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Our verdict
Topstep is one of the longest-running futures prop firms. Its Trading Combine uses an end-of-day trailing Maximum Loss Limit that locks at your starting balance, and its daily loss limit is now optional — a pause, not a failure. It suits futures traders who value clear rules and a firm with a long track record over the cheapest possible evaluation.
- Profit split
- 90%
- Payouts
- After 5 winning days of $150+
- Drawdown
- End-of-day trailing, locks at start
- 50K account
- $3,000 target · $2,000 loss limit
- Evaluation
- 1-step Trading Combine, monthly subscription
- Markets
- CME futures incl. micros
Pros
- End-of-day trailing loss limit — open profits don't move it during the session
- Optional daily loss limit pauses trading instead of failing the account
- Long track record and clearly documented rules
- Can pass in as few as two trading days
Cons
- Monthly subscription adds up if you take several months to pass
- Consistency target in the Combine (best day under 55%)
- Express Funded payouts are capped per request
Overview
Topstep has run futures evaluations for well over a decade, and its Trading Combine remains a benchmark for the futures prop industry. You pay a monthly subscription, trade CME futures on a simulated account, and move to an Express Funded Account once you hit the profit target without breaking the rules.
Trading Combine rules
| Account | Profit target | Maximum Loss Limit | Optional daily loss limit | Max size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $3,000 | $2,000 | $1,000 | 5 contracts / 50 micros |
| 100K | $6,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 | 10 contracts / 100 micros |
| 150K | $9,000 | $4,500 | $3,000 | 15 contracts / 150 micros |
The Maximum Loss Limit trails your end-of-day balance and never moves down. Once it reaches your starting balance it locks permanently. Breaches are checked in real time, including open losses.
Why end-of-day trailing matters
With an end-of-day limit, a trade that is +$900 at its best and closes at +$300 only lifts the floor by $300 that evening. Compare that with an intraday trailing drawdown, which would have moved the floor up by the full $900 while the trade was open. For traders who hold winners through pullbacks, that difference decides whether the account survives.
Consistency and the daily loss limit
Topstep’s consistency target keeps your best single day below 55% of your profit. On a 50K account, one $2,000 day toward the $3,000 target would break it — spread your profit across several days instead of chasing one big session.
The daily loss limit is now optional. If you enable it (or set a personal one), hitting it flattens your positions and blocks new trades until the next session — useful as an enforced stop rule rather than a way to fail.
Payouts
Express Funded and Live Funded accounts pay 90% of profits. On the standard Express path, each payout needs five winning days of at least $150 net, and requests are capped at $2,000 on a 50K account ($3,000 on 100K, $5,000 on 150K). Live Funded accounts have no dollar cap.
Sizing within the loss limit
On the 50K account, $2,000 of room means a $200 risk per trade allows ten consecutive losses. On NQ ($20 per point) that is a 10-point stop on one contract; on MNQ ($2 per point) you can use the same stop with ten contracts. Check the numbers in the futures calculator and run your stats through the Topstep preset in the challenge simulator.
Who it suits
Futures traders who want an end-of-day drawdown, clear rules and an established firm, and who can pass within a month or two so the subscription stays reasonable. Read Topstep vs Apex or our best prop firms for futures guide.
Topstep FAQ
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Topstep alternatives
Risk warning: Trading forex, futures, CFDs, stocks and other leveraged products involves a high risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Nothing on this site is investment advice.