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An activation fee is a one-time charge some prop firms require after you pass an evaluation, before you get access to the funded account (at most retail prop firms, a simulated or virtual environment rather than a real-capital allocation). It is separate from the evaluation price: some firms bundle both into one price, some charge only the evaluation, and some add a separate activation fee after you pass.
Fee variance warning: the amount, timing, and refund policy differ by firm, program, account size, and promotion — always check the firm’s current pricing page before buying an evaluation.
Total Cost of Funding Calculator
Chips are published examples checked July 3, 2026 ($0 MyFundedFutures all plans and Topstep no-activation-fee path; $149 Topstep standard path; $125 and $300 Apex legacy lifetime endpoints). Verify current pricing.
Published Fee Range
As of July 3, 2026, published activation fees at checked firms ranged from $0 to $300 one-time. MyFundedFutures publishes $0 on all plans; Topstep publishes $149 one-time per funded account on its standard path and $0 on its no-activation-fee path; Apex publishes legacy lifetime fees from $125 (25K) to $300 (300K), or a monthly option of $85–$105 per month by platform. Fees change with promotions and program updates, so treat this range as a dated anchor, not a live quote — current per-firm amounts come from the firm’s official pricing page.
How Firms Vary
- No fee at all: some firms charge nothing after you pass and advertise the absence as a selling point.
- Bundled vs. separate: some firms include activation in the evaluation price; others list it as its own post-pass charge.
- Fixed vs. scaled: a flat amount for every account, or a fee that rises with account size or program tier (Apex’s checked lifetime table scales from $125 to $300 by account size).
- One-time vs. recurring: most checked fees are one-time per account, but Apex also offers a monthly-subscription alternative ($85–$105/mo) instead of the lifetime payment.
- Refund policy: some firms state the fee is refundable with a first payout or credited toward future evaluations; Apex states its fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. Firm-specific — check the current terms.
- Waivers and promos: fees are periodically waived or discounted during promotions; a fee that applies today may not apply next month, and vice versa.
- Deadlines: timing rules exist — Apex, for example, gives 7 calendar days after an evaluation is marked passed to pay, or the opportunity expires.
- What it covers: firms usually describe it as funded-account setup, platform licensing, data access, or administration; the stated purpose differs by firm.
Which Checked Firms Charge One?
In BestProps’ current fee-policy tags, 9 of 34 checked firm records carry an explicit no-activation-fee label — including My Funded Futures, NinjaTrader, and BluSky. A record without that label does not automatically mean the firm charges one — it may bundle the cost or simply not be re-checked yet — so use the deals page below for current rows and the firm’s own pricing page for the final word.
Industry Context
Traders commonly weigh the fee two ways: as a hidden cost that inflates the real price of getting funded when it is not disclosed prominently before purchase, or as a standard cost of doing business with funded-account firms. Competition has pushed some firms to drop the fee entirely and advertise $0 activation as a differentiator. BestProps takes no position on whether the fee is fair — this entry exists so you can spot it, price it into the total, and compare firms on the with-fee number.
FAQ
Is an activation fee refundable?
Firm-specific. Some firms advertise refund-with-first-payout or credit variants; Apex’s checked policy states its PA activation fee is non-refundable, non-transferable, and non-reversible. Check the current terms before paying.
Is it one-time or per account?
At the checked firms it is charged per funded account: Topstep charges $149 per Express Funded Account earned on its standard path, and Apex charges per Performance Account (one-time lifetime, or a monthly subscription alternative). Passing multiple evaluations usually means paying multiple activation fees.
Do I pay it again after a reset or a blown account?
Resets during an evaluation normally do not trigger a new activation fee — you have not activated anything yet. But if a funded account is closed or disqualified, Apex’s checked policy requires passing a new evaluation and paying a new activation fee for the replacement account. Policies vary; verify the firm’s current rule.
Related Pages
Sources And Disclosure
Calculator source/freshness note: screening math only. Default numbers are illustrative and the fee chips are published examples checked July 3, 2026 — not a live price feed. Verify the firm’s current pricing before you buy.
Checked July 3, 2026: Topstep Express Funded Account activation, MyFundedFutures activation fee policy, Apex legacy PA activation and fees, and Apex PA activation process and deadline. This entry explains the concept and the math — the exact current fee for a specific firm, program, or promotion always comes from that firm’s official pricing page or terms. Educational content, not trading advice or a recommendation to buy any account. This page currently has no signup links, paid placements, sponsored rows, or monetized routing. Commercial relationships, if added later, should not change how fees are explained or which fee risks are flagged.
