Side-by-side: drawdown, payouts, pricing, platforms. Apex Trader Funding uses EOD-trailing + lock, The5ers uses EOD-trailing (no lock) — these are different beasts.
| Dimension | Apex Trader Funding | The5ers |
|---|---|---|
| Drawdown mechanic | EOD-trailing + lock | EOD-trailing (no lock) |
| Cheapest eval | $100 | $22 |
| Profit split | 100% | 100% |
| Payout frequency | 24-48 Hours | Bi-weekly |
| Max funding | $3,000,000 | $4,000,000 |
| Max payout | $3,000,000 | — |
| Assets | Futures | Forex, Futures |
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, WealthCharts | cTrader, MT5, BlackArrow |
| Payout methods | ACH, Plane | Crypto, Rise |
| Promo code | — | 7QHKBHSAQV |
| Paul-tested | Yes | Yes |
Apex Trader Funding uses EOD-trailing + lock while The5ers uses EOD-trailing (no lock). Your risk approach needs to adjust when switching.
MLL trails up at end-of-day until it reaches starting balance, then locks permanently. Intraday drops don't reset. Most-protective futures mechanic.
MLL trails end-of-day equity-high with no lock. Pure trailing-up.
Apex Trader Funding offers 4 plans. The5ers offers 4 plans.
Apex Trader Funding's cheapest evaluation is $100. The5ers's cheapest is $22. The5ers wins on entry price by $78.
Apex Trader Funding uses EOD-trailing + lock. The5ers uses EOD-trailing (no lock). These are fundamentally different — your risk model needs to change when switching between them.
Apex Trader Funding: 100%. The5ers: 100%.
Yes for Apex Trader Funding — documented payouts on the main review page. The5ers also Paul-tested with documented payouts.
Yes. Different prop firms have no shared compliance — running them in parallel is the standard playbook for funded traders looking to diversify firm-risk. Track each firm's rule changes independently.
Apex Trader Funding payout cadence: 24-48 Hours. The5ers: Bi-weekly. Method matters too — Wise and Plaid typically beat ACH and wire by 1-2 days.
No cross-firm compliance overlap. Each firm 1099s independently for US residents. Cross-firm copy-trading rules only matter inside a single firm's account family.
Drawdown mechanic comes first. Apex Trader Funding offers lock-protection on first profits — favors traders who scale slow. After mechanic, evaluate payout speed and your strategy's drawdown profile.