Earn2Trade's structural moat is the education-prop hybrid model + published 8.89% pass rate transparency — neither offered by Apex, Topstep, or most futures-prop peers. Full Earn2Trade picture in the complete review. Sign up at Earn2Trade.
Earn2Trade and Topstep are two of the most established names in futures prop trading. Both are futures-only firms, both have been around long enough to develop real track records, and both attract traders who want a structured path to funded capital rather than the wild-west operators that flooded the market after 2022. The question is which one fits your specific situation.
The honest answer: they're not trying to win the same trader. Earn2Trade is an education-prop hybrid built for people who want to learn while they earn. Topstep is a pure-prop firm with a bigger brand, a higher profit split, and a simpler one-phase evaluation. Picking between them starts with knowing which category you fall into.
This comparison covers pricing, drawdown mechanics, profit splits, platforms, education, payout terms, and trust signals. All figures are sourced as of May 2026.
Earn2Trade vs Topstep: which is better in 2026?
Neither firm is objectively better. They serve different traders.
Earn2Trade's flagship program, the Trader Career Path (TCP), is a 5-stage ladder that starts at a $25K simulated account and builds to $200K over time. It bundles a free video library, study guides, and webinars into every TCP subscription. Earn2Trade also publishes its 8.89% TCP pass rate openly on its homepage. Most prop firms refuse to do that. That transparency is the brand. The firm is telling you upfront that the evaluation is hard, and it wants you to succeed anyway.
Topstep's Trading Combine is a single-phase evaluation at $50K, $100K, or $150K. Pass the Combine, pay an activation fee (or avoid it with the No Activation Fee Path), and you unlock an Express Funded Account with a 90% profit split. Topstep has been around since 2012, is CFTC-registered, and runs its own brokerage (Topstep Brokerage). The infrastructure is more mature. The brand recognition is higher. And 16.8% of Combines were passed in 2025. That's a higher rate than Earn2Trade's TCP, but partly because Topstep's single phase is structurally simpler than a 5-stage ladder.
The one-line version: pick Earn2Trade if you need education and a slower, structured climb. Pick Topstep if you already trade with an edge and want a clean evaluation with a higher split.
How do their account structures compare?
Earn2Trade runs two programs. The TCP is the one most traders know: a 5-stage progression from a $25K evaluation account up through $50K, $100K, and eventually $200K in live capital. You pay a monthly subscription at each stage and advance by hitting profit targets. It's designed as a career development path, not just a funding gate.
The Gauntlet Mini is Earn2Trade's faster alternative: a single-phase evaluation at $50K, $100K, $150K, or $200K. Pass it once and you're funded at the size you evaluated at. No ladder required.
Topstep runs only one evaluation model: the Trading Combine. Three sizes ($50K, $100K, $150K), one phase. Pass the profit target (6% of account size) while staying within the trailing drawdown and consistency rules, and you move to the Express Funded Account. There's no time limit. You trade monthly until you pass or cancel.
The structural difference matters for how long you stay in evaluation. Earn2Trade's TCP requires multiple stage completions; Topstep's Combine is done when you hit 6% once. For traders who can pass evaluations relatively quickly, Topstep gets you to funding faster. For traders who need time to develop consistency or want to build up progressively, Earn2Trade's ladder makes more sense.
Topstep also allows up to five Express Funded Accounts running simultaneously. Earn2Trade's max funded headline is $400,000, though you should verify the current multi-account rules at earn2trade.com before assuming that's a single-account figure.
How do their drawdown rules compare?
Drawdown is where the real differences emerge.
Earn2Trade uses EOD (end-of-day) drawdown during evaluation and LiveSim phases. This means only your closing balance matters, not intraday swings. During the TCP25 evaluation, the drawdown is $1,500 with a $550 daily loss limit. As you advance through the TCP stages, drawdown amounts increase proportionally. At the $200K live stage, the drawdown converts to a fixed/static floor. The trailing mechanism locks once your account reaches a high-water mark threshold.
Topstep's Trading Combine uses an EOD trailing drawdown that starts $2,000 below your opening balance on the $50K account and trails upward based on your highest end-of-day balance. Crucially, there is no daily loss limit in the Combine itself. That daily loss limit only appears in the Express Funded Account stage ($1,000 on $50K, $2,000 on $100K, $3,000 on $150K). The XFA trailing drawdown also locks once your balance reaches a defined threshold, the same concept as Earn2Trade's $200K stage.
Both firms use EOD trailing drawdown during evaluation. That shared mechanic is genuinely trader-friendly: a bad intraday session doesn't automatically end your account if you recover before the close.
The key distinction: Earn2Trade adds a daily loss limit from the evaluation phase onward. Topstep doesn't have one during the Combine. If you sometimes have volatile sessions where you dig a hole before recovering, Topstep's evaluation gives you more intraday rope. Earn2Trade's daily loss limit means a single bad morning session can be your last on that account, even if you'd have recovered by end of day.
Pricing head-to-head
Both firms use monthly subscription models with no setup fees. Here's how the numbers compare as of May 2026.
| Account Size | Earn2Trade TCP (mo) | Earn2Trade Gauntlet Mini (mo) | Topstep Standard (mo) | Topstep No-Activation-Fee (mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $25K | $150 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| $50K | $190 | From $69 (verify) | $49 + $149 activation | $109, no activation |
| $100K | $350 | Verify at earn2trade.com | $99 + $149 activation | $159, no activation |
| $150K | n/a | Verify at earn2trade.com | $149 + $149 activation | $209, no activation |
| $200K | Verify | Verify at earn2trade.com | n/a | n/a |
Earn2Trade reset fee: $65. Topstep reset fee: same as monthly subscription ($49–$149 depending on account size).
Note: Earn2Trade's homepage has listed a "from $69/mo" entry price for TCP that conflicts with the $150/mo standard rate on the pricing page. This discrepancy may reflect a promotional pricing tier or a Gauntlet Mini starting point. Confirm current rates at earn2trade.com/pricing.
The cost difference is significant at the entry level. A Topstep $50K Standard Combine costs $49/mo and produces a funded account once you pass and pay the $149 activation. An Earn2Trade TCP25 starts at $150/mo. For traders with limited capital who need to minimize evaluation costs, Topstep's entry price is materially lower.
Profit splits compared
Earn2Trade pays 80% across both the TCP and Gauntlet Mini, on both LiveSim and Live accounts. There's no confirmed scaling split (such as 85% or 90% at higher tiers). If one exists, it's not published on the product pages as of May 2026.
Topstep pays 90% on Express Funded Accounts for traders who joined after January 12, 2026. That 90% applies from day one of your XFA and holds whether you're trading a $50K or $150K account.
Topstep wins this category by 10 percentage points. On a $10,000 profit event, that's the difference between keeping $8,000 (Earn2Trade) versus $9,000 (Topstep). Compounded over a funded trading career, that spread adds up.
One nuance worth knowing: Earn2Trade's LiveSim accounts pay traders from Earn2Trade's own funds, not from real-market capital. In 2025, 94.77% of Earn2Trade passers stayed on LiveSim accounts. Only 5.23% advanced to real Live accounts. If you're comparing funded income potential, understand that Earn2Trade's "funded" stage for most traders is a simulated environment where profits are real money but the capital isn't deployed in markets. Topstep's Express Funded Account operates on the same simulated-but-real-payout model. Both firms are clear about this, but it's worth stating plainly.
Platform support compared
Both firms cover the major futures platforms. Here's the comparison:
| Platform | Earn2Trade | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Tradovate | Yes | Yes |
| NinjaTrader | Yes | Yes |
| TradingView | Yes | Yes |
| Rithmic | Yes (as data/routing layer) | No (not listed separately) |
| Quantower | No | Yes |
| TopstepX (proprietary) | No | Yes (launched July 2025) |
| Finamark (proprietary) | Yes (E2T's own) | No |
Earn2Trade supports five platforms total. Topstep offers TopstepX, its own platform that launched in July 2025, plus four third-party options. Both platforms are free during evaluation, though market data fees may apply depending on CME Non-Professional vs Professional status for Earn2Trade accounts.
The platform sets overlap heavily. If you trade NinjaTrader or TradingView, both firms support you. Earn2Trade's Rithmic integration makes it attractive for traders who want low-latency execution infrastructure. Topstep's TopstepX is a newer proprietary interface that's built into their ecosystem. Neither firm offers MetaTrader or other forex-adjacent platforms. Both are futures-only.
Payouts compared
Earn2Trade's payout structure (as of May 2026): minimum $100 withdrawal, self-initiated on a weekly basis, with a fee deducted from profits on the first withdrawal only. Exact fee amount not published on product pages. Earn2Trade made changes to the fee structure in December 2025, but the blog post detailing those changes is currently returning 404. Crypto payouts are available. The key requirement: all compliance documentation (agreements, KYC) must be completed before your first withdrawal. As of March 2026, you can begin trading LiveSim immediately after passing without waiting for compliance, but you can't withdraw until the paperwork is done.
Also notable: 18% of Earn2Trade live and LiveSim accounts made at least one withdrawal in 2025. That's a real benchmark, not just "payouts happen" but a concrete percentage with published data behind it.
Topstep's XFA payouts run through two paths. Standard XFA requires 5 winning days of $150+ net P&L with no consistency requirement. Consistency XFA requires 3 trading days with a 40% consistency target. Both paths have a $125 minimum payout and a $30 processing fee per withdrawal. Payout processing takes 1-3 business days. Options include ACH, wire, and SWIFT.
Topstep's $30 flat fee bites on small withdrawals. Withdraw $125 and you net $112.50 after Topstep's 10% cut, then minus $30 = $82.50. For traders who take frequent small payouts, that fee structure adds up. Earn2Trade's first-withdrawal fee is percentage-based (applied to profits, not account balance), so the dynamics differ. The exact rate needs direct verification.
Both firms process payouts within a few business days. Neither is slow by industry standards.
Education programs compared
This is Earn2Trade's strongest differentiator. The TCP subscription includes a free video library and study guides as standard features, not upsells or add-ons. Earn2Trade also runs webinars (7 categories listed in the help center under "Mentors and webinars") and maintains an active Discord community. The Beginner Crash Course is listed separately on the homepage as a standalone product, though pricing and curriculum aren't published inline. Verify at earn2trade.com.
The philosophy behind Earn2Trade's education layer is backed by the data the firm publishes. They have an 8.89% pass rate. That means most people fail. The education content exists to move that number, not just as a marketing hook.
Topstep offers T-Hub, an educational resources section within its platform. T-Hub includes webinars, replays, and market analysis content. It's a meaningful resource, but it's positioned as supplementary. Topstep doesn't bundle a structured curriculum into the Combine subscription the way Earn2Trade bundles content into the TCP. The firm's model is closer to "evaluation-first, you already know how to trade."
If you're arriving at prop trading from a retail background and need to close knowledge gaps before you can pass an evaluation, Earn2Trade's included education content has real value. If you're an experienced trader who views education content as noise, Topstep's approach is cleaner.
Trust and pass-rate disclosure
Both firms are among the more transparent operators in the prop space, which matters when most firms publish nothing about their internal statistics.
Earn2Trade published its 2025 performance data directly on its homepage: 8.89% TCP pass rate, 5.23% of passers on Live accounts (vs. 94.77% on LiveSim), and 18% withdrawal rates on both account types. That's unusually granular. The Equinox Group acquisition story that appeared in earlier coverage of Earn2Trade has been removed from the live site, and current ownership structure is unverified. The company currently presents as Earn2Trade Inc. with a Wyoming LLC registration. For Trustpilot rating and review count, check trustpilot.com/review/earn2trade.com directly, as a current verified figure wasn't available at the time of writing.
Topstep publishes similarly useful data: 16.8% of Trading Combines were successfully completed in 2025, and only 0.71% of Express Funded Account traders made it to a Live Funded Account. Topstep has been CFTC-registered since 2012, operates its own brokerage, and has one of the longest operating histories in the futures prop space. That regulatory track record is a genuine trust signal. It doesn't mean Topstep is infallible, but it means there's institutional infrastructure behind the payouts.
The 8.89% vs. 16.8% pass-rate gap is real but contextual. Earn2Trade's TCP is a 5-stage ladder where each stage requires hitting a profit target. That multi-phase structure compounds the probability of failure. Topstep's Combine is one phase. A different structural challenge, not necessarily a harder one per session.
When to pick Earn2Trade
Pick Earn2Trade if:
- You're newer to futures trading and want curriculum content bundled into your evaluation subscription
- You prefer the slower, progressive TCP ladder that builds account size incrementally over time
- Pass-rate transparency is important to your firm selection process
- You want access to Rithmic infrastructure or Earn2Trade's Finamark platform
- You want crypto payout options
- The on-demand weekly withdrawal model fits your cash flow needs better than a minimum-days-based payout gate
The Earn2Trade Gauntlet Mini is also worth considering if you want a single-phase option from this firm while keeping the education access. It's closer to Topstep's Combine structure but within the Earn2Trade ecosystem.
For context: see how Earn2Trade compares to other evaluation-based firms like Apex Trader Funding, TakeProfitTrader, TradeDay, and Lucid Trading if you're evaluating multiple options at the same time.
When to pick Topstep
Pick Topstep if:
- You already have a defined trading strategy and don't need structured education content
- You want the highest profit split in this comparison (90% vs. Earn2Trade's 80%)
- Lower monthly evaluation cost matters ($49/mo vs. $150+/mo for comparable evaluation sizes)
- A single-phase evaluation with no ladder is preferable to managing multi-stage progression
- No daily loss limit during the evaluation is important to your trading style
- Brand longevity and CFTC registration are key trust factors for you
Topstep also fits traders who want multiple simultaneous funded accounts. Up to five Express Funded Accounts are permitted at the same time, which scales earning potential for traders who can manage multiple positions.
For comparison context, also look at Bulenox, Alpha Futures, Elite Trader Funding, and The 5%ers if Topstep's structure interests you but you want to benchmark against other single-phase futures evaluations.
The bottom line
Earn2Trade and Topstep are both credible, established, futures-only prop firms. Neither is a scam. Both publish real performance data. Both pay traders.
The split is about what you need at this stage of your trading career. Earn2Trade built its model around the reality that most traders fail. It added education, transparency, and a ladder structure to address that. Topstep built its model for traders who know how to trade and want a reputable, well-funded firm to back them with a 90% split.
If you need support to get across the line, Earn2Trade. If you already have the edge, Topstep.
Verify all current pricing, fees, and program details directly with each firm before signing up. Both update their terms periodically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Earn2Trade or Topstep better for beginners?
Earn2Trade targets education-first traders with its free video library, study guides, and webinars bundled into TCP subscriptions. If you're new to futures and want structured learning alongside your evaluation, Earn2Trade's TCP ladder is built for that. Topstep suits traders who already know how to trade and want a clean, well-known evaluation without an education layer.
Which firm is cheaper to start with?
Topstep's $50K Combine starts at $49/mo on the Standard Path. Earn2Trade's TCP25 starts from $150/mo at standard pricing, though a discounted promotional rate may appear on the homepage. Verify current pricing at earn2trade.com. For raw entry cost, Topstep is cheaper.
What profit split does each firm pay?
Earn2Trade pays 80% on both TCP and Gauntlet Mini funded accounts. Topstep pays 90% on Express Funded Accounts for traders who joined after January 12, 2026. Topstep's split is higher.
Does Earn2Trade have a daily loss limit?
Yes. The TCP25 evaluation has a $550 daily loss limit alongside a $1,500 EOD trailing drawdown. Topstep's Trading Combine has no daily loss limit. The Express Funded Account stage is where daily loss limits appear: $1,000 on $50K, $2,000 on $100K, $3,000 on $150K.
What platforms does Earn2Trade support?
Earn2Trade supports five platforms: Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Rithmic, TradingView, and Finamark (their own branded platform). Topstep supports TopstepX (proprietary, launched July 2025), NinjaTrader, Quantower, Tradovate, and TradingView.
How does Earn2Trade's pass rate compare to Topstep's?
Earn2Trade publicly reports an 8.89% TCP pass rate for 2025. Topstep discloses a 16.8% Trading Combine pass rate for 2025. Both firms are transparent about their pass rates, which is rare in the prop space. Topstep's single-phase Combine passes at a higher rate than Earn2Trade's multi-phase TCP, which is expected given the ladder structure.
Can I hold positions overnight at Earn2Trade?
Overnight and weekend holding rules are not confirmed on Earn2Trade's product pages as of May 2026. Check help.earn2trade.com for the current policy. At Topstep, all positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT (flat by close rule), which effectively prohibits overnight holding.
Does Earn2Trade have a consistency rule?
Earn2Trade has a consistency requirement for both TCP and Gauntlet Mini, but the specific percentage threshold is not published inline. Check help.earn2trade.com for details. Topstep's Combine requires that your single best day stays below 50% of total profit.
What is the maximum funded account size at each firm?
Earn2Trade's max funding headline is $400,000. Verify at earn2trade.com whether that figure refers to a single account or multiple accounts combined. Topstep allows up to five Express Funded Accounts simultaneously, each up to $150K. The Live Funded Account path at Topstep starts at up to $150,000 in buying power.
Can I trade news events at Earn2Trade or Topstep?
News trading rules for Earn2Trade are not confirmed on the product pages. Verify at help.earn2trade.com before assuming they're permitted. Topstep permits news trading during the Combine with no specific restriction listed on the standard account pages.
Which firm has better payout speed?
Earn2Trade offers on-demand withdrawals (minimum $100, weekly self-initiated) once compliance is complete. Topstep's Express Funded Account pays out in 1-3 business days after approval, with a $30 processing fee per withdrawal. Earn2Trade also offers crypto payouts. Both are reasonably fast.
Is Earn2Trade a legitimate company?
Earn2Trade is an active Wyoming LLC that has been operating since approximately 2019 and manages a community of 10,000+ traders. The firm publishes transparent pass-rate data and payout statistics publicly on its homepage. For current Trustpilot rating and community reviews, see trustpilot.com/review/earn2trade.com.