Topstep is a futures prop firm founded in 2012 and operating as Topstep LLC out of Chicago, Illinois. It uses a three-stage model — Trading Combine (Evaluation) → Express Funded (Sim-Funded) → Funded (Live). The firm is best known for aggressive promotional pricing, a 90% / 10% profit split (accounts opened before Jan 12, 2026 keep 100% of their first $10K in lifetime profits) with on-request payouts, and a Trustpilot rating around 3.4/5 (down from ~4.5 in early 2025).
Topstep suits disciplined intraday futures traders. The No-Activation-Fee Path gets you funded for $0 in activation (from $85/mo on a 50K with the optional Daily Loss Limit), while the Standard Path keeps the monthly fee low and charges a one-time $149 when you pass. Both paths run the same single-step Trading Combine, pay a 90% / 10% split on request, and let you choose a Standard or Consistency funded-payout mode.
The 30-second verdict
Want the lowest cost to get funded and you’re confident you’ll pass quickly? Take the No-Activation-Fee Path (from $85/mo on a 50K with the Daily-Loss-Limit discount, $0 to activate). Expect a few attempts and want the cheapest month-to-month? Take the Standard Path (from $49/mo plus a one-time $149 activation fee when you pass). Both paths share identical rules, targets and contracts, pay a 90% / 10% split with a $125 minimum on request, and let you choose a Standard (5 winning days) or Consistency (3 days, best day under 40%) payout mode on your Express Funded Account.
Our scoring breakdown
Topstep scores highest on pricing and value; its main trade-offs are a softening Trustpilot trend and a strict flat-by-3:10-PM-CT day-trading rule.
- The original futures funding firm — operating since 2012 with a 174,000+ member community
- Keep 90% of profits with a $125 minimum payout
- Two purchase paths: lower-monthly Standard or $0-activation No-Fee
- No-Activation-Fee path from $85/mo on a 50K (with optional Daily Loss Limit) — no promo code needed
- Just 2 trading days minimum (50% consistency rule) and no time limit to pass the Trading Combine
- Choose your funded payout mode: Standard (5 winning days) or Consistency (3 days)
- Optional Daily Loss Limit guardrail that also lowers your monthly fee
- Trade on Topstep’s proprietary all-in-one TopstepX platform
- Fast payouts via Aeropay (instant, US) or Wise (no fee, international)
- News trading, automated strategies and trade copiers all allowed
- No overnight or weekend holding — all positions flat by 3:10 PM CT
- The trailing Maximum Loss Limit is monitored in real time on realized and unrealized P&L
- The cheapest monthly path adds a one-time $149 activation fee when you pass
- The Trading Combine is a recurring monthly subscription until you cancel
- Trustpilot has slipped to ~3.4/5 as the firm has scaled
Topstep vs. its closest competitors
How Topstep stacks up against Tradeify and Lucid Trading — two firms we most often compare it with.
| Metric | Topstep | Tradeify | Lucid Trading |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50K Entry | $95$85/mo | $145$87 | $175$87 |
| Activation Fee | $0 or $149 | $0 (one-time purchase) | $0 (one-time purchase) |
| Profit Split | 90% / 10% | 90% / 10% | 90% / 10% |
| Days to Payout | 3–5 days | 3–5 days | 3–5 days |
| Drawdown Type | EOD trailing | EOD trailing | EOD trailing |
| Max Funded Accounts | Up to 5 | Up to 5 | Up to 5 |
| Instant Funding Option | No | Yes (Lightning) | Yes (LucidDirect) |
| CPF Score | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
💡 Bottom line: Topstep brings the longest track record in the category, a 90% split and a choice of two purchase paths — including a $0-activation route from $85/mo with no promo code. Tradeify counters with an instant-funding option (Lightning) and very fast day-to-day payouts, while Lucid Trading counters with end-of-day drawdown on every account, free activation and near-instant automated payouts. If you want a proven, broadly-supported funding firm with flexible payout rules, Topstep is the safe pick.
- 1-step evaluation
- Pass in as few as 2 days
- 50% best-day consistency rule
- Path to Live Funding
- Payouts after 5 winning days
- Traders new to prop firms
- Those who want lowest entry cost
- Traders who prefer a DLL safety net
- Traders who want zero monthly fees
- Traders who hold positions overnight
- High-frequency scalpers
Topstep is the firm that effectively created retail futures funding, operating since 2012 out of Chicago with a community of more than 174,000 traders. It competes on trust, flexibility and a clean rule set rather than gimmicks. The headline value is a 90% / 10% split, a fast on-request payout system, and two ways to buy the same evaluation so you can optimise for how confident you are of passing.
Two purchase paths, one Combine
Every account starts with a monthly-subscription Trading Combine. The Standard Path costs less per month but charges a one-time $149 activation fee when you pass; the No-Activation-Fee Path costs more monthly but is $0 to activate. Adding an optional Daily Loss Limit on the No-Fee path trims $10–$30/month, bringing a 50K to $85/mo. Rules, targets, loss limits and contracts are identical across both — pick Standard if you expect several attempts, No-Fee if you are confident of passing quickly.
The Combine is fast, the rules are clear
You must trade at least 2 days — the 50% best-day rule means a single-day pass isn’t possible — with no time limit, hitting the profit target while keeping your best day under 50% of it, without touching the trailing Maximum Loss Limit. Resets cost the same as your monthly fee (with a reset credit accruing each renewal). On the Express Funded Account you choose a payout mode: Standard (5 winning days, daily minimum based on account size) or Consistency (3 trading days, no per-day minimum, best day ≤ 40%). Payouts are 90% / 10% with a $125 minimum, paid via Aeropay (instant, US), Wise (no fee) or ACH/Wire.
Where Topstep isn't perfect
It is strictly day-trading only — every position must be flat by 3:10 PM CT, with no overnight or weekend holds. The Maximum Loss Limit is monitored in real time on both realized and unrealized P&L, so a single deep intraday spike can end an account. And while TopstepX is a polished all-in-one platform, the Live Funded Account is invite-only — Topstep reports only about 0.71% of Express-Funded traders reached it in 2025, and the public Trustpilot score has slipped to ~3.4/5 as volume has grown.
For a disciplined intraday futures trader who values a proven brand, flexible payout rules and a genuine $0-activation route, Topstep is a top pick for 2026. If you need instant funding or overnight holds, compare it against Tradeify or Lucid Trading first.
What you need to know
Four key rules that govern how eligibility works in practice.
What account products does Topstep offer?
One evaluation — the Trading Combine — at three sizes ($50k / $100k / $150k), sold via two purchase paths. The Standard Path is cheaper monthly but adds a one-time $149 activation fee when you pass; the No-Activation-Fee Path is $0 to activate but higher monthly. Rules, targets, the trailing Maximum Loss Limit and contract caps (5 / 10 / 15) are identical on both.
How does the Trading Combine → Express Funded → Funded path work?
Topstep uses three stages. You subscribe to a Trading Combine (the evaluation) and hit the profit target plus a consistency objective (best day under 50% of the target) without breaching the Maximum Loss Limit — a minimum of 2 trading days (a consequence of the 50% best-day rule) and no time limit. You then move to an Express Funded Account (XFA), a simulated-funded account where real payouts are earned on request (90% / 10% split, $125 minimum). After consistent profitability — and at the Risk Management team’s discretion — a small share of traders are invited to a real-capital Live Funded Account (LFA); Topstep reports only about 0.71% of XFA traders reached the LFA in 2025.
How and when does Topstep pay out?
On the Express Funded Account you pick a payout mode at activation: Standard (5 winning days of $150+) or Consistency (3 trading days with your best day ≤ 40% of profit). The split is 90% / 10% with a $125 minimum, requested on demand during CME hours (Sun 5 PM–Fri 5 PM CT). Funds arrive via Aeropay (instant, US), Wise (no fee) or ACH/Wire ($30). Your Max Loss Limit resets to $0 after each payout.
How many accounts can I run at once?
You can run an unlimited number of active Trading Combines (up to 20 new purchases per month) and hold up to 5 active Express Funded Accounts at once. When you are invited to a Live Funded Account, your Express Funded Accounts are closed. Everything sits under a single TopstepX login.
Can I trade news, use bots, or hold overnight?
News trading, dollar-cost averaging, and bots/algorithms/trade copiers are all allowed — Topstep does not provide algorithms itself but does not forbid them, and markets itself on trading without restrictions on your own plan. The one hard rule is no overnight or weekend holding: all positions must be flat by 3:10 PM CT (session reopens 5:00 PM CT), and weekends/holidays don\u2019t count as trading days.
What's the difference between the two purchase paths?
The Trading Combine is a monthly subscription, and Topstep sells it two ways at each size. The Standard Path is cheaper per month — 50K $49, 100K $99, 150K $149 — but adds a one-time $149 activation fee when you pass. The No-Activation-Fee Path is $0 to activate but higher monthly — 50K $95, 100K $149, 150K $229 — and adding an optional Daily Loss Limit knocks $10/$20/$30 off, bringing it to $85 / $129 / $199. No promo code is needed; pick the path that matches how many attempts you expect.
What platforms and data feed does Topstep use?
Trade on Topstep’s proprietary TopstepX platform (web-based, all-in-one) — new Topstep accounts trade exclusively on TopstepX. Level 1 market data is included; Level 2 depth (DOM) is about $38/month. You trade CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX futures plus their micros.
Is Topstep legit?
Topstep operates as Topstep LLC, founded in 2012 and based in Chicago, Illinois, with an affiliated CFTC-registered introducing broker (Topstep Brokerage LLC). Its public Trustpilot score is around 3.4/5 from roughly 13,900 reviews — strong on payouts and platform, with the usual prop-firm complaints about rule breaches. As always, read the rulebook — particularly the intraday-only and trailing-loss rules — before purchasing.