Payout Court · compare

Apex Trader Funding vs Topstep

Case file

Apex Trader Funding

Futures

NRNo verdict yet

  • 0 of 10 weighted receipts
  • 0 of 5 senders
  • 8 of 8 rule facts

Case file

Topstep

Futures

NRNo verdict yet

  • 0 of 10 weighted receipts
  • 0 of 5 senders
  • 8 of 8 rule facts

On 25 Oct 2026, Apex Trader Funding and Topstep differed on 4 of 8 rules checked for both: Payout frequency (Apex Trader Funding: Up to weekly on EOD and Intraday Performance Accounts, after 5 qualifying trading days; $500 minimum, 50% consistency rule, max 6 payouts per PA, Topstep: Express Funded Account: a payout request after every 5 winning days of $150+ net P&L (count restarts after each request); Live Funded Account: daily payout access after 30 winning days); Profit split (Apex Trader Funding: 100% of approved payouts on current EOD and Intraday Performance Accounts, Topstep: 90/10 (trader keeps 90%)); EAs and bots (Apex Trader Funding: Not allowed, Topstep: Allowed with conditions); Account, device and IP rules (Apex Trader Funding: No VPNs, proxies, cloud servers or tools that disguise identity, device or location; sharing IPs, computers or MAC addresses with other traders is forbidden, Topstep: VPNs, proxies, TOR and other identity-masking services not permitted).

Receipts: Apex Trader Funding 0, Topstep 0.

Last checked

Which fits you

  • If you copy trade: Apex Trader Funding (allowed with conditions), Topstep (allowed with conditions).
  • If you run EAs: Apex Trader Funding (not allowed), Topstep (allowed with conditions).
  • If you trade the news: Apex Trader Funding (allowed with conditions), Topstep (allowed with conditions).
  • If you hedge: neither firm's rules allow it.
  • If you hold trades over the weekend: neither firm's rules allow it.

Read each rule before you buy.

The docket · 8 rules, each from the firm's own pages

Side by side

Highlighted rows: the two firms' rules differ.

RuleApex Trader FundingTopstep
Payout frequency DiffersUp to weekly on EOD and Intraday Performance Accounts, after 5 qualifying trading days; $500 minimum, 50% consistency rule, max 6 payouts per PA
Up to weekly payouts with 100% payout split

apextraderfunding.com · checked

Express Funded Account: a payout request after every 5 winning days of $150+ net P&L (count restarts after each request); Live Funded Account: daily payout access after 30 winning days
After you request a Payout, your winning day count restarts. You'll need 5 new winning days before you're eligible to request your next Payout.

help.topstep.com · checked

Profit split Differs100% of approved payouts on current EOD and Intraday Performance Accounts
Approved payouts are issued at a 100% payout split, you receive 100% of the approved payout amount.

apextraderfunding.com · checked

90/10 (trader keeps 90%)
90/10 profit split — you keep 90%

help.topstep.com · checked

Copy trading Allowed with conditions: Only across your own PA accounts (personal and business name), all trading the same direction; copying with other traders is forbidden
Copy trading across PA accounts under your personal name and business name is allowed. However, the hedging rule still applies; all PAs must trade in the same direction and not hedge against correlated assets.

apextraderfunding.com · checked

Allowed with conditions: A trade copier may duplicate your trades across multiple accounts
You can also use a trade copier to duplicate trades across multiple accounts.

help.topstep.com · checked

EAs and bots Differs Not allowed: No automation or algorithmic trading
No Automation or Algorithm Usage allowed: Rewards are intended to recognize human traders actively participating in the learning process, not to reward automated systems executing preprogrammed logic.

apextraderfunding.com · checked

Allowed with conditions: Automated strategies allowed with conditions; no support or exceptions for malfunctions; scalping algorithms exploiting SIM fills prohibited
Can I use automated trading strategies? Yes, with conditions.

help.topstep.com · checked

News trading Allowed with conditions: Trading during news is allowed within your normal strategy; strategies that chase the market or place orders on both sides of a news release are not
Trading during news is allowed for your normal trading strategy. Using “news trading” strategies that “chase the market” or place orders on both sides but to be lucky or gamble the outcome of news is not allowed.

apextraderfunding.com · checked

Allowed with conditions: News trading allowed, but purposely trading full maximum position size into a scheduled major news event is a prohibited strategy
Purposefully trading your full Maximum Position Size directly into a scheduled major news event.

help.topstep.com · checked

Hedging Not allowed: No hedging of any kind; no simultaneous long and short on the same or correlated instruments
No Hedging of Any Kind – Directional Trading only. Holding both long and short positions simultaneously on the same or correlated instrument is strictly prohibited.

apextraderfunding.com · checked

Not allowed: Cross-account hedging prohibited (long and short the same or correlated instrument across accounts)
Cross-account hedging is prohibited at Topstep.

help.topstep.com · checked

Weekend holding Not allowed: All trades must be closed before 4:59 PM ET each day; no overnight or weekend holds
All trades must be closed before 4:59 PM ET.

apextraderfunding.com · checked

Not allowed: No overnight or weekend holding; all positions closed by 3:10 PM CT each weekday
Can I swing trade or hold positions overnight? No. All positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT each weekday.

help.topstep.com · checked

Account, device and IP rules DiffersNo VPNs, proxies, cloud servers or tools that disguise identity, device or location; sharing IPs, computers or MAC addresses with other traders is forbidden
You may not use VPNs, proxy servers, cloud servers, anonymizing tools, or other methods or tools for the purpose of misrepresenting, concealing, or disguising your identity, device, or location

apextraderfunding.com · checked

VPNs, proxies, TOR and other identity-masking services not permitted
Do not use a VPN. VPNs, proxy services, TOR, geo-location obfuscation, and other identity-masking services are not permitted at Topstep.

help.topstep.com · checked

Payout receipts compared

Apex Trader Funding: 0 receipts forwarded to us, 0 denials. Topstep: 0 receipts forwarded to us, 0 denials.

A tier needs 10 weighted receipts from 5 different senders within 180 days. Until then the verdict is "No verdict yet". How the tiers work

Share of receipts forwarded to us, not of all payouts. People forward denials more often than approvals, so absolute numbers run high; compare firms with each other, not with zero.

Rule changes in the last 90 days

None detected in the last 90 days.

FAQ

Does Apex Trader Funding or Topstep allow copy trading?

Apex Trader Funding's own rules say allowed with conditions: Only across your own PA accounts (personal and business name), all trading the same direction; copying with other traders is forbidden. Topstep's own rules say allowed with conditions: A trade copier may duplicate your trades across multiple accounts.

Does Apex Trader Funding or Topstep allow EAs and bots?

Apex Trader Funding's own rules say not allowed: No automation or algorithmic trading. Topstep's own rules say allowed with conditions: Automated strategies allowed with conditions; no support or exceptions for malfunctions; scalping algorithms exploiting SIM fills prohibited.

Does Apex Trader Funding or Topstep allow news trading?

Apex Trader Funding's own rules say allowed with conditions: Trading during news is allowed within your normal strategy; strategies that chase the market or place orders on both sides of a news release are not. Topstep's own rules say allowed with conditions: News trading allowed, but purposely trading full maximum position size into a scheduled major news event is a prohibited strategy.

Does Apex Trader Funding or Topstep allow hedging?

Apex Trader Funding's own rules say not allowed: No hedging of any kind; no simultaneous long and short on the same or correlated instruments. Topstep's own rules say not allowed: Cross-account hedging prohibited (long and short the same or correlated instrument across accounts).

See also