Topstep Review 2026: The Original Futures Prop Firm — Still Worth It?

Unlike FTMO, Topstep uses a monthly subscription model for the Trading Combine evaluation. Sizes and prices: $50K Combine ($165/month), $100K Combine ($325/month), $150K Combine ($375/month). The subscription continues until you pass (and convert to a Funded account) or quit. One-step evaluation: hit the profit target ($3K on $50K, $6K on $100K, $9K on $150K) without violating max daily loss ($1K/$2K/$3K) or max overall loss ($2K/$3K/$4.5K). Minimum 5 trading days to qualify. Once you pass, you get an Express Funded Account (EFA) with the same drawdown rules; convert that to a standard Funded Account ($149 conversion fee, optional) for slightly better payout terms. Profit split: 100% of first $5K profit, 90% after that — most generous in the industry. Payouts: every 14 days, processed via ACH or wire.

NQ (E-mini Nasdaq) — the most popular Topstep instrument. Tick value: $5. Average daily range: 200–400 points = $1,000–$2,000 per contract. Best for momentum traders during US morning. ES (E-mini S&P 500) — slower, smoother. Tick value: $12.50. Average daily range: 30–60 points = $375–$750 per contract. Best for mean-reversion and patient swing-within-day. CL (Crude Oil) — most volatile. Tick value: $10. Average daily range: $1.50–$3.00 = $1,500–$3,000 per contract. Best for breakout traders, dangerous for beginners. The optimal Combine strategy: trade 1 NQ contract during US open (14:30–17:00 GMT), aim for $300 net profit per trade at 1.5 R:R. You need ~10 winning net trades to hit the $3,000 target on a $50K Combine. Most successful Topstep passers focus exclusively on NQ during the 9:30am–11:30am ET window when liquidity is densest.

Cost (first month): Topstep $50K = $165 vs FTMO $50K = $299. Topstep cheaper if you pass in 1 month; FTMO cheaper if it takes 2+ months. Profit split: Topstep 100/0 first $5K then 90/10 vs FTMO 80/20 default. Topstep wins on payout retention. Account size cap: Topstep max is $150K (with multi-account scaling possible) vs FTMO max $400K. FTMO wins on absolute size for elite traders. Instruments: Topstep is futures-only (NQ, ES, CL, GC, 6E + others) vs FTMO covers FX, indices CFDs, gold, crypto, oil. FTMO wins on diversification. Time pressure: Topstep has no hard deadline (subscription continues until you pass or quit) vs FTMO has 30-day Phase 1 + 60-day Phase 2 caps. Topstep wins for slow-and-steady traders. Verdict: Topstep for futures specialists, FTMO for FX/multi-asset traders. Both are credible, both pay out, both have been operating long enough to trust.

Once you have a Funded account at Topstep, realistic monthly payouts depend on consistency more than skill ceiling. Conservative profile (1% risk per trade, 8 trades/week, 55% win rate, 1:1.5 R:R): ~3% account growth per month = $1,500 on $50K account = $1,500 to trader (under first-$5K rule). Aggressive profile (2% risk per trade, similar stats): ~6% per month = $3,000/month = $3,000 to trader. Top-performer profile (battle-tested edge, 5% per month): $2,500/month split as $2,500 entirely to trader (still under first $5K). After accumulating $5K of withdrawn profit, the 90/10 split kicks in — at that point the math favors scaling to a $100K or $150K Combine. Multi-account approach: many Topstep traders run 2–3 $50K Combines simultaneously (different sub-accounts in same Topstep portal) — yielding ~$4,500–$9,000/month in aggregate without exceeding any single-account drawdown rule.

Choose Topstep if: you want to trade futures specifically (NQ, ES, CL, GC) at institutional size, you have $5K–$10K of risk capital but $150K of buying power desire, and you're comfortable with the subscription model. Choose personal Vantage Standard STP if: you want CFD versions of the same instruments (NAS100, SPX500, USOIL, XAUUSD all available), you want to compound 100% of profits without any split, you want flexibility to also trade FX/crypto/individual stock CFDs, and you don't want a monthly subscription. The optimal hybrid for futures-curious traders: open Vantage Standard STP via our referral link with $500–$1,000, get 150% FTD bonus + free Take Profit AI Premium, trade NAS100/SPX500/USOIL CFDs to learn the futures-style instruments without subscription. Once you have 3 profitable months, take a Topstep Combine for institutional size. Both run in parallel.