The short answer
Apex Trader Funding vs Lucid Trading, side by side
| Feature |  Apex Trader Funding | LTLucid Trading |
|---|---|---|
| Founded / track record | Established in 2021 with a large, mature funded community | Newer — founded in 2025; fast-growing but shorter history |
| Evaluation model | One-step evaluation — hit the target, no minimum days on the standard path | LucidTest one-step evaluation, or LucidDirect instant funding (skips the eval) |
| Account sizes | Commonly $50k, $100k, $150k (and other tiers) | Around $25k to $150k, plus LucidDirect instant tiers |
| Drawdown type | Intraday trailing threshold that follows peak unrealised equity, then locks | End-of-day (EOD) drawdown — updates at market close, not tick-by-tick |
| Profit split | Keep 100% of your first $25,000, then 90% thereafter | Firm states 100% of your first $10,000, then 90% (revised late 2025 — verify) |
| Payout speed / minimum | Fast, frequent payouts; large reported community payout volume | Advertises daily payout eligibility with a $500 minimum; reports fast processing |
| Platforms | NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Rithmic | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Quantower |
| Pricing | Monthly subscription; near-constant deep discounts (often up to ~90% off) | Aggressive value — evals advertised from ~$110, frequent promo codes |
| Number of accounts | Allows a large number of accounts at once (commonly cited around 20) | Multiple accounts supported — check current per-trader limits |
| Best for | Cost-conscious, high-volume traders who want a proven firm and discounts | Traders who prefer an EOD drawdown, instant funding or flexible scalp/news rules |
Track record and trust: Apex’s clearest edge
Apex Trader Funding launched around 2021 and has built a large, active funded community with regular payout reporting. That maturity is its biggest advantage over Lucid — it has traded through more market cycles, and funded traders report no systemic payout problems.
Lucid Trading only launched in early 2025. It has moved fast, holds a high Trustpilot rating (around 4.5–4.6 in 2026) and has an active Discord where funded traders post payout proof, so early signs are encouraging. But it has also revised its split and rule structure once already (in late 2025), which is exactly the kind of change a young firm can make. If a long, proven history is your top priority, Apex wins this category outright; if you judge a firm on current terms and fit, Lucid remains in the running.
Drawdown: the biggest real difference
This is where the two firms genuinely diverge. Apex uses an intraday trailing threshold that follows your peak unrealised equity and then locks. Give back a strong open profit and you can breach it even while net positive on the day — it is the single most common reason traders fail Apex, and it rewards banking profit and protecting open gains.
Lucid instead uses an end-of-day (EOD) drawdown: the maximum loss limit updates at market close rather than tick-by-tick during the session. Many traders find this more forgiving, because open profit is not clawed back mid-trade — you have more room to let a position breathe intraday. Lucid also allows news trading and imposes no minimum hold time, so scalpers and news traders get extra flexibility. If the trailing drawdown is what worries you about Apex, this is Lucid’s strongest argument. Confirm the exact drawdown mechanics for the specific plan you buy at either firm.
Evaluation vs instant funding, and pricing
Apex offers a single route: a straightforward one-step evaluation — hit the profit target and you are funded, with no rigid minimum-days requirement on the standard path. Lucid offers two routes: LucidTest, a comparable one-step evaluation, and LucidDirect, which skips the evaluation and funds you immediately in exchange for a higher up-front cost and a tighter consistency rule (funded traders report around 20%). If you would rather not grind an evaluation at all, that instant path is a real differentiator Apex does not match.
On price, both are aggressive. Apex runs near-constant deep discounts, frequently advertised at up to ~90% off, so full price is rarely what you pay. Lucid positions itself as an aggressive-value firm too, with evaluations advertised from around $110 and frequent promo codes. Treat any specific figure as a starting point and check current pricing on both before buying, since promotions change often.
Split, payouts, platforms and who each suits
On split, Apex keeps you at 100% of your first $25,000 then 90%, while Lucid states 100% of your first $10,000 then 90% on its headline plans — so Apex’s 100% band is larger, though Lucid revised its structure in late 2025, so verify the split attached to your plan. On payouts, Lucid advertises daily payout eligibility with a $500 minimum, and Apex is known for fast, frequent payouts and high community payout volume. Both report clean processing from funded traders.
On platforms, both cover the standard futures stack — Apex on NinjaTrader, Tradovate and Rithmic; Lucid on Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader and Quantower — so most strategies transfer either way, with Lucid adding Quantower. Pick Apex for a proven firm, the largest discounts and aggressive multi-account scaling. Pick Lucid if the end-of-day drawdown, instant funding or flexible scalp/news rules matter more, and you are comfortable with a newer firm. Risk note: accounts are simulated until you are funded and paid; trading CME futures carries substantial risk of loss; this comparison is educational and not financial advice; and both firms — Lucid especially, as a young firm that has already changed terms — revise their rules, so verify the current rules, split and pricing on each firm’s site before committing.