Apex trailing drawdown explained: EOD, Intraday, and the mechanic that ends most funded accounts.
A verified breakdown of how both drawdown systems work, with official worked examples, stop levels, and the differences that actually matter for your trading.
The rule that ends more funded accounts than any other.
Most traders who lose a funded account do not lose it through a bad strategy. They lose it because they did not fully understand the drawdown system before they started trading. The trailing drawdown is not a static stop loss. It moves. And with the Intraday model, it moves in real time based on unrealized profits, which means an open trade that briefly goes in your favour can permanently tighten the floor beneath you, even if that trade later reverses.
Apex offers both drawdown models across all four account sizes: $25K, $50K, $100K, and $150K. You choose the model when you purchase your evaluation, and the same model carries through to your Performance Account. For the full evaluation-to-PA sequence, the how does Apex Trader Funding work guide covers every step.
EOD trailing drawdown: the forgiving model.
The EOD drawdown is calculated once per trading day at 4:59:59 PM ET based on your closing account balance. That threshold then becomes active for the entire next trading session. If your balance touches or falls below the EOD threshold at any moment during the session, all positions liquidate immediately and the account fails or closes.
The key point is once. The EOD threshold does not move during the trading day. No matter how high your balance climbs intraday, the floor stays fixed until market close. That gives EOD traders significant room to operate during volatile sessions without the threshold shifting beneath them mid-trade.
EOD worked example: $50K account
Verified from the official Apex EOD help center documentation. Max drawdown for a $50K account: $2,000.
When EOD trailing stops
The EOD threshold does not trail indefinitely on Performance Accounts. Once the threshold reaches starting balance plus $100, it locks in place permanently.
Intraday trailing drawdown: the stricter model.
The Intraday trailing drawdown adjusts in real time throughout the trading session. It follows the Peak Balance, which includes both realized and unrealized gains. Every time your account reaches a new high, whether from a closed trade or an open position that is momentarily in profit, the threshold moves up immediately.
That last point is what catches traders off guard. You do not need to close a trade for the threshold to move. If an open position pushes your balance to a new high and you then give back those gains, the threshold has already moved. The floor is now higher than it was before you entered that trade.
Intraday worked example: $50K account
Verified from the official Apex Intraday help center documentation. Max intraday drawdown for a $50K account: $2,000.
When Intraday trailing stops
EOD vs Intraday: what actually differs.
The two models share the same drawdown amounts by account size and the same stop mechanic on PAs. What differs is when and how the threshold moves.
Drawdown amounts by account size
| Account size | Max drawdown | Initial threshold | PA stop level |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $1,000 | $24,000 | $25,100 |
| $50,000 | $2,000 | $48,000 | $50,100 |
| $100,000 | $3,000 | $97,000 | $100,100 |
| $150,000 | $4,000 | $146,000 | $150,100 |
EOD vs Intraday side by side
| Feature | EOD | Intraday |
|---|---|---|
| When threshold updates | Once at 4:59:59 PM ET | Continuously, in real time |
| Based on | Closing balance only | Peak balance incl. unrealized PnL |
| Intraday movement | Fixed during session | Can move up mid-trade |
| $50K drawdown amount | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| PA stop level | Starting + $100 | Starting + $100 |
| Activation fee | $99 one-time | $59 one-time |
| Best suited for | Swing, volatile sessions, wide stops | Tight stops, disciplined scalpers |
The activation fee gap reflects the more forgiving operating environment of the EOD model. Intraday activates at a flat $59 at every size, while EOD runs from $99 at $25K to $159 at $150K, so the premium widens from $40 to $100 as the account grows. What you are paying it for is the absence of real-time threshold movement during your session.
If you have not yet chosen your account model and want to review current evaluation options before committing, the full account details are on the Apex site.
Review current Apex account and evaluation options →Trailing drawdown vs the Daily Loss Limit: not the same thing.
These two risk controls serve different purposes and are enforced differently. Confusing them is one of the most common sources of account management errors on Apex.
- Positions liquidate at the daily limit
- Trading pauses until next session
- Account remains active and resumes
- Resets each day
- Recoverable — account continues
- Positions liquidate at the threshold
- Account fails or closes permanently
- No resumption after a breach
- Lifetime account limit
- New evaluation required to restart
In practical terms: the DLL ends your trading day. The drawdown threshold ends your account.
How to check your trailing drawdown threshold.
Knowing the mechanic is one thing. Knowing where to find your live threshold during a session is another. The display differs by platform.
Three things to understand before you fund.
The Intraday model punishes winning trades that reverse
If an open position briefly pushes your balance to a new high and then reverses, the threshold has already moved up. You now have less room than before you entered the trade, even though you ended the trade at a loss. This is not a bug. It is the design. Traders who run wide stop losses or let winners run without protective stops are particularly exposed to this mechanic. Understanding it before you trade the model is not optional.
Tradovate evaluations trail indefinitely with no floor protection
On Rithmic and WealthCharts evaluations, the threshold locks at the profit target balance once sufficient profit is achieved. Tradovate evaluations do not have this stop. The threshold trails indefinitely with no upper ceiling. A trader who builds a large profit buffer and then has a bad stretch can lose the entire safety margin they built. This is a meaningful structural difference between platforms that Apex does not prominently highlight.
Reaching the threshold intraday is final, even on a momentary touch
If your balance touches the threshold for a fraction of a second and then recovers, the account is still failed or closed. There is no grace period, no appeal window based on intraday recovery, and no distinction between a clean breach and a brief touch caused by a spike or fill. Liquidation occurs at market price, and the breach itself is irreversible.
Which drawdown model fits your trading style.
EOD is the better model for traders who hold positions through volatile intraday price action, run wider stops, or trade in sessions where short-term swings are common. The fixed intraday floor gives you room to let a trade breathe without the threshold shifting while you are in the position.
Intraday is the better model for traders with disciplined position sizing, tight stop management, and strategies that do not rely on holding through intraday drawdown. The lower activation fee reflects the tighter operating environment, not a better deal. Choose it because your trading style suits it, not because it costs $20 less.
Before activating either model, the Apex Trader Funding payout rules article covers the conditions your PA must meet before withdrawals are available. And if you are still deciding whether Apex is the right firm for your approach, the Is Apex Trader Funding legit article covers the full business model and community evidence.
If you are ready to choose your account model and start an evaluation, the full pricing and account details are on the Apex site.
Review current Apex evaluation pricing and account models →What traders also ask.
Trailing drawdown accounts do not care about your win rate. They care about your worst moment. Build your position sizing around the threshold, not around your confidence.