Topstep: evaluation rules
Rules checked as of How we source this
Topstep sells evaluation accounts for trading futures: you pay a fee, trade a simulated account under fixed rules, and if you meet the profit target without breaking a loss limit you may move to a funded or simulated-funded stage with payouts. This page records the rules Topstep publishes for its current plans, in account sizes from $50,000 to $150,000, as of 27 Oct 2026.
The figures that matter most for sizing are the maximum contracts, the daily loss limit and the drawdown. The drawdown type changes how much room you have: an end-of-day trailing limit moves up only with closing balances, an intraday trailing limit follows your highest open equity, and a static limit stays put. Fees, payout splits and payout conditions are shown as published, along with whether the fee is monthly or one-time.
Prop firms change their rules and prices often, sometimes weekly. Every value below links to the page we took it from, and anything we could not confirm from the firm's own pages is listed under “Not verified”. This is a record of published terms, not a recommendation or a ranking, and the firm's current terms always take precedence.
Two price paths for the same Combine: Standard (lower monthly fee, $149 activation fee when funded) and No Activation Fee (higher monthly fee, $0 activation).
Trading Combine — Standard
| Account | Max contracts | Max micros | Daily loss limit | Drawdown | Profit target | Fee (monthly) | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50K | 5 | 50 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $49 | $149 |
| $100K | 10 | 100 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $99 | $149 |
| $150K | 15 | 150 | $3,000 | $4,500 | $9,000 | $199 | $149 |
| Drawdown type | End-of-day trailing. Maximum Loss Limit trails the end-of-day balance but is enforced in real time (including unrealized P&L); it locks permanently once it reaches the starting balance. |
|---|---|
| Consistency rule | Best day must stay under 55% of total profit in the Combine; otherwise the target rises to best day ÷ 0.55. |
| Payout split | 90/10 |
| Payout terms | Minimum payout $125; each request up to 50% of balance, capped per size. Standard path needs five winning days of $150 or more. Caps double if a Daily Loss Limit is selected at purchase (described by Topstep as limited-time). |
Trading Combine — No Activation Fee
| Account | Max contracts | Max micros | Daily loss limit | Drawdown | Profit target | Fee (monthly) | Activation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50K | 5 | 50 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $95 | $0 |
| $100K | 10 | 100 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $149 | $0 |
| $150K | 15 | 150 | $3,000 | $4,500 | $9,000 | $229 | $0 |
| Drawdown type | End-of-day trailing. Same Maximum Loss Limit rule as the Standard path. |
|---|---|
| Consistency rule | Same as the Standard path. |
| Payout split | 90/10 |
| Payout terms | Same as Standard path. |
“—” means the firm does not publish the value in a form we could read. See “Not verified”.
Not verified
daily_loss_limit: Topstep's DLL article (30 Jun 2026) says the DLL is optional and chosen at purchase; the pricing page lists it as a standard parameter. Values shown are the DLL amounts when selected.drawdown_lock: 100K and 150K lock levels derived from the documented rule (locks at starting balance); only the 50K example is worked on Topstep's page.reset_fee: Taken from Topstep's pricing help article; topstep.com/pricing could not be read directly.
Max contracts for your stop
Sources
- https://help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284197-trading-combine-parameters: max contracts; page dated 2026-09-24; checked 2026-10-27
- https://help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284204-what-is-the-maximum-loss-limit: drawdown rule; page dated 2026-09-18; checked 2026-10-27
- https://help.topstep.com/en/articles/10490293-daily-loss-limit-in-the-trading-combine-and-express-funded-account: daily loss limit; page dated 2026-06-30; checked 2026-10-27
- https://help.topstep.com/en/articles/14289835-topstep-pricing-and-payment-questions: fees; checked 2026-10-27
- https://www.topstep.com/no-activation-fee: profit targets; checked 2026-10-27
- https://help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284233-topstep-payout-policy: payout split and caps; checked 2026-10-27
- https://help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284208-consistency-at-topstep: consistency rule; page dated 2026-09-17; checked 2026-10-27