Comparison

FTMO vs Apex Trader Funding

FTMO and Apex are the most searched prop firms globally — but they serve fundamentally different traders. FTMO is a forex/CFD firm with a two-phase eval. Apex is a futures-only firm built for speed. Here's what that means for Pine Script traders.

The key difference: instruments

Before comparing rules, understand what each firm actually lets you trade. Apex is futures-only — CME contracts like MES, ES, MNQ, NQ, CL, and GC, traded through Tradovate or Rithmic. FTMO is forex/CFD — currency pairs, index CFDs (NAS100, US500), and commodities. They are not the same instruments even when the underlying index is similar, and the execution differences matter.

If you want to trade CME futures: Apex. If you want to trade forex or index CFDs: FTMO. If you want both, you need accounts at both firms.

Rule comparison — comparable account sizes ($50k)

FTMO's daily loss limit vs Apex's none — the critical difference for automation

FTMO's 5% daily loss limit on a $50k account is $2,500. That sounds large — but at 1R per trade on a strategy with a $500 stop, you only get 5 losing trades before the session is over. The Pine Script either needs a built-in daily P&L circuit breaker that stops entries once the threshold is hit, or you rely on FTMO's risk desk to cut you off (which disqualifies the attempt).

Apex's lack of a daily limit means a script can fire on every valid signal across the session without a manual floor check. For automated strategies, this is a meaningful operational simplification.

Two-phase vs one-phase: time cost

FTMO requires passing two evaluations — the Challenge and then the Verification — with separate profit targets and minimum trading days in each. A well-automated strategy can pass both, but the calendar time is longer. Apex's single-phase eval has no minimum days and no second phase, so a strategy hitting its target in day one is done.

Which firm should you choose?

FAQ

Does FTMO allow automated trading?

FTMO permits algorithmic trading as long as the strategy is original logic — not a commercial signal shared among thousands of traders. Pine Scripts licensed individually per buyer meet this test. TradingView + TradersPost integration works for FTMO's CFD instruments via a supported broker.

Can I trade futures on FTMO?

FTMO is primarily a forex/CFD prop firm. They offer index CFDs (like NAS100, US500, US30) which are similar to NQ, ES, and YM futures — but are not exchange-traded futures contracts. For CME futures (MES, MNQ, ES, NQ), Apex, Topstep, and Bulenox are the correct firms.

Which is harder to pass — FTMO or Apex?

FTMO requires two phases versus Apex's one. FTMO also has a 5% daily loss limit on both phases, while Apex has no daily limit. FTMO typically takes longer to pass but the firm is considered one of the most established in the industry.