Apex Trader Funding vs The5ers Futures: prop firm rules compared

Apex Trader Funding's Intraday Trailing plan trails the drawdown intraday: the floor follows the highest balance the account reaches during the session, open profit included, and never moves back down — a winning trade given back before it is closed still lifts it. For example, at Apex Trader Funding's Intraday Trailing plan a $50,000 account starts with its floor at $48,000, $2,000 under the start.

On Apex Trader Funding's End-of-Day Trailing plan and The5ers Futures the drawdown trails at end of day: the floor is recalculated once, from the closing balance, so open profit given back during the session does not raise it — but equity touching the floor during the session still counts. For example, at Apex Trader Funding's End-of-Day Trailing plan and The5ers Futures a $50,000 account starts with its floor at $48,000, $2,000 under the start.

On Apex Trader Funding it keeps trailing for the whole evaluation.

A soft daily loss limit pauses the day instead of failing the account: reach it and open positions are flattened, trading stops until the next session, and the account stays open. Apex Trader Funding's End-of-Day Trailing plan sets it at $1,000 on $50,000. Apex Trader Funding's Intraday Trailing plan and The5ers Futures have no daily loss limit, so a losing day is bounded only by the max drawdown.

Apex Trader Funding starts the trading day at 6:00 PM ET (5:00 PM CT); a daily loss limit counts from that reset, not from midnight.

A consistency rule caps how much of the total profit one day may carry. Apex Trader Funding applies no consistency rule in the evaluation, so one large day can count in full.

Apex Trader Funding and The5ers Futures set no minimum number of days.

Apex Trader Funding's evaluation runs for 30 days; a target not reached by then is not a pass.

On automated trading — a strategy or bot sending the orders — at Apex Trader Funding it is not allowed in the evaluation or on a funded account; The5ers Futures has no written answer on record. Written answers: Apex Trader Funding (read Oct 21, 2026).

Apex Trader Funding and The5ers Futures differ on 2 of the evaluation rules compared here: drawdown model and daily loss limit. If your trades often run into open profit that you give back before closing them, start with the drawdown: Apex Trader Funding trails intraday or at end of day, depending on the plan, while The5ers Futures trails at end of day. If you keep trading after a losing morning, look at what the daily loss limit does: Apex Trader Funding pauses the day at its daily loss limit on some plans and has no limit on others; The5ers Futures has no daily loss limit.

Once funded, the profit split is 100% (PA) at Apex Trader Funding and 80/20 at The5ers Futures. Payout terms — Apex Trader Funding: Up to weekly (max 6 per PA); The5ers Futures: Bi-weekly (every 14 days). Apex Trader Funding sells 2 plans: Intraday Trailing and End-of-Day Trailing; The5ers Futures sells one evaluation model. Each plan carries its own version of the rules above, which is why they are listed plan by plan. If a strategy or bot will send your orders, Apex Trader Funding's written answer is not allowed in the evaluation or on a funded account, and The5ers Futures has no written answer on record.

Read both rule sets against your own average day, then confirm the current terms on Apex Trader Funding's site and The5ers Futures' site. PassTraq tracks challenges at both firms using the same rule presets shown here.