Topstep review

Name: Topstep review
Item: Topstep
Rating: 6.4
Author: PropAnalyse

Chicago, ILFounded 2012Last verified 26 Oct 202622 source pagesMethodology

Topstep is a prop firm, founded in 2012, based in Chicago, IL. Markets: Futures. Evaluation types: 1-step. Published fees start at $49; account sizes run from $50K to $150K. Profit split: 90%.

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No public discount code on the firm's site at last check.

Verdict

Topstep scores 6.4/10, ranked #15 of 20. Its strongest area is cost (10.0, driven by fee per $1K of account); the weakest is trust (3.5). Best fit: traders on a budget, futures traders.

For

Split can reach 90%
Low cost per $1K of buying power: $0.98
First payout possible after 3 days
Operating since 2012

Against

Trailing drawdown (EOD trailing (locks at starting balance)) on the headline plan
Has a consistency rule (check which phase it applies to)
Trustpilot rating below 4 (3.7)
Activation fee after passing: $149

Rules at a glance

Challenge types: 1-step
Fees from: $49
Cheapest per $1K: $0.98
Account sizes: $50K, $100K, $150K
Profit target: 6%
Daily loss limit: optional (automatic in Live Funded)
Max drawdown: $2,000-$4,500
Drawdown type: EOD trailing (locks at starting balance)
Min trading days: 2
Consistency rule: 55% best-day rule in Combine; 40% on XFA Consistency path
Markets: Futures
Platforms: TopstepX
Leverage: Not published
Restricted countries: Not listed
Trustpilot: 3.7 / 5 from 14,989 reviews

Fees by account size

One-time evaluation fee per program, as listed by the firm. The cheapest option at each size is marked.

Account	Trading Combine (Standard Path)	Trading Combine (No Activation Fee Path)
$50K	$49	$95
$100K	$99	$149
$150K	$199	$229

Costs beyond the fee

Reset / retry: $49 per reset (50K Standard path); $95 (50K No Activation Fee path); each monthly rebill also adds 1 free reset credit
Fee refund: not refunded (combine fees, resets, activation fees non-refundable); new customers can get up to 1 monthly payment back within first 14 days if not passed
Time limit: Not published
Activation fee: $149
Minimum payout: Not published
Scaling plan: XFA has a scaling plan (contract limits grow with balance)

Plug these into the true-cost calculator to see the cost to your first payout.

Payout policy

Profit split: 90%
Split scaling: Not published
Payout cycle: after 5 winning days $150+ (Standard) or 3 days w/ 40% consistency (Consistency path)
First payout (days): 3
Payout methods: Prop-to-brokerage (US), Aeropay (US), Wise (China, Canada, UK), ACH (US, $30 fee), Wire/SWIFT ($30 fee)
KYC before payout: Required

Trading conduct

News trading: Not published
Weekend holding: Not published
EAs / bots: Restricted
Copy trading: Allowed
Hedging: Not allowed
Max risk per trade: Not published
Inactivity rule: Not published

Programs

Trading Combine (Standard Path) 1-step

Profit target: 6% ($3K/$6K/$9K)
Daily loss: optional
Max drawdown: $2K/$3K/$4.5K
Profit split: 90%
Min days: 2

Drawdown EOD trailing

Account	Fee	Per $1K
$50K	$49	$0.98
$100K	$99	$0.99
$150K	$199	$1.33

Trading Combine (No Activation Fee Path) 1-step

Profit target: 6% ($3K/$6K/$9K)
Daily loss: optional
Max drawdown: $2K/$3K/$4.5K
Profit split: 90%
Min days: 2

Drawdown EOD trailing

Account	Fee	Per $1K
$50K	$95	$1.9
$100K	$149	$1.49
$150K	$229	$1.53

Rule history

No changes recorded since we started tracking this firm. Every future change to its rules, fees or payout terms will appear here with the date.

All rule changes · RSS

FAQ

What profit split does Topstep pay?

Topstep lists a profit split of 90%, per its website as of 2026-10-26.

How much is the cheapest Topstep challenge?

The lowest published fee is $49 for a $50K account.

What are Topstep's drawdown rules?

Daily loss limit: optional (automatic in Live Funded); maximum drawdown: $2,000-$4,500 (EOD trailing (locks at starting balance)).

How often does Topstep pay out?

Payout cycle: after 5 winning days $150+ (Standard) or 3 days w/ 40% consistency (Consistency path). First payout eligible after 3 days.

Which platforms does Topstep support?

TopstepX.

Does Topstep refund the challenge fee?

not refunded (combine fees, resets, activation fees non-refundable); new customers can get up to 1 monthly payment back within first 14 days if not passed.

Can you reset or retry a failed Topstep challenge?

$49 per reset (50K Standard path); $95 (50K No Activation Fee path); each monthly rebill also adds 1 free reset credit.

Is Topstep legit?

We score firms on published data, not opinions. Topstep has a PA Score of 6.4/10 and a Trustpilot rating of 3.7; it was founded in 2012. Check the rule history on this page for recent changes.

Sources

Every figure above was read from these pages on 26 Oct 2026. Firms change rules often, so confirm before you buy.

Data notes. Fees are MONTHLY subscriptions. Standard path adds a $149 XFA activation fee; No Activation Fee path has none. Min days 2 = 'can pass in as few as 2 days' under the consistency rule. XFA payout cap is 50% of balance, up to $2K-$6K per request. The new dashboard pays 100% of the first $10K for traders who joined before 2026-01-12. Founded: Patak Trading Partners 2010, Topstep Trader launched 2012. HQ inferred from 'Chicago West Loop office'. News/weekend rules and restricted countries not found.