Side-by-side: FTMO 2-Step vs Apex EOD evaluation
| FTMO | Apex Trader Funding | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | FTMO s.r.o., Prague, Czech Republic — since 2015, entity and registration published | Apex Trader Funding Inc., based in the United States (Texas law) — HQ city and founding year not published on its own pages |
| Market traded | CFDs: forex, indices, commodities, stocks, crypto (a separate FTMO Futures line exists — see the FAQ) | Futures only: CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX and EUREX contracts |
| Entry price | €89 (2-Step, $10K — its smallest account) | EOD Standard from $490 (25K); Intraday Standard from $167 (25K) — one-time fees, no resets |
| 100K price | €540 list (€439 promo seen 23 Oct 2026 — promos change, re-check at checkout) | EOD Standard $1,190; Intraday Standard $790 (No Activation Fee variants: EOD $1,590; Intraday $590 — note the Intraday 100K No Activation Fee price is lower than its Standard price, as displayed) |
| Full price list | Published for every model: 2-Step €89–€1,080; 1-Step €79–€999; Instant from €169 | Published for the new evaluations: EOD Standard $490/$590/$1,190/$2,190 and EOD No Activation Fee $1,090/$1,190/$1,590/$2,490; Intraday Standard $167/$249/$790/$1,190 and Intraday No Activation Fee $690/$490/$590/$1,890 (25K/50K/100K/150K). PA activation fee amounts are not published (checkout-only) |
| Profit targets | 10% then 5% (two phases) | Fixed dollars, one phase: $1,500 (25K) / $3,000 (50K) / $6,000 (100K) / $9,000 (150K) |
| Daily loss limit | 5% of initial capital, equity-based, recalculated at midnight CE(S)T | EOD evaluation: $500 / $1,000 / $1,500 / $2,000 by size — hitting it pauses trading for the session only, it does not fail the account |
| Maximum loss | 10% of initial capital | $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,000 by size (EOD); Intraday uses the same dollar distances as a real-time trailing threshold |
| Drawdown type | Static — the floor sits at 90% of initial capital and never moves up | Trailing, never static: EOD recalculates once daily at 4:59:59 PM ET from the closing balance; Intraday follows peak balance in real time, including unrealised gains |
| Minimum trading days | 4 per phase | None — either evaluation can be passed in a single day |
| Time limit to pass | Unlimited, both phases | 30 days from purchase; then 7 calendar days to activate the Performance Account, or the pass expires permanently |
| Consistency rule | None on the 2-Step (1-Step: 50%; Instant: 30%) | None during the evaluation — but 50% at payout: no single day may be 50% or more of profit since the last payout (see the conflict flagged below) |
| Profit split | 80%, up to 90% via the Scaling Plan / Premium Programme | 100% of approved payouts — but capped per request and capped at 6 payouts per Performance Account, after which the account closes |
| Fee refund | 2-Step fee refunded in full with the first Reward withdrawal | No fee refund published for the new evaluations; a failed evaluation means a new purchase (no resets) |
| Payout rules | On request from day 14 after the first trade; minimum $20 (bank/Visa/Mastercard) or $50 (crypto); no per-request cap published | Earliest after 5 qualifying days at size-based minimum daily profits ($100/$250/$300/$350); minimum $500 per request; balance must stay above the Safety Net (drawdown + $100) for the life of the account |
| Free trial | Yes — 14 days, real rules, unlimited repeats (one active at a time) | None listed on its site (checked 24–26 Oct 2026) |
| Our deal | No partner code exists — use their own promos and the free trial | No partner code — Apex runs its own time-limited promos on its own site; check its checkout for the current offer |
Apex's second evaluation type, Intraday Trailing, keeps the same targets and dollar distances but drops the daily loss limit and trails your peak balance in real time instead. FTMO's other models (1-Step, Instant) and Apex's legacy generation are covered in the notes below and in our FTMO review and best futures firms list.
The five differences that actually decide it
1. The market comes before the firm
Nothing else in this comparison matters until you answer this: do you trade CFDs or futures? FTMO's flagship is a CFD challenge — forex at 1:100, indices, metals, crypto at 1:1, equity CFDs. Apex trades exchange futures only, with fixed contract limits (4–12 in the evaluation, fewer in the Performance Account) and every position closed before the market close — no overnight holding, no algos, orders placed manually. FTMO does run a separate FTMO Futures line (Growth and Pro, on Tradovate, NinjaTrader and TradingView), but that is a different product from the 2-Step compared here. Pick the market first; the firm second.
2. Static floor vs trailing threshold — the drawdown philosophy is opposite
FTMO's 2-Step maximum loss is the friendliest shape in the industry: a fixed floor at 90% of starting capital that never rises, so profits only ever increase your room. Apex trails against you: the EOD threshold rises with each day's closing balance (recalculated at 4:59:59 PM ET), and the Intraday threshold rises with your peak balance in real time — including open, unrealised gains, so a winning trade that pulls back can itself end the account. In the Performance Account the threshold stops rising at starting balance + $100 (the Safety Net), but that Safety Net must then be held for the entire life of the account: only profit above it is ever payable. FTMO's floor forgives; Apex's threshold remembers.
3. The 100% split has a finish line; FTMO's 80% does not
Apex's headline is real — approved payouts are paid at 100%, no split taken — but it comes with three constraints FTMO does not impose: a per-request cap that grows with each payout ($1,000–$5,000 depending on size and payout number), a hard maximum of six payouts per Performance Account, and the Safety Net rule above. After the sixth payout the account closes and you start again with a new evaluation. FTMO pays 80% (90% with scaling or Premium), but on request, with no published per-request cap and no payout-count limit, and the 2-Step fee comes back with the first withdrawal. Apex is better per payout; FTMO is better over a career.
4. Time pressure: unlimited vs three clocks
FTMO gives you unlimited time in both phases and no inactivity deadline published for CFD accounts — you can take months, and even freeze an account for a holiday. Apex runs three clocks at once: 30 days to pass the evaluation, 7 calendar days to activate the Performance Account after passing (miss it and the pass expires permanently), and a rolling 30-day inactivity rule in the Performance Account that demands at least two trading days closing with $50 or more net profit — trading alone does not count, a breakeven day does not count, and missing the window closes the account permanently with payout eligibility forfeited. Apex rewards speed; FTMO rewards patience.
5. Transparency: FTMO publishes everything, Apex publishes rules but not the activation fee
FTMO publishes its legal entity, registration, full price ladder, the exact daily-loss formula and its payout mechanics. Apex publishes its rules in unusual detail — the drawdown mechanics, the tier tables, the payout caps — yet leaves some commercial facts blank: no Performance Account activation fee amounts (checkout-only), no founding year, no HQ city — though the evaluation price lists are now published (see the table above). And its own pages disagree with each other in places we flag rather than smooth over: the 50% consistency article says a day must be "less than 50%" of profit, then marks exactly 50% as "Consistency Met"; the homepage advertises "NO Payout Denials" while the payout page says a request is "denied automatically" if the balance falls below the threshold; and its User Agreement still describes monthly subscriptions and auto-resets — the legacy model — while the homepage sells one-time fees with no recurring billing. None of that makes Apex untrustworthy; it does mean you should read the Help Center, not the homepage, before you buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I trade futures at FTMO?
Not through the 2-Step compared here — that is a CFD challenge (forex, indices, commodities, stocks, crypto). FTMO runs a separate FTMO Futures line (Growth and Pro plans on Tradovate, NinjaTrader and TradingView) with its own rules and dollar targets. Apex, by contrast, is futures-only across its whole range.
Which is cheaper, FTMO or Apex?
There is no honest single answer, because the two fee shapes differ. FTMO's ladder is public (2-Step from €89, 100K at €540 list, fee refunded with the first payout). Apex's evaluation prices are published too (EOD from $490, Intraday from $167; full lists in the table above) — but its Performance Account activation fee is checkout-only, and its frequent coupon pricing means the checkout price may sit far below list. Compare FTMO's refundable fee against Apex's one-time fee plus activation fee at checkout.
What happens after six payouts at Apex?
The Performance Account closes permanently after its sixth approved payout, however much profit it has made. You then need a fresh evaluation (and a fresh activation fee) to open another one. Apex allows up to 20 Performance Accounts per individual and household combined, so the limit is per account, not per trader.
Does Apex really pay 100% of profits?
Approved payouts are paid at a 100% split, yes — but three conditions apply: each request is capped by payout number and account size ($1,000–$5,000), the balance must stay above the Safety Net (drawdown limit + $100) for the life of the account, and the 50% consistency rule must be satisfied at request time. FTMO pays 80% (up to 90%) with no published per-request cap.
What is Apex's Safety Net?
Your account's drawdown limit plus $100 — for example $52,100 on a 50K Performance Account. It must be maintained for the entire life of the account, and only profit above it can be requested as a payout. The minimum balance to request is the Safety Net plus the $500 minimum payout ($52,600 on a 50K).
What is Apex's Performance Account activation fee?
Apex does not publish the amount on its public pages — it is shown only at checkout after you pass. The No Activation Fee evaluation variants cost more upfront instead. Do not trust third-party dollar figures for this fee; check Apex's own checkout.