Topstep Review 2026
FuturesEst. 2010United Statesdata verified Aug 9, 2026#4 of 4 Futures firms · Reviewed by Ayub Rana, CA
- Cheapest challenge$85
- Max funding$150K
- Profit split90%
- PayoutExpress Funded Standard: after every 5 winning days of $150 or more. Express Funded Consistency: after as few as 3 trading days if the 40% consistency target is met.
Verdict
Our verdict on Topstep
Updated
Squad score
Not yet scored
Trustpilot: 3.6/5
Topstep is a Futures prop firm operating since 2010, based in United States. It has not yet been scored against our criteria and holds 3.6/5 on Trustpilot. Our full editorial verdict is in progress; the data below is what we have verified so far.
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- News trading allowed
- EAs allowed
- 50% consistency cap
- 2 minimum trading days
- No weekend holding
Pros & Cons
Topstep pros & cons
The strengths and trade-offs our editors weigh when scoring this firm.
What traders like
- The only firm of the five whose named executive team can be cross-checked, person by person, against NFA BASIC principal filings.
- Publishes trader performance statistics that damage its own marketing, including the 0.71% live call-up rate and the 33.3% of funded participants who received a payout.
- A documented, rule-published route to live capital backed by a CFTC-registered introducing broker affiliate with no regulatory actions on record.
- Publishes a payout approval rate (99.26%) and a minimum payout ($125) rather than leaving both to inference.
- End-of-day trailing drawdown in both the Combine and the Express Funded Account, which is the more forgiving of the two futures models.
What to watch
- The lowest Trustpilot score of the five at 3.6, and the weakest twelve-month review flow relative to lifetime base (3,711 of 14,580, about 25%).
- The $1.4B all-time payout claim carries only a four-word footnote and no methodology, period definition, or third-party attestation.
- Cost stacks: a monthly subscription that recurs until you pass, a $149 activation fee on passing, and $599 to $829 to reactivate a lost account.
- The Maximum Loss Limit trails on end-of-day balance but is breached on intraday unrealized P&L, which is a genuine trap for anyone who reads only the headline.
- Only TopstepX is named as a platform on the pages read, which is narrow next to the 15-plus platform choices at Take Profit Trader and Apex.
Pricing
Topstep challenge pricing
Every account size and step count Topstep sells, with targets and drawdown limits in one table.
| Program | Account size | Price | Profit target(s) | Max daily loss | Max drawdown | Drawdown type | Split | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trading Combine 50KCheapest | $50,000 | $85† | $3,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | Trailing (end of day) | 90% | No |
| Trading Combine 100K | $100,000 | $129‡ | $6,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | Trailing (end of day) | 90% | No |
| Trading Combine 150K | $150,000 | $199§ | $9,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 | Trailing (end of day) | 90% | No |
Read the fine print
- †List $85/month; $49/month advertised at time of check. Recurring monthly subscription until passed. Reset fee $85 list / $49 promo. Express Funded activation fee $149 on passing.
- ‡List $129/month; $99/month advertised at time of check. Reset fee $129 list / $99 promo. Express Funded activation fee $149 on passing.
- §$199/month at time of check. Reset fee $199. Express Funded activation fee $149 on passing.
Rules
Topstep rules, explained
The rules that actually get traders breached: what they are and how this firm sets them.
| Rule | Topstep | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Drawdown type | Trailing (end of day) | Trailing drawdown follows your equity peak and is the #1 cause of surprise breaches; static drawdown is fixed from starting balance and far more forgiving. |
| Consistency rule | 50% cap per day | Caps how much of your total profit can come from a single day. A strict cap can delay or void payouts for traders with a few big wins. |
| News trading | Allowed | Some firms void trades placed around high-impact news releases, which is critical if you trade NFP, CPI, or rate decisions. |
| Expert advisors (EAs) | Allowed | Determines whether automated strategies and copiers are permitted, and whether an EA can get your account flagged. |
| Minimum trading days | 2 days | The floor on how fast you can pass a phase, which matters if you trade infrequently or want to pass quickly. |
| Weekend / overnight holding | Not allowed | Swing traders need positions to survive the Friday close. Where holding is barred, open trades are closed for you and gaps cannot be traded. |
| Copy trading | Not allowed | Decides whether you can mirror one strategy across several accounts. Most firms that allow it restrict it to accounts you own yourself. |
| High-frequency trading | Not allowed | Firms police latency arbitrage and tick scalping hard, and an HFT breach is one of the most common reasons a passed account is voided. |
We track every rule change Topstep makes and log it here with dates and sources. No changes recorded yet.
Payouts
Topstep payout data
Advertised terms plus what we can verify from dated community payout proofs.
- Profit split
- 90%
- Payout frequency
- Express Funded Standard: after every 5 winning days of $150 or more. Express Funded Consistency: after as few as 3 trading days if the 40% consistency target is met.
- Avg. payout time (tracked)
- Collecting proofs
- Payout methods
- Bank transfer, Other
- First payout after
- 3 days
- Minimum payout
- $125
We publish payout-speed distributions from dated community proofs rather than trusting advertised numbers. Topstep's tracker goes live once we have enough verified data points.
Trust & Company
Is Topstep legit? Trust & company facts
Who runs Topstep, how long they have operated, and what independent review platforms say. Check availability for your country below.
| Established | Jan 1, 2010 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Founder and CEO | Michael Patak |
| Ways to pay | Credit / debit card |
| Registered entity | Topstep LLC |
| Trustpilot score | 3.6/5 |
| Squad score | Not scored yet |
| Max allocation | $150K |
| Status | Listed |
| Data last verified | Aug 9, 2026 |
Official websiteTrustpilot profile
Platforms & Assets
Platforms & tradable assets
The trading platforms Topstep supports and the markets you can trade on a funded account.
Platforms
Platform list being verified.
Assets
Asset list being verified.
FAQ
Topstep: frequently asked questions
Short, direct answers to what traders ask most before buying a challenge here.
Is Topstep legit?
Topstep has operated since 2010, holds a 3.6/5 Trustpilot rating. We track its rules, payouts and Trustpilot trend continuously and flag any firm that stops paying traders.
How much does a Topstep challenge cost?
Challenges start around $85 for the smallest account size. See the pricing table above for every size and step count.
What profit split does Topstep offer?
Topstep pays funded traders up to 90% of profits.
How fast does Topstep pay out?
Topstep pays Express Funded Standard: after every 5 winning days of $150 or more. Express Funded Consistency: after as few as 3 trading days if the 40% consistency target is met..
Does Topstep have a promo code?
Yes — code PFSQUAD gives 10% off. See the promo page for terms and expiry.
What is the maximum funding at Topstep?
Topstep advertises up to $150,000 in trading capital through account scaling.
Alternatives
Alternatives to Topstep
Top-rated firms traders compare against this one.
| Metric | Topstep | MyFundedFutures | Tradeify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squad score | — | — | — |
| Trustpilot | 3.6/5 | 4.9/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Max funding | $150K | $450K | $750K |
| Profit split | 90% | 90% | 90% |
| Cheapest challenge | $85 | $105 | $99 |
