Topstep was founded in 2012 by Michael Patak, with headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. The idea behind the company is to provide both beginner and experienced futures traders the access to capital, and give them an opportunity to test their trading skills in the competitive prop trading market.
Evaluation Process
Just last year, Topstep switched from its long-standing two-step evaluation method, and now features a one-step evaluation stage, unlike many other proprietary trading platforms we’re coming across, which still require traders to pass multiple arduous stages before getting access to funding.
This new evaluation program is called Trading Combine, and is designed to both train and educate futures traders, as well as give them a chance to earn a Funded Account with Topstep.
The program has one major rule, and several objectives that are non-rule violating, but that you will be asked to follow when trading in the simulated market space.
We’ll start with the major rule first, and that is that your account cannot hit or go below the Maximum Loss Limit (MLL), which Topstep calculates as Account Balance High – Maximum Drawdown at the end of each trading day.
For the base subscription level of $49/month, the MML is set at $2,000, the $99/month plan has a $3,000 maximum loss limit, and the $149/month plan comes with a $4,5000 MML.
If you do break this one rule, you can use the Reset option and pay the price of a monthly subscription to reactivate your account, with no limit on how many Resets you can use in the Trading Combine.
There are also some objectives which are not rule violating, but which you will be asked to follow to get funded. For starters, you will have to maintain the profit target, set at $3,000 for the starting plan, or $6,000 and $9,000 for the two larger plans.
You will also have to meet the Consistency Target set by Topstep, with your best trading day not amounting to more than 50% of total profit.
Last but not least, you cannot hit or exceed the Daily Loss Limit, or your account will be deactivated until the start of the next trading day, when you can start trading once again. The daily loss limits for the three available plans are $1,000, $2,000 and $3,000.
Our Take on Topstep Funded Accounts
Topstep scored 83/100 in our 2025 testing, placing 3rd on our list of the 10 best futures prop firms. While FXIFY Futures and FundedNext Futures ranked higher due to lower fees and faster scaling, Topstep is still a solid choice thanks to its reputation, wide platform selection, and futures-only focus. Its evaluation has no time limits, and funded traders earn a 100% profit split on the first $10,000, then 90% after that.
Monthly data fees in the Live Funded Account can add to your costs and dropped the firms overall rating a few points, but Topstep’s score reflects its clear rules, consistent payout model, and platform flexibility.
Below is a breakdown of the account sizes, fees, and core details of the Topstep process.
| Account Size | Trading Combine Subscription | Express Funded Activation Fee | Profit Target | Max Loss Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50K | $49/month | $149 | $3,000 | $2,000 |
| $100K | $99/month | $149 | $6,000 | $3,000 |
| $150K | $149/month | $149 | $9,000 | $4,500 |
1. Topstep Trading Combine
The Topstep Trading Combine is the first evaluation stage where traders are tested on their ability to manage risk, follow trading rules, and hit profit targets. The Trading Combine has a monthly subscription fee ranging from $49 – $149 per month, based on account size.
| Account Size | Fees | Profit Target | Max Loss Limit | Daily Loss Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $49/month | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 |
| 100K | $99/month | $6,000 | $3,000 | $1,500 |
| 150K | $149/month | $9,000 | $4,500 | $2,000 |
Traders can take as long as necessary to pass this phase, as there are no time limits, but they must avoid breaching the maximum loss or daily loss limits.
Key Details
- Profit Target: Traders must reach a profit target of $3,000 (for $50K account), $6,000 (for $100K), or $9,000 (for $150K).
- Maximum Loss Limit: The account is deactivated if the loss limit is breached, set at $2,000 for a $50K account, $3,000 for $100K, and $4,500 for $150K.
- Consistency Target: Ensures that no more than 50% of total profits are generated in one day, promoting consistent performance.
Topstep Consistency Target
The Consistency Target rule is in place to ensure that traders do not rely on one highly profitable trading day to pass the challenge. This target requires traders to spread their profits more evenly across multiple trading sessions, demonstrating sustained performance.
Topstep’s consistency rule is calculated as follows: Best Day Profit ÷ Overall Profit = Best Day % of Total Profit.
Flexible Daily Loss Limits
All new or Reset accounts on the TopstepX platform can now set their own Personal Daily Loss Limit based on their risk tolerance, giving them more control over trading strategies. This change applies to TopstepX accounts only, while the Daily Loss Limit remains in place for other platforms such as NinjaTrader and TradingView.
2. Express Funded Account
After passing the Trading Combine, traders move on to the Express Funded Account. There is no monthly subscription fee, but an activation fee of $149 is required.
| Account Size | Activation Fee | Profit Target | Max Loss Limit | Daily Loss Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $149 (one-time) | No profit target | $2,000 | $1,000 |
| 100K | $149 (one-time) | No profit target | $3,000 | $1,500 |
| 150K | $149 (one-time) | No profit target | $4,500 | $2,000 |
This phase allows traders to earn real profits, but the account remains simulated.
Winning Days
With the Express Funded Account you need to ensure that you meet the winning days objective. To do this, you’ll need to make a profit of $200 or more on 5 separate trading days which will demonstrate to Topstep that you can be consistently profitable as a funded trader.
Topstep Scaling Plan
Another objective you need to follow is TopStep’s scaling plan, which is essentially a risk management plan. If trading with a $50K account you can’t exceed 5 lots-worth of exposure. If you’re trading with an $100K account the max is 10 lots, and with an $150K it’s 15 lots.
As your account increases/decreases in value, so will the number of lots you can open. It’s important to note however that your new balance is only calculated at the beginning of the next trading day.
For example, if your balance is below $1,500 but during the trading day increases above this threshold, you’ll only be able to up your maximum lot size from 2 lots to 3 lots when the next trading session commences at 5:00pm CST.
If you make an error with this rule by opening too many lots, it can result in your account being suspended, although if you correct the mistake within 10 seconds, then TopStep won’t take any action.
Live Funded Account
In the Live Funded Account, traders use real capital to trade in live markets. There are no subscription or activation fees, but the stakes are higher.
| Account Size | Fees | Profit Target | Max Loss Limit | Daily Loss Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | No additional fee | No profit target | $0 (Account closure if breached) | $1,000 |
| 100K | No additional fee | No profit target | $0 (Account closure if breached) | $1,500 |
| 150K | No additional fee | No profit target | $0 (Account closure if breached) | $2,000 |
Customer Experience
One issue we can point out is that Topstep still doesn’t offer a dedicated mobile app, for either Android or iOS users, so all of the trading has to be done through the browser, but the company does state that the mobile app is coming in the future.
When it comes to customer support, the main venue right now is the AI chatbot called Windy, who you can contact through the blue messenger box on your screen, and from what we’ve seen during our testing, the bot works pretty well, but if you can’t get the appropriate answer from Windy, you can choose to talk to a person instead, and quickly be connected to a customer support agent.