Apex Trader Funding vs E8 Markets – Prop Firm Comparison
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Introduction
Apex Trader and E8 Markets are two popular funding firms that actually sit in very different corners of the prop world. Apex Trader, founded in Austin in 2021, is a pure CME-futures specialist built for intraday traders, offering account sizes up to $250,000, keeping 100% of your first $25,000 in profits, and processing bi-weekly payouts within 24 hours. E8 Markets, founded in 2021 in Dallas and rebranded from E8 Funding in 2024, is a multi-asset firm focused on forex and CFDs across MT5, cTrader, TradeLocker and Match-Trader, with fast scaling up to $1 million. The core decision here is about what you trade: if you want exchange-listed futures like ES, NQ, CL and GC, Apex Trader is the natural fit. If you want forex, indices and crypto CFDs with flexible platforms, E8 Markets is built for you.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Apex Trader Funding | E8 Markets |
|---|---|---|
| 
| |
| Founded | 2021 | 2021 |
| Profit Split | 100% Profit Split - With Six Payouts: 100% | Up to 100%, configuration-dependent; Signature 80%. Pro share applies to requestable half; retained buffer carries forward |
| Maximum Account Size | Current EOD/Intraday: $150K nominal account size; larger Legacy tiers have separate terms | $500,000 |
| Evaluation Phases | 1 | 1 |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Expert Grade | 8.8 | 9 |
Program Types
| Program | Apex Trader Funding | E8 Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Program | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced Program | Yes | Yes |
| Scaling Options | Yes | No |
| Demo Account | — | Yes |
Rules & Assessment
| Criteria | Apex Trader Funding | E8 Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Profit Target | Current EOD/Intraday: 6% ($1,500/$3,000/$6,000/$9,000 by size) | One 6%-21% by configuration; Pro 8% standard; Signature 6%; Zero $3K/$6.5K/$13.5K on $50K/$100K/$200K |
| Maximum Drawdown | The Product Line — EOD Trail: End-of-day trailing The Product Line — Intraday Trail: Real-time intraday trailing | The Products Compared — E8 Zero: 3% EOD trailing The Products Compared — E8 One: 4–14% closed-balance trailing The Products Compared — E8 Pro: 8% static standard; first payout raises floor The Products Compared — E8 Signature: EOD trailing: $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 on 25K / 50K / 100K / 150K |
| Minimum Trading Days | Current EOD/Intraday evaluations can pass in one trading day; payout eligibility requires 5 qualifying profit days | One/Signature can pass in 1 day; Zero practically 3 via 40% best-day rule; standard Pro at least 4 via daily profit cap |
| News Trading | Yes | One Performance: restricted on affected instruments 5 minutes before/after high-impact news. One challenge, Pro, Signature and Zero: allowed |
| Daily Loss Limit | The Product Line — EOD Trail: Yes ($1,000 on 50K) The Product Line — Intraday Trail: None | — |
| Consistency / Best Day Rule | — | The Products Compared — E8 Zero: 40% challenge; none Performance The Products Compared — E8 One: 40% Performance The Products Compared — E8 Pro: None; 2% daily profit cap The Products Compared — E8 Signature: 35% Performance |
Fees & Pricing
| Option | Apex Trader Funding | E8 Markets |
|---|---|---|
| CFD $5K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | E8 One / SimFi / USD 48 / One-time List price before E8 first-order discount. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| CFD $10K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | E8 One / SimFi / USD 88 / One-time List price before E8 first-order discount. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| CFD $25K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | E8 One / SimFi / USD 188 / One-time List price before E8 first-order discount. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| CFD $50K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | E8 One / SimFi / USD 288 / One-time List price before E8 first-order discount. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| CFD $100K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | E8 One / SimFi / USD 488 / One-time List price before E8 first-order discount. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| CFD $200K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | E8 One / SimFi / USD 798 / One-time List price before E8 first-order discount. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| CFD $400K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | E8 One / SimFi / USD 1598 / One-time List price before E8 first-order discount. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| CFD $500K Account | Not listed in review pricing source | E8 One / SimFi / USD 1998 / One-time List price before E8 first-order discount. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| Futures $25K Account | Intraday Trail / USD 167 / One-time Official Standard one-pack list price. Activation fee after passing: USD 69. Source Checked 2026-08-10 EOD Trail / USD 390 / One-time Official Standard one-pack list price. Activation fee after passing: USD 99. Source Checked 2026-08-10 | Not listed in review pricing source |
| Futures $50K Account | Intraday Trail / USD 249 / One-time Official Standard one-pack list price. Activation fee after passing: USD 79. Source Checked 2026-08-10 EOD Trail / USD 490 / One-time Official Standard one-pack list price. Activation fee after passing: USD 129. Source Checked 2026-08-10 | Not listed in review pricing source |
| Futures $100K Account | Intraday Trail / USD 399 / One-time Official Standard one-pack list price. Activation fee after passing: USD 99. Source Checked 2026-08-10 EOD Trail / USD 790 / One-time Official Standard one-pack list price. Activation fee after passing: USD 139. Source Checked 2026-08-10 | Not listed in review pricing source |
| Futures $150K Account | Intraday Trail / USD 599 / One-time Official Standard one-pack list price. Activation fee after passing: USD 129. Source Checked 2026-08-10 EOD Trail / USD 1490 / One-time Official Standard one-pack list price. Activation fee after passing: USD 159. Source Checked 2026-08-10 | Not listed in review pricing source |
| Refund Policy | — | Non-refundable per Terms |
| Coupons / Discount | Apex Trader Funding discount | E8 Markets discount |
Platforms & Markets
| Feature | Apex Trader Funding | E8 Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, WealthCharts, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower, and 8 more | CFDs: TradeLocker, Match-Trader, cTrader, MetaTrader 5. Perpetual Futures: E8 Terminal. Futures: Tradovate, TradingView, NinjaTrader |
| Forex | Currency futures, not spot Forex | Yes |
| Stocks | No individual shares; equity-index futures only | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes |
| Cryptocurrencies | — | Yes |
| Bonds | Yes | No |
| EA/Algo Trading | Manual order entry required; own-account copying and native risk orders permitted only under the User Agreement | Eligible Classic/Perpetual accounts: allowed subject to strategy/order rules. Futures: EAs prohibited. Own-account copying allowed |
Payout
| Feature | Apex Trader Funding | E8 Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Payout Terms | Current EOD/Intraday PAs: $500 minimum, 5 qualifying profit days, below-50% best-day consistency, lifetime safety net and size/type-specific caps; maximum 6 payouts. Legacy rules differ. | $100 minimum received after split plus product conditions. One: 40% best-day and net payout above half daily DD. Pro: 1% fresh profit, 50% retained buffer. Signature: 35% best-day, buffer/caps. Zero: daily eligibility, Starter/Max caps, 5 requests then free challenge. Processing may take up to 5 business days |
| See all prop firm payouts → | ||
Verdict
| Key Element | Apex Trader Funding | E8 Markets |
|---|---|---|
| Strengths | Choice of EOD or Intraday evaluation; up to 20 PAs subject to household limits; 100% of approved current simulated-PA payouts. EOD has a daily loss limit; Intraday evaluation does not. | Single-phase programs; configurable One accounts; Pro automatic payout buffer; Signature daily soft pause; own-account copying allowed |
| Weaknesses | 30-day current evaluations with no resets; funded scaling tiers; 50% PA consistency threshold; lifetime payout safety net; six-payout PA limit; no holding through market close | Product/market rules differ; Zero cycle caps; Pro daily profit cap and retained buffer; One Performance news restriction; Futures 7-day inactivity |
| Best For | Serious futures day traders seeking scalability and capital protection | Traders who match the market, loss-limit model and payout conditions to their strategy |
Conclusion and Final Recommendation
Choose Apex Trader Funding if you are serious futures day traders seeking scalability and capital protection. Choose E8 Markets if a larger funded ceiling at $500K and a cheaper entry, from USD 48 matter more to you. Neither firm is better in the abstract. The right choice depends on your strategy, your budget and the instruments you trade, so read both full reviews before you commit. Verify current rules and pricing on each firm’s own site before purchasing.
Frequently asked questions
What should I know about Apex Trader’s programs?
Apex separates EOD Performance Accounts from other and legacy account types. Its current EOD payout policy should not be applied indiscriminately to older accounts. Apex Trader official rules.
What should I know about E8 Markets’s programs?
E8 Signature Forex is a one-step simulated evaluation with a 6% profit target and end-of-day dynamic drawdown. It is one E8 product, not a rulebook for every E8 account. E8 Markets official rules.
How do payouts differ between Apex Trader and E8 Markets?
Current EOD approved requests have a 100% split and a $500 minimum. Eligibility requires five qualifying profitable days, account-size balance thresholds and the consistency condition. Apex Trader official rules.
E8 Signature Forex lists an 80% share, a $100 net minimum, a 35% Best Day Rule, a payout buffer and per-request caps. Five qualifying profitable days are required between later payouts, but not the first. E8 Markets official rules.
Which account rules matter when comparing Apex Trader and E8 Markets?
No single winning day may represent 50% or more of cycle profit. Only profit above the safety net can be requested, per-request caps apply, and the Performance Account closes after six payouts. Apex Trader official rules.
There is no overall completion deadline, but a trade must be opened and closed at least every 60 days. The Performance account also has a 2% daily pause. E8 Markets official rules.
Is Apex Trader or E8 Markets automatically the better choice?
No. The two firms lead on different things: Apex Trader Funding is built for serious futures day traders seeking scalability and capital protection, while E8 Markets has the larger funded ceiling at $500K and the cheaper entry at USD 48. Which of those matters more depends on how you actually trade, so compare how each firm measures drawdown, the total fee once add-ons and resets are included and country eligibility, rather than the headline numbers. If you fail an evaluation, do not assume either firm offers a fixed reset discount: check the reset terms for the specific account you bought.
How We Compared Apex Trader and E8 Markets
Both firms carry a JoinProp Rating out of 10, scored on the same nine weighted factors, led by payout reliability at 20%, then fee structure, drawdown rules and profit split at 15% each. The scores come from our own firm reviews, built from each firm’s current terms rather than its marketing pages and re-checked at least every 90 days. Affiliate relationships have no effect on any rating, and ratings are never sold. The tables above are the evidence behind those scores. Read our full ranking methodology.
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