Topstep Review: Rules, Prices & Drawdown
By Jacob Walder · Rules checked at the source on 2026-10-13 · How we verify
8 of 21 rule fields verified on Topstep's official site. Every number links to its source. Anything we couldn't confirm is marked “Not verified”.
What this means for you
You pay a monthly fee (from $49 on the 50K Standard plan) while you take the test. Reach the profit target (for example $3,000 on 50K) over at least 2 days, without falling below a loss limit that rises with your end-of-day balance. No single day can be more than 55% of your total profit.
Built only from rules we verified at the source. Most people who buy a test don't pass — see why.
Quick answer
- Best for
- Futures traders who want no activation fee option
- Price
- from $49
- Key rule
- $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 Maximum Loss Limit, trailing end-of-day balance,…
- Verdict
- 8/21 rules verified at source; watch: trailing/dynamic drawdown
Rule summary
- Price
- Standard: $49 / $99 / $199 per month; No-Activation-Fee path: $95 /…
- Profit target
- $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000
- Daily loss limit
- Optional Daily Loss Limit $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 (chosen at…
- Max drawdown
- $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 Maximum Loss Limit, trailing end-of-day…
- Consistency rule
- Best day must be ≤55% of total profit or the profit target rises
- Profit split
- —
- Payout frequency
- —
At a glance
Program: Trading Combine
No affiliate relationship — we earn nothing from this firm.Pros (from verified rules)
- No activation fee option
- End-of-day drawdown (not intraday)
Cons & caveats
- Trailing/dynamic drawdown
- Consistency rule applies
- Monthly recurring fee
- 13 rule fields not yet verified by us
All rules, with sources
Show / hide all 21 rules
| Program | Trading Combine What's this?One-step: one target, then funded. Two-step: pass phase 1, then a usually smaller phase 2 target. Two-step tests are often cheaper with looser loss limits. Glossary → |
|---|---|
| Account sizesAccount sizes on offer. | 50K, 100K, 150K ✓ Verified |
| PriceWhat you pay for the test. | Standard: $49 / $99 / $199 per month; No-Activation-Fee path: $95 / $149 / $229 per month ✓ Verified What's this?What you pay to take the test. It's the firm's main revenue — most buyers never pass. Glossary → |
| Activation feeExtra fee after passing, before you trade funded. | $149 per Express Funded Account on Standard path; $0 on No-Activation-Fee path ✓ Verified What's this?An extra one-time fee some futures firms charge after you pass, before your funded account goes live. Glossary → |
| Profit targetProfit you need to pass. | $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 ✓ Verified What's this?How much profit you must make to pass a test phase. On a $100k account a 10% target means reaching $110,000. Glossary → |
| Daily loss limitLose more than this in one day and you fail. | Optional Daily Loss Limit $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 (chosen at checkout) ✓ Verified What's this?The most you may lose in one trading day. With a 5% limit on $100k, dropping $5,000 in a single day fails the test — even if you're up overall. Glossary → |
| Max drawdownTotal loss floor — break it once and the account ends. | $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 Maximum Loss Limit, trailing end-of-day balance, locks at starting balance ✓ Verified StandardWhat's this?The total loss floor — break it once and the account is gone. On $100k: STATIC 10% → floor stays $90,000 forever. END-OF-DAY trailing $3k → floor $97k; close a day at $102k → floor moves to $99k (intraday swings ignored). INTRADAY trailing $3k → an open trade up $2k lifts the floor to $99k immediately; if it falls back to break-even you're $1k from failing. Glossary → |
| Consistency ruleCaps how much profit can come from one day. | Best day must be ≤55% of total profit or the profit target rises ✓ Verified StandardWhat's this?Limits how much of your total profit can come from one day. With 40%: if you've made $5,000, your best day can be at most $2,000. Stops 'one lucky day' passes. Glossary → |
| Minimum trading daysFewest trading days before you can pass/get paid. | At least 2 days (cannot pass in one day) ✓ Verified StandardWhat's this?The fewest days you must place trades before you can pass or get paid, even if you hit the target on day one. Glossary → |
| Time limitHow long you have to pass. | Not verified What's this?How long you have to hit the target. 'Unlimited' means no deadline (some firms still require a trade every 30–60 days). Glossary → |
| Profit splitYour share of funded profits. | Not verified What's this?Your share of profits on a funded account. 80% split on $1,000 profit = you receive $800. Glossary → |
| Payout frequencyHow often you can withdraw. | Not verified What's this?How often you can withdraw profits — e.g. on demand, weekly, every 14 days. Glossary → |
| Fee refundWhether your fee comes back. | Not verified What's this?Some firms return your test fee with your first (or a later) payout if you pass. Glossary → |
| PlatformsSoftware you trade on. | Not verified |
| Restricted countriesWhere they won't sell to. | Not verified |
| News tradingCan you trade big news events? | Not verified What's this?Whether you can trade around big scheduled announcements (e.g. US jobs data, Fed decisions). Some firms ban trades a few minutes before/after. Glossary → |
| EAs / botsAre trading bots allowed? | Not verified What's this?Expert Advisors — automated trading programs. Some firms allow them, some ban them or certain types (e.g. copy-trading, HFT). Glossary → |
| Crypto pairsCrypto markets available. | Not verified |
| Crypto leverageHow big a position you can open. | Not verified What's this?How large a position you can open relative to your account. 1:100 means $1,000 of margin controls $100,000. Higher leverage = faster gains and faster rule breaches. Glossary → |
| Payout currencyWhat you're paid in. | Not verified |
| Crypto CFDs offeredWhether crypto is tradable as CFDs. | Not verified |
| OwnershipWho owns the firm. | Not verified |
Our verdict
Topstep (Trading Combine) — we verified 8 of 21 rule fields on the firm's official site on 2026-10-13. Key strengths in the verified rules: no activation fee option, end-of-day drawdown (not intraday). Watch out for: trailing/dynamic drawdown, consistency rule applies, monthly recurring fee. Read the full rules at the source links before buying.
Pros/cons are generated only from the verified rules above — not from opinion or affiliate status.
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