Topstep vs TradeDay
Side-by-side rules, fees and payout terms. Rows with differences are highlighted; anything we could not verify is marked as such.
| Rule | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| Drawdown modelⓘ | Trailing end-of-day | Trailing intraday |
| Profit splitⓘ | 90/10 | 90/10 in Funded Live; |
| Payoutsⓘ | On request, no fixed cycle. | Day-one payouts on Quick Pay, no buffer; |
| Consistency ruleⓘ | 55% best-day cap | 30% best-day cap |
| Daily loss limitⓘ | Yes | Unverified |
| News tradingⓘ | Allowed | Unverified |
| Weekend holdingⓘ | Not allowed | Unverified |
| Min. trading daysⓘ | Unverified | 5 days |
| Activation / PA feeⓘ | $149 one-time | None |
| Data feed feeⓘ | Unverified | Unverified |
| Reset feeⓘ | $49 | Varies / unverified |
| Payout bufferⓘ | No mandatory minimum balance after payout is stated; | No buffer on Quick Pay; |
| Contract scalingⓘ | Combine max position: 50K = 5 minis/50 micros; | Fixed max position per size on Quick Pay Intraday: 2/5/10/15 contracts |
| Platforms | TopstepX | Tradovate, Rithmic, NinjaTrader |
| Entry price | from $49 / month | from $40 / month |
| Promo code | None known | FLASH (60% off) |
| Last verified | 2026-10-07 | 2026-10-07 |
Highlighted rows differ between firms. Green = trader-friendly, red = restrictive, “Unverified” = we could not confirm it from the firm’s public rules.
True cost to first payout
Topstep
Trading Combine 100K — true cost to first payout
Assumes you pass without resets and reach your first payout in about 2 months.
- Evaluation fee × 2 mo · 99/mo subscription
- $198
- Activation / PA fee · one-time
- $149
- Data feed
- Unverified
- Total (known costs only)
- $347
Not included — unverified: data feed fee.
Reset fee: $49. Payout buffer: No mandatory minimum balance after payout is stated; payouts capped at 50% of balance (and the per-size caps above).
TradeDay
100K Quick Pay Intraday — true cost to first payout
Assumes you pass without resets and reach your first payout in about 2 months.
- Evaluation fee × 2 mo · 96/mo subscription, with code FLASH (list 240)
- $192
- Activation / PA fee · none
- $0
- Data feed
- Unverified
- Total (known costs only)
- $192
Not included — unverified: data feed fee.
Reset fee: unverified / varies by size. Payout buffer: No buffer on Quick Pay; minimum payout request $250 (homepage summary, not verified on rendered page).
FAQ
Does Topstep have a trailing drawdown?
Topstep uses a trailing drawdown that updates at end of day (EOD) on its main program.
Does Topstep have a consistency rule?
Yes — 55% best-day cap. Trading Combine: best single day must stay at or below 55% of the profit target
Is news trading allowed at Topstep?
Yes, with possible restrictions on funded accounts. Check Topstep’s current rules.
Does TradeDay have a trailing drawdown?
TradeDay uses a trailing drawdown that updates intraday on its main program.
Does TradeDay have a consistency rule?
Yes — 30% best-day cap. Quick Pay 30%
Is news trading allowed at TradeDay?
This depends on program and phase; we could not verify a single answer.