📊 Complete 2025 Guide

TopStep Review & Rules Guide

Everything you need to know about TopStep - the OG futures prop firm since 2012. Pass the Trading Combine, earn an Express Funded Account, and work toward Live funding with their proprietary TopstepX platform.

Account Sizes

$50K-$150K

Funding Range

100%

First $10K Profit

TopStep

topstep.com ↗

Account Options

TopStep offers three account sizes with their proprietary TopstepX platform

$50K Account

Best for new traders

Profit Target$3,000
Max Drawdown$2,000
Daily Loss Limit$1,000
Max Contracts5
Monthly Fee$49

$100K Account

Trading Rules

Compare Trading Combine (eval) and Express Funded Account rules

Account Size	Profit Target	Max Drawdown	Drawdown Type	Daily Loss Limit	Consistency	Min Days
$50,000	$3,000	$2,000	EOD Trailing	$1,000	50%	2 days
$100,000	$6,000	$3,000	EOD Trailing	$2,000	50%	2 days
$150,000	$9,000	$4,500	EOD Trailing	$3,000	50%	2 days

* EOD drawdown based on end-of-day balance (not intraday). 50% consistency: no single day > 50% of total profit. Must use TopstepX platform.

Account Size	Max Drawdown	Drawdown Type	Daily Loss Limit	Consistency	Profit Split	Min Payout
$50,000 XFA	$2,000 (resets to $0)	EOD Trailing	$1,000	None	100% first $10K	$125
$100,000 XFA	$3,000 (resets to $0)	EOD Trailing	$2,000	None	100% first $10K	$125
$150,000 XFA	$4,500 (resets to $0)	EOD Trailing	$3,000	None	100% first $10K	$125
Live Funded	$0 (account balance)	Static at $0	Scales with profit	None	90% after $10K	$125

* XFA starts at $0 balance with scaling contracts. After payout, MLL resets to $0. 5 winning days of $150+ required for payout. Live account after meeting criteria.

Pros & Cons

Our honest assessment of TopStep

✓ Pros

100% profit split on first $10,000
EOD drawdown (not intraday trailing)
Established since 2012 - most trusted
TopstepX platform with built-in tools
Free coaching and TopstepTV
Daily payouts after 30 winning days
Up to 5 Express Funded Accounts
Back2Funded option if you fail

✗ Cons

Must use TopstepX platform only
Drawdown resets to $0 after payout
Only one Live Funded Account at a time
50% consistency rule in Trading Combine
Scaling plan limits contracts initially
No overnight or weekend holding
Limited account size options (3 only)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about TopStep

TopStep uses End-of-Day (EOD) trailing drawdown, which only updates at the end of each trading day based on your closing balance. This is more forgiving than intraday trailing because temporary drawdowns during the day don't move your limit. The drawdown trails your highest EOD balance until it would exceed your starting balance, then it locks.

During the Trading Combine, no single day's profit can exceed 50% of your total profits. For example, in a $50K account with a $3,000 profit target, your best day can't exceed $1,500. This means you can pass in as few as 2 days if each day is under 50% of total profits.

After each payout, your Maximum Loss Limit resets to $0. This means your account balance must stay positive (above $0) to keep trading. You need to rebuild your cushion before taking another payout. This is why strategic timing of payouts is important.

You need 5 winning days of $150+ profit since your last payout (or since starting). Initial payouts are limited to 50% of profits. After 30 winning days in a Live Funded Account, you unlock daily payouts and can access 100% of your balance. First $10K is 100% yours, then 90/10 split.

After passing the Trading Combine, you get an Express Funded Account (XFA) which is a simulated account with real payouts. You can have up to 5 XFAs. After meeting certain criteria and proving consistency, you may be invited to a Live Funded Account with actual market execution. Only one Live account is allowed at a time.