The ruleset
| Account sizes | $50k · $100k · $150k |
| Eval cost (mid tier) | $165 |
| Phases | One-phase |
| Profit target | 6% |
| Max drawdown | Trailing (EOD) · 4% |
| Daily loss limit | 2% (optional) — ends the day, not the account |
| Consistency rule | None |
| Min trading days | 2 |
| Max days | Unlimited |
| Profit split (funded) | 90% |
| Payout buffer | 1% |
| Min profitable days (funded) | 5 |
| Trailing on funded | Yes |
| Payout frequency | Every 4 days |
| Payout requirement | 5 winning days of $150+ (standard path) or a 40% consistency target (Consistency path). |
| Rules verified | 2026-09-28 · source · source 2 |
Simulated results
Three trader profiles, thousands of evaluations each against Topstep's exact rules. Pass is the eval only, payout is conditional on passing, joint withdrawal is end-to-end, P&L is expected value over 50 attempts. Run the full simulation on your own trades for your real pass probability, risk of ruin and full journal statistics.
Why traders fail this challenge
Balanced-archetype failure breakdown — what actually ends a Topstep run.
Rules explained
How Topstep's drawdown works
Topstep uses a trailing (eod) drawdown of 4% of the starting balance. End-of-day trailing only ratchets against your closing equity, which is materially easier than intraday trailing. See trailing drawdown explained for the full mechanics.
How the daily loss limit is calculated
Topstep's 2% daily loss limit is optional, and not a rule violation: hitting it only ends that day's session and you trade again the next day. The account is only closed by the trailing max loss, so that is the number to size against.
Consistency rule
Topstep has no consistency rule on the standard evaluation. See the consistency rule explained for the full mechanics and how it changes your real pass rate.
Topstep payouts: how withdrawals actually work
Topstep pays 90% of funded-account profit to the trader, on a cycle of every 4 days. Before the first withdrawal you must be at least 1% above the starting balance, across a minimum of 5 profitable trading days. The trailing drawdown stays active on the funded account, so the same floor that ends evaluations keeps chasing you after you pass — this is the single most common reason funded traders never collect.
The split is the number every firm advertises and the least useful one, because it only applies to the runs that reach a payout at all. The drawdown structure decides that, not the split. See why most funded traders never get paid for the full breakdown.
Is Topstep legit?
Yes, in the sense that matters legally: Topstep publishes its ruleset, operates a defined 90% profit split and runs a real payout cycle every 4 days. We have no affiliate relationship with the firm, so we have no incentive to say otherwise.
The more useful question is whether the offer is favourable, and that is a maths question rather than a trust question. Topstep charges $165 for the mid-tier evaluation and requires a 6% profit target against a trailing (eod) drawdown of 4%, with a 2% daily loss limit on top. Against those rules, a balanced trader profile passes 58.5% of the time and reaches a withdrawal on 27.3% of runs. Over 50 attempts, expected value works out to $8.9k.
That is the honest frame: the firm is not deceiving anyone, but the business model is built on most evaluations failing, and the rules are priced accordingly. A firm is a bad deal when the rules make the target unreachable for your style — not when it is a scam. Our full analysis of whether prop firms are a scam covers the industry-wide picture.
Is Topstep worth it?
Topstep is the industry veteran with a clean funded structure and a 90% Express Funded split. The daily loss limit is optional and hitting it only ends that day's session — it is not a violation — so the trailing end-of-day max loss, on both the Combine and the funded account, is the rule that actually ends accounts. Payouts need 5 winning days of $150+ or the 40% consistency path.
Frequently asked
What is Topstep's trailing drawdown?+
Topstep uses a trailing (eod) drawdown of 4% of the starting balance. This is the single biggest driver of long-run pass rate for most traders.
What win rate do you need to pass Topstep?+
Not a fixed number. Our simulator runs three archetypes against Topstep's exact rules: the balanced 50%-win-rate trader passes 58.5% of the time; the scalper archetype and swing archetype produce meaningfully different numbers on the firm page above. Passing is a function of edge, variance, and how the ruleset punishes lumpy P&L — not win rate in isolation.
How much does Topstep cost long-term?+
The mid-tier Topstep evaluation is $165. Over 50 attempted challenges, our balanced-archetype simulation nets $8.9k — that's eval fees paid on failures netted against payouts collected on the joint 27.3% of runs that reach a withdrawal.
Does Topstep have a consistency rule?+
No consistency rule on the evaluation for the standard plan. Verify current terms — firms add and remove these rules regularly.
Is Topstep worth it in 2026?+
Topstep is the industry veteran with a clean funded structure and a 90% Express Funded split. The daily loss limit is optional and hitting it only ends that day's session — it is not a violation — so the trailing end-of-day max loss, on both the Combine and the funded account, is the rule that actually ends accounts. Payouts need 5 winning days of $150+ or the 40% consistency path.
Is Topstep legit?+
Topstep is a real evaluation provider with published rules and a 90% profit split, paying out every 4 days. The honest answer isn't "scam or not" — it's that the business model is designed around most traders failing. Our simulation puts the end-to-end odds of passing and reaching a withdrawal at 27.3% for a balanced trader. That's a low number, but it's disclosed in the ruleset rather than hidden.
How long do Topstep payouts take?+
Topstep runs a payout cycle every 4 days, and you need at least 5 profitable trading days before the first request, plus a 1% profit buffer above the starting balance. The gating factor is almost never processing time — it's reaching the buffer at all.
What is Topstep's profit split?+
90% to the trader on funded accounts. Profit split is the most advertised number in prop trading and the least important one — the split only applies to the minority of runs that reach a payout at all, so the drawdown structure that decides whether you get there matters far more.
Run YOUR numbers against Topstep's ruleset
The archetypes above are examples. Feed your own win rate, average win/loss and trades per day into the simulator to see your real pass and payout probability at Topstep.
Run my simulationTopstep drawdown by account size
Topstep head to head
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Based on publicly listed rules as of 2026-09-28. Independent — not affiliated with Topstep. Rules change; verify with the firm before paying. Simulations are estimates based on a barrier-crossing model of daily P&L, not guarantees.