About Topstep
Topstep is a US-headquartered proprietary trading firm founded in 2012, offering futures trading opportunities through its proprietary TopstepX platform and partnerships with established brokers. The firm specializes in CME equity index futures and micro contracts, supporting traders across account sizes from $50K to $150K. Topstep distinguishes itself through flexible evaluation models, including both standard combines and consistency-focused Express Funded tracks, along with robust automated trading support via API integration. The platform attracts active futures traders seeking straightforward evaluation criteria, reasonable profit consistency thresholds, and transparent payout mechanics. With over a decade of operational history and strong user ratings, Topstep appeals to disciplined traders ready to scale into funded accounts with clear risk parameters and minimal bureaucratic friction.
Firm Overview
Plus500
TopstepX
Credit/Debit Card
ACH
WiseInstruments and Assets
Consistency Rules
- Best-day cap: No single trading day may account for more than 30–50% of total profit (varies by program — see firm's official terms for the exact threshold).
- Minimum trading days: Most evaluation tiers require at least 4–10 active trading days before a payout can be requested.
- Position sizing: Disproportionate position sizes vs your historical trades may trigger consistency-rule reviews.
- Repeat performance: The firm expects sustained, repeatable performance — single-day windfalls won't qualify for early payouts.
- Exact thresholds and program-specific consistency rules are documented on the firm's official site and may change. Always re-verify before purchasing.
Firm Rules
Position sizing scales with account capitalization. A $50K account permits up to 5 mini contracts or 50 micro contracts, $100K allows 10 minis or 100 micros, and $150K supports 15 minis or 150 micros respectively.
During the evaluation phase, a single trading day's profit cannot exceed 50% of your total challenge profit target.
Once funded through the consistency path, your largest winning day is capped at 40% of total profit, enforcing disciplined, risk-managed trading behavior.
You must complete at least 2 trading days during your combine phase to satisfy the evaluation consistency scoring requirement.
Traders may freely trade around economic news releases without any restrictions during both evaluation and funded account stages.
Expert advisors and algorithmic strategies are permitted, provided they comply with all trading rules and contain no manipulative code. TopstepX enables automation exclusively through API connectivity.
Copy trading is allowed between accounts within the same environment—from combines to Express Funded accounts and vice versa—but live funded accounts cannot use the trade copier function.
After you withdraw profits from your Express Funded account, the remaining capital becomes your maximum allowable loss amount, and your loss limit resets to zero.
Express Funded accounts must record at least one trade every 30 calendar days, or the account risks closure.
Account stacking and identity masking tools such as VPNs, proxies, and TOR are strictly forbidden to ensure fair trading and compliance.
Topstep Challenges
| Challenge | Price |
|---|---|
| Topstep - No Activation Fee - 1-Step 50K | $95.00 |
| Topstep - Standard - 1-Step 50K | $49.00 |
| Topstep - No Activation Fee - 1-Step 100K | $149.00 |
| Topstep - Standard - 1-Step 100K | $99.00 |
| Topstep - No Activation Fee - 1-Step 150K | $229.00 |
| Topstep - Standard - 1-Step 150K | $149.00 |
Payout Policy
ACHWiseHow to qualify for a payout
- Hit the profit target while staying inside the firm's drawdown limits across every evaluation phase.
- Trade enough days. Most firms require 4–10 active trading days before the first payout request can be filed.
- Stay consistent. Best-day caps (30–50% of total profit on any single day) apply at most firms — see the Consistency Rules section above for the exact threshold.
- Exact thresholds are firm-specific and may change. Always verify on Topstep's official site before purchasing a challenge.
Scaling Plan & Premium Programme
- Account growth: Funded accounts typically scale by 25% (or fixed-step tiers) each time the trader hits the firm's profit + consistency milestones.
- Profit-split upgrade: Scaling tiers often unlock an improved profit split (e.g. 80% → 90%) on the funded account.
- Maximum capital cap: Most firms cap scaled capital at $1M–$2M per trader; some run a separate "Premium / Supreme" track for very high performers.
- Reset / breach handling: Hitting drawdown typically resets your scaling progress. Most firms offer a one-time discounted reset.
- Exact thresholds, scale-up cycle length, and Premium-Programme terms are firm-specific. See the AI Summary above for the latest values on file, or verify on Topstep's official site.
Restricted Countries
The following countries are not eligible to apply for Topstep challenges.
Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Belarus
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cuba
Haiti
Iran
Iraq
Kenya
Kosovo
Lebanon
Libya
Mali
Morocco
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Pakistan
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Ukraine
YemenMyanmarNorth KoreaRussiaSyriaEverything you need to know about Topstep
This Topstep review page covers the essentials a serious trader needs to evaluate a prop firm in 2026 — broker details, supported trading platforms (TopstepX), payout structure (Payouts are distributed on a regular basis once an Express Funded account is active. payouts at a 90% profit split), payment methods, supported instruments (Assets : on Futures), leverage tables, commission breakdowns, and the Topstep firm rules that govern every challenge, evaluation phase, and funded account.
Whether you're evaluating Topstep for the first time or comparing it side-by-side with other top prop firms — FTMO, FundingPips, FundedNext, The5ers, Alpha Capital Group — PropFirmPickr surfaces the up-to-date data you need to decide if Topstep is the right fit for your trading style, risk tolerance, and payout goals. Use the exclusive PICKR discount code at checkout to save 5–70% on every Topstepchallenge, applied automatically when you check out through this page's affiliate link.
Looking for alternatives? Browse our full prop-firm directory, the highest profit-split firms, or the best instant-funding firms. For methodology and ranking criteria, read our Transparency page.