Topstep Review (TopstepTrader) 2026
Learn more about TU’s methodology
- $1
- Ninja Trader
- MultiCharts
- Trade Navigator
- TradingView
- DayTradr
- InvestorRT
- MotiveWave
- R|Trader Pro
- Trading in mini, micro, and standard lots is available
- 1:100
Our Evaluation of Topstep
Learn more about TU’s methodology
Topstep is a prop trading firm with higher-than-average risk and the TU Overall Score of 3.74 out of 10. Having reviewed trading opportunities offered by the company and reviews posted by Topstep clients on our website, Traders Union expert Anton Kharitonov recommends users to consider a more reliable partner with better conditions, as, according to reviews, many clients of this firm are not satisfied with the company’s work.
Topstep is a broker for active traders who are ready to improve their skills. The company cooperates with clients regardless of trading experience and, when opening an account, takes into account the results of trading on a simulation account.
How we tested Topstep
Traders Union has analyzed financial markets for over 14 years, evaluating brokers based on 250+ transparent criteria, including security, regulation, and trading conditions. Our expert team of over 50 professionals regularly updates a Watch List of 500+ brokers to provide users with data-driven insights. While our research is based on objective data, we recommend that users perform independent due diligence and consult official regulatory sources before making any financial decisions.
Learn more about our methodology and editorial policies.
Brief Look at Topstep
Topstep is a leading proprietary trading firm offering traders the opportunity to trade futures contracts. With a unique two-step evaluation process, traders can prove their skills on a simulated account before potentially receiving funding for live trading.
Topstep offers three account sizes: $50,000, $100,000, and $150,000. Regular pricing starts from $165/month, with frequent discounts available. Traders can leverage up to 1:100 and access diverse futures markets, including stocks, commodities, crypto, bonds, and metals. Commissions and fees charged on the Trading Combine (simulation account) align with those on a live funded account, helping traders develop skills for real markets.
Topstep supports traders with educational resources, including free group coaching, to enhance their chances of success.
- Real trading accounts are financed by a broker, there is no need to invest your funds in trading.
- The company provides a wide range of free training materials, including free group coaching.
- You can contact the support team using several convenient methods.
- The broker offers a referral program for extra income.
- The company doesn’t offer bonuses, automated trading, or other passive income options.
- The support service works only on weekdays during set hours.
TU Expert Verdict
Chief Analytics Officer
Topstep is a proprietary trading firm that offers traders the chance to qualify for funded futures accounts through a two-stage evaluation program, with plan sizes at $50,000, $100,000, and $150,000. The evaluation starts at $49 per month for entry-level plans and uses simulated accounts to assess trading skills before granting funding. Successful traders access live accounts through regulated brokers, trading futures on platforms such as NinjaTrader, TradingView, and MultiCharts, with leverage up to 1:100. Topstep covers CME futures for stocks, commodities, bonds, and metals, and provides access to extensive educational resources, including free group coaching and community support.
Drawbacks include the absence of automated trading, no instant funding options, and a limited range of tradable assets with no access to Forex or cryptocurrencies. Weekend position closure is mandatory, and customer support is not available on weekends. Topstep is not suitable for traders seeking automated strategies, a broad asset selection, or passive income features, but may suit active futures traders interested in skill-based funding and structured evaluation.
- You're seeking an easy start in prop trading. Topstep allows opening an unlimited number of accounts, the cheapest requires only $49 per month. For any express account, there's a one-time fee of $149.
- You prefer trading without restrictions. Topstep accounts don't have a daily drawdown, only an overall one, with acceptable terms. For instance, on a $50,000 account, the overall drawdown cannot exceed $3,000.
- You're counting on a profitable partnership. According to Topstep's referral program terms, you can earn 25% from each referral's transaction benefiting the company (deposit, renewal, reset).
- You require a wide range of accounts. Many prop firms offer 6, 10, or more accounts. Topstep has only three - $50,000, $100,000, and $150,000.
Topstep Summary
Your capital is at risk. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. A high percentage of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
| 💻 Trading platform: | TSTrader, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Bookmap X-ray, CTS, DayTradr, InvestorRT, MotiveWave, MultiCharts, R|Trader Pro, Trade Navigator, Volfix.net |
|---|---|
| 📊 Accounts: | Trading Combine, Funded Account |
| 💰 Account currency: | AUD, CAD, COP, GBP, JPY, EUR, MXN, and USD |
| 💵 Deposit / Withdrawal: | ACH, bank transfer |
| 🚀 Minimum deposit: | $1 |
| ⚖️ Leverage: | 1:100 |
| 💼 Copy Trading: | No |
| 📈️ Min Order: | 0.01 |
| 💱 EUR/USD spread: | Float |
| 🔧 Instruments: | Futures of the CME group: for stocks, commodities, bonds, and metals |
| 💹 Margin Call / Stop Out: | The broker closes all open positions automatically every Friday |
| 🏛 Liquidity provider: | No data |
| 📱 Mobile trading: | No |
| ➕ Affiliate program: | Yes |
| 📋 Order execution: | ECN on the real account |
| ⭐ Trading features: | Trading in mini, micro, and standard lots is available |
| 🎁 Contests and bonuses: | Yes, Traders Union’s rebates |
You can open an account for trading futures. The broker offers three subtypes of accounts, they differ based on the purchasing ability of the trader. Before you start trading on a real account, you must go through the obligatory training on a simulation account. If you show positive results you can switch to live trading. There is a monthly fee for using a simulation account. You don’t need to replenish your account to trade on a live account, since trading is funded by Topstep broker. Trading transactions are carried out on platforms that are designed to trade futures. The maximum leverage level is 1:100. There is no margin call level, and the broker automatically closes all trades every Friday at 15:45.
More about Topstep ChallengeTopstep Key Parameters Evaluation
Video Review of Topstep
Challenge rules and pricing
Topstep provides access to funding up to $150 000, with challenges requiring at a minimum of 2 trading days. The entry-level plan starts at $49, min but the fee is non-refundable.
- Low entry cost — from $49
- Multiple scaling options
- Flexible trading rules and conditions
- No instant funding options
- No demo account provided
Topstep Challenge fees and plans
We compared Topstep’s challenge plans by key parameters including pricing, profit targets, loss limits, and managed capital.
Available Trading Plans
| Trading Plans | 1 - Profit target, $ | 2 - Profit target, $ | 3 - Profit target, $ | Daily loss,% | Managed amount, USD | Max. loss, % | Price, USD or EUR |
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| 100 000 |
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| 150 000 |
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What’s the minimum trading period for Topstep’s challenge?
A minimum of 2 trading days is required, regardless of how quickly you reach the profit target.
Does Topstep offer a free evaluation?
No, Topstep does not offer a free evaluation option. If you’re looking for firms that do provide this feature, you may consider exploring other companies that support free challenge models, such as: Funded Trading Plus, Plutus Trade Base, FTUK.
Is instant funding available at Topstep?
No, Topstep does not offer instant funding. If this option is important to you, consider exploring other firms that provide instant funding models, such as: GoatFundedTrader, Funded Trading Plus, Hola Prime.
Trading rules
Topstep outlines the main rules for funded accounts, including a max. loss of 4% and a daily loss limit of 2%. The firm also restricts certain trading strategies, which are detailed below.
- News trading allowed
- Trading bots (EAs) allowed
- Flexible leverage up to 1:100
- Weekend close required
- Strict max loss
Topstep trading conditions
We compared Topstep’s leverage and trading conditions with competitors to help you better understand how it measures up.
| Topstep | Funded Next | GoatFundedTrader | |
| Max. loss, % | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Max. leverage | 1:100 | 1:100 | 1:100 |
| Weekend close rule | Yes | No | No |
| Mandatory Stop Loss | No | No | No |
| Trading bots (EAs) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| News trading | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Scalping | Yes | Yes | No |
| Copy trading | No | Yes | No |
Deposit and Withdrawal
Topstep earned a High score based on how smoothly and conveniently traders can deposit and withdraw funds.
Topstep stands out by offering a wide variety of payment options, ensuring a smooth and efficient fund management experience for traders.
- Supports bank wire transfers
- On-demand withdrawals
- Multiple base account currencies
- Wise transfers supported
- Payoneer not supported
- BTC payments not supported
- USDT payments not supported
Deposit and withdrawal options
To help you evaluate how Topstep performs, we compared its deposit and withdrawal methods with those of two competing proprietary trading firms.
Topstep Payment options vs Competitors
| Topstep | FundedNext | GoatFundedTrader | |
| Bank Card | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Wire | Yes | Yes | No |
| Crypto | No | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wise | Yes | No | No |
| Payoneer | No | No | No |
| Skrill | No | No | No |
| Neteller | No | No | No |
Profit withdrawal frequency
We compared Topstep with other prop firms based on how frequently traders can withdraw their profits: on demand, weekly, or monthly. Firms that allow more frequent payouts offer greater flexibility and quicker access to earnings.
| Topstep | FundedNext | GoatFundedTrader | |
| On demand | Yes | No | No |
| Weekly | No | No | No |
| Biweekly | No | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly | No | No | No |
What base account currencies are available?
Topstep offers the following base account currencies:
Trading Account Opening
To start trading, register on the Topstep broker's website. You can do this by following Traders Union’s step-by-step instructions:
Visit the broker's official website. Find the "Start Trading” button on the main page, in the center of the screen. Click it to start registration.
Select one of the trading options — Futures. Click on the "Start Trading" button under the desired option.
Click on the "Start My Trading Combine" button.
Then select the type of trading account you want — Topstep accounts differ in purchasing ability and commissions. You can also select the currency of the account and study the trading terms of different accounts. Click on the "Select" button under the selected account.
In the window enter your login and password, if you are a registered user. To open a new account, click on the "Register here" inscription, which is located under the "Login" button.
Fill out the form with personal data such as your email address, full name, and password to log in to your account.
Enter your phone number. Click on the "Send Verification Code" button and enter the 4-digit code that the broker will send to your phone. If necessary, you can go back and change the phone number.
Now pay a fee for using the broker's services. The amount depends on what type of account you chose.
The following options are available in the Topstep personal account:
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Financial statistics.
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Trade section.
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Customer portal.
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Analytical and news portal.
Is Topstep Safe?
Topstep is registered in Chicago, Illinois, in the USA. It allows its clients to trade on simulated accounts while having access to real market conditions.
Trading on a real account is carried out through several reputable brokers - Plus500, NinjaTrader Brokerage, Dorman, and CQC.
Advantages
- Live trading is done through a regulated broker
Disadvantages
- Topstep doesn’t provide license or regulation data
Markets and Tradable Assets
Topstep has a score of 4.5/10, indicating an Average offering of markets and tradable assets.
- Indices available
- Futures available
- Options not supported
- Stock trading not allowed
Tradable markets
We compared the range of tradable instruments offered by Topstep with two leading competitors to highlight the differences in market access.
| Topstep | FundedNext | GoatFundedTrader | |
| Futures | Yes | Yes | No |
| CFDs | No | Yes | Yes |
| Forex | No | Yes | Yes |
| Options | No | No | No |
| Stocks | No | No | No |
| Crypto | No | Yes | Yes |
| Indices | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Investment Options
Topstep provides services for those traders who prefer independent capital management and who seek profits by making transactions within a single trading day. There are no conditions for investing, passive income, or using copy services in the company.
If you are a large investor and plan on investments over $10,000, contact us at vip-invest@tradersunion.com or by the feedback form on our website. Our professional team will take you through all the intricacies of the deal and all the steps from signing up to withdrawal of profits.
Topstep’s affiliate program:
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Affiliate Program. Here you can get extra income by participating in Topstep’s affiliate program. The broker provides all the necessary tools, including marketing materials, promotion methods, and strategies. You are required to attract new active users to Topstep by placing an individual referral link on the network. You’ll get a bonus for each of the attracted clients (referrals).
The broker provides monthly payments to participants in the referral program, in addition to materials and tools. Also, you will get exclusive discounts for yourself and your referrals. You can find the information about attracted clients in your personal account.
Customer Support
Topstep offers a customer support service to solve the questions and problems of its traders. Contact the company's employees in one of the most convenient ways. The service is open from Monday to Friday.
Advantages
- The company offers several ways to communicate with its employees
- Find the answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) in the Help Center section.
Disadvantages
- The support service works only on weekdays
- No callback function
- You cannot visit the broker's office to solve problems or open an account
This broker provides the following communication channels for its clients:
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call to one of the provided phone numbers;
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letter to the broker's email;
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complete the contact form;
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send a message to online chat.
The broker is also represented on social networks, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Contacts
| Foundation date | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Registration address | Topstep | LLC 224 N Desplaines St #350 | Chicago, Illinois 60661 |
| Official site | https://www.topstep.com/ |
| Contacts |
Education
There is a section with materials that will be useful to traders with a basic knowledge of futures trading on the Topstep website. There is no information on the website for novice traders to understand the specifics of trading in various assets.
You can test different trading strategies for free on Trading Combine. Moreover, the broker provides access to real trading only after the trader develops and/or demonstrates positive trading skills on the imitation account.
Detailed Review of Topstep
Topstep is an international prop-trading company offering unique trading terms for working withfutures. Initially, regardless of the level of your professionalism, you must trade on a Trading Combine simulation account, taking into account all trading restrictions: the maximum daily and weekly loss limit allowed, the maximum trading volume, and other factors. The "trial period" includes 2 stages. At the first stage, you shall prove that your trading is profitable; the minimum stage duration is 5 days. At the second stage, you must prove your risk management skills; and the minimum time for this stage is 10 days. There are no restrictions on the maximum time for the stages passing, however, the broker charges a fee for each month of trading on Trading Combine.
Topstep - Pros and cons for beginners
Topstep by the numbers:
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The maximum leverage is 1:100.
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Traders are offered 2 types of accounts: simulator and real Funded account.
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In 2021, the broker paid out profits to its clients for over $2,900,000.
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Topstep offers 9 basic currencies for a trading account.
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The broker's trading community includes representatives from 143 countries.
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With income on a real account up to $5,000, the broker pays the trader 100% of the earnings, that is more than $5,000 - 80%.
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Topstep funded over 6,000 accounts in 2020.
Topstep is a broker that provides financing for active day traders
After the trader has proven the profitability of his trading strategy and his risk management skills, the broker opens a real Funded Account. There is no need to replenish a deposit to get started since the account is funded by Topstep. Your task is to trade following all the rules and restrictions of the broker. Thus, you don’t risk your own funds when trading. If the trader’s income is up to $5,000, Topstep pays the client the amount in full; if the income is over $5,000, the trader gets 80% of the amount earned.
Topstep offers over 14 platforms for futures trading. The possibility of mobile trading depends directly on the platform because the broker doesn’t have its own mobile application.
Useful services by Topstep:
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Economic Calendar. In this section, you can see many calendar and economic events already marked. The information will help you adjust your trading strategy and take into account possible changes in the market in advance.
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Latest News. Here you can find the latest news on finance, press releases, the trading community, and more. You can select topics of interest or articles from specific authors using a filter.
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Futures Magazine. The magazine contains information about the latest news in the trading world, different groups of assets, and other data that traders can actively use.
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Coaching. You will have access to free group coaching from trade experts, as well as digital coaching to help develop your discipline and shape your trading strategy.
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Help Center. The support service is not always in touch, and in most cases, you just need to visit this section to resolve the issue, since it contains all the information that you need to know before starting work at Topstep.
Advantages:
There is no need to invest your own funds in real trading.
The company's website contains training materials that are constantly updated.
The broker offers convenient ways to contact support.
You can get extra income by participating in the referral program.
You can trade standard, mini and micro-lots.
You can open an unlimited number of accounts with the company.
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