Futures 3.6

Topstep

1 Step challenges from $49, traded on TopstepX.

US 15 years in operation CEO Michael Patak Updated 28 September 2026

Platforms

  • TopstepX
Programs across 1 Step
2
Cheapest challenge
$49
Top profit split, on Standard
90%
Max. allocation
$750K

Programs and Prices

2 programs, with the price at every account size.

1 Step Evaluation

2 programs, 50K to 150K
Topstep 1 Step Evaluation, price by account size
Program 50K 100K 150K Trade
Standard 90% split, None max loss $49 $99 $199 Trade now
No Activation Fee 90% split, None max loss $95 $149 $229 Trade now

Rules at a Glance

Loss limits are a share of the starting balance. Breaking either limit ends the account.

Program Type Account sizes Profit split Daily loss limit Max loss limit From
Standard 1 Step 50K to 150K 90% Not listed None $49
No Activation Fee 1 Step 50K to 150K 90% Not listed None $95
Topstep rules in full

Minimum Trading Days

  • Evaluation (Trading Combine): 2 Days (tied to the 50% consistency score)
  • Funded (Express Funded Standard Path): 5 winning days of $150+
  • Express Funded (Consistency Path): 3 days with 40% consistency target

Payout Cap: Traders can only request 50% of account balance up to $5000 for standard path and up to $6000 for consistency path.

News Trading

  • Allowed with no restrictions during Evaluation and Funded stages.

Copy Trading

  • Trade copying can only be applied to accounts within the same trading environment. you can copy trades from a trading combine to an Express Funded Account, and from an Express from a trading combine to an Express Funded Account, and from an Express Funded Account to a Trading combine. Live Funded Accounts cannot utilize the Trade Copier.

Automated strategies and EA's

  • Automated strategies (EAs) are allowed, but traders are fully responsible for their setup and performance. Bots must comply with all trading rules no manipulative or unfair software and TopstepX only supports automation via API access.‍

On Express Funded account‍

  • After payout the capital remaining in your account will be the maximum amount you will be able to lose. Your maximum loss limit will always be set to $0 after your payout.

Inactivity

  • Express Funded Account must have at least one trade every 30 days to remain open.

Overnight Holding

  • Overnight and weekend holding are prohibited. All positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT daily, except on Sundays when trades opened after 5:00 PM CT may be held into Monday’s session.

Trading Hours

Prohibited Trading Strategies

  • Account Stacking
  • Intentional Account Depletion
  • Terms Violation
  • Use of Manipulative Tools (AI or Automation)
  • Abnormal Market Behavior
  • Trading Outside Market Range
  • News Event Exploitation

More Prohibited trading conduct can be found via this link:

VPN Rule

  • The use of VPNs, Proxy Services, TOR, geo-location obfuscation, and other potential identity masking services are not permitted

Trading Combine/Reset Purchase Limits

  • Traders can purchase up to 10 new Trading Combine subscriptions per month.
  • Traders are allowed 2 Resets per account per calendar day.

The Do's and Don'ts of SIM Fills

  • Topstep prohibits any attempts to exploit or manipulate the simulated environment and may reject profits if abuse is detected.
  • Practices like scalping algorithms, rapid-fire trades, impossible fills, or unrealistic stop-loss execution are not allowed.
  • The rule targets intentional abusive behavior, not normal trading and exists to ensure traders focus on real, consistent skill development.
  • See details: https://help.topstep.com/en/articles/10431370-the-do-s-and-don-ts-of-sim-fills

2% Price Limit Rule

  • Topstep do not allow market participation when a product is trading within 2% of a Price Limit. Applies to all levels of Topstep’s program.
Scaling rules

Topstep review

Rules and prices checked on 29 September 2026 against Topstep’s own website and terms.

Topstep is a Chicago futures prop firm whose history goes back to 2010, with its funded trader programme launched in 2012. Traders pay a monthly subscription for a 50K, 100K or 150K Trading Combine and must reach a profit target of $3,000, $6,000 or $9,000 without touching the Maximum Loss Limit. That limit trails the end of day balance and locks once it reaches the starting balance. The best day must stay at or below 55% of total profit, so the Combine takes at least two days. There are two price paths. Standard costs $49, $99 or $199 a month plus a $149 activation fee after passing, while No Activation Fee costs $95, $149 or $229 a month with nothing to pay on passing. Adding a daily loss limit to the second path lowers the price by $10 to $30 and doubles payout caps. Passing leads to an Express Funded Account that starts at a $0 balance. Traders then choose a Standard payout path, which needs five winning days of $150, or a Consistency path, which needs three trading days and a 40% consistency ratio. Each request can take up to half the balance, capped at $2,000 to $6,000 before any doubling, and the split is 90/10. Trading runs mainly on the TopstepX platform, and positions must be closed by 3:10 pm CT.

Suits

Disciplined futures day traders who want an end of day loss limit, a 90/10 split and a firm that has run evaluations since 2012.

Less suited to

You want a one time evaluation fee, a wide choice of third party platforms, or you live in one of Topstep's ineligible countries.

Pros

  • The Maximum Loss Limit trails the end of day balance and locks at the starting balance, so intraday swings do not move it.
  • Qualifying payouts are split 90/10 with a $125 minimum request.
  • Payout caps reach $6,000 per request on a 150K Consistency account, or $12,000 with the Responsible Trading Advantage.
  • The No Activation Fee path removes the $149 charge on passing, and every monthly rebill includes a free reset credit.
  • The daily loss limit is optional and pauses trading for the session rather than breaching the account.

Cons

  • The Combine is a monthly subscription, so the cost rises the longer an evaluation takes.
  • The Standard path adds a one time $149 activation fee for each Express Funded Account.
  • Each payout is limited to 50% of the balance, and funded accounts start from a $0 balance.
  • Platform choice centres on TopstepX, and automated trading needs a paid API subscription.
  • Positions must be closed by 3:10 pm CT, and the ineligible list includes Nigeria, Pakistan, Kenya and Turkey.

Verdict

Topstep has run its Trading Combine since 2012 and sets out its rules in detail in its help centre. The Combine has one hard rule, the end of day trailing Maximum Loss Limit, and the optional daily loss limit pauses trading for the session rather than failing the account. The 90/10 split applies from the first qualifying payout, approved payouts to US traders using Aeropay can arrive within seconds when the bank supports real time payments, and payout caps reach $12,000 per request on a 150K Consistency account with the Responsible Trading Advantage.

The main trade off is the cost structure. The Combine rebills every month until the trader passes, so a slow evaluation costs more than a one time fee at firms such as Apex Trader Funding or Tradeify. The Standard path also adds a $149 activation fee, which can make the No Activation Fee path better value despite its higher monthly price. Each payout is limited to half the balance, and Express Funded Accounts start from a $0 balance, so early withdrawals are small.

Topstep publishes its own statistics: in 2025, 16.8% of Trading Combines were completed and 33.3% of participants who reached the funded level received a payout. Platform choice centres on TopstepX, with Quantower also supported, and automated trading is only possible through the paid API. Positions must be flat by 3:10 pm CT.

Topstep suits disciplined day traders who value clear rules, fast payouts and a long operating record, and who expect to pass within a month or two. It is a weaker fit for traders who want a one time fee or a wide choice of third party platforms, and for residents of ineligible countries such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Kenya and Turkey.

Payouts

Topstep's Profit Split

90%

Express Funded Standard Path

  • 5 winning days of $150+
  • Can request 50% of account balance up to $5,000
  • Achieve a profit greater than $0 since your last payout

Express Funded Consistency Path

  • 3 Days with 40% consistency target
  • Can request 50% of account balance up to $6,000
  • Achieve a profit greater than $0 since your last payout

Minimum Payout Amount

$125

Payout Methods

  • Wise: 1-3 business days
  • ACH: 1-3 business days
  • Wire/SWIFT: 3-5 business days
  • International Wire/SWIFT: up to 5-10 business days​
  • $20 processing fee with ACH or Wire

Once the payout request is processed, the Maximum Loss Limit will automatically be set to $0 (the trader cannot allow the account balance to reach or go below $0 after a payout).

More details can be found via this link:
https://intercom.help/topstep-llc/en/articles/8284233-topstep-payout-policy

Scaling Plan

Live Funded Account

  • Traders can request a payout of up to 50% of their account balance after accumulating five winning trading days per payout request. A winning trading day is counted when a day’s Net PNL is $150 or more.
  • Traders can request Daily payouts and access 100% of the profits after accumulating 30 winning trading days (After which the Live Funded Account will be closed since the balance will be brought to the Maximum Loss Limit.)

Live Funded

  • Traders can have only one Live account at a time ($50K / $100K / $150K)
  • Tier is based on the average size of payout-eligible Express Funded Accounts (XFAs)
  • 20% of balance is tradable at activation on live funded accounts
  • Remaining balance unlocks in 20% increments through performance milestones

Daily loss limits scale by tier

  • $50K: $2,000
  • $100K: $3,000
  • $150K: $4,500
  • If tradable balance falls to $10,000 or below regardless of the acount size, DLL becomes $2,000 (returns to tier DLL once end-of-day balance is back above $10,000)
  • Risk violations can trigger a “Shoulder Tap” and traders will be call down to sim-funded

Firm Details

CEO
Michael Patak
Country
US
In operation
15 years
Trustpilot
3.6 out of 5
Platforms
TopstepX
Payment methods
Credit/Debit Card
Payout methods
ACH, Bank Wire Transfer, Wise

Questions about Topstep

How much does Topstep cost?

The Trading Combine is a monthly subscription. On the Standard path it costs $49, $99 or $199 a month for the 50K, 100K and 150K accounts, plus a one time $149 activation fee after passing. The No Activation Fee path costs $95, $149 or $229 a month, or $10 to $30 less when a daily loss limit is added at checkout. Resets cost the same as the monthly price.

What is the Topstep Maximum Loss Limit?

It is the one hard rule in the Combine: $2,000 on 50K, $3,000 on 100K and $4,500 on 150K. The limit trails the highest end of day balance, never moves down and locks at the starting balance. It is enforced in real time on open positions. In the Express Funded Account it locks at $0 once the balance reaches the drawdown amount or after a payout.

What is the Topstep profit split?

Traders keep 90% of qualifying payouts and Topstep keeps 10%. The minimum request is $125. Each Express Funded payout can take up to half the account balance, capped at $2,000 to $5,000 on the Standard path and $3,000 to $6,000 on the Consistency path, depending on size. The Responsible Trading Advantage doubles these caps, and Live Funded Accounts have no dollar cap.

Does Topstep have a consistency rule?

Yes. In the Trading Combine the best single day must stay at or below 55% of total profit, so passing takes at least two days. After passing, traders choose a payout path. The Standard path has no consistency rule but needs five winning days of $150 or more. The Consistency path needs three trading days and a best day of no more than 40% of net profit.

Which platforms can I use with Topstep?

Topstep's own TopstepX platform runs in a web browser, works on mobile browsers and uses TradingView charts with CME data. The help centre also provides connection instructions for Quantower. Custom automated strategies can run through the TopstepX API for $29 a month, discounted by 50% for Topstep traders, but API trading is not allowed on Live Funded Accounts.

Can I hold positions overnight at Topstep?

No. All positions must be closed by 3:10 pm CT every weekday, and swing trading over nights or weekends is not permitted. The trading day runs from 5:00 pm CT to 3:10 pm CT the next day. News trading is allowed, although deliberately trading the full maximum position size into a scheduled major news event is a prohibited strategy.

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