Apex 4.0: Every Rule That Changed in March 2026

Apex Trader Funding launched version 4.0 of its platform on March 1, 2026. The update is the most significant overhaul in the firm's history — removing several rules traders had complained about for years while simultaneously suspending metals trading entirely. If you are currently trading with Apex, or considering it, here is everything that changed.

From Subscription to One-Time Fees

The old Apex model charged a monthly subscription fee for funded (Performance Account) access. That fee drained your account every 30 days whether you traded or not. Under 4.0, evaluation fees are now a single one-time payment. There is still a $99 activation fee to unlock your Performance Account after passing evaluation, but you are no longer paying recurring charges to hold a funded account.

This change significantly improves the risk-reward equation for traders who take longer to pass or who trade intermittently. The subscription model quietly consumed capital for traders who were close to passing but not quite there.

The 50% Consistency Rule — Relaxed and Repositioned

Under the old rules, Apex applied a 30% consistency rule during both evaluation and funded phases. This meant no single trading day could account for more than 30% of your total profit — a constraint that penalised traders who had one exceptional session.

Under 4.0, the consistency rule has been relaxed to 50% — a more forgiving threshold — and critically, it now only applies when requesting payouts, not during the evaluation phase. You can have a breakout day during your evaluation without worrying about violating consistency. The rule only matters at the moment you request a withdrawal from your Performance Account.

The practical effect: traders with momentum-based or event-driven strategies are far less constrained during the challenge itself.

Rules Removed Entirely

Several rules that generated significant trader complaints were eliminated with the 4.0 launch:

Metals Trading Suspended

The significant downside of 4.0 is the suspension of all metals futures. As of March 1, 2026, the following instruments are no longer tradeable on Apex 4.0 accounts:

Apex has not provided a timeline for when metals will return. For traders who built their edge around gold and silver — particularly those trading macro events or safe-haven flows — this is a material constraint. Apex's futures-only model otherwise covers 46+ contracts across energies, equity indices, agricultural markets, and currencies.

What to Do If You Trade Metals

If your strategy depends on metals, 4.0 is not currently a fit. The alternatives within the futures prop space include Topstep, which offers gold trading, and a handful of smaller futures-focused firms. On the CFD side, FTMO, FundedNext, and OneFunded all support gold and silver as standard instruments.

Overnight Positions: Still Flat by 4:59 PM ET

One rule that has not changed: all positions must be flat by 4:59 PM Eastern every day. Apex remains a day-trading platform. Traders holding positions overnight will have their accounts flagged. This applies to all 4.0 accounts without exception.

The Bottom Line

Apex 4.0 is a materially better product for most futures day traders than its predecessor. The removal of MAE, 5:1, and the one-direction rule eliminates three of the most arbitrary constraints in retail prop trading. The relaxed 50% consistency rule applied only at payout is more transparent and easier to plan around. The switch to one-time fees removes the subscription drain.

The metals suspension is a genuine loss for a specific type of trader. For everyone else trading equity index futures, energy, or currency contracts, 4.0 is the most trader-friendly version of Apex yet.

You can compare Apex against other futures prop firms — including pass rates, payout speed, and trust scores — on the PropRadar comparison table.