At a glance

Category winners across the firms you picked

Cheapest to start

Apex Trader Funding

$64 true cost

Highest rated

TradeDay

4.6 / 5 trader rating

Most funding

Apex Trader Funding

$3M max funding

Fastest payout

TradeDay

On demand

The bottom line

Accounts compared here

True cost here means the initial account fee plus activation after the displayed promotion. It excludes renewals, resets, taxes and optional charges. Open each account for its billing terms, evaluation rules and funded payout requirements; a lower entry cost does not guarantee a payout.

47 of 61 metrics differ

Apex Trader Funding4.2Details

TradeDay4.6Details

Side-by-side comparison of Apex Trader Funding, TradeDay
	Apex Trader Funding$50K	TradeDay$50K
Account Pricing
Price	Best value: $64$79992% OFF	$70$17560% OFF
Activation Fee	None	None
True Cost	Best value: $64after discount + activation	$70after discount + activation
Reset Fee	Not available	Not published
Current Promotion	LUMI (92% off)	LUMI: $70.00 initial fee
Evaluation Phase
Profit Target	$3,0006.0% of account	$3,0006.0% of account
Max Drawdown	$2,000	$2,000
Drawdown Type	Intraday	End of Day
Daily Loss Limit	None	None
Max Position Size	Best value: 6 contracts	5 contracts
Consistency Rule	No	30%
Funded Phase
Max Drawdown	$2,000	$2,000
Drawdown Type	Intraday	Intraday
Daily Loss Limit	$1,000	Best value: None
Max Payout/Cycle	$3,000Min: $500	Not published
Consistency Rule	50%	No
Value MetricsDerived from price, discount, targets and payout caps — fewer breakeven cycles and higher first-cycle ROI mean the account pays for itself faster.
Breakeven Winning Cycles	1 cycle	1 cycle
Max First-Cycle ROI	2247%	—
Target : Drawdown	1.50lower = easier to pass	1.50lower = easier to pass
Company Info
Established	2021	2020
CEO	Darrell Martin	James Thorpe
Country	United States	United States
Trader Rating	4.2	Best value: 4.6
Features
Allows Scaling	Yes	Yes
Daily Payouts	No	Yes
1-Day Pass	Yes	No
KYC Required	Required	Required
Trading
Instruments	ES, NKD, NQ, YM, EMD, RTY, 6A, 6B +46 more	ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, RTY, M2K, NKD, YM +33 more
Evaluation Types	1-step	1-step
Platforms	NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower +11 more	Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView +15 more
Max Funding	Best value: $3M	$150,000
Profit Split	100%	Not published
Max Accounts	20 funded · Not published evaluation	5 funded · 10 evaluation
Trading Rules
Scalping	Allowed	Allowed
Payouts
Payout Frequency	Every 5 trading days	On demand
Min Payout	$500	$250
Payout Methods	ACH direct deposit to a US bank account (US-resident traders), Local bank transfer through the Plane payment platform (non-US traders)	US bank wire — free, International bank wire — $15 per withdrawal +2 more
Payout StructureHow money actually leaves the account: what you must do to qualify, how much each payout may be, and when the cap stops applying.
Payout cadence	Every 5 trading days	On demand
Eligibility	5 trading days · 5 profitable days · profit above buffer	1 trading days
Payout cap	$1,500 (#1) → $2,000 (#2) → … → $3,000 (#5-#6)	Not published
Payout limit	6 payouts	Unlimited
Safety-net buffer	Max loss + $100	None
Scaling	Tiered by balance · 4 tiers	None
Activation fee	One-time	None
Evaluation TermsThe shape of the challenge itself, including where the consistency rule applies — an evaluation-only rule and one that binds for the life of the account are very different obligations.
Evaluation type	1-step	1-step
Time limit	30 days	None
Min trading days	None	5
Fastest possible pass	1 day	5 days
Resets	Not available	Allowed
Consistency rule	50%	30%
Consistency applies to	Every payout cycle	Evaluation only
What You May TradeEach firm's own position on the strategies traders get breached for, with its published qualification. A restriction is not the same as a ban.
News trading	! RestrictedTrading through a news release with a normal day-to-day strategy is allowed, but strategies built around the release…	! RestrictedOnly a named tier-1 list is off limits, and the platform enforces it rather than failing the trader…
Weekend holding	? Not publishedNo weekend-specific rule is published, but every position must be closed before the daily 4:59 PM ET close, which…	? Not publishedNo weekend-specific rule is published; it follows from the absolute daily-close rule, which admits no exception for a…
Overnight holding	✗ Not allowedAll positions must be closed before the 4:59 PM ET close; “Traders engaging in these prohibited activities will forfeit”…	✓ AllowedExplicitly permitted inside a session, which runs overnight: “Trading generally resumes after 5 pm CT.”…
Bots & automation	✗ Not allowed“No Automation or Algorithm Usage allowed: Rewards are intended to recognize human traders actively participating in”…	! RestrictedA trader’s own automation is allowed on supported platforms, bought automation is not, and there is no API…
High-frequency trading	✗ Not allowedListed under manipulation of the simulated environment: “including High Frequency Trading (HFT) or any other”…	✗ Not allowedBanned with a published numeric threshold, unusually: “Using automated trading systems designed to scalp at an”…
Dollar-cost averaging	? Not publishedThe only published DCA rule sits in the Legacy PA compliance and consistency articles: “DCA is allowed under this”…	? Not publishedOnly legitimate scaling and staged entries at different price levels are explicitly permitted by the order-splitting…
Hedging	✗ Not allowed“No Hedging of Any Kind – Directional Trading only.”…	? Not publishedBanned in both the multiple-accounts article and the prohibited-practices list, with the same cross-account definition:…
Copy trading	! RestrictedCopying between the trader's own accounts is permitted — “Copy trading across PA accounts under your personal name and”…	! RestrictedAllowed only into TradeDay accounts and only between Funded Sim accounts, never across the sim/live line…
Microscalping	✓ AllowedNo minimum hold time or entry/exit spacing is imposed, and the firm markets the absence of one (…	? Not publishedDefined but not numerically bounded, and enforced by review rather than by an automatic breach…
VPN	! RestrictedNot banned outright — banned for concealment: “You may not use VPNs, proxy servers, cloud servers, anonymizing tools,”…	✗ Not allowedVPS is barred outright and IP masking must be switched off on demand: “TradeDay does not allow the use of virtual”…

Apex Trader Funding vs TradeDay: Full Comparison

Apex Trader Funding, founded in 2021, based in US, and TradeDay, founded in 2020, based in US, are both popular choices among futures prop traders. Apex Trader Funding offers up to $3,000,000 in funding across 20 accounts, while TradeDay provides up to $150,000 across 5 accounts. Both firms support NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower and 11 more platforms.

The verdict

Apex Trader Funding is the cheaper way in at $64 true cost versus $70 for TradeDay. TradeDay has the stronger reputation with a 4.6/5 trader rating. Apex Trader Funding scales the furthest with up to $3M in funding. True cost compares Apex Trader Funding's $50,000 Intraday Trail No Activation Fee account with TradeDay's $50,000 QuickPay EOD account, after current discounts and activation fees.

Key statistics for Apex Trader Funding and TradeDay
Feature	Apex Trader Funding	TradeDay
Profit Split	100%	Not published
Trader rating	4.2/5	4.6/5
Max Funding	$3,000,000	$150,000
Entry cost (cheapest account)	$55	$40
True Cost (selected account)	$64 · $50,000	$70 · $50,000
Max Drawdown (selected account)	$2,000	$2,000
Daily Loss Limit (selected account)	$1,000	None
Largest Account	$300,000	$150,000
Payout Frequency	Every 5 trading days	On demand
Trading days per payout cycle (selected account)	5 trading days	1 trading day
Evaluation Type	1-step	1-step
Platforms	14	18
Discount	up to 92% off	up to 60% off

Where Apex Trader Funding Wins

+Higher max funding ($3,000,000 vs $150,000)
+More allowed accounts (20 vs 5)
+One-day pass available
+Fewer minimum trading days (none vs 5)
+Bigger current discount (up to 92% vs up to 60%)

Read the full Apex Trader Funding review for rules, pricing tiers and payout details.

Where TradeDay Wins

+Higher trader rating (4.6 vs 4.2)
+Lower entry cost on its cheapest account, a $25,000 ($40 vs $55 for a $25,000)
+Offers daily payouts
+More platform options (18 vs 14)
+Longer track record (since 2020)

Read the full TradeDay review for rules, pricing tiers and payout details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between Apex Trader Funding and TradeDay?

Apex Trader Funding offers a 100% profit split with 1-step evaluation, while TradeDay does not publish the profit split for the selected account. Apex Trader Funding supports 14 trading platforms and TradeDay supports 18. Apex Trader Funding has a trader rating of 4.2/5 compared to TradeDay's 4.6/5.

Which is cheaper, Apex Trader Funding or TradeDay?

Apex Trader Funding is cheaper to enter: $64 all-in for a $50,000 account, against $70 for TradeDay's $50,000 account. Both figures are after the current discount and include the activation fee. Both firms offer discounts — Apex Trader Funding at up to 92% off and TradeDay at up to 60% off.

Which has better payout terms, Apex Trader Funding or TradeDay?

Apex Trader Funding pays out every 5 trading days with a minimum of $500, while TradeDay pays out on demand with a minimum of $250. Apex Trader Funding's selected account requires at least 5 trading days per payout cycle, and TradeDay's selected account requires at least 1 trading day per payout cycle. Qualifying-day profit thresholds, buffers, consistency rules and approval requirements still apply. A trading-day minimum is not a payment-delivery estimate.

Can I use trading bots with Apex Trader Funding and TradeDay?

Apex Trader Funding does not allow trading bots, while TradeDay allows trading bots under published conditions. On VPNs, Apex Trader Funding permits VPN use under published conditions and TradeDay restricts VPN use.

Apex Trader Funding vs TradeDay — quick answer

Apex Trader Funding vs TradeDay for 2026: compare evaluation types (1-step vs 1-step), payout cadence for the selected accounts (Every 5 trading days vs On demand), platforms, and true challenge cost. Profit split is not published for the selected TradeDay account. Use the tables below for drawdown, minimum days, and current promotion status before you buy.

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