Topstep vs Apex: Current 50K Program Rules
This comparison covers three specific nominal $50,000 programs for new purchases: Topstep's 50K Trading Combine on Standard pricing leading to an XFA Standard, and Apex's No Activation Fee EOD and Intraday evaluations on Rithmic leading to the matching Performance Accounts. A nominal $50,000 account size is a program label, not $50,000 of cash supplied to the trader. Optional rule add-ons are excluded. All figures are USD and were checked October 3, 2026, against each firm's first-party written terms, which can change. The better choice depends on where each firm places its restrictions, because the evaluation, simulated funded, and live stages are governed by different rules.
Compare futures account rules
Nominal program sizes and separate account stages. Regular prices in USD. Checked 2026-10-03.
Evaluation rules and fees
| Program | Fees | Target | Drawdown | Consistency and access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TopstepTrading Combine Standard pricing / XFA Standard / no DLL add-on | Regular evaluation price $49.00 [1]Evaluation subscription price before taxes. Standard pricing path. Billing Monthly [1]Combine subscription cancels after passing. Activation $149.00 [1]One-time fee for each earned XFA on Standard pricing. Paid reset fee $49.00 [1]50K Standard Combine reset; separate from XFA reactivation. | Profit target $3,000.00 [3] Minimum trading days 2 [2] | Limit $2,000.00 [4] Calculation End-of-day trailing [4] Breach monitoring Real-time net equity [4]Realized and unrealized losses can breach the current floor intraday. Breach boundary Floor cap $50,000.00 [4] | Rule or target 55% [3] Boundary At or below the threshold [3] Basis Best-day profit divided by total profit [3]Above 55% raises the required profit target. Additional profit must come on a separate trading day. Access days Not verified [1]Monthly subscription; a fixed evaluation expiry was not verified. |
| Apex Trader FundingEOD Evaluation No Activation Fee / PA / Rithmic | Regular evaluation price Not verified [18]Exact selector/checkout price not captured. Do not use Legacy subscription prices. Billing One-time, 30-day evaluation access [16] Activation $0.00 [17]No Activation Fee purchase variant only. Paid reset fee Not applicable [16]New products have no reset; failed evaluation requires a new purchase. | Profit target $3,000.00 [8] Minimum trading days No minimum [8]No minimum requirement; may pass in one trading day. | Limit $2,000.00 [8] Calculation End-of-day trailing [8] Breach monitoring Real-time net equity [9] Breach boundary Floor cap $53,000.00 [9]Rithmic/Wealthcharts evaluation floor caps at target-profit balance. Tradovate keeps trailing. | Rule or target Not applicable [8]No evaluation consistency requirement. Boundary Not applicable [8]Not applied. Basis Not applicable [8]Not applied. Access days 30 [16] |
| Apex Trader FundingIntraday Evaluation No Activation Fee / PA / Rithmic $50,000.00 [12] Source noteNominal program size. Starting simulated balances are recorded separately. | Regular evaluation price Not verified [18]Exact selector/checkout price not captured. Do not use Legacy subscription prices. Billing One-time, 30-day evaluation access [16] Activation $0.00 [17]No Activation Fee purchase variant only. Paid reset fee Not applicable [16]New products have no reset; failed evaluation requires a new purchase. | Profit target $3,000.00 [12] Minimum trading days No minimum [12]No minimum requirement; may pass in one trading day. | Limit $2,000.00 [12] Calculation Intraday trailing [12] Breach monitoring Real-time net equity [13] Breach boundary Floor cap $53,000.00 [13]Rithmic/Wealthcharts evaluation floor caps at target-profit balance. Tradovate keeps trailing. | Rule or target Not applicable [12]No evaluation consistency requirement. Boundary Not applicable [12]Not applied. Basis Not applicable [12]Not applied. Access days 30 [16] |
Simulated funded rules and payout conditions
| Program | Account state | Drawdown | Payout conditions | Payout limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TopstepTrading Combine Standard pricing / XFA Standard / no DLL add-on | Environment Simulated [5] Starting balance $0.00 [5] | Limit $2,000.00 [4] Calculation End-of-day trailing [4] Breach monitoring Real-time net equity [4] Breach boundary Floor cap $0.00 [4] Cap condition EOD balance reaches 2000, or first payout, whichever occurs first [4] | Consistency Not applicable [5]XFA Standard has no payout consistency target. XFA Consistency is a separate path. Boundary Not applicable [5]No consistency rule on selected funded path. Winning days 5 [6] Minimum winning day $150.00 [6] Buffer Not applicable [6]No separate safety-net earning threshold stated for XFA Standard; loss floor still applies. Minimum request balance Not verified Not verified for this exact simulated-funded stage. Other conditions
| Trader share 90% [6]New trader terms. Pre-12-Jan-2026 legacy concession excluded. Minimum request $125.00 [6] Maximum request $2,000.00 [6]50K XFA Standard without DLL offer. Also limited to 50% of balance. Balance share cap 50% [6] Maximum payout count Not verified Not verified for this exact simulated-funded stage. |
| Apex Trader FundingEOD Evaluation No Activation Fee / PA / Rithmic | Environment Simulated [10] Starting balance $50,000.00 [9]Displayed 50K PA balance; profits are simulated. | Limit $2,000.00 [10] Calculation End-of-day trailing [10] Breach monitoring Real-time net equity [10] Breach boundary Floor cap $50,100.00 [9] Cap condition Highest EOD balance reaches 52100 [9] | Consistency 50% [11]Strictly below 50%, unlike inclusive 50% rules. Boundary Below the threshold [11] Winning days 5 [11] Minimum winning day $250.00 [11] Buffer $2,100.00 [11]Lifetime profit safety net, separate from the 50100 drawdown floor. Minimum request balance $52,600.00 [11] Other conditions
| Trader share 100% [11]100% of approved simulated PA payout, not the separate live split. Minimum request $500.00 [11] First approved request cap $1,500.00 [11]First approved payout cap; subsequent caps stored separately. Caps by approved payout
Balance share cap Not verified Not verified for this exact simulated-funded stage. Maximum payout count 6 [11] |
| Apex Trader FundingIntraday Evaluation No Activation Fee / PA / Rithmic $50,000.00 [12] Source noteNominal program size. Starting simulated balances are recorded separately. | Environment Simulated [14] Starting balance $50,000.00 [13]Displayed 50K PA balance; profits are simulated. | Limit $2,000.00 [14] Calculation Intraday trailing [14] Breach monitoring Real-time net equity [14] Breach boundary Floor cap $50,100.00 [13] Cap condition Highest intraday equity, including unrealized gains reaches 52100 [13] | Consistency 50% [15]Strictly below 50%, unlike inclusive 50% rules. Boundary Below the threshold [15] Winning days 5 [15] Minimum winning day $200.00 [15] Buffer $2,100.00 [15]Lifetime profit safety net, separate from the 50100 drawdown floor. Minimum request balance $52,600.00 [15] Other conditions
| Trader share 100% [15]100% of approved simulated PA payout, not the separate live split. Minimum request $500.00 [15] First approved request cap $1,500.00 [15]First approved payout cap; subsequent caps stored separately. Caps by approved payout
Balance share cap Not verified Not verified for this exact simulated-funded stage. Maximum payout count 6 [15] |
Estimate known fees
Enable JavaScript to estimate selected charges. Verified prices are shown in the table.
Verified evaluation, paid reset and activation charges only. Data, platform, commissions, taxes and other charges are excluded. Reset credits and promotions are not applied. One-time access limits still apply. Passing and payout eligibility are separate.
Costs and account stages
Topstep's evaluation stage is a monthly subscription at $49 before taxes, and the subscription cancels after passing, per Topstep's pricing terms. Each earned XFA on Standard pricing carries a one-time $149 activation fee, with no monthly XFA subscription afterward. A failed 50K Standard Combine can be reset for $49, which is separate from XFA reactivation. Topstep also sells a different pricing path, $95 per month with no activation fee, but that is a separate purchase choice and not the Standard path described here. Details are in our Topstep review.
Apex's selected evaluations are billed as one-time access for 30 calendar days, per Apex's fee terms, and the No Activation Fee variant charges $0 to activate a Performance Account, per Apex's zero-activation terms. The exact current price of these Apex evaluations is not verified, so treat it as unknown rather than free. Failed Apex evaluations cannot be reset; a new purchase is required. The Performance Account stage carries no recurring fee under the new product billing. More background is in our Apex Trader Funding review.
Both firms keep the evaluation and simulated funded stages in a simulated environment, and live trading is a separate possible stage for both.
Drawdown and consistency
Both firms use a $2,000 drawdown against a $50,000 starting evaluation balance, but the trailing mechanics differ. Topstep and Apex EOD products trail the threshold against the highest end-of-day balance, so intraday unrealized gains do not raise the floor, per Topstep's loss limit terms and Apex's EOD drawdown terms. Apex's Intraday products trail against highest intraday equity, including unrealized gains, which tightens the effective loss room faster. Our trailing drawdown guide explains how these mechanics affect day-to-day risk.
Consistency rules sit at different stages. Topstep's Combine uses an inclusive 55% rule: if your best day exceeds 55% of total profit, the required profit target rises and the additional profit must come on a separate trading day; it does not fail the account, per Topstep's consistency policy. Apex evaluations have no consistency rule. In the funded stage, Topstep's XFA Standard has no consistency target, while Apex Performance Accounts require the best day to be strictly below 50% of profit since the last approved payout, so a best day at exactly 50% does not satisfy the rule, per Apex's EOD payout terms. Our consistency rule guide covers how these bases differ.
Choosing a program
If a low minimum payout and resets matter most, Topstep fits: five winning days of $150 or more, a $125 minimum request, and a 90% share of approved payouts, capped at the smaller of $2,000 and 50% of balance, per Topstep's payout policy. If a 100% share of approved simulated payouts matters most, Apex fits, but the first approved payout is capped at $1,500, requests require a $500 minimum and a $52,600 balance, a $2,100 lifetime profit buffer applies, and the sixth approved payout closes the Performance Account, per Apex's EOD payout terms. Note that Apex's zero minimum trading days applies to the evaluation only; the funded stage requires five qualifying winning days of $250 or more on the EOD path, per Apex's EOD payout terms, or $200 or more on the Intraday path, per Apex's Intraday payout terms. Use the futures comparison or the comparison tool to line up other programs before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Which program is cheaper to start?
Topstep's Standard Combine is $49 per month with a verified price, while the current price of the selected Apex No Activation Fee evaluations is not verified. Apex charges $0 to activate but offers no resets, so a failed evaluation requires a new purchase, whereas Topstep charges $49 to reset a 50K Combine.
Do either of these evaluations have a consistency rule?
Apex evaluations have no consistency requirement and no minimum trading days, so an account may pass in one day. Topstep's Combine requires at least two trading days and applies an inclusive 55% consistency target that raises the required profit when exceeded rather than failing the account.
What limits apply to the first funded payout?
Topstep's XFA Standard allows requests from $125 up to the smaller of $2,000 or 50% of balance, with a 90% share. Apex caps the first approved payout at $1,500, requires a $500 minimum and a $52,600 balance, pays a 100% share, and closes the Performance Account after the sixth approved payout.