Topstep

Long-established (~15 years) futures-only firm: a subscription Trading Combine leads to a still-simulated Express Funded account and, by call-up, a real-capital Live Funded account. Single trailing-max-loss rule, 90% split.

Published terms, verified from the firm’s official site as of 2026-08-17.

Live trader data

Traders Member-typical eval success Cost to funded (all-in) Paid share of settled outcomes Typical member wait Rating
5

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Key terms

Asset class
Futures only (CME/COMEX/NYMEX/CBOT)
Fee model
Monthly subscription
Drawdown
End-of-day trailing max-loss
Profit split
90%
Profit target (50K)
$3,000
Activation fee
$149 on Standard · $0 on No Activation Fee
Min trading days
No minimum (≈2)
Consistency
Best day < 50% of profit target

Programs

  • Trading Combine: paid evaluation
  • Express Funded Account: simulated, with real payouts
  • Live Funded Account: real capital (by call-up)

Pricing

  • Standard: 50K $49 · 100K $99 · 150K $199 /mo
  • No Activation Fee: 50K $95 · 100K $149 · 150K $229 /mo

Pick the fee shape at purchase; it is fixed for that Combine, and a reset costs the same as the monthly. The optional Daily Loss Limit cuts the No Activation price $10-$30/mo but arms a daily loss rule. Verified 2026-08-17.

Estimated cost to funded

$345–$639

No firm-specific pass rate yet — using a typical eval pass rate, shown as a range.

Estimate, not a quote.

By account size

SizeStickerModeled totalRetry
50K $49 $345–$639 $49
100K $99 $545–$1,139 $99
150K $199 $945–$2,139 $199

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Payout

  • 90 / 10 split (legacy accounts pre-2026-01-12 kept 100% of the first $10k)
  • Minimum payout $125
  • Express Funded: 5 winning days ($150+) or a 3-day consistency path; up to 50% of balance, and a per-size dollar cap on top — $2,000 / $3,000 / $5,000 by size on the standard path, $3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 on the consistency path
  • Those caps DOUBLE if you added the optional Daily Loss Limit when you bought the Combine — adding it later at activation does not unlock them
  • Live Funded: 50% of your share of trading profits until 30 benchmark days, then 100% and one payout per business day
  • Fee-free rails (Aeropay / Wise)

Gathering data — payout-friction reports from 1 traders so far, shown at 5+.

Platforms

TopstepXNinjaTraderTradovate(other platforms supported)

Rules & restrictions

  • No overnight: auto-flatten ~3:10pm CT
  • The funded (Express) stage is still simulated; real capital only at the Live stage
  • Live call-up is at Topstep’s discretion
  • Three stages, three different risk models: the Combine’s trailing max-loss locks at your starting balance; the Express account starts at $0 so its limit starts negative and locks at $0; the Live account drops trailing entirely for a flat $1,000 floor plus a daily loss limit
  • The max-loss limit only moves up on the daily close, but it is enforced live against unrealized P&L — an intraday dip through the line liquidates you anyway

Pros

  • Subscription with no separate pass fee beyond the monthly + a single $149 activation
  • Simple one-rule risk model; the daily loss limit is optional, not a breach trigger
  • Long operating track record and fee-free payout rails
  • Two payout paths, and no dollar cap once on a Live Funded account (though the first 30 benchmark days are still limited to 50% of your profit share)

Cons

  • Two-stage gap to real money: the funded (Express) account is still simulated
  • Express payouts are capped per request and at 50% of balance
  • Hard intraday flatten (3:10pm CT), no overnight holding
  • Profits don’t transfer from the Combine to the funded account ($0 start)

The desk’s read

Topstep is a long-established futures-only firm whose subscription Trading Combine ($49–$199/mo for 50K–150K) tests traders against a single trailing-max-loss rule plus profit and consistency targets. Passing earns a still-simulated Express Funded account (90% split; payouts after 3–5 qualifying days are capped at 50% of balance AND at a per-size dollar limit of $2,000–$6,000, which doubles if you bought the Combine with its optional daily loss limit), with a discretionary call-up to a real-capital Live Funded account that drops the dollar cap once you have 30 benchmark days. Each of the three stages runs a different risk model, so read the one you are actually on. Trading is CME-group futures with a mandatory daily flatten and no overnight holding.

Sources