Apex Trader Funding FAQ

Apex Trader Funding is a US-based futures prop firm founded in 2021 by Darrell Martin (his earlier Apex Investing Institute education business dates to 2008, but Apex Trader Funding itself launched in 2021) and headquartered in Austin, Texas. You pay a one-time evaluation fee, hit a profit target without breaching drawdown rules, and graduate to a Performance Account where Apex pays 100% of the first $25,000 in lifetime profits per PA, then a 90/10 split above that. Apex is the largest US futures prop firm by branded search volume — roughly 135,000 monthly Google searches as of 2026.

Apex Trader Funding was founded in 2021 by Darrell Martin, who remains CEO. Headquartered in Austin, Texas. Note that Martin's earlier company Apex Investing Institute dates back to 2008, but Apex Trader Funding is a separate entity that launched in 2021. The firm is privately held; ownership is concentrated with founding-team investors and not publicly disclosed.

Apex is legit by every standard prop firm metric — they have paid out hundreds of millions of dollars over the firm's lifetime, hold a Trustpilot rating of roughly 4.4/5 across ~18,000 reviews (May 2026), and have operated continuously since the 2021 launch through the 80+ prop firm collapses of 2024-2025. The 4.0 launch in March 2026 modernized the model further. Common complaints (payout "Under Review" delays, rule confusion, hedging detection) exist but are policy disputes, not scam indicators. Read the funded trader agreement carefully before paying.

Apex publicly cites "hundreds of millions" in lifetime payouts and is consistently in the top 10 industry payout league tables (Q1 2026 saw $115M tracked across the top 10 firms collectively). The exact monthly figure varies but Apex has been one of the largest single payout sources in the futures prop industry for several years.

No. Apex is a technology / contractor company that provides simulated trading evaluations and pays winning traders as independent contractors. It is not registered as a broker-dealer or FCM with the SEC, CFTC, or FINRA. The legal relationship is governed by the Apex Funded Trader Agreement, not exchange rules. The CFTC has been increasing scrutiny of retail prop firms in 2024-2026 but no firm-specific regulation has been finalized.

Evaluations are 100% simulated. Performance Accounts (PA) — the funded phase — are also simulated for most traders, with payouts coming from Apex's challenge revenue. Live Funded Accounts (LFA) are a separate tier where some real capital is involved, accessible by invitation after demonstrating consistency. The vast majority of Apex traders never reach LFA; most run sim → PA → payout indefinitely.

Not on most accounts. Apex aggregates exposure across the trader base and hedges select positions in real markets where their book demands it, but the typical trader's individual orders fill on simulated quotes that mirror real-time market data. LFA traders have real fills.

A few common patterns. Negative reviews concentrate on payout "Under Review" delays during the Legacy 3.0 era (now mostly resolved with 4.0 automated payouts via ACH, Wise, Plane, and crypto rails), the June 12 2025 connection outage where Apex did not reverse losses, and rule misreadings (especially trailing drawdown shock and consistency rule). Positive reviews focus on actual payouts received, the 4.0 rule improvements, and customer support response time. The 4.0 model removed the biggest historical pain points — overall Trustpilot sits at roughly 4.4/5 across ~18,000 reviews (May 2026).

Apex publishes a payouts page at apextraderfunding.com/payouts/ with live and lifetime figures. Independent verification on prop firm forums, Trustpilot, and trader Discord servers shows consistent payout patterns. Affiliate review sites (ProTradingVibes, BestPropFirms, TradersSecondBrain) also aggregate community payout reports. Always cross-reference Apex's claimed figures with community proofs before trusting headline numbers.

Darrell Martin is the founder and CEO of Apex Trader Funding. He has a long background in retail futures trading and education prior to founding Apex; his face appears prominently on Apex marketing and educational content. Active on YouTube and Apex social channels.

Apex 4.0 is the new product version launched March 1, 2026 — the biggest restructure in Apex's history. It replaced monthly subscriptions with one-time fees, eliminated the MAE rule, removed the 5:1 risk-reward rule on evaluations, removed the One-Direction rule, dropped the Legacy 8-day minimum trading-day requirement to 5 days between payouts, automated payouts via ACH/Wise/Plane/crypto rails, and relaxed consistency from 30% to 50%. Existing Legacy 3.0 accounts keep their old rules; new accounts are 4.0 by default.

March 1, 2026. Every new evaluation purchased on or after that date runs on 4.0 rules. Accounts purchased before March 1, 2026 are Legacy 3.0 and stay on the original rule set unless you choose to migrate.

4.0 changes vs 3.0: monthly subscription removed (now one-time eval fee + one-time PA activation fee); MAE rule removed; 5:1 risk-reward rule on eval removed; One-Direction rule removed; minimum trading days between payouts dropped from 8 (Legacy) to 5 (4.0); consistency rule relaxed from 30% to 50%; payouts automated through ACH/Wise/Plane/crypto rails (no more "Under Review" delays); evaluation has a hard 30 calendar day window (no resets); PA must be activated within 7 days of passing; $75K, $250K, and $300K plans removed from the new 4.0 lineup (current 4.0 sizes are $25K / $50K / $100K / $150K). Legacy 3.0 accounts still operate under the old rules.

Yes. Legacy 3.0 accounts keep all their original rules — MAE, 5:1 RR, One-Direction, 30% consistency, 8-day minimum between payouts, monthly subscription. Nothing about 4.0 was retroactive. The two product versions run side by side, which is why double-checking which version your account is on matters.

No forced migration as of April 2026. Apex has indicated Legacy accounts will continue to operate indefinitely on 3.0 rules. If you want 4.0 rules, you have to purchase a new evaluation under the 4.0 model — your existing 3.0 account is not auto-converted.

Yes, in 4.0. The Maximum Adverse Excursion (MAE) rule — which capped open-trade unrealized loss at a percentage of the daily target — was eliminated entirely. Legacy 3.0 accounts still have it.

Yes, on 4.0 evaluations. The 5:1 rule (no single trade can risk more than 1/5 of daily realized profit at any point) was removed. Legacy 3.0 evaluations still enforce it.

Yes in 4.0. The One-Direction rule that restricted same-instrument long and short simultaneously was removed. Hedging across multiple Apex accounts is still banned, but within-account opposite directions are now permitted on 4.0.

Reduced, not eliminated. Apex 4.0 requires 5 qualifying trading days between payouts (down from Legacy 3.0's 8-day minimum). Legacy 3.0 accounts still operate under the original 8-day rule.

Yes on 4.0. The monthly $85 (or similar) subscription is gone — replaced by a one-time evaluation fee plus a one-time PA activation fee ($79 Intraday or $99 EOD). Legacy 3.0 accounts still bill monthly until they end.

Easier overall for most traders. The relaxed consistency rule (30% → 50%), removed MAE/5:1/One-Direction rules, and 5-day between-payout minimum (vs Legacy's 8) all reduce friction. The 30 calendar day hard limit on evaluations is the one tightening — there are no resets in 4.0, so if you can't pass in 30 days, you have to buy a new evaluation. For traders who pass quickly, 4.0 is a clear win; for traders who need multiple resets, the math is more nuanced.

Check the purchase date in your dashboard. Anything purchased before March 1, 2026 is Legacy 3.0; anything on or after is 4.0. The dashboard also displays the rule set tied to each account; if you see references to MAE, 5:1, or One-Direction, you are on Legacy. If you see "50% consistency" and no MAE references, you are on 4.0.

Evaluation is the test phase — you must hit the profit target without breaching drawdown. Performance Account (PA) is the funded phase you graduate into, where there is no profit target and you can request payouts. PA rules are slightly looser (no profit target requirement), but the trailing drawdown still applies, plus the consistency rule and minimum-day rules for first payout. The PA is where you actually make money.

Simulated. Apex pays real cash for PA performance, but the underlying account is sim — your orders fill against simulated quotes that mirror real market data. This is the standard model for almost all retail futures props.

Live Funded Account is Apex's tier where real capital is in play. It is invitation-only, granted to PA traders who have demonstrated consistent payouts over time. LFA rules are different: no trailing drawdown (only daily loss limit), no consistency rule, real exchange fills. Most Apex traders never reach LFA — and the path is opaque.

Apex doesn't publish exact criteria. Generally requires multiple successful payouts on a PA, demonstrated low-volatility profitability, KYC complete, no rule violations. The invitation is at Apex's discretion. Plan to live on PA indefinitely — LFA is a bonus, not a guaranteed outcome.

One-step. You hit the profit target without breaching drawdown, then you graduate to PA. There is no separate phase 2 verification.

No. Apex does not offer instant funding. You must pass an evaluation to access a PA.

PA activation is typically immediate after you pay the activation fee ($79 Intraday or $99 EOD on 4.0). You have 7 calendar days from passing the eval to activate; miss the window and the pass expires. Once activated, the PA goes live within hours.

The pass expires and you lose access to that PA opportunity. You'd have to buy a new evaluation and start over. Set a reminder — the 7-day window catches a lot of traders, especially those who pass on a Friday and forget over the weekend.

No. Apex 4.0 PAs have a one-time activation fee only — no recurring monthly subscription. Legacy 3.0 PAs still bill monthly.

PAs do not have a hard expiration but can go inactive. Apex enforces an inactivity rule — no trades for 30+ days flags the account; longer inactivity may close it. Trade at least once a month to keep the PA active.

Yes — up to 20 active PA accounts per individual trader (Apex's 20-cap rule applies per trader, not per household). You can buy multiple evaluations, pass each, and run all the resulting PAs in parallel. Same-direction copy trading across your own accounts is permitted; hedging is not.

PA: trailing drawdown applies, consistency rule applies, daily loss limit applies, payouts capped on first 5 then uncapped. LFA: no trailing drawdown (only DLL), no consistency rule, real fills, payouts processed differently. LFA is structurally easier to trade because the trailing drawdown is removed; the path to LFA is the hard part.

Apex 4.0 offers exactly four sizes: $25K, $50K, $100K, and $150K. The $75K plan was retired under 4.0 (it remains a Legacy 3.0 option for existing holders only). The $250K and $300K Legacy plans were also dropped from the 4.0 lineup. Existing Legacy 3.0 holders of $75K, $250K, or $300K accounts retain those — but new buyers cannot acquire them under 4.0.

List price around $199 one-time on 4.0, frequently 50-90% off with discount codes. Black Friday and seasonal promos push to $20-$40 territory. Verify the live price on apextraderfunding.com — discounts run almost continuously.

List around $249 one-time on 4.0; with discount codes typically $50-$130 depending on promotion. The $50K is the most popular plan among new traders because it balances eval cost against meaningful contract size.

List around $399 one-time on 4.0; discounted to $100-$220 typical. Recommended for traders who specifically want full-size ES/NQ access (the $25K and $50K plans are usually micros-only).

List around $599 one-time on 4.0; discounted to $200-$350 typical. The largest 4.0 plan available; the $250K and $300K Legacy plans were retired.

Yes — the $250K and $300K plans are not available on the 4.0 product. Existing Legacy 3.0 holders of those accounts retain access to them; new buyers can only go up to $150K under 4.0.

$99 one-time on 4.0 for EOD trailing drawdown plans. Paid after passing the evaluation, before the PA activates.

$79 one-time on 4.0 for Intraday trailing drawdown plans. Cheaper than the EOD activation fee because Intraday accounts are riskier to trade.

Because EOD trailing drawdown is dramatically friendlier to the trader — your trail only updates at the close of each day, so intraday wicks don't kill the account. Apex prices the EOD activation higher because more traders pass and reach payout on EOD plans, so Apex needs more revenue per account to balance the economics.

One-time on 4.0. Pay it once when you activate your PA; no recurring billing. Legacy 3.0 has different mechanics where the monthly subscription continues.

No. Apex 4.0 eliminated monthly billing entirely. You pay the eval fee once, then the activation fee once when you pass — no recurring charges. Legacy 3.0 accounts still bill monthly until terminated.

Major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) are the primary payment methods. PayPal availability varies. Crypto for evaluation purchase is not standard. Apex does pay OUT in crypto (and via ACH, Wise, or Plane) for international traders, but inbound payments are typically card-based.

Apex publishes active codes at apextraderfunding.com/coupon-code/ — they rotate frequently. Affiliate aggregators (SaveOnPropFirms, ProTradingVibes, BestPropFirms) also list current codes. Always pull the live code from one of those sources at purchase time; codes expire weekly.

Almost continuously. There is rarely a week without an active promo code. Major events (Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Memorial Day, Easter, July 4th, anniversary of Apex's founding) push deeper discounts — often 80%+ off list. Patient traders never pay list price.

Up to 90% off the list price during major promotions. The headline 90% number requires a flagship promo (Black Friday, anniversary). Day-to-day codes typically run 50-70% off. The realistic effective price for a $50K eval with code stacking is around $50-$130.

No. Discount codes apply to evaluation purchases only. The PA activation fee ($79 Intraday or $99 EOD) is fixed and not discounted.

Apex 4.0 does not have resets — failed evaluations require buying a new evaluation, which can use a discount code. Legacy 3.0 reset purchases sometimes accept codes; varies by promotion.

No. Only one code per checkout. The aggressive "stack two codes for 95% off" claims you see online don't work — checkout rejects the second code.

Three sources: apextraderfunding.com/coupon-code/ (Apex's own page), Apex's email newsletter (subscribe for the freshest codes), and aggregator sites (SaveOnPropFirms, ProTradingVibes). Avoid random YouTube comment codes — many are stale or affiliate-only.

Yes, every year. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have historically been Apex's deepest discounts of the year — 80-90% off list across all plan sizes. Apex emails subscribers a few days in advance. If you can wait until late November, the Black Friday eval is the cheapest entry point.

$1,500 net P&L on the standard 4.0 $25K plan. Hit it without breaching trailing drawdown and you've passed the eval. Verify on apextraderfunding.com — Apex occasionally adjusts targets per plan version.

$3,000 net P&L on the standard 4.0 $50K plan. The most popular eval target — accessible with disciplined micro-contract scalping over 5-10 trading days.

No — the $75K plan was retired under Apex 4.0 (March 2026). It is only available as a Legacy 3.0 account for existing holders. The historical $75K Legacy profit target was $4,250. New buyers should pick from the current 4.0 sizes: $25K ($1,500 target), $50K ($3,000 target), $100K ($6,000 target), or $150K ($9,000 target).

$6,000 on the standard 4.0 $100K plan. The plan size where full-size ES/NQ trading becomes practical given the larger drawdown buffer.

$9,000 on the standard 4.0 $150K plan — the largest 4.0 size available.

No. PAs have no profit target. The targets are eval-only. On the PA you focus on hitting payout-eligible thresholds (consistency, qualifying days, minimum profit cushion) rather than a target.

Yes — there is no upper cap. You can hit a $3,000 target and finish at $5,000. Watch the consistency rule though: a single huge day can lock you into needing more days to balance the percentage at PA payout time.

The eval evaluates target hit on closing balance, not floating equity. So you have to actually close trades to bank the profit. Floating $3,500 with a $3,000 target doesn't pass — close the position and watch the closing balance hit $3,000+ to lock the pass.

On Apex 4.0, you've passed — there is no minimum trading day requirement on evaluation. The 5-day minimum applies to PA payout eligibility, not eval pass. Hit target day 1, pay activation fee, start the PA, then grind the 5 qualifying days for first payout.

No. Payouts are PA-only. The eval is a test — there is no payout mechanism on it. Pass the eval, activate the PA, then earn payouts.

A maximum loss floor that ratchets up with your peak balance but never decreases. On a $50K Intraday account with $2,500 trailing drawdown, the starting floor is $47,500. Hit a peak of $52,000 and the floor moves to $49,500. Touch the floor and the account dies.

On Intraday plans, every tick of unrealized profit raises the floor. So if you go from $50,000 starting balance to $51,500 unrealized peak (without closing), the floor moves to $49,000. If price then retraces $2,500 against the open position, the floor is breached even though you haven't closed the trade. Intraday trailing punishes you for "holding through the breath" — close trades to lock balance progress against the trail.

Intraday: yes — every tick of unrealized profit moves the floor up. EOD: no — only closing balance moves the floor. This single difference is why most Apex traders pick EOD plans (the $99 activation fee is worth it for the dramatically friendlier mechanics).

No — it never resets and never moves down. Once the floor ratchets up, it stays at that level until the freeze condition is met (starting balance + drawdown + $100). Many new traders assume the trail resets at midnight; it does not.

A trailing drawdown that only updates based on each day's closing balance — intraday spikes do not move the floor. Apex 4.0 lets you pick EOD at activation for the higher $99 fee. EOD is dramatically friendlier than Intraday and is what most discretionary traders should choose.

EOD for almost all traders. The $20 extra activation fee ($99 vs $79) is the cheapest insurance you'll buy in trading. EOD lets you ride bigger trades without fearing intraday wicks killing the account. Pick Intraday only if you have a strategy that closes every trade quickly and never lets unrealized profit drift — and even then, EOD is usually still the better choice.

Apex locks the trail at "starting balance + $100." So on a $50K account, once your peak balance hits $52,600 ($50K starting + $2,500 drawdown + $100 buffer), the floor freezes at $50,100 and stops trailing. From that point forward, you have a static drawdown of $50,100. Reaching the freeze threshold is a major Apex milestone — your account is structurally safer afterward.

The account is breached. Open positions are auto-liquidated. The account is closed and cannot be reset under 4.0 — you would have to buy a new evaluation. Legacy 3.0 accounts can sometimes use a paid reset.

Yes. The platform (Tradovate / Rithmic / NinjaTrader) auto-flattens positions the moment the trailing drawdown is breached. There's no human in the loop and no override.

$1,500 on the 4.0 $25K plan. Tight relative to position size — most $25K traders run micros only.

$2,500 on the 4.0 $50K plan. Workable for micro contract scalping with 1-2 contract risk.

$3,000 on the 4.0 $100K plan. Roomier; allows full-size ES/NQ at 1 contract risk.

$5,000 on the 4.0 $150K plan. The most flexible 4.0 size — comfortable margin for swing-style intraday holds.

Open positions auto-liquidate, you are paused for the rest of that trading day, and you come back tomorrow. Hitting the DLL does not fail the account — it just suspends trading until 6:00 PM ET (the CME daily reset).

No. LFA accounts have only the daily loss limit, not the trailing drawdown. This is a major reason traders work toward LFA — the rule structure is significantly easier once you're there.

You're on an Intraday account. Every tick of unrealized profit moves the floor up — that's the defining behavior of Intraday. Then if price retraces, the elevated floor catches you. The fix is either close trades sooner to lock balance, or switch to EOD on your next account.

Your single largest profit day cannot exceed a percentage of your total cumulative profit at payout time. Apex 4.0 = 50%. Legacy 3.0 = 30%. So at 50%, if your total profit is $10,000, your best day can be at most $5,000. The rule applies at PA payout request, not during evaluation.

Yes — relaxed from 30% (Legacy 3.0) to 50% (4.0). This is one of the biggest reasons traders prefer 4.0 to Legacy. A 50% rule needs much less padding from small days to qualify a big day for payout.

Best single day's net P&L divided by total cumulative net P&L, multiplied by 100. To stay under 50%, total profit ≥ best day / 0.50. So a $2,000 best day requires at least $4,000 total before payout. Use Apex's payout calculator or fundedmath.com to check before requesting.

No on Apex 4.0 — eval has no consistency requirement. The rule only applies at PA payout. You can have a single huge day on the eval and still pass; it just may make the first PA payout harder.

No — it just blocks the payout. The account survives. Trade more small profitable days to dilute the best-day percentage, then re-request the payout. This is the most-misunderstood rule on prop firm forums.

Trade more small winning days. Every additional profitable day adds to the total denominator and lowers the percentage. Some traders deliberately log $50-100 days for a week after a big day to balance the ratio.

Yes — the consistency clock resets after each approved payout. The next cycle starts fresh.

The 50% consistency rule does NOT permanently disappear at any payout count — that is a common myth. What changes is the payout cap: after 5 successful payouts on the same PA, the trader becomes eligible to request 100% withdrawal of available profits (caps are lifted on payout #6 onward). But the underlying 50% best-day rule still gates whether a given payout is approved. Track-record traders enjoy bigger checks, not a rule exemption.

Yes. Legacy 3.0 PAs still enforce the 30% consistency rule. The 50% relaxation only applies to 4.0 accounts.

fundedmath.com has an Apex consistency calculator. Apex's own dashboard also shows the percentage. Both are useful before clicking "request payout" — knowing you'll be denied saves the support ticket.

A trading day where you generated at least the minimum profit threshold (typically $50 net on a $25K, scaling up by account size). Token trades that don't meet the threshold don't count. The 5 qualifying days for first payout (4.0) must all individually meet the minimum.

5 qualifying days on Apex 4.0 (down from 7 on Legacy). The days don't need to be consecutive, but each must hit the minimum profit threshold for that account size.

No. The 5 qualifying days can be spread across as long as you want, with non-trading days in between. As long as you eventually log 5 days that each meet the profit minimum, the count progresses.

CME trading hours: 6:00 PM ET Sunday open through 4:59 PM ET Friday close, with daily breaks at 5:00-6:00 PM ET. Apex auto-flattens positions at 4:59 PM ET each day. Sunday open at 6:00 PM ET is the start of a new trading week.

4:59 PM ET. Apex auto-flattens any open positions at this time across all accounts and platforms. Anything still open at 4:59 gets liquidated at the closing price — sometimes with bad fills if the market is moving.

No. Apex auto-flattens at 4:59 PM ET every day. There is no swing or overnight account option.

6:00 PM ET. After the 5:00-6:00 PM CME maintenance break, the next trading day begins. Daily loss limit resets here, not at midnight. Many new traders trip up by treating midnight as the day boundary; it's not.

Saturdays no — CME is closed. Holidays generally no — markets close. Sunday opens at 6 PM ET so Sunday evening can technically count as the start of Monday's trading day for daily counting purposes.

Yes — whenever CME is open, Apex accounts can trade. Holiday early-close days (like the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve) follow CME's schedule. Apex's auto-flatten time adjusts to match CME's early close.

Yes. As of March 2026, every order on an Apex account must have an attached stop-loss and take-profit. The platform layer (Tradovate, Rithmic) enforces this — orders without SL/TP are rejected at submission.

Yes. Both required. Single-sided orders (just SL or just TP) are rejected. Apex requires bracketed orders — entry + stop + target — for every position.

Yes. Tradovate's order entry rejects unbracketed orders on Apex accounts as of March 2026. The error message references the SL/TP requirement. Same on Rithmic and NinjaTrader. Note: Apex does not run on ProjectX — ProjectX went Topstep-exclusive in February 2026.

Yes — same enforcement on Rithmic. Apex's rule applies to the account, not the platform.

You have to use the platform's bracket-order interface for every entry. Tradovate has bracket orders built in; Rithmic does too. Discretionary scalpers who used to fire one-click entries now have to set SL/TP at the same moment — slower and requires planning before the click.

Webhook payloads must include SL and TP fields, otherwise the broker rejects the order. PickMyTrade automatically attaches SL/TP based on your TradingView alert configuration — no rejected orders, full Apex compliance out of the box. Webhook bridges that don't auto-bracket break under Apex's March 2026 rule.

Yes. PickMyTrade detects you're trading an Apex account and auto-brackets every order with the SL and TP values from your TradingView alert. If your strategy doesn't define explicit SL/TP, PickMyTrade applies configurable defaults (e.g. ATR-based) so the order still passes Apex's rule. This is one of the biggest 2026 PMT features specifically because of Apex's mandatory SL/TP rule.

The order is rejected at the broker layer. You either need to add SL/TP logic to your Pine Script strategy, or use a webhook bridge (like PickMyTrade) that auto-brackets every order with default SL/TP values. Doing nothing means none of your trades fire.

CME Group products only — Apex does NOT offer EUREX/DAX or any non-CME exchange. Available: equity index futures from CME (ES, NQ, YM, RTY plus micros MES, MNQ, MYM, M2K), energy from NYMEX (CL, NG plus MCL), rates from CBOT (ZB, ZN, ZF), currency futures from CME (6E, 6B, 6J, 6A), agricultural from CBOT (ZC, ZS, ZW). Metals on COMEX/NYMEX are currently halted (Gold, Silver, Copper, Platinum, Palladium plus all micros).

Apex halted GC, SI, MGC, HG, PL, PA in early 2026 citing extreme volatility and risk-management considerations. The decision was platform-wide — applies to Tradovate, Rithmic, NinjaTrader, and WealthCharts Apex accounts. No public timeline for return.

Yes — GC (Gold), SI (Silver), MGC (Micro Gold), QO (Mini Gold), QI (Mini Silver) are all halted. The halt covers full-size and micro contracts equally. Many Apex traders specialized in MGC scalping and had to migrate strategies to other instruments.

Yes — HG (Copper), PL (Platinum), PA (Palladium) are also halted along with Gold/Silver. The full metals complex is suspended.

No public timeline as of April 2026. Apex stated they're reviewing quarterly. Watch the Apex announcements page or X account for updates.

Yes — the halt is firm-wide across Eval, PA, and LFA accounts.

MES (Micro E-mini S&P) and MNQ (Micro E-mini Nasdaq) dominate by trader count, especially on $25K and $50K accounts. ES and NQ get more volume on $100K+ plans. CL (crude oil) is popular for trend-following. With metals halted, traders have shifted toward MES, MNQ, and CL.

Yes — ZC (corn), ZS (soybeans), ZW (wheat) are tradable. Volume is lower than equity index futures, but they trade.

Limited. Bitcoin micro futures (MBT) availability varies by account size and platform; full-size BTC futures are typically not allowed on smaller plans due to tick value. Verify your specific account's instrument list in Apex's dashboard.

Yes — micros are universally available across all Apex plan sizes. They're the primary instrument for $25K and $50K traders.

Cross-account hedging is universally banned (long on one Apex account, short same instrument on another). Within-account opposite directions are now allowed on Apex 4.0 (the One-Direction rule was removed); Legacy 3.0 still prohibits it.

Yes — strictly enforced. Holding ES long on one Apex account while holding ES short on another is detected (sub-second order timing across IPs and device fingerprints) and triggers immediate account closure plus payout forfeiture. Apex shares blacklist data with other major futures props.

Same instrument, no — that's the hedging ban. Different instruments, yes — long ES on one account, short NQ on another is fine because they're correlated but different products. Same-instrument cross-account opposites is the line.

20 active PA accounts maximum per individual trader (Apex's 20-cap is per-trader, not per-household — a common misreading). The cap counts across all platforms (Tradovate + Rithmic + NinjaTrader + WealthCharts). Buy more than 20 evals and pass them, you can hold the additional ones inactive but only 20 can be active simultaneously.

Yes — 20 across all platforms combined, not 20 per platform. So 10 Tradovate PAs + 10 Rithmic PAs hits the cap.

Yes — your spouse can hold their own separate set of up to 20 PA accounts as an independent individual trader, because the 20-cap is per trader rather than per household. However, Apex's risk team treats accounts traded by the same person (regardless of whose name is on them) as that one person's accounts. If you actually trade your spouse's accounts, those count against your 20-cap and the spouse's accounts may be banned for sharing. Each trader must trade only their own accounts.

Yes — same-direction copy trading across your own multiple Apex accounts is explicitly permitted. PickMyTrade is built for this — broadcast a single TradingView alert to all 20 of your Apex PAs simultaneously, all same-direction, all bracket-ordered. Apex documents this use case as compliant.

No. Copy trading from another trader (signal services, follow-trader services, paid Discord rooms) is banned. Only your own strategies on your own accounts.

Yes. Apex's risk team uses IP, device fingerprint, billing address, and behavioral patterns to identify accounts being traded by the same person. Cross-account hedging detected between a trader's own accounts — or between spouses' "separate" accounts that are actually traded by one person — triggers the same ban as a single-trader violation.

No — Apex prohibits VPN use. Detection is straightforward (datacenter IP ranges flag), and VPN access can result in account closure. If you legitimately need a VPN for security, contact Apex support before connecting; they can sometimes whitelist.

Yes — semi-automated trading is permitted. Apex requires "actively monitored" automation, meaning a human can intervene. Pure set-and-forget 24/7 unattended bots are prohibited. TradingView alert + webhook + broker = compliant if you supervise.

Yes for trader-owned EAs that you supervise. Rented or commercial EAs (anything you didn't write yourself) are banned because they create correlated risk across users.

Trader-owned bots: yes. Rented bots and signal-service bots: no. The line is "your code, your strategy, your supervision" vs "someone else's code running unsupervised on your account."

No. HFT is banned at Apex — typically defined as sub-2-second hold times, sub-second order rates, or any pattern that exploits simulation tick mechanics. Standard scalping (10+ second holds, 20-50 trades/day) is fine.

No — explicitly banned. Latency arb exploits the gap between Apex's simulated quotes and real exchange prices, which is unfair to the simulation. Detection is reliable and bans are immediate.

Yes — semi-automated and explicitly allowed. The TradingView alert fires from your charts (your signal source), routes through a webhook bridge such as PickMyTrade, and executes on your Apex broker. Apex considers this compliant as long as you're supervising.

No. Apex requires human supervision. A bot that runs unsupervised for days while you're on vacation violates the "actively monitored" requirement and risks account closure if detected.

Yes — your own NinjaScript strategies are allowed on Apex's NinjaTrader connection. Standard semi-automated supervised use case.

Yes — same-direction across your own accounts is permitted. PickMyTrade is the most-used tool for this in the Apex community because it natively handles multi-account routing across Tradovate and Rithmic (Apex's two main execution paths in 2026). Different traders coordinating on the same signal would still be banned.

HFT, latency arbitrage, news straddle bots, fully unsupervised 24/7 bots, copy-trading from another trader's account, and bots violating the SL/TP requirement (post-March 2026). Trader-owned, supervised, normal-frequency strategies are fine.

Tradovate (cloud-first, web + desktop + mobile), Rithmic (low-latency execution layer with R|Trader Pro front-end), NinjaTrader (charting + execution, especially popular for Apex), and WealthCharts (charting + order routing). Apex does NOT run on ProjectX — ProjectX went Topstep-exclusive in February 2026 and never adopted Apex.

Apex provisions Tradovate credentials when you activate your PA. Log in to the Tradovate web app or download the desktop client, paste in your Apex-issued credentials, and the account appears. The dashboard shows your trailing drawdown level in real time.

Apex provides Rithmic credentials and connection details when you activate. You connect through R|Trader Pro or any Rithmic-compatible front-end (NinjaTrader, Quantower, Sierra Chart). Pick the Chicago Area gateway for best latency.

NinjaTrader connects to Apex via either Tradovate or Rithmic underneath. Install NinjaTrader 8, open the Connections menu, add a new connection using your Apex Tradovate or Rithmic credentials, and the account appears. NinjaScript strategies and ATM Strategies work normally.

Apex doesn't have a native TradingView broker panel — there's no "Trade Apex from chart" button in TradingView. The integration is through Tradovate (which IS in TradingView's broker panel for manual orders only). For Pine Script-driven automation, you need a webhook bridge.

For manual trading: use TradingView's broker panel, log into Tradovate with your Apex credentials, place orders manually from the chart. For automated trading: TradingView alerts → webhook URL → PickMyTrade (or similar) → Tradovate API → Apex account fill. The webhook path is the only way to drive Pine Script signals into Apex.

No. Apex never adopted ProjectX as a supported platform, and as of February 2026, ProjectX became Topstep-exclusive. Apex traders execute through Tradovate, Rithmic, NinjaTrader, or WealthCharts only. If you see a tutorial claiming Apex-on-ProjectX, it is outdated or incorrect.

Common causes: wrong gateway selected (use Chicago Area for Apex), VPN active (Rithmic blocks VPN), data feed agreement not signed, credentials still propagating after PA activation, or Rithmic-side outage. Try reconnecting after disabling VPN and re-checking the gateway. If persistent, contact Apex support.

Tradovate = modern cloud platform, easier UI, slightly slower fills. Rithmic = low-latency execution, slightly faster fills (PickMyTrade slippage tests show measurable difference), more technical setup with R|Trader Pro. Tradovate is the default; Rithmic is for traders who care about every millisecond.

No — each Apex account is linked to one platform at activation. You can have multiple Apex accounts each on different platforms, but a single account doesn't run on Tradovate and Rithmic simultaneously.

Apex includes basic CME data on PA accounts. Real-time CME data on the trader's TradingView side requires a separate subscription ($7/mo retail bundle) — Apex's data and TradingView's data are independent.

Yes — Tradovate has full iOS and Android apps that work with Apex accounts. Order entry, position management, P&L viewing all work on mobile. NinjaTrader's mobile is more limited.

Yes. PickMyTrade is a TradingView-to-broker webhook bridge that supports Apex on Tradovate and Rithmic (Apex's two main execution paths). Setup takes ~5 minutes: connect your Apex broker credentials in PickMyTrade, paste the PMT webhook URL into your TradingView alert, format the alert message with SL/TP, done. Sub-200ms execution; auto-attaches the mandatory March 2026 SL/TP brackets. PMT does NOT route Apex through ProjectX because Apex does not support ProjectX.

(1) Sign up at pickmytrade.trade. (2) In PMT dashboard, add Apex broker (Tradovate or Rithmic — Apex's two supported execution paths), authenticate with your Apex credentials. (3) PMT generates a webhook URL specific to your Apex account. (4) In TradingView, create an alert, paste the webhook URL, write the JSON message with action/symbol/quantity/SL/TP. (5) Save. The alert fires → PMT receives → routes to Apex broker → fills with bracket order.

Yes — Tradovate is PMT's flagship Apex integration. Most Apex automation traders use this path because Tradovate is the default Apex platform.

Yes. PMT supports Apex Rithmic accounts via the Rithmic API. Latency is slightly tighter than Tradovate. Setup is similar — auth with your Apex Rithmic credentials in PMT.

ProjectX: No — Apex does not support ProjectX (ProjectX went Topstep-exclusive in February 2026), so there is no Apex-on-ProjectX path to route through. WealthCharts: NinjaTrader and WealthCharts charting users typically still execute Apex orders via Tradovate or Rithmic, which is what PMT plugs into. The webhook URL pattern is unchanged.

Sub-200ms median end-to-end (TradingView alert fires → PMT receives → broker API → fill confirmation back). Worst-case under load: 1-3 seconds. Compare to manual click-through of 10-60 seconds. The speed matters for Apex specifically because intraday trailing drawdown punishes slow fills.

Yes — flagship PMT use case. Connect all your Apex PAs (up to 20 per Apex's per-trader cap) in PMT, then route a single TradingView alert to all of them simultaneously. Same direction, same instrument, all bracketed. Apex permits same-direction copy across your own accounts.

Yes. PMT detects you're on an Apex account and auto-brackets every order with SL and TP from your alert message. If your strategy doesn't define explicit SL/TP, PMT applies configurable defaults (ATR-based, percent-based) so the order still meets Apex's March 2026 mandatory bracket rule.

PMT's risk overlay can pause webhook execution X dollars before the trailing drawdown floor. Configure the buffer in your PMT settings; once triggered, incoming alerts are dropped (logged but not executed) until you manually re-enable. Useful as a circuit breaker against runaway losses.

Yes — semi-automated. The TradingView alert (your signal) fires, PMT routes it (the bridge), Apex broker executes (the fill). Apex permits this provided you're supervising. PMT is structurally semi-automated by design — you can override or pause at any moment.

Apex auto-flattens at 4:59 PM ET on the broker side regardless. PMT respects this by stopping new entries near the cutoff (configurable). The combination ensures you don't leave open positions running into the auto-flatten which can produce bad fills.

$50/month flat — covers all your Apex accounts (up to the 20-per-trader cap) plus any other supported brokers (Topstep, MFFU, Tradeify, Tradovate, Rithmic, IBKR, etc.). No per-trade fees. There's a free trial — start at pickmytrade.trade.

Apex 4.0 uses automated payout rails — ACH (US), Wise, Plane, and crypto (USDT/USDC). Request from your dashboard and the processor typically settles within 24-48 hours. Legacy 3.0 used a manual review process (mostly Wise/ACH) that frequently went into "Under Review" status and could take 7-14 days. The 4.0 automation eliminated most of that delay. The minimum payout amount is $500.

100% of the first $25,000 lifetime profit on a PA, then 90/10 split (90% to trader, 10% to Apex) on every dollar above that. The 100% threshold is per-account, not per-trader.

After 5 qualifying trading days on Apex 4.0 (each must hit the minimum profit threshold for that account size). Plus you must be at least the minimum profit cushion above the trailing drawdown freeze level. Plus you must pass the consistency rule.

The first 5 payouts follow a 6-step ladder that scales with plan size. On a $100K PA the ladder starts at $2,000 (payout 1) and steps up to $4,000 by payout 6, with smaller plans capped lower and the $150K capped higher. Caps exist to prevent immediate cash-out after one big day; on payout #6 onward the cap is lifted and traders are eligible for 100% withdrawal (the 50% consistency rule still applies on every payout). Verify the exact ladder for your specific account size in the Apex dashboard.

From the 6th payout onward on the same PA, the dollar cap is lifted and traders are eligible for 100% withdrawal of available profits. The 50% consistency rule still applies on every request, however — it does not disappear with track record.

For the first 3 payouts, you must maintain a "safety net" cushion — typically $100 above the trailing drawdown freeze level — after the payout is processed. So if a payout would put your balance below the safety net, the payout amount is reduced.

Apex 4.0 supports four payout rails: ACH (US bank transfer), Wise (international), Plane (international contractor payouts — replaced the Deel option in the 4.0 rollout), and crypto (USDT/USDC). Minimum payout is $500. Verify which rails are available for your country in the dashboard.

1-3 business days through the ACH rail for US bank transfers on 4.0. International transfers via Wise or Plane take longer depending on country; crypto payouts settle within hours.

Apex marks "PAID" when the payout processor (ACH/Wise/Plane/crypto) hands off the transfer, but the receiving bank's posting timeline is independent. ACH typically takes 1-3 business days after Apex's "PAID" status. Crypto is faster — usually within hours.

Largely no on Apex 4.0 thanks to automated payout rails (ACH, Wise, Plane, crypto). Legacy 3.0 still occasionally hits "Under Review" status especially on large payouts. The 4.0 model was specifically designed to eliminate the historical Legacy 3.0 review delays.

Top causes: consistency rule violation (best day too large vs total), insufficient qualifying days, KYC mismatch (name, address, ID document issue), safety net cushion not met (first 3 payouts), payout cap exceeded (first 5 payouts), or rule violation flagged on the account. Apex emails the specific reason; check the dashboard for details.

Yes — once you've passed the first-payout requirements, subsequent payouts can be requested on a regular cadence. Apex doesn't enforce a hard "one per month" limit; some traders take weekly payouts.

No. The payout calculation uses closed-balance, and Apex requires the account to be flat at the moment of payout request. Close positions, wait for confirmation, then request.

No. Apex pays the gross amount and issues a 1099-NEC for US traders. You're responsible for self-employment tax (15.3%) plus ordinary income tax. Set aside ~30-35% of payouts for tax obligations.

Apex 4.0: no — there are no resets. A failed eval requires buying a new evaluation. Apex Legacy 3.0: yes, paid resets are available. The 4.0 model deliberately removed resets in exchange for one-time fees and tighter rules.

$80-$160 typical for Legacy 3.0 resets depending on account size. Verify current pricing on the Apex dashboard. Sometimes there are discount codes that apply to resets, sometimes not.

No. Reset fees are non-refundable.

Apex 4.0 evaluations have a 30-calendar-day hard limit. If you don't pass within 30 days, the eval expires and you forfeit the evaluation fee. No resets, no extensions — start a new evaluation if you want to try again.

For 4.0: buy a new evaluation when a discount code is active (Black Friday, anniversary, weekly promos). Don't immediately re-buy — wait 24 hours, journal what failed, then start fresh with a clear plan. Most "blew 50 accounts" stories on prop firm forums are about not waiting and re-deploying broken discipline.

Cross-account hedging, copy trading from another trader, HFT, latency arbitrage, VPN use, account sharing, identity fraud (using someone else's KYC documents), credit card chargebacks. These trigger immediate account closure with no refund and may include cross-firm blacklist.

Don't. Chargebacks against Apex result in immediate account closure plus a permanent ban from Apex. They also flag you with the cross-firm prop blacklist. If you have a refund issue, work with Apex support directly.

Open your Apex dashboard or Tradovate platform and look for "BREACHED" or similar status. Apex emails within minutes of a breach. If you're on Intraday and your equity touched the trail at any point, you've breached even if price reversed afterward — the touch is what counts.

Yes — 1099-NEC if you're a US trader who received $600+ in payouts during the tax year. Apex distributes 1099s in late January / early February of the following year via the registered mailing address.

1099-NEC (Non-Employee Compensation). The income is contractor income, not capital gains. Reported on Schedule C of your tax return.

Generally yes as a Schedule C business expense, especially if you're a consistent profitable trader (clear business intent). Failed evals from someone who never passes may be classified as hobby losses. Consult a CPA.

Same as eval fees — typically yes as ordinary business expense if you have a serious trading business. Document each one for your records.

Yes for US traders. Apex payouts go on Schedule C as gross receipts, and you deduct trading-related expenses (eval fees, platform fees, data fees, automation tools, VPS, education) on the same Schedule C. Self-employment tax is calculated on Schedule SE based on net Schedule C income.

Yes — 15.3% on the first ~$168,600 in 2026 (verify SSA wage base for the current year), then 2.9% on amounts above. This is on top of ordinary income tax, which can push the total tax rate to 35-50%+. Set aside 30-35% of every payout for tax obligations.

Roughly 84 restricted countries as of April 2026. The list includes OFAC-sanctioned countries (Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus) plus some FATF gray-list countries and regions where KYC infrastructure is unreliable. Verify your country at support.apextraderfunding.com before purchasing.

Generally yes if you have legal US residency and US-issued KYC documents (driver's license, SSN, US address). Country of birth doesn't disqualify you — current residency and KYC documents do.

Apex itself doesn't have a branded mobile app, but Tradovate (Apex's primary platform) has full iOS and Android apps. You can monitor your Apex account, place orders, and manage positions from the Tradovate mobile app.

Yes via Tradovate's mobile app. Order entry, charts, P&L, drawdown level all visible on mobile. Mobile is fine for monitoring and emergency exits but most traders run their primary desktop setup for active trading.

Apex 4.0 has more flexible rules (50% consistency vs Topstep's stricter rules, 5-day between-payout minimum vs Topstep's similar requirement, allows news trading), more platform options (Tradovate / Rithmic / NinjaTrader / WealthCharts vs Topstep's TopstepX + ProjectX exclusive stack — ProjectX went Topstep-only in February 2026), and one-time fees vs Topstep's monthly. Topstep has the OG reputation and slightly tighter integration. For automation specifically, Apex wins because TopstepX restricts third-party platforms.

MFFU's Core plan is generally cheaper than Apex's eval at the same account size, especially because MFFU eliminated activation fees entirely in July 2025. Apex 4.0 eval + activation fee combined sometimes exceeds MFFU's all-in cost. Both allow automation; MFFU is more permissive on copy trading.

Tradeify 3.0 (March 2026) eliminated subscriptions like Apex 4.0 did. Tradeify's Lightning plan offers instant funding which Apex doesn't. Tradeify allows news trading freely; Apex 4.0 also allows it. Apex has bigger search volume and longer track record; Tradeify has won "Most User Friendly" prop firm awards. Both are reasonable choices.

Topstep restricted some metals contracts in early 2026, similar industry response to volatility. Specifics vary; check Topstep's permitted products list for current state.

Yes. Tradovate has a native Mac client. NinjaTrader requires Parallels or a VM on Mac. Most Mac users go with Tradovate web or the Tradovate desktop app for Apex.

Apex maintains an official Discord community accessible from the support site. Active community discussions, payout announcements, rule clarifications. Always verify "official Apex" Discord links from apextraderfunding.com — fake Apex Discords exist for phishing.