Topstep vs Take Profit Trader

Topstep suits futures day traders who want a low monthly entry price, a 90/10 split from the first payout and an end of day drawdown that carries into the funded account. Take Profit Trader suits manual traders who want to withdraw from the first funded day with no payout windows and no cap on the amount, and who want a wide choice of third party platforms. The trade off is an 80/20 split and an intraday trailing drawdown once funded at Take Profit Trader, against payout caps and a narrower platform line up at Topstep.

All prices are list prices at the time of review in September 2026. Both firms run frequent promotions, so the monthly price at checkout is often lower.

Topstep vs Take Profit Trader at a glance

The table compares the Topstep 50K Trading Combine on the Standard path with the Take Profit Trader 50K Test.

Rules and drawdown

Both evaluations use a $2,000 end of day trailing maximum loss on 50K that follows the highest end of day balance and stops at the starting balance. Neither has a compulsory daily loss limit. Topstep offers an optional $1,000 limit that flattens positions for the session without failing the account; Take Profit Trader has none on the test or the funded accounts.

The funded stage is where they part ways. Topstep’s Express Funded Account starts at a $0 balance and keeps an end of day trailing limit, which locks at $0 once the balance reaches $2,000 and is reset to $0 after any payout. Take Profit Trader’s PRO account switches to an intraday trailing drawdown that follows the peak balance, including open profit, and never rises above the starting balance. Intraday trailing is tighter, because a trade that runs into profit and then comes back still lifts the floor. The difference is explained in trailing vs static drawdown.

Consistency rules are similar in spirit. Topstep caps the best day at 55% of total profit in the Combine, so it takes at least two days. Take Profit Trader needs three trading days and a best day below 50% of total net profit, but breaking that rule raises the target rather than failing the test. Once funded, Take Profit Trader PRO has no consistency rule, and Topstep applies one only on its Consistency payout path, at 40%.

Intraday rules differ in timing and news. Topstep positions must be flat by 3:10 pm Central time, which is 4:10 pm Eastern. Take Profit Trader closes open positions automatically at 4:55 pm Eastern. Topstep allows news trading but bans taking the full maximum position directly into a scheduled major release. Take Profit Trader has no news rule on the test, but PRO and PRO+ accounts must have no open positions or working orders from one minute before to one minute after FOMC statements, Non Farm Payrolls and CPI. Position limits on 50K are 5 minis or 50 micros at Topstep and 6 contracts or 60 micros at Take Profit Trader.

Pricing, resets and activation fees

Both firms bill the evaluation monthly until the trader passes or cancels, and neither sets a time limit. Topstep’s Standard 50K costs $49 a month, with a $149 activation fee on passing, and each rebill includes one free reset credit; resets otherwise cost the monthly price. The No Activation Fee path costs $95 a month with nothing due on passing. Take Profit Trader’s 50K Test costs $170 a month and the PRO account needs a one time $130 activation fee. Test resets cost $79 to $199 by size, and PRO resets cost $449 to $1,499, up to three per account.

A trader who passes within the first month pays $198 at Topstep on the Standard path, or $95 on the No Activation Fee path, and $300 at Take Profit Trader. At the time of review Take Profit Trader was running a promotion that removed the activation fee and cut the monthly price. TopstepX commissions are $3.78 per round turn on ES and NQ and $1.22 on the micros, while Take Profit Trader charges $4.50 per round trip on standard contracts and $1.50 on micros in the test and PRO accounts.

Payouts

Take Profit Trader’s payout policy is its defining feature. PRO traders can withdraw from the first day, on any day, with no payout window and no maximum amount, as long as the balance stays above a buffer equal to the starting balance plus the maximum drawdown, which is $52,000 on 50K. Transfers from a Tradovate PRO account to the Take Profit Trader wallet are automated, and wallet to bank requests are reviewed within 12 business hours. Payouts go by Plaid to US banks, PayPal or Wise, and wallet withdrawals of $250 or less carry a $50 fee. Taking money from inside the buffer means closing the PRO account, at a 50% split if it has been traded for 60 trading days or fewer.

Topstep pays 90/10, but each Express Funded request is limited to half the balance and capped at $2,000 on the Standard path or $3,000 on the Consistency path for 50K, doubled with the Responsible Trading Advantage. The minimum request is $125. US traders using Aeropay can receive approved payouts instantly if their bank supports real time payments, while ACH and wire transfers carry a $30 fee. Live Funded traders move to daily payouts after 30 winning days.

Both firms publish their own figures. Topstep reports that 16.8% of Trading Combines were completed in 2025, and Take Profit Trader reports that 36.22% of tests taken in 2025 were passed. Each firm uses its own measure, so the two numbers are not a direct comparison.

Platforms and markets

Topstep centres on TopstepX, its own web platform with TradingView charts, and its help centre covers a Quantower connection. Custom automation is possible through the TopstepX API at $29 a month, though not on Live Funded Accounts. Take Profit Trader connects through CQG for TradingView, NinjaTrader and Tradovate, and through Rithmic for Bookmap, MultiCharts, MotiveWave, ATAS, Quantower, R Trader and several others. It bans bots and algorithms on every account, although approved trade copiers can be used across a trader’s own accounts.

Both firms offer CME Group futures, including micro contracts. Topstep lists equity index, currency, energy, metals, interest rate, agricultural and micro crypto contracts. Take Profit Trader covers CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX products. Take Profit Trader allows up to five active PRO or PRO+ accounts, and Topstep allows up to five Express Funded Accounts.

Who should choose each firm

Choose Topstep if

• You want the lowest monthly entry price and expect to pass quickly.
• You prefer an end of day drawdown on the funded account and a 90/10 split from the first payout.
• You want the option of API automation on the TopstepX platform.

Choose Take Profit Trader if

• You want to withdraw on any day without payout windows or caps once the buffer is built.
• You trade by hand on NinjaTrader, TradingView, Bookmap, ATAS or another supported platform.
• You can manage an intraday trailing drawdown and stay flat around major US releases.

Each firm’s profile carries its full rule set, and the Topstep review covers the Combine in more depth. For further reading, try how to pass futures prop firm evaluations, Apex vs Topstep, more comparisons, the comparison table and the futures prop firms hub.