Apex Trader Funding vs E8 Markets
Every rule that actually affects your account — drawdown, daily loss, consistency, payout split, news, platforms — with a clear winner per category.
Rule by rule
Green = winner on that row. Ties show as "—".
| Rule | Apex Trader Funding | E8 Markets | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawdown type | Trailing | Trailing | E8 Markets |
| Daily loss limit | None | Yes — 5% of account equity | Apex Trader Funding |
| Payout split | 100% (no revenue share). After $25K cumulative: 90/10. | 80/20 base, up to 90/10 with scaling | — |
| Min trading days | 0 | 5 | Apex Trader Funding |
| Consistency rule | 50% on PA payouts only. No single day > 50% of total profit since last payout. | None on challenges; consistency rules apply on payouts. | — |
| News trading | Yes | Yes | — |
| Weekend holding | No | No | — |
| Copy trading | Yes | No | Apex Trader Funding |
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, WealthCharts, Quantower, Sierra Chart, ATAS, Bookmap, MotiveWave | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader | — |
Real talk
What traders actually experience beyond the marketing copy.
Most popular futures prop firm. 100% payout split is unmatched. Constant 90% off sales make evals dirt cheap (~$30). But: automated trading PROHIBITED, PA has monthly fees ($85-105), max 6 payouts then PA closes forever. The 30-day eval window is new under 4.0.
EOD trailing is genuinely forgiving - intraday swings don't count until close. Intraday trailing is much harsher (tracks unrealized P&L tick-by-tick). Most experienced traders pick EOD. Safety net locks drawdown once you hit starting balance + drawdown + $100.
100% payout split is best in industry. BUT: PA closes forever after 6 payouts. $85-105/mo PA fee eats into profits. Payout ladder caps early withdrawals ($1K-$2.5K on first payout). After 6 payouts, buy a new eval to get a new PA.
Automated trading/bots PROHIBITED. PA has $85-105/mo fee. Max 6 payouts then PA closes permanently. No resets under 4.0. 30-day eval window (fail or expire = buy new). Inactivity rule: 2 days with $50+ profit per 30 days or PA closes.
E8 is a legit but smaller firm primarily serving forex/CFD traders. Not a futures-first shop — if you're MNQ/ES focused, the other firms in this list have deeper futures support.
E8 Classic uses static drawdown (forgiving). Track uses trailing. Daily 5% DLL is standard for forex/CFD.
80/20 base is average. 90/10 at highest scaling tier is solid. Bi-weekly payouts are competitive.
Futures support is shallow vs. futures-native firms. Data here is preliminary and needs verification against their site.
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