The three names that come up most when traders ask me where to start are always the same: Apex, Take Profit Trader, and Topstep. They're the heavyweights of futures prop — and they're built for three genuinely different traders. So this isn't a "which is best" coin flip. Apex vs Take Profit Trader vs Topstep comes down to what you actually need: cheap scaling, fast cash, or a bulletproof track record.
I've funded evaluations at all three. Here's the honest head-to-head.
Apex vs Take Profit Trader vs Topstep — the spec sheet:
- Profit split: 90% at all three
- Drawdown type: Apex = trailing · Take Profit Trader = end-of-day · Topstep = end-of-day
- First payout: TPT ≈ 1 day · Topstep ≈ 5 days · Apex ≈ 8 days
- Cheapest eval: Topstep ~$49 · Apex ~$147 · TPT ~$150 · Founded: Topstep 2012, Apex 2021, TPT 2023
The one-line summary
If you only remember one thing: Apex is for scaling, Take Profit Trader is for fast cash flow, Topstep is for trust. Now the detail.
Apex Trader Funding — the volume play
Apex Trader Funding (founded 2021, Austin TX) wins on scale and price-on-sale. Its evals are frequently 80%+ off with a code, and you can run up to 20 funded accounts and copy-trade across all of them — so one good day pays out many times over. That's the single biggest reason it's the most popular futures firm.
The trade-off is the trailing threshold drawdown. Your loss limit follows your highest balance up, then locks once you hit the buffer. It's the rule that ends Apex runs early — usually when a trader lets open profit round-trip. If you bank trades and protect open profit, Apex is the most powerful scaling tool here. If you don't yet, it'll humble you.
Best for: experienced traders who want to scale across many accounts and don't mind managing a trailing drawdown.
Take Profit Trader — get paid now
Take Profit Trader (founded 2023, Delaware) is built around one killer feature: you can withdraw from your very first funded profit — effectively day one. Nothing else on this list gets you to real cash faster. It pairs that with a forgiving end-of-day drawdown (your floor only recalculates at the session close, so intraday heat doesn't move it against you) and a clean, simple rule set with no consistency rule.
The limits: a lower account ceiling and fewer simultaneous accounts than Apex, so it's less of a scaling machine. I treat TPT as the cash-flow firm in a rotation rather than a one-stop shop.
Best for: traders who want money out fast and a drawdown that won't punish intraday swings.
Topstep — the trusted original
Topstep (founded 2012, Chicago) has the one thing money can't buy quickly: a decade-plus payout track record. It's the firm I point traders to when their first question is "but will they actually pay me?" It uses an end-of-day drawdown, has transparent, well-documented rules, and excellent education and support. Its evals are also the cheapest of the three at the entry tier.
The cost of that trust is a consistency target before your first payout — you can't make 90% of your profit in one heroic session and cash out. It's a guardrail that rewards steady trading, which most profitable traders are doing anyway.
Best for: traders who value a proven, transparent operator over the absolute fastest payout — and beginners who want the cheapest trusted entry.
Drawdown is the real decider
Notice the pattern: the firms differ most on drawdown, and that's what should drive your choice more than price. Apex's trailing model is the most demanding; Topstep's and TPT's end-of-day models are friendlier to active intraday traders. If those terms aren't crystal clear to you, stop and read trailing vs static drawdown — it's the most important thing on this whole site.
Apex vs Take Profit Trader vs Topstep: which should you pick?
- Newer / want the cheapest trusted start: Topstep.
- Want money out as fast as possible: Take Profit Trader.
- Want to scale aggressively across many accounts: Apex.
And honestly? Many serious traders run two of the three — Apex to scale and Take Profit Trader for cash flow, for example. There's no rule that says you pick one. Whatever you choose, lead with the firm whose drawdown fits your style and whose payouts you trust. See where all three land in my best futures prop firms ranking, and compare every number directly in the comparison table.
Frequently asked questions
Is Apex or Take Profit Trader better? It depends on your goal. Apex is better for scaling across many accounts on a trailing drawdown; Take Profit Trader is better for fast cash flow with a forgiving end-of-day drawdown and day-one withdrawals. Many traders run both.
Which is cheaper, Topstep or Apex? Topstep has the cheaper entry-tier evaluation of the two (around $49 vs ~$147), though Apex frequently runs deep discount codes that can close the gap. Compare current pricing in our comparison table.
Can I use Apex, Topstep and Take Profit Trader at the same time? Yes — running accounts at multiple firms is allowed and is how many traders diversify. A common pairing is Apex to scale plus Take Profit Trader for cash flow, with Topstep for a trusted core account.
Which has the most forgiving drawdown? Take Profit Trader and Topstep both use end-of-day drawdowns, which are friendlier to intraday traders than Apex's trailing model. See trailing vs static drawdown for the full mechanics.
Which is best for beginners — Apex, Take Profit Trader, or Topstep? Topstep (trusted, cheap entry, end-of-day drawdown) or Take Profit Trader (simple rules, day-one payouts). Apex's trailing drawdown is the hardest of the three for newcomers.
Which has the highest payout potential? Apex, because you can run up to 20 accounts and copy one strategy across all of them — multiplying a single edge far beyond what a single-account firm allows.
Related guides
- Best futures prop firms (2026): a funded trader's ranking
- Trailing vs Static Drawdown explained
- Highest-paying futures prop firms (2026)
- Fastest-funding futures prop firms & "instant funding"
Trading futures carries substantial risk of loss. Nothing here is financial advice.
