra month before you pass adds $49.
Apex Trader Funding advertises a higher top profit split (100% vs 90%). Check caps and conditions in the payout rules.

Side by side (50K account)

Apex Trader Funding and Topstep compared
What	Apex Trader Funding	Topstep
50K evaluation price	$590 one-time	$49 per month
Activation fee (after you pass)	$90	$149
Resets	No (buy a new evaluation)	Yes, $49
50K profit target	$3,000	$3,000
50K max drawdown	$2,000 (EOD trailing)	$2,000 (EOD trailing)
Drawdown type	EOD trailing (checked once a day at the close); an intraday-trailing product is also sold	EOD trailing (Maximum Loss Limit, set from the end-of-day balance high; stops at the starting balance)
Top profit split	up to 100%	up to 90%
Payout rules	100% payout split; 5 qualifying trading days of $250+ profit (50K) or $300+ (100K); 50% consistency rule; minimum payout $500; safety net = drawdown + $100; max 6 payouts per Performance Account (per-payout caps: 50K $1,500 to $3,000, 100K $2,000 to $4,000)	90/10 split; Standard XFA: 5 winning days of $150+ per payout, request up to 50% of balance, capped at $2,000 (50K) / $3,000 (100K) per request; minimum payout $125
Coupon code	Coming soon	Coming soon

True cost at a glance

True cost = evaluation + activation fee + (retries × reset or re-buy price). 50K, list prices before discounts; monthly plans shown for the first month.

Retries	Apex Trader Funding	Topstep
Pass first try	$680	$198
1 retry	$1,270	$247
2 retries	$1,860	$296

Each retry: Apex Trader Funding no resets: buy again at $590; Topstep $49 reset.

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper, Apex Trader Funding or Topstep?

If you pass on the first try, Topstep costs less: $198 vs $680 (50K, list price, evaluation + activation).

Does Apex Trader Funding have resets?

No (buy a new evaluation)

Does Topstep have resets?

Yes, $49

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