Topstep review: rules, fees and drawdown

What Topstep sells

Topstep offers paid, one-step futures evaluations through its Trading Combine and Topstep Labs programs. Its listed platform is TopstepX. Standard and No Activation Fee paths charge monthly; Labs Static and Freedom Combines charge a one-time fee with a 90-day lifespan.

The main rule to understand is the Maximum Loss Limit: the lowest balance your account can reach without a breach. On the regular Combine paths, this floor rises with your end-of-day balance and never moves down, then locks at your starting balance. A profitable session can therefore leave you with a higher floor for later trading.

Challenge options and fees

The fees below are as listed in October 2026. Standard and No Activation Fee subscriptions rebill monthly until you pass or cancel. Both have no minimum time requirement to pass, but their consistency rule still applies.

The checked pages list a $3,000 profit target for both regular paths without stating separate targets for every account size. Confirm the target for your selected size before paying. Compare fees alongside loss limits rather than choosing by the monthly price alone.

• Standard Path: 50K costs $49 per month, 100K costs $99 per month, and 150K costs $199 per month. A $149 activation fee applies once per Express Funded Account earned.
• No Activation Fee Path: 50K costs $95 per month, 100K costs $149 per month, and 150K costs $229 per month. Activation after passing costs $0.
• Labs Static Combine: 25K costs $75 one-time with a $2,000 target; 50K costs $149 one-time with a $4,000 target. Both have a 90-day lifespan and free funded activation.
• Labs Freedom Combine: 250K costs $499 one-time with a $15,000 target, a 90-day expiration, and free funded activation.

How the loss floor moves

Both regular Combine paths allow a maximum loss of $2,000 on 50K, $3,000 on 100K, and $4,500 on 150K. The 50K allowance is 4% of the starting balance, not the full account label. The floor trails end-of-day balance growth until it reaches the starting balance, where it locks permanently.

The Static Combine floor never moves. Its 25K version has a $1,000 maximum loss limit and mandatory $500 daily loss limit; its 50K version has a $2,000 maximum loss limit and mandatory $1,000 daily loss limit. The 50K profit target is 8% of the starting balance. Unlike a trailing floor, a static floor does not rise after profits.

Freedom has a $10,000 loss limit that trails at the end of the day and a mandatory $5,000 daily loss limit. The checked pages do not state a locking level for Freedom.

Loss monitoring includes closed-trade results and open-position gains or losses. Touching or falling below the maximum loss floor is a violation and triggers immediate liquidation. A daily loss limit instead forces a break for the rest of the session, not a rule violation. Daily limits are optional in the regular Combine and Express Funded Account, automatic in the Live Funded Account, and fixed after selection at checkout.

Payout eligibility and remaining cushion

Topstep advertises payout requests in as little as 3 days, while its Standard payout path requires 5 winning days of at least $150. These are not interchangeable requirements. Confirm which payout route applies to your account; the checked pages do not explain how the shorter timing applies.

The regular paths state that traders keep 90% of qualifying payouts. The checked pages do not state a separate Labs profit split, minimum payout amount, or complete payout conditions. Most fees are non-refundable; a fee refund after passing is not stated.

After the first Express Funded Account payout, the Maximum Loss Limit is set to $0 regardless of its previous level. Your remaining balance is then your loss cushion above that floor. A withdrawal therefore matters to how much room remains for losses.

Consistency and trading restrictions

On the regular paths, your best trading day cannot exceed the Consistency Target percentage of total profits. The checked pages do not state that percentage. Both Labs programs list a 55% consistency target, so a heavily concentrated profit day can affect qualification.

Static allows up to 2 mini or 20 micro contracts on 25K, and 4 mini or 40 micro contracts on 50K. Freedom allows up to 25 mini or 250 micro contracts. Contract limits for the regular paths are not stated in the checked material.

The pages we read do not state rules for news trading, weekend holding, or EAs, bots, and automated trading. Do not treat that silence as permission. Express Funded traders must follow CME holiday schedules, and Topstep allows up to 5 active Express Funded Accounts.

Back2Funded permits up to 2 paid reactivations if you lose an Express Funded Account before your first payout. The reactivation window is 30 calendar days after closure; the checked pages do not state the fee.

What to confirm before paying

Challenges are paid evaluations on simulated accounts. Most traders do not pass, and the fee is usually lost when they fail. Funded accounts are also simulated at most prop firms; do not assume the funded label means live capital.

• Confirm your selected account's profit target, consistency percentage, contract cap, and current fee.
• Check the daily loss limit at checkout: a selected limit cannot be changed later.
• Confirm news, weekend, and automation permissions on the official pages before using those strategies.
• Check payout-route eligibility and how a withdrawal changes your remaining loss cushion.
• Check subscription cancellation terms or the Labs expiration date so the fee structure matches your expected evaluation time.