Does Apex Charge Commissions on Evaluations?
Yes — and on an active trading style, they can quietly cost you a fifth of the profit target. Here's the math.
Rates from Apex's help center (checked October 6, 2026) · 8 min read
New to funded futures trading? See the full ranked comparison of the best futures prop firms — drawdown type, payout speed and real withdrawal proof for every firm I trade.
Read the ranked guideDisclosure: Apex Trader Funding is a SATO Trades partner. The Apex buttons on this page are affiliate links and may earn me a commission at no extra cost to you. Apex purchases do not count toward any SATO giveaway. Commission rates change — Apex's help center is the final word.
Yes, Apex charges commissions on evaluations — the same schedule as funded accounts, deducted from your balance on every trade. On ES and NQ that's $3.10 per round turn on Tradovate and $3.98 on Rithmic. Because fees come out of the balance, they push your real profit target up and your room to the drawdown down. A level trader barely notices; a micro scalper can spend half the target on fees.
"Does Apex charge commissions on evaluation accounts?" is one of the most common questions I get from traders about to buy their first Apex account. People assume a simulated account means free trades. It doesn't — and if you don't plan for it, the commission line in your Tradovate performance report is the reason a "+$3,000" evaluation isn't passed yet.
Apex commission rates in 2026 (ES, NQ and micros)
Apex publishes one schedule for both Evaluation and Paid accounts, split by data feed. The equity index futures most of us trade look like this:
| Platform | ES / NQ / YM / RTY | MES / MNQ |
|---|---|---|
| Tradovate (what I use) | $1.55 per side · $3.10 round turn | ≈ $1.04 round turn* |
| Rithmic | $1.99 per side · $3.98 round turn | ≈ $1.02 round turn* |
Minis: Apex help center (Tradovate and Rithmic commission pages). *Micros: third-party 2026 compilation of Apex rates — confirm the exact figure in Apex's current schedule.
"Per side" means one fill. Opening and closing one contract is two sides, so a single NQ trade on Tradovate costs $3.10. Scale in with two entries and out with three exits and you've paid for five sides per contract — partials aren't free.
Do commissions count toward the profit target and drawdown?
Commissions are deducted from the account balance, and the balance is what the profit target and drawdown are measured against. In practice that means two things:
- Your real target is higher. On a 50K EOD account with a $3,000 target, $300 in fees means you need about $3,300 gross.
- Your room to the floor is smaller. A losing day costs the loss plus the fees. With a $2,000 drawdown, a sloppy, high-volume day hurts twice.
How the floor moves on each account type is covered in my Apex Trader Funding rules guide and in trailing drawdown explained.
Worked example: what fees cost on a 50K evaluation
Same account, same target, three trading styles. NQ round turns at $3.10 (Tradovate) and $3.98 (Rithmic); MNQ at roughly $1.04 and $1.02:
| Style | Volume | Tradovate | Rithmic | Share of target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level trader | 3 round turns × 2 NQ per day | $18.60/day | $23.88/day | ≈ 6% of a $3,000 target over 10 days |
| Active intraday | 8 round turns × 2 NQ per day | $49.60/day | $63.68/day | ≈ 17–21% over 10 days |
| Micro scalper | 15 round turns × 10 MNQ per day | ≈ $156/day | ≈ $153/day | Over 50% over 10 days |
The level trader pays about $186 over ten sessions. The micro scalper pays well over $1,500 — more than half the target — before a single point of edge shows up. Same account, same rules. The difference is trade count.
Why micros cost more than they look
Micros are cheaper per contract and more expensive per point. Ten MNQ ($2 per point each) equal one NQ ($20 per point) in exposure — but ten micro round turns cost around $10.40 versus $3.10 for one NQ on Tradovate. That's over three times the fee for the same position.
It gets worse on tiny targets. One MNQ tick is worth $0.50; the round turn costs around $1.04. A two-tick micro scalp is roughly break-even after fees. On NQ, one tick is $5 against $3.10 — still a thin margin, which is why I don't scalp for ticks in evaluations at all.
Micros are still the right tool when your stop is wide relative to your risk budget. The sizing logic is in MNQ vs NQ and MES vs ES. Just use one mini instead of ten micros once your stop and risk allow it.
Tradovate vs Rithmic on Apex: does the feed matter?
On minis, Tradovate is about 22% cheaper per round turn on Apex's published schedule. I run every prop account on Tradovate, executing from TradingView and copying trades across accounts with Tradecopia — so for me the cheaper feed and my workflow are the same thing.
If you're a NinjaTrader user on Rithmic, note Apex's own warning: NinjaTrader may not show commission deductions unless you set them up. Your chart can say +$400 while your real balance is lower. Check the balance at the data provider, not the platform P&L. More on the platform side in NinjaTrader vs Tradovate and Rithmic vs CQG.
How to keep commissions from failing your evaluation
- Cap your trade count. Decide a maximum number of round turns per day before the open. Three to five good trades beat fifteen average ones.
- Put fees inside your daily stop. If your stop is $400, plan for $400 including commissions — not $400 plus whatever the fills cost.
- No one- or two-tick targets. Your average win has to clear the round turn comfortably, or the edge belongs to the fee schedule.
- Fewer scale-ins and partials. Every extra fill is another side.
- Review net, not gross. Journal the commission line each day so you see the real cost of overtrading.
Most of this is just the same discipline that passes evaluations anyway. Trading only at prepared levels naturally cuts trade count. I post the HTF and intraday ES & NQ levels I'm watching each day before the open inside Sato VIP — that's preparation and context, not signals; your entries and risk stay yours, and nothing guarantees a pass.
For the broader plan, see how to pass a prop firm evaluation, futures scalping strategy (if you insist on scalping, read the fee section first) and risk of ruin for funded accounts.
What the Apex evaluation fee covers (and what it doesn't)
According to Apex's help center, current evaluations are a one-time fee for 30 calendar days of access, with no recurring billing. If you don't hit the target in that window, or the account hits its maximum drawdown, you buy a new one. Commissions are separate from that fee — they're charged per trade against the account balance.
So the all-in cost of an evaluation is the purchase price plus your trading fees. If you're comparing firms on cost, compare both — my cheapest prop firms guide and the best futures prop firms ranking cover the purchase side. Once you pass, the rules for getting paid are in Apex payout rules.
Taking an Apex evaluation?
I'd start with a 50K EOD account and size it so fees and losses stay small — then stack more 50K accounts instead of jumping to 150K. Code SATO gives the best current discount through my partner link.
Apex evaluation commissions FAQ
Does Apex charge commissions on evaluation accounts?+
Yes. Apex's help center publishes one commission schedule for both Evaluation and Paid (funded) accounts, and commissions are deducted automatically from your account balance on every trade. They are not waived because the account is simulated.
How much are Apex commissions on ES and NQ?+
Per Apex's help center: $1.55 per side ($3.10 round turn) on Tradovate and $1.99 per side ($3.98 round turn) on Rithmic for full-size equity index futures such as ES and NQ. Rates can change, so check the current schedule in Apex's help center before you trade.
Do commissions count against the profit target and drawdown?+
Because commissions are taken out of your balance, they affect the same number the profit target and drawdown are measured on. A $3,000 gross week with $300 in fees is a $2,700 net week as far as your account is concerned.
Are Apex commissions cheaper on Tradovate or Rithmic?+
On minis, Tradovate is cheaper per Apex's published schedule ($3.10 vs $3.98 round turn). On micros the difference is small. Pick the platform you trade best on first; commission is the tiebreaker, not the main reason.
Why doesn't NinjaTrader show my Apex commissions?+
Apex notes that NinjaTrader may not reflect commission adjustments unless you configure commission settings yourself. Your real balance is the one at the data provider (Tradovate or Rithmic), so check there.
Are micros cheaper to trade in an Apex evaluation?+
Per contract, yes. Per point of exposure, no. Ten MNQ equal one NQ in dollar value per point, but ten micro round turns cost roughly three times one NQ round turn. Micros are still the right tool for small risk — just don't scalp them for one or two ticks.
Is there a monthly fee on top of the evaluation price?+
Apex's current evaluations are a one-time fee for 30 calendar days of access, with no recurring billing, according to its help center. Commissions are separate and come out of the trading balance as you trade.
How do I reduce commission costs in an evaluation?+
Trade fewer, better-located setups; avoid one- and two-tick targets; use one mini instead of ten micros when your stop allows; and include round-turn costs in your daily stop and profit cap. Fewer trades almost always helps the pass rate as well as the fee bill.
Related guides
Last updated October 6, 2026. Commission rates from Apex Trader Funding's help center; micro rates from a third-party compilation. Not financial advice.