PROP FIRM COMPARISON • UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026

Apex Trader Funding vs FTMO — Which Should You Pick in 2026?

Apex Trader Funding is a CME futures firm and FTMO is a Forex/CFD firm, so this is a market choice before it is a firm choice. Apex 4.0 lets you pick end-of-day or intraday trailing drawdown, drops the daily loss limit on the intraday plan and pays a 100% split with a 50% consistency rule on payouts; FTMO's 2-Step pairs a 10% static drawdown and 5% daily limit with an 80% split. For automated traders the comparison ends early — Apex prohibits algorithmic trading of any kind, while FTMO explicitly allows EAs, including purchased ones.

Quick verdict

Pick Apex Trader Funding if: futures · day trading · multi account scaling · no daily loss traders.

Pick FTMO if: Established traders with track record (unchanged).

Highest Trustpilot rating goes to FTMO.

Read the Apex Trader Funding review →  ·  Get the FTMO deal →

Side-by-side comparison

Apex Trader FundingFTMO
Cheapest challenge$167$50k 2-Step: €345
Account model1-step Evaluation1-step / 2-step / Futures (Beta)
Profit targetSee full rule summary below10% → 5%
Max drawdownSee full rule summary below10% static (2-Step) / 10% trailing EOD (1-Step)
Daily drawdownSee full rule summary below5% (2-Step) / 3% (1-Step)
Consistency ruleSee full rule summary belowBest Day max 50% of your Positive Days' Profit (1-Step only)
Profit split100% of every approved payout80% (2-step) / 90% (1-step)
Payout schedule24-48h via Deel (ACH/Plane) — automatic, no manual review · 24-48h via Deel — automated · On-demand payouts; 30-day evaluation windowBi-weekly (on-demand after 14 calendar days from first trade)
EA / botsProhibited; automated or algorithmic trading of any kind is not allowedAllowed — discretionary, algorithmic and EAs, including third-party/purchased (cap: no EA may exceed 2,000 server requests per day)
Trustpilot4.2 (21,092)4.8 (52,724)
Best discount codeSAVENOW (90% off any size evaluation)—
PropfirmDeals tierTier ATier S
Full rule summaryApex 4.0 (March 1, 2026 overhaul): 1-step eval, choice of EOD trailing OR Intraday trailing drawdown, no daily loss limit on the Intraday EVALUATION (EOD eval has a fixed DLL of $500/$1K/$1.5K/$2K); once funded, BOTH PA types carry a tier-based DLL that grows with profit (25K $500→$1,250, 50K $1K→$3K, 100K $1,750→$3,500, 150K $2,500→$4K) — hitting it liquidates and pauses trading for the session, it is not a breach, profit target 6% of account, one-time eval fee replaces monthly subscription, 30-day deadline, 50% consistency rule on PA payouts (legacy was 30%), 100% payout split (no tier ramp), 5 qualifying days per payout cycle, $500 min payout, automatic payouts via Deel within 24-48h, per-payout dollar caps with a hard maximum of 6 payouts per PA (the PA closes after the 6th), up to 20 PAs held active at the same time.—

Social proof tilts to FTMO (4.8/5 vs 4.2/5 on our Trustpilot estimates).

Discount codes

Lower your entry cost with a current verified code (see the full prop firm discount codes list):

Apex Trader Funding vs FTMO — FAQ

Which pays out faster, Apex Trader Funding or FTMO?

Apex Trader Funding: 24-48h via Deel (ACH/Plane) — automatic, no manual review · 24-48h via Deel — automated · On-demand payouts; 30-day evaluation window — FTMO: Bi-weekly (on-demand after 14 calendar days from first trade). Always confirm the current payout policy on the firm's official terms before buying.

Does Apex Trader Funding or FTMO have a consistency rule?

Apex Trader Funding: not documented on our current audit. FTMO: Best Day max 50% of your Positive Days' Profit (1-Step only). A consistency rule caps how much of your total profit one day may contribute — a real constraint if your profit comes in bursts.

What discount codes work for Apex Trader Funding and FTMO?

Apex Trader Funding: code SAVENOW (90% off any size evaluation). Codes rotate — every code on this site is re-checked against the firm's own site on a rolling cycle, and each one carries its own check date.

Do Apex Trader Funding and FTMO trade the same markets?

No — Apex Trader Funding funds Futures traders and FTMO funds Forex/CFD + Futures traders, so the account you get is not the same product. That also explains why the rule tables look different: futures programs express drawdown and daily limits in dollars per account size and run on CME data feeds, while Forex/CFD programs express the same limits as a percentage of the account. Pick the market you actually trade first; the firm comparison only matters inside that choice.

Can you use EAs or bots on Apex Trader Funding and FTMO?

Apex Trader Funding: Prohibited; automated or algorithmic trading of any kind is not allowed. FTMO: Allowed — discretionary, algorithmic and EAs, including third-party/purchased (cap: no EA may exceed 2,000 server requests per day). Automation rules change more often than prices — confirm the current policy in the firm's terms before you deploy a bot on a paid account.

Bottom line

Both Apex Trader Funding and FTMO are reputable choices in 2026 — the right pick depends on your strategy, drawdown tolerance and budget. Use the table above to match each firm's rules to how you actually trade, then grab the current code before checkout.

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