Does Topstep have an activation fee?

Some Topstep accounts do: $149 when you pass. Others have none, so check the account you want.

How much does Topstep cost?

Topstep accounts range from $49 to $229, and some are billed monthly. These are list prices before any discount code.

What drawdown does Topstep use?

Topstep accounts use EOD drawdown, depending on the account type.

What is the Topstep profit split?

90% of your profit goes to you, depending on the account.

What are the Topstep payout rules?

Payout caps from $2,000 to $12,000 per payout. Open an account page for its buffer, consistency and payout timing rules.

FuturesFirm Finder

Topstep Review 2026: Rules and Payouts | Futures Firm Finder

Topstep review

Also searched as TopstepX, Topstep Trader, Top StepOur pick

3.7(14,989)Reviews Website

Trust score

50Mixed

Trading futures since

2012 · 14 yrs

Accounts

24 in 1 type

Price range

$49 – $229

One of the most established names in futures prop trading, and it shows in how refined its single account model is. Topstep has spent years perfecting the Trading Combine, and that focus shows in just how polished and reliable the whole experience feels.

Choose an account

$50K to $150K

1 Size

2 Payout Path

3 Daily Loss Limit

4 Combine Path

One evaluation in three sizes. At checkout you choose whether to pay an activation fee later, and whether to add a daily loss limit. When you're funded you choose a standard or consistency-based payout path.

Evaluation

Trading Combine $50K

$95/mo

Profit target$3,000

Max loss$2,000

DrawdownEOD Trailing

Daily loss limit$1,000

Min. trading days2

Profit split90%

Full rules

All 24 accountsShow

Compare in the full table

Account	Options	Price	Target	Max loss	Drawdown	Daily limit
Trading Combine $50K	Consistency Payout · Fixed · No Activation Fee	$95/mo	$3,000	$2,000	EOD	$1,000
Trading Combine $50K	Standard Payout · Fixed · No Activation Fee	$95/mo	$3,000	$2,000	EOD	$1,000
Trading Combine $50K	Consistency Payout · None · No Activation Fee	$95/mo	$3,000	$2,000	EOD	None
Trading Combine $50K	Consistency Payout · Fixed · Standard

Live account

Most accounts here stay simulated for the account's whole life: the firm pays you out of its own revenue, and no real money ever changes hands in your trades. Topstep is different — it also runs a real, live-capital account that some traders graduate into.

How you qualify

Discretionary risk-team call-up from the Express Funded Account (XFA) -- no public numeric trigger stated. Cannot be declined -- the only options once called are move to Live or close the XFA.

What changes once you're live

Live (LFA) size = the AVERAGE account-size tier of eligible XFAs, rounded up to the nearest tier. Of the actual cumulative balance (capped at that tier), only 20% (min $10,000) is tradeable immediately; the other 80% sits in Reserve, releasing in four 25% increments each time the account clears a profit target, reviewed weekly. DLL starts scaled by size but auto-tightens if the tradeable balance drops. If the live balance drops below $1,000, the account is liquidated and closed same day.

Worth knowing

Only 1 live account at a time; losing it means passing a fresh Trading Combine AND a new XFA before being called back up, except a discretionary "Shoulder Tap XFA" structured path back. No automated/API strategies allowed live. 30+ days inactive can close a live account.

“Real capital” and “live” are Topstep's own description of this account, taken from its own site — not something we independently verify. Source

What changed

Changes Topstep made to its rules or accounts

2 Jun 2026
Date the firm gave
Adding a daily loss limit at checkout now doubles the per-payout cap. Topstep describes this as a limited-time offer. Source

Trading platforms

TopstepX
Quantower

Topstep questions answered

Does Topstep have an activation fee?: Some Topstep accounts do: $149 when you pass. Others have none, so check the account you want.
How much does Topstep cost?: Topstep accounts range from $49 to $229, and some are billed monthly. These are list prices before any discount code.
What drawdown does Topstep use?: Topstep accounts use EOD drawdown, depending on the account type.
What is the Topstep profit split?: 90% of your profit goes to you, depending on the account.
What are the Topstep payout rules?: Payout caps from $2,000 to $12,000 per payout. Open an account page for its buffer, consistency and payout timing rules.

About Topstep

One of the longest-running names in the industry, running a single, well-refined product line: the Trading Combine, which leads to an Express Funded Account and eventually a Live Funded Account. Three independent checkout choices, activation fee, daily loss limit, and payout path, let you tailor the account to how you trade.