Topstep rules
Rule explorer
Monthly-subscription evaluation on TopstepX with the lowest monthly price; passing it earns an Express Funded Account, which costs a one-time $149 activation fee. At activation you choose the Standard or Consistency payout path.
Evaluation
passing the test- Profit target
- $3,000
- Max drawdown
- $2,000 trailing drawdown based on end-of-day balance: the limit moves up as your end-of-day balance makes new highs and never moves down, but it is enforced in real time during the day (open losses count). Touching it ends trading for the day and the account cannot pass until it is reset.
- Daily loss limit
- Optional $1,000, chosen at checkout and then fixed; hitting it only pauses trading until the next session (not a failure). Without it there is no daily limit, though a personal limit can be set in risk settings.
- Consistency rule
- Your best single day must be no more than 55% of total profit. If it is bigger, the target rises to best day divided by 0.55 (keep the best day under $1,650 to stay at the $3,000 target).
- Minimum trading days
- No fixed minimum; the official pages say it can be passed in as few as 2 days because of the 55% best-day rule.
- Max contracts
- 5 minis or 50 micros (micros count 10 to 1 against minis).
- Also know
- Monthly subscription until you pass or cancel; reset costs one month's price ($49). Trading Combine profits do not carry over to the Express account. Account size and path cannot be changed after purchase.
Funded
after you pass- Activation fee
- $149 one-time fee per Express account earned
- Max drawdown
- Express account starts at a $0 balance with a $2,000 end-of-day trailing loss limit (starts at -$2,000 and rises with end-of-day highs, enforced in real time). Breaching it permanently closes the account (Back2Funded reactivation possible for $599).
- When the drawdown stops trailing
- Stops trailing and locks at $0 once the balance reaches +$2,000; after the first payout the limit is set to $0 regardless of where it was.
- Daily loss limit
- Optional $1,000 (only if chosen at Combine checkout or activation); hitting it pauses trading for the day.
- Consistency rule
- Standard Express path: none. Consistency Express path: largest winning day must be 40% or less of total net profit in each payout window (resets after every payout). The path is chosen at activation and cannot be changed.
- Max contracts / scaling
- Up to 5 minis or 50 micros, but the Scaling Plan limits contracts by current balance, starting at a lower level and rising as profit grows; new limits take effect the next session. The exact tiers are published only as an image (not readable as text).
- Also know
- No monthly fee. Up to 5 Express accounts at once; 30 days without trading may close the account. Trade copiers allowed up to $750K total buying power.
Payouts
getting paid- Days needed before a payout
- Standard path: 5 winning days of $150+ net profit (do not need to be consecutive), plus net profit above $0 since the last payout (first payout exempt). Consistency path: at least 3 trading days with at least one trade each, while meeting the 40% consistency rule.
- How often
- Whenever the requirement is met again; after each payout the day count (and consistency calculation) restarts.
- Profit split
- 90/10 (trader keeps 90%); traders who joined the new dashboard before Jan 12, 2026 keep 100% of their first $10,000 lifetime.
- Minimum payout
- $125
- Maximum payout
- 50% of the account balance per request, capped at $2,000 (Standard) or $3,000 (Consistency). Limited-time offer: if the Daily Loss Limit was added at Trading Combine checkout, caps double to $4,000 (Standard) or $6,000 (Consistency).
- Buffer / safety net
- No fixed buffer amount is published; because only 50% of the balance can be withdrawn, half stays in the account, and the loss limit sits at $0 after the first payout (the account closes if the balance hits $0). The older Express rules page also mentions a 'Minimum Payout Balance' for later payouts without giving an amount.
- Also know
- Payouts are paid in real money based on simulated results. Requests Sunday 5 PM CT to Friday 5 PM CT.
Heads up: recent changes and conflicting pages 14
- Back2Funded decision window: the Back2Funded help article says it was extended from 7 to 30 calendar days on May 29, 2026, but the older Express Funded Account rules page (topstep.com, 'Last updated: June 26, 2025') still says 'You have seven calendar days to decide'.
- Express payout caps: the Express rules page says payouts are capped at 'a max of $5,000 (Standard) or $6,000 (Consistency XFA) per payout', while the Payout Policy gives per-size caps of $2,000/$3,000/$5,000 (Standard) and $3,000/$4,000/$6,000 (Consistency) for 50K/100K/150K; the larger figures match only the 150K account.
- Minimum Payout Balance: the Express rules page says 'After the first payout, a Minimum Payout Balance must be met for subsequent payouts', but the current Payout Policy does not mention any such minimum balance.
- Daily Loss Limit: the Express rules page says 'Accounts trading on platforms other than TopstepX are also subject to a Daily Loss Limit', while the current help center describes the DLL as optional in the Combine and Express account and TopstepX as the only platform for new accounts.
- Live account loss floor: the Program Overview says the Live account rule is that the balance must not reach or go below $0, while the Live Funded Account rules page says the 'Maximum Loss Limit' is currently $1,000 and the Live parameters article says the account may be liquidated if the balance drops below $1,000.
- Live reserve releases: the Live rules page (updated July 1, 2026) says expansion is reviewed after Friday's close and applied by the following Tuesday, while the Live parameters article says reviews happen every Monday morning with funds arriving within 1-2 business days.
- Live payouts: the Live rules page says payouts are limited to 50% 'of your share of trading profits' until 30 Benchmark Trading Days and total payouts cannot exceed 90% of starting balance plus net profits; the Payout Policy says up to 50% of the account balance per request and, after 30 winning days, daily payouts of the unlocked balance.
- Refunds: the Trading Combine parameters article says refunds are available only within 28 days of purchase and only with no trading, while the Refund Policy describes a 14-day first-purchase satisfaction guarantee and a 28-day window for forgotten rebills.
- Labs $1.5K Challenge (Drop #007): the topstep.com/labs page shows a profit target of $1,000 while its title and the help center say $1,500.
- Payout Cap Increase: a limited-time offer starting 3:30 PM CT on June 2 (2026) doubles Express per-request payout caps when a Daily Loss Limit is added at Trading Combine checkout; no end date is published.
- The Live Performance Bonus was retired in June 2026 and replaced by the Topstep Octagon monthly bonus contest on July 1, 2026.
- Third-party platforms: since July 7, 2025, new Trading Combines are only sold on TopstepX; resets on other platforms ended August 1, 2025.
- The Express Scaling Plan tiers for the regular 50K/100K/150K accounts are published only as an image on the official pages, so the exact balance thresholds are not included here.
- Tier 1 news restrictions page also lists caps for 25K and 250K account sizes; those relate to Labs products.
All Topstep accounts at a glance
Every plan and size the firm sells, with the headline numbers. Pick one in the explorer above for the full rules.
Trading Combine (Standard Path)
Monthly-subscription evaluation on TopstepX with the lowest monthly price; passing it earns an Express Funded Account, which costs a one-time $149 activation fee. At activation you choose the Standard or Consistency payout path.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $49 / month | $3,000 | $2,000 · EOD | $1,000 · optional | 90% | $125 |
| 100K | $99 / month | $6,000 | $3,000 · EOD | $2,000 · optional | 90% | $125 |
| 150K | $199 / month | $9,000 | $4,500 · EOD | $3,000 · optional | 90% | $125 |
Trading Combine (No Activation Fee Path)
Same evaluation and Express account rules as the Standard Path, but with a higher monthly price and no activation fee when you pass. Paths cannot be switched after purchase.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $95 / month | $3,000 | $2,000 · EOD | $1,000 · optional | 90% | $125 |
| 100K | $149 / month | $6,000 | $3,000 · EOD | $2,000 · optional | 90% | $125 |
| 150K | $229 / month | $9,000 | $4,500 · EOD | $3,000 · optional | 90% | $125 |
Live Funded Account
Real-money account that cannot be bought: the Risk Team invites consistent Express traders. It starts with only 20% of the capital tradable and unlocks the rest as profit targets are hit.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | Not sold | None | $10,000 | $2,000 | 90% | $125 |
| 100K | Not sold | None | $10,000 | $3,000 | 90% | $125 |
| 150K | Not sold | None | $10,000 | $4,500 | 90% | $125 |
Pro Account
Invitation-only simulated account that replaces the Live Funded Account for traders in countries that cannot access live markets; payouts follow Express account rules.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | Not sold | None | $10,000 | $1,000 | 90% | $125 |
| 100K | Not sold | None | $20,000 | $2,000 | 90% | $125 |
| 150K | Not sold | None | $30,000 | $3,000 | 90% | $125 |
$25K Static Drawdown Trading Combine (Topstep Labs)
One-time-fee evaluation with a fixed (non-trailing) drawdown and a mandatory daily loss limit; released as Labs Drop #001 in June 2026 and listed as available any time.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25K | $75 one-time | $2,000 | $1,000 · static | $500 | — | — |
$50K Static Drawdown Trading Combine (Topstep Labs)
One-time-fee 50K evaluation with a fixed (non-trailing) $2,000 drawdown and higher $4,000 target; Labs Drop #006 (October 2026), listed as available any time.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $149 one-time | $4,000 | $2,000 · static | $1,000 | — | — |
$250K Freedom Funded Trading Combine (Topstep Labs)
One-time-fee large evaluation with an end-of-day trailing drawdown and a $25,000 payout cap; Labs Drop #002 (July 2026), listed as available any time.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250K | $499 one-time | $15,000 | $10,000 · trailing | $5,000 | — | — |
Topstep Labs Challenges
One-time-purchase, two-round challenges (Challenge Round then Payout Round) with a fixed-size cash payout instead of a funded account. Several are limited drops; the $1.5K 'Powered Up' version is listed as available any time.
| Size | Price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Daily loss limit | Split | Min payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5K Powered Up | $99 one-time | $1,500 | $500 · static | None | None | $1,500 |
| 1.5K | $39 one-time | $1,500 | $500 · static | None | None | $1,500 |
| 3K | $49 one-time | $3,000 | $1,000 · static | None | None | $3,000 |
| 3K Undead | $199 one-time | $3,000 | $1,000 · static | None | None | $3,000 |
| 3K Slasher | $65 one-time | $3,000 | $500 · static | None | None | $3,000 |
| 6K | $149 one-time | $6,000 | $2,000 · static | None | None | $6,000 |
Rules for every Topstep account
Trading hours, news, banned strategies, account limits, fees and more.
- Program path
Topstep has three stages: a paid simulated evaluation (Trading Combine), a simulated funded stage that pays real money (Express Funded Account, XFA), and a real-capital Live Funded Account that the Risk Team invites traders into. Accounts come in 50K, 100K and 150K sizes; experimental 'Labs' products add other sizes.
source · help.topstep.com - Trading platform
TopstepX is the only trading platform for new accounts. New Trading Combines have only been sold on TopstepX since July 7, 2025; resets on other platforms ended August 1, 2025. Existing Express and Live accounts on older platforms may keep trading. Quantower can still connect through the ProjectX data feed. TopstepX cannot connect to TradingView.
source · help.topstep.com - Market data
Level 1 (top-of-book) data is included free for Trading Combine and Express accounts. Level 2 (depth of market) is an add-on at $38/month, billed on the 28th, not prorated and not refundable. Traders must select non-professional status on the CME data agreement.
source · help.topstep.com - Commissions (TopstepX)
Commissions are $1.00 per round turn for minis and $0.50 for micros, plus a $0.02 NFA fee and exchange fees that vary by product (for example ES about $3.78 and MES about $1.22 round turn in total). CME raised MCL and MNG exchange fees by $0.10 per side from the October 1, 2026 trading day.
source · help.topstep.com - Products
Only CME Group futures: CME equity index (ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, RTY, M2K, NKD, MBT, MET), CME FX (6A, 6B, 6C, 6E, 6J, 6S, E7, M6E, M6A, 6M, 6N, M6B), CME livestock (HE, LE), NYMEX energy and metals (CL, QM, NG, QG, MCL, RB, HO, PL, MNG), CBOT grains (ZC, ZW, ZS, ZM, ZL), CBOT Dow (YM, MYM), CBOT rates (ZT, ZF, ZN, TN, ZB, UB) and COMEX metals (GC, SI, HG, MGC, SIL, MHG). No spot forex, stocks or crypto spot.
source · help.topstep.com - Trading hours and flat time
The trading day runs from 5:00 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT the next day. All positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT each weekday (or earlier if the product closes earlier); positions still open are closed automatically, and risk managers may start flattening at 3:08 PM CT. No holding overnight or over the weekend (no swing trading).
source · help.topstep.com - Holiday hours
On exchange early-close days, all positions must be flat 15 minutes before the early close or they are auto-liquidated. Payouts are not available during holiday hours. 2026 dates listed: Thanksgiving Nov 26 flat by 11:45 CT, Nov 27 flat by 12:00 CT, Christmas Eve Dec 24 flat by 12:00 CT, Christmas Day Dec 25 closed.
source · help.topstep.com - News trading
Trading around major news is allowed with limits. For Tier 1 events (CPI, PPI, Non-Farm Payroll, FOMC rate decision and FOMC press conference) there is a 10-minute window from 5 minutes before to 5 minutes after the release: no new positions in minis such as ES, NQ, YM, RTY, NKD, GC, SI, HG, PL, and micro equity/gold positions are capped (3 for 50K, 6 for 100K, 9 for 150K). Positions opened earlier can stay open and stop/target orders that close positions are accepted. Separately, deliberately trading your full maximum position size straight into a scheduled major news event is prohibited.
source · help.topstep.com - High-volatility product limits
When a product is unusually volatile, Topstep can temporarily lower contract limits or halt trading in minis for that product (for example, at the time of writing SI, HG and PL full-size contracts were set to 0, and GC was limited to 3/6/9 contracts for 50K/100K/150K).
source · help.topstep.com - Hedging
Holding opposite positions in the same or related products (for example ES long and MES short) across your accounts at the same time is prohibited, even briefly or by accident (including via a trade copier). Coordinating opposite trades with other people is also prohibited. Violations trigger warnings and liquidation, then same-day trading blocks, and repeated violations can permanently close accounts with no payout and no appeal.
source · help.topstep.com - Copy trading
Copying trades between your own accounts with a trade copier is allowed (the Express account rules say copiers may control up to $750K of total buying power across Express accounts), but copied trades must never create opposite positions. Trading on behalf of others, trading in concert with other traders, and account sharing are prohibited.
source · help.topstep.com - Automated trading and bots
Bots and automated strategies are allowed, but Topstep will not help set them up and makes no exceptions for malfunctions. High-frequency trading is prohibited. The TopstepX API (ProjectX) costs $29/month ($14.50 with Topstep's promo code), is for simulated accounts only (not Live accounts), and orders must come from your own device: running automation on a VPS, VPN or remote server is not allowed.
source · help.topstep.com - Prohibited strategies (simulator exploitation)
Strategies that exploit simulated fills are banned: scalping algorithms built on unrealistic fills, hundreds of rapid trades to exploit queue position (high-frequency-style trading), trading gapped markets for stray fills, exploiting the lack of slippage, and very tight brackets or auto-breakeven to farm favorable fills. Also banned: account stacking (blowing accounts one after another with oversized risk), deliberately draining a Live account, trading outside the best bid/offer, and using software, AI or ultra-fast systems for an unfair edge. Topstep can reject profits if abuse is suspected.
source · help.topstep.com - Prohibited conduct
Also prohibited: exploiting price-display errors or slow data feeds, spoofing and other disruptive practices, holding positions within 2% of a product's daily price limit, using platform bugs, using a VPN, proxy or TOR, trading on behalf of others, excessive purchases of Combines or resets, and bad-faith chargebacks. Penalties range from a warning or deleted trading day to a reset, payout denial or permanent closure.
source · help.topstep.com - Account limits
One profile per person. No limit on the number of Trading Combines. Up to 5 active Express Funded Accounts at once (sizes can be mixed); only 1 Live Funded Account at a time, and receiving one closes all Express accounts. One Practice Account at a time.
source · help.topstep.com - Inactivity
Express and Live accounts with no trading for more than 30 days may be closed and cannot be put on hold. The official Trading Combine pages do not state an inactivity rule (the monthly subscription keeps billing until you pass or cancel).
source · help.topstep.com - Eligibility and restricted countries
Traders must be 18+. Residents of sanctioned or restricted countries cannot trade (list includes, among others, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Algeria, Venezuela and Lebanon). Residents of some countries (for example Germany, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Iceland, Monaco, Serbia) can hold Express accounts but not Live accounts and may be offered a Pro Account instead. The list can change at any time.
source · help.topstep.com - Identity verification (KYC)
Identity verification (government photo ID plus selfie) is required before your second purchase; until it is done, new accounts, resets and other purchases will not process. People with certain criminal convictions, regulatory discipline or unresolved clearing-firm debt cannot receive an Express account.
source · help.topstep.com - Subscription billing
The Trading Combine is a monthly subscription that rebills every 30 days with no time limit to pass. It cannot be paused. Passing cancels that account's subscription; payments already made are not prorated. Cancelling is permanent for that account.
source · help.topstep.com - Resets
A reset puts a Trading Combine back to its starting balance, drawdown and day count and pushes the next rebill out 30 days. Resets cost the same as one month of that plan, are limited to 2 per account per day, apply only to Trading Combines (not Express or Live accounts) and are non-refundable. Each monthly rebill also adds one free reset credit (credits issued from Dec 11, 2025 expire after one year).
source · help.topstep.com - Refunds
First-ever Trading Combine purchase: 14-day satisfaction guarantee (refund of up to one monthly payment, not if you already passed). A forgotten rebill can be refunded within 28 days if the account has no trades and its reset credit is unused. Resets, activation fees, Back2Funded fees and Level 2 data are non-refundable.
source · help.topstep.com - Back2Funded (second chance)
If an Express account earned through a Trading Combine is closed for breaking a rule before its first payout, it can be reactivated up to 2 times at the same size: $599 (50K), $699 (100K), $829 (150K), or $50 less if a Daily Loss Limit is chosen. You have 30 calendar days from closure to decide (7 days before May 29, 2026). Balance and winning days restart from zero. Not available for Live, Pro or Focused Trader accounts.
source · help.topstep.com - Daily Loss Limit (optional)
In the Trading Combine and Express account, a Daily Loss Limit is optional: $1,000 (50K), $2,000 (100K), $3,000 (150K), chosen at checkout and then fixed. Hitting it is not a failure: positions are closed and trading pauses until 5 PM CT. Choosing it at checkout gives a monthly discount on No Activation Fee Combines and doubles Express payout caps (limited-time offer). It is automatic in Live accounts.
source · help.topstep.com - Payout methods and timing
Payouts can be requested Sunday 5 PM CT to Friday 5 PM CT (not on holidays). Internal approval can take 1-3 business days. Methods: Aeropay (US, instant after approval, no fee), transfer to Topstep Brokerage (US, same day if requested by 12 PM CT), Wise (China, Canada, UK, 1-3 days), ACH (US, $30 fee) and wire/SWIFT (international, 5-10 days, $30 fee).
source · help.topstep.com - Profit split
Traders keep 90% of profits (90/10). Traders who joined the new Topstep dashboard before January 12, 2026 keep 100% of their first $10,000 of lifetime payouts.
source · help.topstep.com - Live account promotion
There is no fixed target for reaching a Live Funded Account. The Risk Team reviews consistency, risk management, sizing, products, stop use and payout history and calls traders up at its discretion. Traders cannot decline and stay in Express: they either move to Live or close the Express account.
source · help.topstep.com - Responsible Trading Program
Traders showing risky behavior (multiple accounts blown in one day, max size on most trades, no stops, revenge trading) can be placed in this program: all new accounts get a mandatory Daily Loss Limit and passed Combines can only become Consistency-path Express accounts. Exit requires earning $10,000 of profit in a Live Funded Account.
source · help.topstep.com - Focused Trader Program
A restriction applied after rule breaks or poor Live performance: traders are limited to one active 50K account at a time (Corrective Path, 6 months, all accounts closed and pending payouts denied) or cannot buy new accounts (Slowdown Path).
source · help.topstep.com - Practice Account
A free practice account is available while you have an active Trading Combine subscription (one at a time, up to 10 free resets per day). Hedging checks do not apply to it.
source · help.topstep.com - Bans and appeals
Banned traders lose their accounts and balances and pending payouts. One appeal per decision may be requested by email within 30 calendar days. New profiles opened after a ban are closed without refund.
source · help.topstep.com - Live account costs
In a Live Funded Account the trader pays real commissions and exchange fees, their own platform license, and professional market data: Topstep covers one exchange (CME by default) and each extra exchange costs $133/month.
source · help.topstep.com - Payment methods and taxes
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Google Wallet and Apple Pay are accepted; PayPal is not. Listed prices exclude VAT, GST or sales tax, which is added at checkout.
source · help.topstep.com
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/10490293-daily-loss-limit-in-the-trading-combine-and-express-funded-account
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/10657969-live-funded-account-parameters
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/11748475-dynamic-live-risk-expansion
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/12060405-back2funded-rules-guidelines-and-how-it-works
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/13747178-live-funded-account-call-up-and-call-down-process
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/14289835-topstep-pricing-and-payment-questions
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/14645398-what-is-a-pro-account
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/15520357-topstep-labs
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/15764697-the-topstep-octagon
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284116-am-i-eligible-to-trade-with-topstep
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284197-trading-combine-parameters
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284204-what-is-the-maximum-loss-limit
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284208-consistency-at-topstep
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284215-express-funded-account-parameters
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284217-express-funded-account-activation
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284223-what-is-the-scaling-plan
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284229-what-are-the-costs-in-the-live-funded-account
- help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284233-topstep-payout-policy
- topstep.com/blog/labs-3k-challenge
- topstep.com/labs
- topstep.com/labs-250k
- topstep.com/live-funded-account-rules