Reset vs. new evaluation: when a reset actually makes sense
By Tyler Branstiter · Updated October 13, 2026 · Last reviewed October 13, 2026 · 6 min read
Fail an evaluation and you've got a choice: pay for a reset or buy a new evaluation. The usual assumption is that a reset is the cheaper move. At some firms it is, by a lot. At others it costs exactly the same as a new purchase, and at one of the biggest it doesn't exist for new accounts.
Prices and rules below were checked against each firm's own help center between Oct 10 and Oct 13, 2026. Firms run frequent promotions and change terms often, so confirm the number at checkout before you buy.
What a reset actually buys you
A reset restarts your current attempt: the same account type and rule set, with the balance and drawdown floor back to day one. It doesn't change the product, the size or the rules. A new evaluation is a separate purchase that starts its own clock and can be a different size or plan.
So the real question isn't "which is cheaper?" It's three questions:
- Does your firm sell a reset at all?
- What's the gap in price, and is the billing clock involved?
- Do you want the same account back, or a different one?
What each firm charges
| Firm | New evaluation | Reset | Billing | After you pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topstep | $49 a month (Standard 50K) | $49: the same as a month | Monthly until you pass or cancel | $149 one-time activation (Standard path) |
| Apex (current plans) | One-time fee, 30 days to pass | None. A failed evaluation means a new purchase | No subscription, nothing to cancel | PA activation fee within 7 days of passing |
| Lucid | One-time fee, price at checkout | Not free or automatic. Price at checkout | No subscription or rebilling | No activation fee to go from LucidPro evaluation to funded |
| Take Profit Trader | $150 / $170 / $245 / $330 / $360 a month | $79 / $99 / $139 / $169 / $199 (25K to 150K) | Monthly. A reset keeps the renewal date | $130 one-time activation (PRO) |
| MyFundedFutures | Builder 50K $153 list; others at checkout | Manual reset; price not stated | One-time for purchases from Aug 25, 2026 | No activation fee on any plan |
Take Profit Trader's sizes are 25K, 50K, 75K, 100K and 150K. Topstep's No Activation Fee path costs $95 / $149 / $229 a month for 50K / 100K / 150K and charges nothing when you pass.
Topstep: no discount
A Combine reset costs the same as a month on your path, so a reset and a fresh Combine are the same $49 on the Standard 50K. You can't change the path or the account size after you buy. The number that actually moves your total cost is the one-time $149 activation fee after you pass, which isn't related to resets at all. More in Topstep rules, explained.
Apex: no reset on new plans
Apex's current evaluation is a one-time fee with 30 calendar days of access. If it hits the maximum drawdown it's permanently failed and closed, and Apex's own wording is that there are no reset options. If the 30 days run out before the profit target, the account expires and your balance doesn't carry over. To try again you buy a new evaluation. After you pass you have 7 calendar days to activate a Performance Account by paying the activation fee, and the PA itself can't be reset. Older (legacy) accounts have their own paid reset terms, so check which type you hold. More in Apex Trader Funding rules, explained.
Lucid: a reset isn't free, and the price depends on how you bought
Lucid's evaluations are a one-time fee with no subscription. A reset is manual and carries a price, but Lucid doesn't publish one in its help center: it's shown at checkout, and on LucidPro and LucidFlex the optional daily loss limit you chose when you bought changes it. More in Lucid Trading rules, explained.
Take Profit Trader: a real discount
A Test reset is a fresh account with the same rules, and it doesn't change your subscription renewal date. On a 50K, $99 against $170 for a new test is 42% off. A PRO account can also be reset, up to three times per account, at $449 / $649 / $799 / $999 / $1,499 depending on size, and it restores the account without retaking the test. More in Take Profit Trader rules, explained.
MyFundedFutures: resets and renewals are different things
A reset is a manual action that restores your balance. A renewal is the automatic 30-day rebilling for purchases made before Aug 25, 2026. For purchases on or after that date, MFFU says there's no renewal cycle at all. Reset prices aren't in the help center, so confirm yours in your dashboard. More in MyFundedFutures rules, explained.
A decision framework
- Reset when the discount is real and you want the same account. The rules, the product and your size stay put, and at Take Profit Trader the billing date doesn't move.
- Buy new when a reset doesn't exist or costs the same. At Apex it isn't an option. At Topstep, a reset and a new Combine cost the same, so the tie-break is whether you want a different size or path.
- Wait when the problem isn't the account. If you broke the same rule the last two times, a third attempt at any price is a donation. Fix the plan first.
- Count the whole cost. An evaluation fee, the resets, and the activation fee after you pass are all one account's cost, and the payout has to cover them.
Three worked scenarios
1. Take Profit Trader 50K, failed on day 12 of the month. A reset is $99 and keeps your renewal date. A new test is a $170 purchase. The reset saves $71 and puts you back on the account you already know. Reset.
2. Topstep 50K Standard, failed in week two. A reset and a new Combine are both $49. A reset gets you the same account; a new one lets you pick a different path (the No Activation Fee path is $95 a month and saves the $149 later) or size. If you'd pick a different one, buy new. Otherwise it's a tie.
3. Apex, evaluation breached on day 6 of 30. There's no reset. You pay for a new evaluation with a fresh 30 days. The 24 days left on the old one are gone, so the cost of the breach is the whole fee. The decision isn't reset versus new. It's whether to buy again now or after you've fixed what broke.
Put your own prices through the free eval cost calculator, which has presets for Topstep, Apex, Lucid, Take Profit Trader and MyFundedFutures: months to pass, resets and activation, against what you'll be paid.
Track it live
Every reset is a cost that comes straight out of your real net. Log them against your payouts with the prop firm payout tracker to see what resets alone have cost you, and track each one as an account cost so an account's true all-in cost stays visible.
Log every evaluation fee, reset and activation against your payouts, and see your real net per firm and per account.
FAQ
Is a reset cheaper than buying a new evaluation?
Sometimes. At Take Profit Trader a 50K Test reset is $99 against $170 for a new test. At Topstep a reset costs the same as a month of the Combine, $49 on the Standard path. Apex's current evaluation plans have no reset at all, so a new purchase is the only way back.
Does a reset change my subscription date?
At Take Profit Trader it doesn't: a Test reset gives you a fresh account on the same renewal date. Topstep's Combine rebills every 30 days until you pass or cancel, and MyFundedFutures renewed every 30 days for purchases before Aug 25, 2026.
What carries over after a reset?
The rules and the product, not the progress. You get the same account type back at its starting balance with a fresh drawdown floor. Your trade history in a journal stays, so you can still see what went wrong.
Can I change account size when I reset?
Generally no. Topstep says you can't change the path or size after you buy, and a reset restores the same account. If you want a different size or plan, that's a new purchase.
Should I reset or just stop?
That's a question about the strategy, not the price. If the same mistake would break the next attempt, fix it first. A cheap reset is still real money spent, and it counts toward the account's all-in cost.
How do I track what I've spent on resets?
Log each reset as a cost against the account. Tradervana's payout tracker adds up evaluation fees, resets and activation fees against what you've actually been paid, so the real net is visible.
Sources
Official firm pages, accessed Oct 10 to Oct 13, 2026:
- Topstep: Trading Combine Subscriptions
- Topstep: Pricing and Payment Questions
- Apex: Evaluation Plan Fees and Access Explained
- Lucid: Simulated Account Fees
- Take Profit Trader: Resetting Your Test Account
- Take Profit Trader: Resetting A PRO Account
- Take Profit Trader: Test Subscriptions
- MyFundedFutures: Account Resets and Renewals
- MyFundedFutures: Builder Plan 50k
Not financial advice. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss. Tradervana isn't affiliated with any firm named here.