Apex vs Topstep vs MyFundedFutures: Rules Compared (2026)

TL;DR — Quick Decision Guide

If you want the shortest answer:

Now let's look at every rule in detail.

The Master Comparison Table

This is the table you'll want to bookmark. Every rule that matters for a 50K account, side by side. Rules verified as of April 2026 — always double-check with the firm directly before purchasing.

Drawdown Rules: The Biggest Difference

The drawdown type is the single most impactful rule difference between these three firms. It determines your day-to-day trading experience more than any other factor.

Apex: Choose your drawdown

Since March 2026, Apex offers two account types: EOD (End-of-Day) Trailing and Intraday Trailing. This is a significant change — previously, all Apex accounts were intraday trailing, which was the firm's most criticized feature.

The EOD account recalculates the drawdown once per day at 4:59 PM ET based on your closing balance. Intraday spikes don't ratchet your floor. However, EOD accounts come with a Daily Loss Limit ($1,000 on a 50K), which pauses trading for the day if breached — it does not terminate the account.

The Intraday account tracks in real time, including unrealized gains. More dangerous but no daily loss limit. For most traders, the EOD account is the better choice — the daily loss limit is a safety net, not a penalty.

Topstep: EOD across the board

Topstep uses EOD trailing drawdown on all accounts. The floor updates at the end of the trading day based on your closing balance. This has been their approach for years and is one of the reasons they've maintained strong trader satisfaction. The Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) is the only hard rule — breach it and the account is terminated.

A unique Topstep feature: the Daily Loss Limit is optional in the Trading Combine and Express Funded Account. You can set a personal DLL as a safety net, but it's not mandatory. On Live Funded Accounts, a DLL is automatically applied and scales with your balance.

MyFundedFutures: It depends on the plan

This is where MFFU gets interesting — and where many traders get confused. The drawdown type varies by plan:

Core: EOD trailing at 3%. The floor trails up at end of day and locks at starting balance + $100 after your first payout. This is the most forgiving drawdown model of the three firms once funded.

Rapid: Intraday trailing at 4%. The floor follows your equity in real time, including open positions. More room (4% vs 3%), but the intraday tracking makes it significantly harder to manage. This is the tradeoff for the 90/10 profit split.

Pro: EOD trailing at 3%. Same as Core, with the addition of no consistency rule and higher payout caps. Designed for experienced traders running larger accounts.

Evaluation Rules Compared

Profit targets

All three firms require a $3,000 profit target on a 50K account (6% of starting balance). This is the industry standard. The difference is in how much drawdown room you have to achieve it: Apex gives $2,500, Topstep gives $2,000, and MFFU Core gives $2,000 (3% of $50K is actually $1,500 on some plans — check the specific account you're buying).

Speed to pass

Apex is the fastest: no minimum trading days, you can pass in a single session if you hit the $3,000 target without breaching. However, there's a 30-day time limit — miss it and you buy a new eval.

Topstep has no minimum trading days and no time limit. But the 50% consistency target means you realistically need at least 2 profitable days — one single $3,000 day would violate the consistency rule.

MFFU requires a minimum of 2 trading days and has no time limit. The 50% consistency rule means you need at least two profitable days, similar to Topstep.

What happens if you fail?

Apex: Manual reset for $80-$100, or wait for free auto-reset at monthly renewal. 30-day time limit means you may need to buy a new eval.

Topstep: New evaluation required. No reset option. But no time limit means you never lose an active eval just because time ran out.

MFFU: Evaluation accounts can be reset. Sim funded accounts cannot be reset — if you breach on a funded account, you start over from evaluation.

Funded Account Rules Compared

Passing the evaluation is only half the battle. The funded account rules are where most traders actually lose their accounts. Here's how the three firms differ:

Drawdown transition (the hidden advantage)

This is the most underrated comparison point. At Apex, the trailing drawdown stops moving once it reaches starting balance + $100 (the "Safety Net"). At MFFU Core and Pro, it also locks at starting balance + $100 after your first payout. At Topstep, the EOD trailing continues on Express Funded Accounts, but Live Funded Accounts have a different structure with a "Path to Reduction" system.

The practical impact: once your drawdown locks, you're essentially trading with a static floor. This is a massive advantage because it means profits above the lock point can't be eroded by the trailing mechanism.

Contract scaling

Apex: Start at half your max contracts (5 out of 10 on a 50K). Unlock full contracts once you hit the Safety Net ($52,600 on a 50K).

Topstep: Scaling plan based on account balance. Starts conservative and increases as you build a buffer.

MFFU: Core has a scaling requirement. Rapid and Pro: full contracts from day one — no scaling restriction.

News trading and restrictions

Apex: Allowed with some restrictions on Performance Accounts. Hard stop enforcement is mandatory (bracket orders required on all trades).

Topstep: Allowed. No specific news restrictions.

MFFU: Core restricts trading during Tier 1 news events (FOMC, CPI, NFP). Rapid and Pro allow news trading.

Payout Structures Compared

Apex payout ladder

Apex uses a 6-step payout ladder system. Caps start at $500-$2,000 depending on account size and increase with each successful payout. After the 6th payout, caps are removed. You need 8 trading days and 5 qualifying days (min $100-$300 profit per day depending on account size) before requesting. The 50% consistency rule applies — no single day can be more than 50% of total profit. You keep 100% of the first $25,000, then 90/10 split after that.

Topstep payouts

Topstep uses a 90/10 split on all payouts (with 100% on the first $10K for pre-January 2026 traders). The 40% consistency target means your best day can't exceed 40% of total profit in the payout window. Payouts are weekly. On Live Funded Accounts, there's a Performance Bonus ladder that unlocks cash bonuses for consistent profitability.

MFFU payouts

Core: 80/20 split. Every 5 winning days. $5,000 max per request. 40% consistency rule — best day can't exceed 40% of cycle profits.

Rapid: 90/10 split. Every 5 winning days. $11,250 max per request. No consistency rule. First payout requires $2,100 in realized profits.

Pro: 80/20 split. Every 14 calendar days. No per-cycle cap. $100K cumulative total across all Pro accounts. No consistency rule.

Pricing Compared

The real cost of a prop firm isn't just the evaluation fee — it's the total cost including activation fees, resets, and time to pass:

Topstep has the lowest upfront cost at $109 total with no activation fee. Apex is more expensive upfront ($167-$266) but the one-time fee model means no recurring charges. MFFU's monthly subscription is cheapest per month ($77) but adds up if the evaluation takes multiple months.

Which Firm Is Right for You?

Choose Apex if: You want to run multiple accounts simultaneously (up to 20). You prefer one-time fees over subscriptions. You want 100% profit on the first $25K. You want the option to choose between EOD and Intraday drawdown. You can pass within 30 days.

Choose Topstep if: You value the longest track record and NFA registration (since 2012). You want EOD drawdown with no pressure to pass quickly (no time limit). You want a clear path from sim to live funded trading. You prefer a firm where reputation and regulation are top priority.

Choose MyFundedFutures if: You want the drawdown to lock (become static) once funded — the most forgiving funded-stage drawdown. You want to match the plan to your style (Core for consistency, Rapid for speed, Pro for scale). You want the highest Trustpilot rating in the industry (4.9/5). You're okay with a monthly subscription fee model.

How to Track All These Rules Automatically

The table above makes one thing painfully clear: every firm has different rules, different drawdown types, different consistency targets, and different payout structures. If you're running accounts at multiple firms — which many serious prop traders do — tracking all of this manually is a recipe for violations.

This is why I built PropControl.

PropControl has pre-built rule presets for Apex, Topstep, MyFundedFutures, and Leeloo. When you create an account in PropControl, you select your firm and account type, and it automatically configures the correct drawdown amount, type (EOD vs intraday), daily loss limit, consistency rule, and profit target. Every trade you import updates all of these metrics in real time.

Running a 50K Apex EOD and a 50K MFFU Core at the same time? PropControl tracks each account independently — different drawdown types, different rules, different dashboards. You see the distance to every violation across all accounts at a glance.

Frequently Asked Questions