Reviews

Unlock Explosive Penny Stock Gains: Paddle In vs. Momentum Master — Which Trade Ideas Plan is Right for You?

If you’re serious about trading penny stocks, you know that timing is everything. These stocks are highly volatile, with prices fluctuating rapidly, creating opportunities for quick profits — or substantial losses. To stay on top of this fast-paced market, you need the best trading tools available. That’s where Trade Ideas shines. But with multiple pricing plans, it’s essential to understand which one is best suited for your trading needs.

In this blog, we’re going to take an in-depth look at two of Trade Ideas' most popular plans: Paddle In and Momentum Master. We’ll explore how each plan caters to different trader profiles, and why Trade Ideas, as a whole, stands as the most powerful and efficient trading scanner for penny stocks. We’ll also dive into why penny stocks are so volatile and how Trade Ideas helps you stay ahead of the game.

Trade Ideas: The Ultimate Penny Stock Scanner

Before we dive into the specifics of each plan, let’s talk about what makes Trade Ideas the best tool for trading penny stocks in the first place.

Penny stocks — defined as stocks that trade for less than $5 per share — are famous for their wild price swings. Due to their low float (the number of shares available for trading) and relatively low trading volumes, penny stocks are highly susceptible to big price movements on small news or events. This makes them both an attractive opportunity for traders looking for quick gains and a risky endeavor for those who don’t have the right tools to spot these movements in real-time.

That’s where Trade Ideas comes in.

Trade Ideas is not just a stock scanner; it’s an AI-powered trading assistant that constantly monitors the market for price gaps, breakout patterns, and high-volume movements. With its cutting-edge algorithms, Trade Ideas helps traders find those penny stocks that are gapping up — meaning their prices are rapidly increasing — and alerts you the moment it happens. This instantaneous analysis gives you an edge over other traders who might be slower to react.

Now, let's compare the Paddle In and Momentum Master plans to see which one can help you take advantage of these opportunities most effectively.

The Paddle In Plan: A Beginner-Friendly Choice

The Paddle In plan is ideal for traders who are just getting started with Trade Ideas or those who want a simple yet powerful tool to help them find penny stock opportunities without diving into advanced strategies. The Paddle In plan provides access to:

  • Real-Time Alerts: Get instant notifications when penny stocks start gapping up or meet specific criteria that you’ve set, such as breaking a key resistance level or achieving high volume.

  • Basic Scanners: The Paddle In plan includes a range of pre-set scanners that can quickly detect breakout stocks, including penny stocks that are making significant moves.

  • Basic AI Features: Trade Ideas’ AI, called Holly, can scan for trends and help you spot potential setups. While not as advanced as in the Momentum Master plan, it provides a great starting point for new traders.

  • Customizable Alerts: The plan allows you to set alerts based on your preferred conditions, such as stocks gapping up by a certain percentage or reaching a specific volume threshold.

For newer traders, the Paddle In plan is a cost-effective option to get started with Trade Ideas. The simplicity of the features lets you focus on the most essential aspects of penny stock trading without being overwhelmed by more complex strategies or unnecessary features.

The Momentum Master Plan: Advanced Features for Experienced Traders

If you're an experienced trader or you're looking to take your trading game to the next level, the Momentum Master plan offers significantly more advanced features. This plan is tailored for active traders who want to get a more in-depth look at market momentum and capitalize on the fast-moving, high-volatility nature of penny stocks. Here’s what you get with the Momentum Master plan:

  • Advanced AI (Holly Grail): This plan unlocks access to the full power of Trade Ideas' AI algorithms. Holly Grail can backtest thousands of strategies in real-time, helping you to identify profitable setups based on historical data. It can also recommend trades that have the highest probability of success based on past performance.

  • Full Scanners with Customizable Filters: You get complete access to Trade Ideas’ powerful stock scanners, allowing you to customize filters to find the exact type of penny stock setups you want to trade. Whether it’s stocks gapping up, experiencing unusual volume, or breaking out of a pattern, you can filter for all these conditions.

  • Real-Time Alerts with Enhanced Speed: The Momentum Master plan gives you instant alerts on stocks gapping up or hitting new highs. These alerts come with minimal delay, which is crucial for catching fast-moving penny stocks that can turn on a dime.

  • Multiple Layouts & Workspaces: Trade Ideas allows you to design multiple workspaces that can track different types of penny stocks or various strategies. Whether you’re watching stocks on a 1-minute chart or a daily chart, you can have everything organized to keep an eye on what matters.

  • Simulation Mode (Paper Trading): Practice your strategies risk-free with paper trading in real-time market conditions. This is invaluable for refining your trading approach without putting real capital at risk.

For traders who understand the rapid nature of penny stocks and want a comprehensive suite of tools for spotting profitable opportunities, the Momentum Master plan is the way to go.

Why Penny Stocks Move So Fast (and Why Trade Ideas Helps)

Before we wrap up, let’s take a moment to discuss why penny stocks are so volatile and how Trade Ideas helps you spot these movements in real-time.

Penny stocks are typically very volatile because of two main factors:

  1. Low Float: Penny stocks often have a small number of shares available for trading. This makes it easier for relatively small amounts of buying or selling to drastically affect the price. A single large order can send the stock soaring or plummeting.

  2. News Sensitivity: Because penny stocks are often from smaller companies, even small news events, such as a new product release or a partnership, can have a big impact on their price. Conversely, rumors or negative news can cause a steep decline in price.

These factors mean penny stocks can often experience wild price swings within minutes or even seconds.

Trade Ideas excels at identifying these opportunities instantly. With its sophisticated gap scanners and real-time alerts, it can pinpoint penny stocks that are moving fast, allowing traders to react quickly and capitalize on these fleeting opportunities. By automating this process, Trade Ideas gives you the speed and accuracy needed to stay ahead of the market.

Which Plan is Right for You?

  • Paddle In: If you're just starting or want a solid, easy-to-use scanner with essential penny stock alert features, Paddle In is a great choice.

  • Momentum Master: If you're an experienced trader looking to get more advanced features like enhanced AI-driven alerts, more customization, and faster response times, Momentum Master is the plan you want.

Conclusion

When it comes to trading penny stocks, the volatility and rapid price changes make it critical to have the right tools at your disposal. Trade Ideas stands out as the top trading scanner on the market due to its real-time alerts, powerful AI, and fast speed — all of which are vital for capitalizing on penny stock opportunities.

Whether you’re just getting started with the Paddle In plan or are ready to take full advantage of the advanced features in the Momentum Master plan, Trade Ideas ensures that you’re always one step ahead in the fast-paced world of penny stock trading.

Trade Ideas: Revolutionizing the Way Traders Find Opportunities

If you’re a trader—or even just someone interested in the world of trading—chances are you’ve heard of Trade Ideas. But do you really understand how it can transform your trading game? Whether you're a novice looking for insights or a seasoned pro searching for an edge, Trade Ideas is one of the most innovative and effective tools for discovering high-quality trade opportunities.

So, let’s dive into everything you need to know about Trade Ideas, and why it’s making waves across the trading world.


What is Trade Ideas?

At its core, Trade Ideas is a powerful stock scanning and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven platform designed to help traders identify and execute profitable trades. Whether you trade stocks, options, or even crypto, Trade Ideas uses real-time data and sophisticated algorithms to filter through the noise of the market and highlight the best opportunities.

What makes Trade Ideas stand out from the crowd? It’s the combination of advanced AI and customizable trading strategies that can automate your trades or alert you to potential setups. Simply put, Trade Ideas helps you trade smarter, not harder.


AI-Powered Trading with Holly

One of the flagship features that makes Trade Ideas a game-changer is Holly, their AI-powered trading assistant. Imagine having a virtual trading assistant that scans thousands of potential trades in real-time, looking for setups that match your criteria—only this assistant has access to a vast array of data and backtesting capabilities, far beyond what a human trader can handle.

Holly isn't just a robot that spits out trade alerts. It uses sophisticated algorithms to analyze past market behavior, detect patterns, and predict short-term movements. She can adapt to changing market conditions, and her insights are based on historical data, statistical analysis, and machine learning.

What does this mean for you as a trader? Trade Ideas essentially gives you a data-driven edge, providing trade alerts, risk management tips, and suggested entry/exit points that are backed by AI intelligence.


Customizable Alerts: Your Personal Trading Sentinel

Now, let’s talk about Trade Ideas’ alert system, which is one of the platform’s most powerful features. Whether you're a day trader, swing trader, or long-term investor, you can set up highly customizable alerts that suit your trading style.

  • Real-Time Alerts: Set up notifications for any market event you care about—be it a stock crossing a certain price, volume spikes, or even unusual options activity.

  • Technical Indicators: Combine price action with technical indicators like moving averages, RSI, and MACD, so you’re only alerted when the stock shows specific technical patterns.

  • News and Social Sentiment: Trade Ideas also monitors real-time news and social sentiment, so you can react faster to breaking news or trending stocks.

By setting up alerts based on your personal strategy, you can filter out irrelevant market noise and focus on the trades that align with your goals. This means less time sifting through charts and more time executing your strategies.


Trade Automation: Let Your Strategy Work for You

What if you could automate your trades, so you don't have to constantly monitor the market? Trade Ideas gives you the power to do just that with its broker integration feature. This allows you to automate the execution of trades directly from the platform, executing orders in real-time based on your pre-set strategies.

Here’s how it works:

  • AI-Driven Decisions: Let the AI analyze and execute trades for you based on criteria you set, such as price movements, volume patterns, and other key metrics.

  • Automation & Customization: You can fine-tune the trade automation to match your risk tolerance and trading objectives. You control when to enter, exit, or scale positions—without lifting a finger.

For traders with busy schedules or those who can’t always be glued to their screens, this feature is a game-changer. Trade Ideas can do the heavy lifting for you, so you don’t have to miss out on opportunities.


Backtesting: Testing Your Strategy Before You Trade

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could test your trading ideas before risking real capital? With Trade Ideas, you can. Backtesting allows you to test any strategy against historical market data to see how it would have performed under various market conditions.

This is a critical feature for traders who want to ensure their strategies are robust before applying them in real-time trading. Whether you’re testing a day trading strategy or a longer-term swing trading approach, backtesting helps you refine your tactics and avoid costly mistakes.

Imagine you’ve developed a strategy for trading pullbacks in a trending market. Using Trade Ideas’ backtesting, you can apply your strategy to historical data to see how often it would have been successful, how much you could have profited (or lost), and whether it aligns with your risk tolerance.


Trade Ideas for All Levels: From Beginners to Experts

It doesn’t matter if you’re just getting started or you’re a full-time professional trader—Trade Ideas is designed for all levels of traders. Here’s why:

  • For Beginners: With its intuitive interface and step-by-step tutorials, even beginners can start setting up alerts and exploring AI-powered insights with ease. The platform’s accessibility makes it a great option for traders who are learning the ropes but want a powerful tool to boost their trading.

  • For Intermediate Traders: Trade Ideas allows intermediate traders to build on their knowledge, using advanced tools like backtesting, custom alert creation, and strategy development to fine-tune their trades.

  • For Professionals: For seasoned traders, Trade Ideas offers unmatched flexibility with deep customization options, direct broker integration, and access to a robust library of trading strategies and scanning tools.


Why Trade Ideas is the Secret Weapon You Need

When it comes down to it, Trade Ideas isn’t just another tool—it’s a whole ecosystem designed to make you a better, faster, and more profitable trader. Here’s why so many traders swear by it:

  • Time-Saving: With powerful AI algorithms scanning markets 24/7, you save time finding setups. No more endless hours of manual chart scanning or chasing down trade ideas.

  • Real-Time Market Data: With Trade Ideas, you're always plugged into live market data, ensuring that your alerts and decisions are based on the most up-to-date information available.

  • Automation: Automating your trades doesn’t just save you time—it helps you execute flawlessly, without second-guessing or hesitation.

  • Comprehensive: Whether you’re looking for quick trades, deep strategy testing, or long-term investment ideas, Trade Ideas has the tools to cover all your trading needs.

  • Community and Support: If you ever have questions or need guidance, Trade Ideas offers a thriving community of traders, as well as dedicated customer support to ensure you're getting the most out of the platform.


Conclusion: Take Your Trading to the Next Level with Trade Ideas

In the fast-paced world of trading, success depends on more than just having a good strategy—it’s about having the right tools to identify opportunities and execute them with precision. Trade Ideas empowers traders with the data, AI, and tools they need to stay ahead of the market. Whether you’re looking to automate trades, test new strategies, or receive customized alerts, Trade Ideas offers everything you need to take your trading to the next level.

Ready to revolutionize the way you trade? Dive into Trade Ideas today and start discovering the opportunities that await you.

Why You Need to Sign Up for TradingView: The Ultimate Platform for Traders & Investors

Whether you're a seasoned trader or just beginning your investing journey, the one thing you need to succeed in today’s markets are the right tools. Enter TradingView—the powerful charting platform that’s taking the trading world by storm. If you haven’t yet discovered what makes TradingView a game-changer, it’s time to pay attention.

With its sleek interface, a robust set of features, and a community of millions of traders sharing ideas in real-time, TradingView is more than just a charting tool—it’s your personal trading hub.

In this article, we’ll explore exactly why TradingView is the platform you’ve been waiting for and why you should sign up today. Ready to unlock your trading potential? Let’s dive in!

1. Stunning, Intuitive Charts That You’ll Actually Enjoy Using

At the heart of every trader’s toolkit is the chart. But let’s be honest—charts can often be overwhelming, filled with confusing indicators and complex layouts. TradingView is changing all of that.

From the moment you sign up, you’ll experience a beautiful, intuitive interface that makes charting feel more like an art than a chore. TradingView’s charts are highly customizable, allowing you to choose from a wide range of timeframes, indicators, and drawing tools that suit your trading style. Whether you're a scalper looking for quick, precise movements or a swing trader tracking longer-term trends, TradingView adapts to your needs.

  • Multiple Chart Views: View multiple charts at once for comparative analysis or keep track of several instruments simultaneously.

  • Advanced Charting Tools: Draw trendlines, use Fibonacci retracements, and track technical indicators with ease—all at the click of a button.

  • Real-Time Data: Get live market data from major exchanges across the globe, so you never miss a beat.

If you’ve ever felt like your charting tool wasn’t up to the task, TradingView will make you rethink what’s possible.

2. TradingView’s Social Community: Ideas, Insights, and Inspiration

Imagine having access to millions of traders from around the world, all sharing their analysis, strategies, and insights on real-time charts. That’s the magic of TradingView’s social network.

  • Follow Top Traders: Discover and follow top traders with track records of success. See their trading setups, analyses, and predictions for the market, and learn from the best.

  • Share Your Own Ideas: Whether you're just starting out or already a pro, you can publish your trading ideas to the community. Share your strategies, get feedback, and even have discussions with other traders.

  • Real-Time Alerts and Ideas: TradingView alerts you whenever new trading ideas, news, or patterns emerge from the community, so you never miss a potential opportunity.

This collaborative approach to trading fosters growth and learning. As a new trader, you’ll gain valuable insights from more experienced traders, and as a seasoned pro, you’ll get a chance to teach, mentor, and connect with others.

3. Seamless Integration with Brokers for Fast Execution

Having the right analysis tool is only half the battle. The other half is executing your trades quickly and efficiently. TradingView seamlessly integrates with a growing list of brokers, allowing you to place trades directly from your charts.

  • Direct Trade Execution: With supported brokers, you can buy and sell without ever leaving the TradingView platform. This reduces friction and ensures that you’re always positioned to act on the best opportunities in real-time.

  • Paper Trading: If you're new to trading or want to test out a new strategy, TradingView’s paper trading featurelets you simulate real trades without risking actual capital.

This integration makes TradingView not just a tool for analysis but a fully-fledged trading platform for all your market activities.

4. Access to Multiple Markets and Assets

Whether you trade stocks, forex, cryptocurrencies, or commodities, TradingView has you covered. With access to over 50,000+ instruments across stocks, futures, forex, crypto, and indices, you can track and analyze virtually any asset that interests you.

  • Crypto Traders: You can monitor Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other altcoins with real-time data from major exchanges, plus the tools to analyze price action, volume trends, and more.

  • Forex & Stocks: Dive deep into foreign exchange and equities markets with a wealth of charting options and technical analysis tools.

  • Global Market Access: TradingView covers stocks from major exchanges like the NYSE, NASDAQ, and global markets like London, Tokyo, and others, meaning you’ll never miss an opportunity—no matter where in the world it arises.

No matter where your interests lie, TradingView gives you the versatility to trade across all major asset classes, from a single platform.

5. Real-Time News and Economic Calendar at Your Fingertips

In today’s fast-paced market, staying informed is critical to making timely decisions. That’s why TradingView offers integrated news and economic events, right on your dashboard.

  • Global News: Stay updated with breaking news from leading financial sources like Reuters, Bloomberg, and CNBC. Whether it’s economic data releases, company earnings, or geopolitical events, you’ll be in the know in real-time.

  • Economic Calendar: Keep track of economic reports, central bank announcements, and other key events that can move the market.

Having all this crucial information available in one place allows you to stay ahead of the curve and make more informed decisions.

6. Customizable Alerts: Never Miss a Trade Again

Setting alerts is crucial to trading success. TradingView takes alerting to the next level with incredibly customizable options that notify you about price movements, indicator conditions, or chart pattern formations.

  • Price Alerts: Set an alert to notify you when a stock, crypto, or any asset reaches your desired price.

  • Indicator Alerts: Want to know when an RSI crosses above 70 or a moving average turns bullish? TradingViewcan alert you to these specific conditions.

  • Chart Pattern Alerts: Track complex patterns like head and shoulders, triangles, or flags with automatic alerts, so you don’t miss a setup.

With alerts based on your own criteria, TradingView ensures that you're always on top of the market, no matter where you are.

7. TradingView on Any Device, Anywhere

Whether you’re at home, at the office, or on the go, TradingView has you covered. With a web-based platform and mobile apps for both iOS and Android, you can access your charts and trade ideas anytime, anywhere.

This cross-platform capability means you can check your markets, update your alerts, or even place trades no matter where you are in the world. With TradingView, your trading doesn’t have to stop when you leave your desk.

Why Wait? Join TradingView Today!

Ready to elevate your trading game? TradingView is your one-stop solution for all things trading, offering powerful tools, a dynamic social community, real-time market data, and seamless broker integration—all in one place.

Whether you’re looking to improve your charting, collaborate with other traders, automate your trades, or simply stay ahead of the market, TradingView is the platform that will help you do it all.

Sign up today and start exploring the powerful features that have made TradingView the go-to platform for traders and investors worldwide. Don’t let another opportunity pass you by—join the millions of traders who are already using TradingView to take their trading to the next level!

Apex Trader Funding: Full Review 2024

In a world of competitive prop firms that have attracted the attention of many interested traders, Apex Trader Funding stands out prolifically based on its popularity and brand. When you think of the term, prop firm, Apex Trader Funding undoubtedly comes to mind first.

But why is that? What makes it significantly more popular than the rest? We will answer that question by providing a deep dive on everything Apex from the straightforward rules to the easily affordable evaluation plans.

WHAT IS APEX TRADER FUNDING?

Apex Trader Funding (ATF) is one of the leading proprietary trading firms in the futures market. A proprietary trading firm, or simply prop firm, is when a company provides capital to a trader so that they don't have to risk their own.

Most prop firms require traders to pass an assessment in order to prove they have the necessary skills to manage their capital. In return, the trader isn’t risking anything other than the fees associated with the assessment process and the prop firm potentially has a skilled trader trading on their behalf.

Apex Trader Funding simplifies the entire assessment process by making it a one-step evaluation. Once you pass this one-step evaluation, traders are given a funded account to day trade futures contracts and earn money based on their risk tolerance. That risk tolerance will be dependent on the type of account size they choose during the evaluation stage and we’ll talk about that further.

Rithmic Plans

TRADOVATE Plans

As seen above, Apex can be broken down into two sets of plans: a Rithmic plan or a Tradovate plan. Each plan offers multiple evaluations, ranging from $25k - $300k accounts. There is also a $100k static account which we’ll get to later.

Both Rithmic and Tradovate are trading platform providers. But the biggest difference between the two is Tradovate is slightly more expensive than Rithmic. Although this can lean more traders towards a Rithmic plan, Tradovate is the only platform compatible with Mac that Apex offers. In addition to Rithmic and Tradovate, Apex Trader Funding also offers the ability to trade on Ninjatrader (part of the Rithmic plan) - which again, like Rithmic, is only exclusive to Windows.

Each evaluation account, regardless if it’s from Rithmic or Tradovate, has the same objective and set of rules: meet your profit goal and do not hit the trailing threshold.

As you can see from the images above, depending on the account size you choose, each evaluation has different profit goals and a different trailing threshold amount. However, once you meet the profit goal in any of the accounts while not hitting its trailing threshold, traders will pass Apex’s evaluation and are ready to be funded.

As far as the $100k static account, there is no trailing threshold like the others. You only need to be aware of the total drawdown, which in this case, is $625. So what that means is the account balance can not go below $99,375 ($100k - $625). However, unlike the trailing threshold, the static account will not continue to trail your profits. The drawdown threshold will remain at $99,375 no matter how much you make (realized or unrealized) whereas with the other accounts, your profits will be trailed.

For example, the trailing threshold for the $50k full account is $2,500 which puts the threshold at $47,500 - meaning your balance cannot go below that amount. But let’s say you make $1,000 profit and your starting balance increases to $51,000. Then your drawdown balance also goes up $1,000 from $47,500 to $48,500. With the static account, you don’t have to worry about this.

WHAT IS A TRAILING THRESHOLD
- A DEEPER DIVE

If you’re going to learn anything about the Apex prop firm rules, learn this. That’s because the trailing threshold will be the definitive factor on whether you fail or keep an account.

As stated previously, the trailing threshold will continue to trail the profits you make both in the evaluation and funded accounts. So using the example I mentioned before, say you have a $50k account. You make $1,000 and increase the starting balance to $51,000. Again, the trailing threshold balance also goes up by $1,000 from $47,500 to $48,500.

HOWEVER, let’s change things up a bit. Say you’re making $1,000 profit. But instead, you decide not to sell because you think it’s going to go higher. This intuition backfires and the trade goes against you. So instead of making more, you lose your $1,000 and decide to sell breakeven, bringing your total balance back to $50,000. Even though you didn’t lock in any profits, your trailing threshold still went up by $1,000, bringing the balance from $47,500 to $48,500. So now you’re left with only a $1,500 trailing threshold instead of the initial $2,500.

This is because the trailing threshold continues to trial your profits, REGARDLESS if you sell your position or not. The trailing threshold takes into account both realized and UNREALIZED gains. This is a very key detail that gets overlooked and why many traders fail their accounts.

But the good news is once the trailing threshold reaches the initial starting balance ($50k in this case), it will no longer follow your profits. It will stay at $50k. So if you increased your account balance from $50k to $60k, that’ll now give you a $10k cushion of your trailing threshold. But if you somehow manage to lose all those gains and your account balance touches or goes below $50k, you will lose your funded account.

Image Credit: OneUp Trader (Another prop firm with an unrealized trailing threshold)
$100k account example of how the trailing threshold (or drawdown as OneUp calls it) trails your profits until it reaches your starting balance.

THE RULES

Like every prop firm, you have to follow the rules and regulations they provide in order to continue trading with them. The following table breaks down the differences and similarities between the evaluation rules and the funded account rules.

EVALUATION RULES FUNDED ACCOUNT RULES
Meet profit goal Meet profit threshold
Don't hit trailing threshold Don't hit trailing threshold
Trade a minimum of 7 days
(unless there's a promotion)
Trade a minimum of 10 days
(in order to be payout-eligible)
Trading news allowed Don't trade the news
No consistency rule Meet consistency rule

As indicated in the table above, the evaluation rules state you have to meet the profit goal which will be dependent on the account size you choose.

Do not hit the trailing threshold we talked about earlier or you’ll fail the evaluation.

You have to trade a minimum of 7 days unless there’s a 1-day pass promotion going on and there usually is. But if not, you’re allowed to meet your profit goal early and then spend the rest of the trading days quickly scalping a micro contract in order to fulfill the requirement.

Unlike a funded account, trading the news is allowed.

And there are no consistency rules you need to follow.

For the funded account, you have to meet the profit threshold which is the minimum balance needed for your account in order to be eligible for a payout. But just because you can withdraw at the minimum doesn’t mean you should. Remember, once you withdraw past the minimum, it’ll eat into your initial trailing threshold. So it’s best to build on a cushion above the minimum before any withdrawal is considered.

Like the evaluation, do not hit the trailing threshold.

Again, regarding the payout rules which we’ll get into shortly, you have to trade a minimum of 10 days.

You cannot trade the news. Apex doesn’t want traders to trade off luck where the futures market is the most volatile during news events that could make or break an account.

And you have to meet the consistency rule which states a single trading day cannot be greater than 30% of your total profits. In addition, you cannot dollar cost-average a negative PnL while trading except one time only.

PAYOUT RULES
Two payout periods per month
Can only withdraw a certain amount depending on account size (for first 3 months only)
Minimum withdrawal is $500
Traders keep 100% of first $25k per account
Profit split 90/10

You’re only allowed two payout periods per month. For each payout period, you’re not allowed to withdraw above a certain amount. These restrictions only apply the first 3 months. After that, you can withdraw as much profits as you’d like. The following is the max allowed amount for each account size for a payout period before those 3 months:

$25k Account- $1,500

$50k Account- $2,000

$75k Account- $2,250

$100k Account- $2,500

$150k Account- $2,750

$250k Account- $3,000

$300k Account- $3,500

$100k Static Account- $1,000

The minimum withdrawal amount is $500 - meaning you’re not allowed to withdraw any less than that.

The profit split between the trader and Apex is 90/10. Traders get to keep 90% and Apex keeps 10%. But traders get to keep 100% of the first $25k and that’s PER account.

So hypothetically, if you pass five $50k evaluations and use a trade copier to copy your trades for each of these accounts, the first $125,000 totaling all accounts would be yours. This is one of the magnificent benefits of Apex Trader Funding. But let’s talk more about the company’s overall pros and cons.

PROS & CONS

PROS

  • Simplified one-step evaluation that requires you to hit the profit goal and avoid the trailing threshold - nothing more

  • Allows you to select up to an industry high of 8 different account size plans ranging from $25k to $300k

  • Offers the highest discounts for evaluations among all prop firms

  • Profit split is among the industry’s highest (90/10) as well as allowing traders to keep 100% of the first $25k per account

  • No daily drawdowns unlike other prop firms

  • Could trade up to 20 funded accounts at the same time using a trade copier - easily the highest among other prop firms

CONS

  • Trailing threshold is unrealized whereas some other prop firms offer a more favorable drawdown like end of day which doesn’t calculate any of your gains until the trading day is complete and you’ve sold your position

  • Restricted to day trades only whereas a few other prop firms allow you to swing trade

  • No telephone number or live chat for customer support (submission ticket only through message board)

  • Activation fees for funded account per account

WHY CHOOSE APEX?

As detailed above, the pros far outweigh the cons for Apex Trader Funding. But every prop firm has their pros. What makes Apex that much more popular? I think most traders would agree it’s their prices.

The average price to usually sign up for an evaluation for most prop firms is 3-figures. Apex Trader Funding falls within this range too as indicated by the monthly prices in the Rithmic and Tradovate plans. But Apex has promotions going on ALL the time from half-off evaluations to 90% off!

In fact, they’re promoting 80 - 90% off almost constantly throughout the year. So with 90% off, you’d pay no more than $16.70 or $18.70 for a $50k Rithmic or Tradovate plan, respectively. As someone who has vast experience in the prop trading community, you’re almost never going to find a bargain like that.

Although these promotions sound enticing, Apex does have an activation fee you have to consider. Once you pass their evaluation, you have to pay an activation fee to activate your funded account. And this is PER account.

They provide a monthly option of $85 or a lifetime option in which you only have to pay one time. The following are the lifetime activation amounts for each account:

Rithmic Plans:

25k PA Activation Account Lifetime Fee          $130        

50k PA Activation Account Lifetime Fee          $140

75k PA Activation Account Lifetime Fee          $180

100k PA Activation Account Lifetime Fee

(full and static account)                                   $220

150k PA Activation Account Lifetime Fee        $260

250k PA Activation Account Lifetime Fee        $300

300k PA Activation Account Lifetime Fee        $340

Tradovate Plans:

25k PA Tradovate Activation Account Lifetime Fee $150

50k PA Tradovate Activation Account Lifetime Fee $160

75k PA Tradovate Activation Account Lifetime Fee $200

100k PA Tradovate Activation Account Lifetime Fee $240

150k PA Tradovate Activation Account Lifetime Fee $280

250k PA Tradovate Activation Account Lifetime Fee $320

300k PA Tradovate Activation Account Lifetime Fee $360

Most traders opt to pay for the lifetime fee instead of the monthly fee since they would save a signifcant amount in the long run. However, there are traders that choose to pay the $85 per month because it can be difficult to hold a funded account for a long period. A lot of traders ultimately end up failing it because they went below their trailing threshold and are already looking for the next promotion to repurchase another evaluation. And for them, a monthly option may save them more than the lifetime option.

You’re probably thinking even though I’m saving a lot of money using the promotions Apex offers on their evaluations, I ultimately end up paying the same as the industry average if you take into account the activation fees you have to pay afterwards. So how does this justify Apex’s popularity?

The key difference is while most prop firms require 3-figure payments up front when purchasing an evaluation, Apex only requires it afterwards. If you’re going to invest around three figures, wouldn’t you want to make sure you pass the evaluation first?

So the unique thing about Apex is, with their promotion, you’re essentially paying significantly less to take the evaluation to see if you pass or not before you end up paying majority of the overall fees. If you fail their evaluation, you only lose a modest amount of your money because of their discounted prices compared to failing the evaluations for most other prop firms.

IS APEX TRADER FUNDING LEGIT AND TRUSTWORTHY?

Yes. As someone who has gotten payouts from them, himself, Apex Trader Funding is as professional as they come. Here are the average ratings of the firm as provided by Trustpilot:

These reviews are from over 7,000 verified users that have used Apex’s services and majority of them provided a 5-star rating. Additionally, Apex’s website has various questions answered in thorough detail that one may have before signing up for a service in their FAQ section.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Apex Trader Funding continues to be in the forefront of the prop trading business with their simplistic one-step evaluation and unmatched promotional evaluation plans. With their clear rules and objective, Apex Trader Funding makes it easier for the trader to earn a funded account.

Rather than risking their own capital which would be a lot based on the initial margin required by most brokers to trade futures, Apex allows the opportunity and flexibility for traders to trade futures risk-free.

For more helpful resources on Apex Trader Funding, please check out the video below on everything Apex from how to pass to all the rules and regulations that need to be followed in a very visual-friendly manner.