# Apex vs Topstep: which 50K eval fits how you trade

> Source: https://fundedsim.com/en/compare/apex-vs-topstep
> Apex Trader Funding EOD vs Topstep Trading Combine on a 50K: price, drawdown, daily loss limit, best-day rule, contracts and what payouts look like after.

Both 50K evals ask for $3,000 with a $2,000 end-of-day drawdown. Apex is a one-time buy with 30 days, no best-day rule and a $1,000 daily loss limit. Topstep is $49 a month with no deadline, an optional daily limit and a 55% best-day rule. Apex then pays 100% for six capped payouts; Topstep pays 90%.

By FundedSim Desk · updated October 26, 2026

## The 50K side by side

| Rule | Apex Trader Funding EOD Trailing Drawdown 50K | Topstep Trading Combine 50K |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $590 one-time | $49 /month |
| Usual coupon price | $59 | – |
| Profit target | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Max loss | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Drawdown | end of day | end of day |
| Daily loss limit | $1,000, pauses the day | optional |
| Best-day rule | none | 55% |
| Max contracts | 6 minis / 60 micros | 5 minis / 50 micros |
| Activation | $129 | $149 |

Apex sells its eval at a list price but runs a coupon most of the time, so the coupon line is what most people pay. Topstep bills monthly until you pass; its no activation fee path costs $95 a month instead of $49 and skips the $149 activation. Same comparison for other sizes: [100K](https://fundedsim.com/en/compare/100k-prop-firm-evaluations) and [150K](https://fundedsim.com/en/compare/150k-prop-firm-evaluations).

## Where they really differ

**The clock.** Apex gives you 30 calendar days. Miss the target and you buy a new eval. Topstep has no deadline; you pay every month you're still in the Combine. A slow, steady trader usually likes Topstep's model, someone who passes fast likes Apex's.

**The best-day rule.** Apex doesn't apply one on the eval, so one big day can pass you. Topstep needs your best day at or under 55% of total profit: on a 50K, a day bigger than $1,650 pushes the target up. The [consistency calculator](https://fundedsim.com/en/calculators/consistency) shows how far.

**The daily limit.** Apex's EOD eval has a $1,000 daily loss limit that closes your positions and ends the day, without failing the account. Topstep's daily limit is optional and picked at checkout. No limit means more rope on a bad day and nothing stopping a bad day from becoming the last one. More on that in the [daily loss limit guide](https://fundedsim.com/en/guides/daily-loss-limit).

**Minimum days.** Apex lets you pass in one day. Topstep's 55% rule means two days at the least.

## After you pass

|  | Apex PA | Topstep XFA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Split | 100% | 90/10 |
| Days for a payout | 5 days of $250+ on a 50K | 5 winning days of $150+ (Standard) or 3 days with a 40% best day (Consistency) |
| Cap per request on a 50K | $1,500 rising to $3,000 | 50% of balance, up to $2,000 or $3,000 |
| Payouts | 6, then the PA closes | no limit stated |

The full rule sets are on the [Apex PA rules page](https://fundedsim.com/en/guides/apex-performance-account-rules) and the [Topstep XFA rules page](https://fundedsim.com/en/guides/topstep-express-funded-account-rules).

## Which one fits you

- You trade a few big days a month: Apex. No best-day rule on the eval and a hard daily stop that saves you from yourself.
- You grind small, steady days and don't want a deadline: Topstep. The 55% rule barely touches you and the monthly price is low.
- You hold winners through pullbacks: either EOD account works. Stay away from intraday trailing versions, where the floor follows your open profit (see [EOD vs intraday drawdown](https://fundedsim.com/en/guides/eod-vs-intraday-drawdown)).

Both evals are simulated 1:1 in FundedSim. Run the same week of trades on each and see which one survives it.

## Questions people actually ask

**Is Apex or Topstep cheaper?**

With the usual coupon, an Apex 50K EOD eval plus activation comes to about $188. Topstep's 50K is $49 a month plus $149 to activate, or $95 a month with no activation fee. If you pass in the first month, Topstep's no-fee path is the cheapest; every extra month adds to it.

**Which one has the easier drawdown?**

On these two accounts it works the same way: the floor trails your end-of-day balance and is enforced in real time. The difference is around it. Apex adds a fixed $1,000 daily loss limit, Topstep lets you go without one but asks for a best day under 55% of your profit.

**Can I trade news on Topstep or Apex?**

Check each firm's prohibited-conduct page before you do. Our data doesn't track news rules, and both firms change their conduct rules more often than their account sizes.

## Blow it here, not on a paid eval

Run the same rules on your own trades in the simulator. Free, no card, and a blown account costs you nothing but pride.

[Start practicing](https://fundedsim.com/app)

## Keep going

- [Apex Trader Funding: End of Day vs Intraday evals, with the real numbers](https://fundedsim.com/en/prop-firms/apex)
- [Topstep Trading Combine: rules, costs and the drawdown that ends most accounts](https://fundedsim.com/en/prop-firms/topstep)
- [How to pass the Apex evaluation](https://fundedsim.com/en/guides/how-to-pass-apex-evaluation)
- [How to pass the Topstep Trading Combine](https://fundedsim.com/en/guides/how-to-pass-topstep-combine)

Blow it here, not on a paid eval

[Start practicing](https://fundedsim.com/app)