Apex PA account rules, in short: a Performance Account (PA) is a Sim Funded account in the size and drawdown type of the evaluation you passed. Its threshold trails $1,000 to $4,000 under your highest close (EOD) or highest balance (Intraday) and stops at the starting balance plus $100. Contracts and the daily loss limit rise in levels with your end-of-day profit. You must be flat by 4:59 PM ET and record two $50 days in every 30.
This page covers the EOD and Intraday PAs Apex has sold since March 1, 2026, from 25K to 150K. Legacy PAs keep their own trading rules, with a "30% Negative P&L Rule (MAE)" the home page says current accounts don't have; the check leaves them out.
Check your PA's limits for today
Level 1 today: 2 contracts, a $1,000 daily loss limit
The threshold comes first: an $800 loss from the $50,800 start reaches $50,000 and closes the PA, before the $1,000 daily loss limit would pause it at $49,800.
- Threshold: $50,000, trailing $2,000 under the highest balance. It stops at $50,100 once the highest balance reaches $52,100: $100 to go.
- Level: Level 1 of 4 from a $50,800 close ($800 over the start): 2 contracts or 20 micros. Level 2 from a $51,500 close: 3 contracts, a $1,000 limit.
- Today: Intraday PA: a new high today, open profit included, lifts the threshold at once. Be flat by 4:59 PM ET; the next session starts at 6:00 PM ET.
Starts on our invented 50K Intraday example. The rules are Apex's, read on 2026-10-18: the threshold stops at the start plus $100, and the 50K Level 4 starts at $6,000, where two Apex pages disagree. It measures the day's loss from the last close and doesn't model slippage past a line. It reads what you enter, not your Apex dashboard, which is the source of truth.
It opens on an invented 50K Intraday PA: open profit once took the balance to $52,000, and the last close was $50,800. The threshold trailed that peak to $50,000, $100 short of its stop. The $800 of profit means Level 1: 2 contracts and a $1,000 daily loss limit at $49,800, under the threshold, so an $800 loss today closes the PA. Switch to EOD and set the highest close to $51,000: the threshold falls to $49,000, and the daily loss limit stops you first, $800 above it.
On either PA, profit you give back can leave the threshold above the daily loss limit, and then a loss closes the account instead of pausing it.What changes from the evaluation to the PA?
The drawdown amount and type carry over. The rest changes, which Apex frames as the step "before additional scaling and consistency rules are introduced."
| Evaluation | Performance Account | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A 30-day evaluation | "a Simulated Funded (Sim Funded) account," with no access period |
| Threshold | $1,000–$4,000, trailing; stops at the profit-target balance on Rithmic and Wealthcharts, trails all the way on Tradovate | The same amount, stopping at the start plus $100 |
| Daily loss limit | EOD: $500–$2,000, fixed. Intraday: none | Both types, by level: $500–$4,000 |
| Contracts | Fixed: 4, 6, 8 or 12 | By level, up to 2, 4, 6 or 10 |
| Inactivity rule | None published | 2 days of $50+ in every rolling 30 days |
| How many | "no limit to how many evaluations you may have" | Up to 20 PAs |
Each size's top PA contract limit is below its evaluation's fixed one, and a new PA starts at Level 1. In a PA, payouts follow their own rules (5 qualifying days, a 50% consistency rule and a safety net), covered in Apex payout rules.
Sources: the EOD and Intraday evaluation pages, the EOD and Intraday PA pages, the drawdown pages linked below and the Legacy Products Overview, read 2026-10-18.
Where does the Apex trailing drawdown stop on a PA?
At the starting balance plus $100, on EOD and Intraday PAs alike, once your high reaches the start plus the drawdown plus $100. After that the threshold doesn't move.
| Account | Max drawdown | Threshold at the start | Stops at | Once the high reaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $1,000 | $24,000 | $25,100 | $26,100 |
| $50,000 | $2,000 | $48,000 | $50,100 | $52,100 |
| $100,000 | $3,000 | $97,000 | $100,100 | $103,100 |
| $150,000 | $4,000 | $146,000 | $150,100 | $154,100 |
Apex prints the 50K example; the other rows apply its rule. What counts as the high depends on the type:
- EOD: the threshold is "recalculated once per trading day at 4:59:59 PM ET, based on the account's closing balance." It is "enforced in real time," but an intraday peak you give back by the close doesn't move it.
- Intraday: it follows the "Peak Balance," which "includes both realized and unrealized gains," and moves "immediately. No closing trade is required."
Touch the threshold, open trades included, and positions are liquidated and "the PA is permanently closed." It never moves down, and per the Intraday explainer a fill a little past the line "does not change the outcome." How a trailing drawdown differs from a static one at any firm is in trailing vs static drawdown.
Sources: the EOD and Intraday drawdown explainers and the PA pages, read 2026-10-18.
What is the daily loss limit on an Apex PA?
Your level sets it, and the previous close sets your level. Apex matches "your ending account balance at market close (4:59:59 PM ET)" to a level, which fixes your "Maximum position size" and "Daily Loss Limit (DLL)" for the next session. Levels go down as well as up, never below Level 1, and "never change during the trading session."
Each cell gives the end-of-day profit over the start, then contracts and the daily loss limit:
| Level | 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0–$999: 1 contract, $500 | $0–$1,499: 2 contracts, $1,000 | $0–$1,999: 3 contracts, $1,750 | $0–$1,999: 4 contracts, $2,500 |
| 2 | $1,000–$1,999: 2, $500 | $1,500–$2,999: 3, $1,000 | $2,000–$2,999: 4, $1,750 | $2,000–$2,999: 5, $2,500 |
| 3 | $2,000 and up: 2, $1,250 | $3,000–$5,999: 4, $2,000 | $3,000–$4,999: 5, $1,750 | $3,000–$4,999: 7, $2,500 |
| 4 | — | $6,000 and up: 4, $3,000 | $5,000–$9,999: 6, $2,500 | $5,000–$9,999: 10, $3,000 |
| 5 | — | — | $10,000 and up: 6, $3,500 | $10,000 and up: 10, $4,000 |
- It counts "total account equity, including both realized and unrealized losses."
- At the limit your positions are liquidated "and trading is paused for the remainder of the session." The PA stays open: "the DLL ends your trading day, while the EOD Threshold disqualifies your PA."
- It resets at 6PM ET, except after a holiday or half-day session, when it waits until "6:00 PM ET following the next full trading day."
- Contracts count "all open positions combined across all instruments," and "ten (10) micro contracts equal one (1) standard contract." An order over the limit "is automatically rejected," with no penalty.
Apex publishes its times in US Eastern Time. In UTC:
| Apex (ET) | What happens | UTC until November 1, 2026 (EDT) | UTC from November 1, 2026 (EST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:59 PM | Be flat | 20:59 | 21:59 |
| 4:59:59 PM | The close sets the EOD threshold and your level | 20:59:59 | 21:59:59 |
| 6:00 PM | The next trading day starts; the daily loss limit resets | 22:00 | 23:00 |
London is UTC+1 until UK clocks go back on October 25, 2026, then UTC: 6:00 PM ET is 23:00 there most of the year, 22:00 from October 25 to November 1 and for a few weeks each March. The 4:59 PM ET cut-off is 21:59 in London, or 20:59 in those same weeks.
Sources: Scaling Levels (PA) Explained, Daily Loss Limit Explained, Futures Trading Times and Holiday Trading, read 2026-10-18.
Apex 50K EOD PA rules, in one place
From this page's tables and Apex's product picker:
- Threshold: $2,000 under the highest close, from $48,000, stopping at $50,100 once a close reaches $52,100.
- Levels: 2 contracts and a $1,000 daily loss limit under $1,500 of profit; 3 contracts from $1,500; 4 contracts and $2,000 from $3,000; 4 and $3,000 from $6,000.
- Activation: $129 on a Standard evaluation, within 7 days of passing.
On a 50K Intraday PA the threshold trails the highest balance with open profit instead, and the activation fee is $99.
Sources: the tables above and Apex's home page, read 2026-10-18.
What closes an Apex PA, and what doesn't?
Three things close it:
- The threshold, touched with open trades included.
- Prohibited activity, which brings "immediate account closure" per the PA pages: hedging "on the same or correlated instrument," "Holding open trade positions through the market close," automation, trading without "pending or mental stop losses," "Using the Trailing Threshold as a Stop Loss" and "trade copying with other traders," among others.
- Inactivity, below.
The daily loss limit only ends the session, and an order over your level is rejected. "All trades must be closed before 4:59 PM ET," some earlier (lean hogs and cattle at 2:05 PM ET, grains and soybeans at 2:20 PM ET); hold through the close and traders "will forfeit their accounts and all associated balances."
Sources: Prohibited Activities and Futures Trading Times, read 2026-10-18.
Can you trade news on an Apex PA?
Yes: "Trading during news is allowed for your normal trading strategy." Apex bans "news trading" that will "chase the market" or "place orders on both sides," and any "non-directional bracket trading, where orders are left open on both sides of the market." It publishes no list of restricted events and no window around them, and the hedging ban still applies during a release. Source: Prohibited Activities, read 2026-10-18.
How do you keep an Apex PA active?
Apex's rule: "you must record at least 2 trading days with $50 or more in net profit within every rolling 30-day period." It covers all EOD and Intraday PAs and the promotional Legacy PAs bought after March 1, 2026.
- The 30 days are calendar days, weekends and holidays included, and for a new PA "the purchase date is day 1."
- Apex counts from the earlier of your two latest $50 days. Trading without a $50 day, or breaking even, doesn't count.
- A session's day is the date it ends, so trades at 8:00 PM ET count toward the next day.
- Reminders come at 15 and 20 days. At 30 the PA closes, "Any accumulated rewards or payout eligibility are forfeited," and "Closed accounts cannot be reinstated."
Source: Inactivity Policy on Performance Accounts (PA), read 2026-10-18.
How much does an Apex PA cost to activate?
A one-time fee, due within 7 calendar days of the evaluation being marked Passed after the close. It "does not renew," it is "not refundable," and a closed PA needs a new evaluation and a new fee. The help center prints no amounts; the home page's product picker showed these on 2026-10-18:
| 25K | 50K | 100K | 150K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EOD PA | $109 | $129 | $139 | $159 |
| Intraday PA | $89 | $99 | $129 | $149 |
"No Activation Fee" evaluations show the PA as "FREE." The picker prints "$" with no currency code, and we didn't open the checkout, so we haven't confirmed the currency. We leave out evaluation prices, which move with coupons (that day's banner offered 90% off).
You can hold up to 20 PAs; the Legacy overview counts Legacy PAs in the same 20, per household. After you pay, "Account creation can take up to 6 hours."
Sources: PA Activation Process & Deadline Explained and the home page, read 2026-10-18.
After the PA: Apex's Live program
Live is "an invitation-based progression," and "Traders cannot have both Live and Sim accounts at the same time": when Apex moves you, your PAs are deactivated and profitable balances are tracked in a "Bonus Vault." Its monitoring may start after "Three consecutive withdrawals from one single Simulated PA account." Source: Apex Live Prop Trading Program FAQ, read 2026-10-18.
Where do Apex's own pages disagree?
- Where Intraday PA trailing stops. The Intraday PA page: "once Max Trailing Drawdown Amount + $100 is reached." The Intraday explainer, edited 2026-10-12: "Starting Balance + $100," worked to $50,100 on a 50K. We use the explainer.
- Where 50K Level 4 starts. Daily Loss Limit Explained: "$6,000 & Up." Scaling Levels (PA) Explained: "$5,999 & Up," under a Level 3 of "$3,000 – $5,999." We use $6,000.
- Are Legacy accounts for sale? The Legacy overview: "no longer available for purchase to anyone" since March 1, 2026. The home page, edited 2026-10-15: "Legacy Accounts Are Back For a Limited Time." The inactivity policy covers "promotional Legacy accounts purchased after March 1st, 2026."
- What a rule violation costs. Early Account Update Notifications (edited 2026-07-31) disables payout requests "for 8 trading days" after a violation and names "Scaling and Maximum Adverse Excursion (MAE)," without saying which accounts it covers. Its links go to the Legacy PA pages and its "$2,000 for a $50K account" is the Legacy maximum payout, so we read it as a Legacy rule.
- Who can sign up. The footer on every Apex page we read: "Services are intended for U.S. users only." Restricted Countries: "Traders from over 100 countries can participate," except a list that includes South Africa; while you're in one, you can't "Place trades on your active accounts" or "Request payouts."
Not published
- A list of restricted news events, or a window around them.
- Whether a $50 inactivity day's "net profit" is after commissions.
- Which balance the daily loss limit counts the day's loss from. The check uses the last close, since no position may be held through it.
- PA activation fees in the help center (the picker shows them in "$", with no currency code).
- Trader Probation's terms, on Apex's dashboard.
Compare Topstep's rules, or every firm on the prop firm rules hub.
Sources and their last edits
Each page was read on 2026-10-18. Dates are the pages' own last-modified stamps (UTC).
- EOD Performance Accounts (PA), 2026-04-28; Intraday Trailing Drawdown Performance Accounts (PA), 2026-05-21.
- EOD Drawdown Explained, 2026-04-28; Intraday Trailing Drawdown Explained, 2026-10-12.
- Scaling Levels (PA) Explained, 2026-04-16; Daily Loss Limit Explained, 2026-04-15.
- Inactivity Policy on Performance Accounts (PA), 2026-10-08; PA Activation Process & Deadline Explained, 2026-04-15.
- Prohibited Activities, 2026-07-31; Futures Trading Times, 2026-04-20; Holiday Trading, 2026-04-15.
- EOD Evaluations, 2026-06-05; Intraday Trailing Drawdown Evaluations, 2026-04-28.
- Legacy Products Overview, 2026-07-21; Legacy Performance Account (PA) Trading Rules, 2026-07-31; Early Account Update Notifications, 2026-07-31.
- Apex Live Prop Trading Program FAQ, 2026-10-14; Restricted Countries, 2026-09-10; Apex's home page, 2026-10-15.
Disclosure
We sell the Prop Firm Challenge Toolkit, a TradingView indicator that tracks drawdown and daily-loss buffers from the rule numbers you enter. The check uses invented numbers and Apex's published rules; it isn't a forecast or a view on whether an Apex account is worth buying, and Apex's dashboard decides your limits. If a number here no longer matches Apex's pages, email support@pulltrade.app and we'll correct it in public.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Apex PA account rules?
An Apex Performance Account is a Sim Funded account in the size and drawdown type of the evaluation you passed. Its threshold trails $1,000 to $4,000 under your high and stops at the starting balance plus $100. Contracts and the daily loss limit rise in levels with your end-of-day profit. You must be flat by 4:59 PM ET and record two days of $50 or more in every 30, and you can hold up to 20 PAs.
Does the Apex trailing drawdown stop on a PA?
Yes, on EOD and Intraday PAs alike. The threshold stops at the starting balance plus $100 once your high reaches the start plus the drawdown plus $100: $25,100 at $26,100 on a 25K, $50,100 at $52,100 on a 50K, $100,100 at $103,100 on a 100K and $150,100 at $154,100 on a 150K. After that it stays put, losing days included.
What is the daily loss limit on an Apex PA?
It depends on your level, which the previous close sets: from $500 on a 25K at Level 1 to $4,000 on a 150K at Level 5. Reaching it liquidates your positions and pauses trading until the next session at 6:00 PM ET, and the PA stays open. It counts open losses, and it doesn't reset after a holiday or half-day session.
How many contracts can you trade on an Apex PA?
As many as your level allows, every instrument combined: from 1 contract at Level 1 on a 25K up to 2, 4, 6 or 10 at the top level of a 25K, 50K, 100K or 150K PA. Ten micros count as one mini. An order that would go over the limit is rejected, with no penalty.
Can you trade news on an Apex PA?
Yes, for your normal strategy. Apex's Prohibited Activities page bans news strategies that chase the market or place orders on both sides of a release, and it bans hedging on the same or correlated instruments. Apex publishes no list of restricted events and no window around them.
Can you hold an Apex PA trade overnight?
No. Apex says all trades must be closed before 4:59 PM ET, earlier on some agricultural futures, and its Prohibited Activities page says traders who hold through the close forfeit their accounts and balances. Trading reopens at 6:00 PM ET, the start of Apex's next trading day.
What are the Apex 50K EOD PA rules?
A $2,000 threshold under your highest close that stops at $50,100 once a close reaches $52,100; 2 contracts and a $1,000 daily loss limit at Level 1, rising to 4 contracts and $3,000 from $6,000 of profit; flat by 4:59 PM ET; two $50 days every 30 days; and a $129 activation fee on a Standard evaluation.
Can an Apex PA be closed for inactivity?
Yes. A PA needs at least 2 trading days with $50 or more of net profit in every rolling 30 calendar days. Apex sends reminders at 15 and 20 days, and at 30 it closes the account for good, with any payout eligibility forfeited. A breakeven day doesn't count.
