Topstep vs TradeDay – Elite Prop Firms Comparison
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Introduction
Topstep and TradeDay are both Chicago-rooted futures-only prop firms, which makes this a genuine head-to-head rather than an apples-to-oranges mismatch. Topstep was founded in 2012 by Michael Patak and is widely credited with inventing the modern prop firm evaluation model. It has paid out over one billion dollars to funded traders and carries a 3.4/5 Trustpilot rating from more than 13,800 reviews. TradeDay, launched in 2020 by James Thorpe and Steve Miley, is the younger challenger. It has built a reputation on generous payout timing – day-one withdrawals with no consistency requirement – and flexible evaluation structures, including Intraday, End-of-Day, and Static drawdown variants. Both firms work exclusively with CME Group futures, target the same account sizes ($50K, $100K, $150K), and set a 6% profit target. The main fork in the road is platform breadth, drawdown mechanics, and profit-split structure. Topstep offers 100% of the first $10,000 in cumulative profits; TradeDay offers 80% from day one with a path to 95%. If you want the most established name in futures funding, Topstep is the reference point. If you want more platform choice and earlier access to profits, TradeDay deserves serious consideration.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| 
| |
| Founded | 2012 | Not available |
| Profit Split | 90% trader share; first-$10,000 lifetime-profit exception for traders who joined the new dashboard before Jan 12, 2026 | Quick Pay Sim: 50%/80% by portion around $4,000 current profit; Fast Pass Sim: 80%; Live: 90% eligible profits, Quick Pay buffer portion 50% |
| Maximum Account Size | $150,000 | Not available |
| Evaluation Phases | 1 | 1 |
| Trustpilot Rating | 3.4 | 4.6 |
| Expert Grade | 9 | 8.9 |
Program Types
| Program | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Program | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced Program | Not available | Yes |
| Scaling Options | No | Yes |
| Demo Account | No | Yes |
Rules & Assessment
| Criteria | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| Profit Target | Trading Combine Parameters - 50,000: 3,000 Trading Combine Parameters - 100,000: 6,000 Trading Combine Parameters - 150,000: 9,000 | $1,500/$3,000/$6,000/$9,000 for 25K/50K/100K/150K evaluations |
| Maximum Drawdown | Trailing MLL: $2,000-$4,500 | $1,000/$2,000/$3,000/$4,500 for 25K/50K/100K/150K evaluation and Funded Sim; trailing floor freezes at starting balance; Live rules differ |
| Minimum Trading Days | Trading Combine can pass in as few as 2 days, subject to 55% consistency; funded payout paths have separate day requirements | Quick Pay vs Fast Pass - Quick Pay: 5 Quick Pay vs Fast Pass - Fast Pass: None |
| News Trading | Yes | No |
| Daily Loss Limit | Trading Combine Parameters - 50,000: Optional (1,000) Trading Combine Parameters - 100,000: Optional (2,000) Trading Combine Parameters - 150,000: Optional (3,000) | Not available |
| Consistency / Best Day Rule | Not available | Quick Pay vs Fast Pass - Quick Pay: 30% Quick Pay vs Fast Pass - Fast Pass: 45% |
| Maximum Contracts | Trading Combine Parameters - 50,000: 5 (50 micros) Trading Combine Parameters - 100,000: 10 (100 micros) Trading Combine Parameters - 150,000: 15 (150 micros) | Not available |
Fees & Pricing
| Option | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| Futures $50K Account | Trading Combine / USD 49 / Monthly Standard Trading Combine monthly price. Source Checked 2026-08-10 | Quick Pay Intraday / USD 125 / Monthly Quick Pay Intraday list price; monthly subscription; no activation fee. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| Futures $100K Account | Trading Combine / USD 99 / Monthly Standard Trading Combine monthly price; tier was marked temporarily on hold when verified. Source Checked 2026-08-10 | Quick Pay Intraday / USD 230 / Monthly Quick Pay Intraday list price; monthly subscription; no activation fee. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| Futures $150K Account | Trading Combine / USD 199 / Monthly Standard Trading Combine monthly price. Source Checked 2026-09-27 | Quick Pay Intraday / USD 350 / Monthly Quick Pay Intraday list price; monthly subscription; no activation fee. Source Checked 2026-08-09 |
| Refund Policy | Not available | No refunds after purchase |
| Coupons / Discount | Topstep discount | TradeDay discount |
Platforms & Markets
| Feature | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| Trading Platforms | TopstepX; Quantower connectivity for Trading Combine and Express Funded accounts | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Jigsaw, R-Trader Pro, Quantower, and 10 more |
| Forex | Currency futures, not spot Forex | No |
| Stocks | No | No |
| Indices | Yes | Not available |
| Commodities | Yes | Yes: permitted energy/agricultural futures; MGC/SIL limited; GC/SI/HG/PL restricted |
| Cryptocurrencies | No | No |
| Bonds | Yes | Not available |
| EA/Algo Trading | Yes | Not available |
Payout
| Feature | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| Payout Terms | $125 minimum; eligibility by funded-account path, not a bi-weekly schedule. XFA Standard: 5 winning days of $150+; XFA Consistency: 3 trading days and 40% consistency. Balance limits, account caps and method availability apply. | Minimum $250. Quick Pay Sim: day-one eligibility with positive profit; $10,000 gross-profit live-transition review. Fast Pass Sim: 5 qualifying profitable days per payout, net profit since last payout and tier caps; 45% consistency for accounts opened from 26 July 2026. |
| See all prop firm payouts → | ||
Verdict
| Key Element | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| Strengths | Trading Combine has no maximum completion deadline while the subscription remains active; automated strategies permitted subject to rules; 90% current trader share; Standard or Consistency Express payout paths. Daily-loss-limit arrangements vary. | No standard daily loss limit; Quick Pay Sim day-one payouts and no funded consistency; Fast Pass Sim retains EOD drawdown; eligible live profits receive 90% |
| Weaknesses | Recurring Combine subscription; $149 XFA activation on Standard pricing path; futures-only; end-of-day trailing MLL can be breached intraday on unrealised losses | Quick Pay Sim: stop at $10,000 gross-profit review threshold, excess forfeited; 50%/80% payout portions; intraday funded drawdown. Standard metals restricted; MGC/SIL limits. Monthly subscription. |
| Best For | Serious futures traders seeking established firm with forgiving evaluation | Futures traders avoiding daily loss limits; transparent disclosure valued |
Conclusion and Final Recommendation
Choose Topstep if you want a cheaper entry, from USD 49, news trading allowed and coverage of forex and commodities that the other does not offer. Choose TradeDay if a demo account to test the platform first matters more to you. Neither firm is better in the abstract. The right choice depends on your strategy, your budget and the instruments you trade, so read both full reviews before you commit. Verify current rules and pricing on each firm’s own site before purchasing.
Frequently asked questions
What should I know about Topstep’s programs?
Topstep distinguishes Express Funded Account Standard and Consistency paths, followed by a separate Live Funded Account stage. Topstep official rules.
What should I know about TradeDay’s programs?
TradeDay offers a Make It Take It futures program with evaluation and Funded Sim stages. The published evaluation requires five trading days and a 30% consistency limit. TradeDay official rules.
How do payouts differ between Topstep and TradeDay?
The current payout policy lists a 90/10 split and a $125 minimum. Standard requires five winning days of $150 or more; Consistency requires three days and a 40% consistency target. Requests are subject to account-size caps. Topstep official rules.
Make It Take It lists a $250 minimum request and eligibility from one funded trading day, subject to its rules. Its split is 50/50 below $4,000 net profit, 80/20 above $4,000 and 90/10 in Funded Live. TradeDay official rules.
Which account rules matter when comparing Topstep and TradeDay?
Express payouts are generally limited to 50% of account balance up to the applicable cap. Legacy eligibility and optional daily-loss-limit arrangements can change the caps or split treatment. Topstep official rules.
The selected evaluation can use end-of-day or intraday drawdown, while the displayed Funded Sim rules use intraday drawdown. Do not assume those stages have identical loss calculations. TradeDay official rules.
Is Topstep or TradeDay automatically the better choice?
No. The two firms lead on different things: Topstep has the cheaper entry at USD 49 and market access the other lacks, namely forex and commodities, while TradeDay has a demo account to test first. Which of those matters more depends on how you actually trade, so compare how each firm measures drawdown, the total fee once add-ons and resets are included and whether the instruments you trade are covered, rather than the headline numbers. If you fail an evaluation, do not assume either firm offers a fixed reset discount: check the reset terms for the specific account you bought.
How We Compared Topstep and TradeDay
Both firms carry a JoinProp Rating out of 10, scored on the same nine weighted factors, led by payout reliability at 20%, then fee structure, drawdown rules and profit split at 15% each. The scores come from our own firm reviews, built from each firm’s current terms rather than its marketing pages and re-checked at least every 90 days. Affiliate relationships have no effect on any rating, and ratings are never sold. The tables above are the evidence behind those scores. Read our full ranking methodology.
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