Prop Firms/Blue Guardian vs Apex Trader Funding

Blue Guardian vs Apex Trader Funding: Which Prop Firm Is Better in 2026?

Side-by-side comparison of rules, drawdown limits, payout ratios, and evaluation structure. Both firms tracked automatically with FundedOps — no more manual rule-checking.

Blue Guardian

Full review
Max Drawdown6% trailing (EOD, locks at breakeven + $100 buffer once 6% up) · daily: 3% Instant / 4% challenges
Profit Target1-Step: 8% · 2-Step: 8% (P1) / 5% (P2)
PayoutInstant: 80% (90% with add-on) · 1-Step: 85% · Futures: 100% of first $15k, then 90%
Categoryforex
40% off all accounts (CFDs & Futures) with code LAUNCH; crypto payout limit raised to $10k per withdrawal (Jul 2026); Guardian Shield auto-closes all trades at 2% unrealized loss

Apex Trader Funding

Full review
Max DrawdownEOD trailing — $1k (25k) / $2k (50k) / $3k (100k) / $4k (150k); intraday plan optional
Profit Target6%
Payout100% payout split (per-payout caps; max 6 payouts per PA)
Categoryfutures
Up to 90% off with code SAVENOW (Apex's standing house code — applies if you have no other coupon). New Apex: one-time eval fees (no subscription), 100% payout split
RuleBlueApex
Max Drawdown6% trailing (EOD, locks at breakeven + $100 buffer once 6% up) · daily: 3% Instant / 4% challengesEOD trailing — $1k (25k) / $2k (50k) / $3k (100k) / $4k (150k); intraday plan optional
Drawdown TypeEODBoth
Profit Target1-Step: 8% · 2-Step: 8% (P1) / 5% (P2)6%
Payout RatioInstant: 80% (90% with add-on) · 1-Step: 85% · Futures: 100% of first $15k, then 90%100% payout split (per-payout caps; max 6 payouts per PA)
Min Trading Days3 days (challenges) · 5 profitable days of 0.5%+ (Instant/funded payouts)None to pass eval; 5 qualifying profit days per payout ($100–$350/day min by size)
News Trading Allowed
Weekend Holding
Consistency Rule20% (Instant) · 35% (Pro) · Futures: 40% (Standard) / 30% (Guardian)50% at payout (Performance Accounts) — no single day ≥50% of profit since last payout

Blue Guardian — Overview

Blue Guardian is a UAE-based prop firm covering forex/CFDs and futures, unified onto a single platform in 2026. Evaluations and Instant accounts run on a 6% trailing drawdown (calculated end-of-day, locking at breakeven + $100 once the account is 6% up) with daily limits of 3% (Instant) to 4% (challenges). Consistency rules vary: 20% Instant, 35% Pro, and 40%/30% on the futures Standard/Guardian models. News trading is allowed in evaluations; funded accounts cannot open or close trades within 5 minutes of high-impact news. The Guardian Shield system auto-closes all open trades at a 2% unrealized loss — the first breach halves your split, the second terminates the account.

Instant funding from $10 (5k Instant Starter) — no evaluation required
24-hour payout guarantee (bumped to 100% split if missed); crypto payouts up to $10k per withdrawal (raised from $2k in Jul 2026)
Challenge fees refunded after your fourth payout
Consistency rules on Instant (20%), Pro (35%), and futures (30–40%) accounts
Tight trailing 6% drawdown with 3–4% daily limits

Apex Trader Funding — Overview

Apex Trader Funding is one of the largest US-based futures prop firms. Products purchased after March 1, 2026 (the "new Apex") use one-time evaluation fees with a 30-day access period — no subscriptions and no resets (a failed or expired eval means buying a new one). EOD-drawdown evaluations (25k–150k) have no consistency rule, no minimum days, and a soft daily loss limit that pauses the day without failing you. Funded Performance Accounts pay a 100% payout split with per-payout caps and a maximum of 6 payouts per account, a 50% consistency rule at payout, and a safety net of drawdown + $100.

100% payout split on Performance Account payouts
No minimum trading days to pass the evaluation — one day is possible
Frequent discount promotions (up to 90% off eval fees)
50% consistency rule at payout — no single day can be 50%+ of profit since last payout
Performance Accounts are capped at 6 payouts (with per-payout dollar caps), then the account closes

Track your Blue Guardian or Apex Trader Funding account automatically

FundedOps monitors your drawdown, daily loss, and consistency rule for both firms — checked after every trade import. Know exactly where you stand.

Start free — no card required

More comparisons