Topstep Trading Combine Rules 2026: Full $50K/$100K/$150K Breakdown

The Topstep Trading Combine is a monthly subscription evaluation where you trade a simulated futures account under live market conditions and advance to funding when you pass. Three sizes, one structure: hit a profit target, respect the Max Loss Limit (the floor moves at end of day, breaches count in real time), keep your best day at or below 50% of the profit target, and mind the optional Daily Loss Limit if you added one at checkout. That limit is not only a restriction: on the No Activation Fee Path it takes $10 to $30 a month off the price under Topstep's Responsible Trading Discount, which recurs monthly, and a Daily Loss Limit added when you buy the Combine doubles your later XFA payout caps under a limited-time offer that started on June 2, 2026.

I've been running the $50K Combine since 2023. Multiple passes, recurring payouts along the way. This article covers every number you need to know before you subscribe.

How much do the three Topstep Combine sizes cost?

Every size uses the same structure. What changes is the profit target, the loss limits, and the contract caps.

Source: topstep.com/topstep-prop, verified July 2026 (pricing cross-checked against help.topstep.com).

On the Standard Path the activation fee is the same $149 regardless of size, which makes the $50K the cheapest total entry point; the No-Activation-Fee Path trades that fee for a higher monthly price. Monthly fees continue billing until you pass, breach, or cancel, and the subscription cannot be paused. There is no one-time evaluation path.

How does the Topstep drawdown floor move and breach?

This is the number one thing traders get wrong about the Combine. The Max Loss Limit floor moves only at the end of each trading day, but it is monitored in real time: if your equity, realized or unrealized, touches the current floor at any moment of the session, the account is liquidated (per Topstep's help center, checked July 2026).

How it works in practice on a $50K Combine with a $2,000 MLL:

Two things follow from that. First, the floor does lock: once end-of-day profits push it up to your starting balance, it locks there permanently. Second, intraday give-back above the floor does not break you: make $3,000 in the morning and give it all back, and you are still fine as long as you never touched the floor set at the previous close. What kills Combines is unrealized drawdown through that existing floor, not give-back above it.

This is what makes the Combine harder than the label suggests. The trail is end-of-day, but the breach test is not, so intraday management is not optional.

How does the optional Topstep Daily Loss Limit work?

The Daily Loss Limit ($1K/$2K/$3K depending on size) is a separate mechanism from the MLL. When your daily losses reach the limit, Topstep auto-liquidates any open positions and locks trading for the rest of that day. The reset happens at 5 PM CT.

Critically: hitting the Daily Loss Limit is NOT a rule violation. The account stays open. You come back the next session at full standing. This is a protective floor, not an account-ender.

What the Daily Loss Limit does do:

• Forces discipline on bad-day spiraling, you cannot continue adding to losses once the limit is hit
• Protects the MLL, many accounts that would eventually breach the MLL are saved by the DLL cutting off the session
• Resets clean, after 5 PM CT you start fresh the next day with no running balance from the bad session

The MLL breach is the one that ends the Combine. The DLL is the safety net before that point.

The 50% consistency rule

The consistency target: your single best day of profit should stay at or below 50% of your profit target. Exceeding it is not a fail and not a breach. The profit target itself rises, and you keep trading.

Formula: Best Day divided by 0.50 equals the new total profit needed. On a $3,000 target, a $1,800 best day lifts the requirement to $3,600.

Two worked examples on a $50K Combine with a $3,000 target:

Best day above the 50% target. Day 1: +$1,800. Next four sessions: +$200, +$300, +$400, +$300. Total: $3,000. Best day: $1,800. Concentration against the $3,000 target: $1,800 / $3,000 = 60%. Nothing is denied: the profit target rises to $1,800 divided by 0.50, which is $3,600, so $600 more is needed.

Passing the consistency check. Day 1: +$600. Day 2: +$500. Day 3: +$700. Day 4: +$800. Day 5: +$400. Total: $3,000. Best day: $800. Concentration against the $3,000 target: $800 / $3,000 = 27%. Pass.

The rule favors distributed-edge traders. A 1-trade wonder who bags $2,800 on a single NFP print and scrapes $200 across the remaining sessions does not fail, but the target moves out from under them: $2,800 divided by 0.50 is $5,600 of total profit needed instead of $3,000.

The fix is always the same: add more profitable sessions. You cannot retroactively reduce that day's profit, and losing days do not reset it either. What you can do is compute exactly what you need, because best day divided by 0.50 gives you the number.

The 50% rule applies during the Combine. It does not carry over to the Express Funded Account: the Standard Path has no consistency rule, the Consistency Path uses a 40% target.

Pass rate context

Topstep publishes its own cohort data on topstep.com/our-program. The 2025 numbers:

• 16.8% of all Combines pass
• 51.8% of participants advance to any funded level (meaning many traders restart and eventually pass)
• 33.3% of funded-level traders received payouts
• 0.71% of Express Funded Account traders reached the Live Funded Account

The 51.8% figure is the one worth holding onto. The 16.8% pass rate is per attempt. Traders who restart after a breach, using either a new subscription or a Reset Credit, can and do pass on later attempts. The path is narrow, but the majority of persistent traders get through to funded.

My own history is consistent with this. I didn't pass my first $50K Combine. Pacing strategy matters more than trading ability above a certain threshold.

Max contracts: position limits per size

The contract limits define simultaneous open positions, not daily volume.

Mixing minis and micros is allowed, but they share one pool at a 10:1 ratio rather than filling two separate caps. On a $50K Combine the pool is 50 micro-equivalents, so 5 minis, or 3 minis plus 20 micros, or 50 micros each sit exactly at full capacity. Three products break the 10:1 rule: Micro Silver counts as 2 of any other micro, and Micro Bitcoin and Micro Ether are capped at mini-equivalent lot sizes.

What happens after you pass

Pass the Combine and you activate your Express Funded Account (XFA) directly from your Trade Report. It is not automatic: the activation is the moment you choose your payout path, Standard or Consistency, and that choice cannot be changed afterwards. If you bought the Combine on the Standard Path, the $149 activation fee is charged at this step; on the No Activation Fee Path there is nothing to pay here. Allow up to 30 minutes for the dashboard to update, and note that a Friday pass means the XFA is tradable from Sunday 5:00 PM CT.

Since February 5, 2026, the XFA runs two paths:

• Standard Path: 5 winning days of $150+ net profit (non-consecutive)
• Consistency Path: 3 trading days staying at or below a 40% consistency target (the old cumulative-profit minimums were removed with the April 28, 2026 payout rework)

The XFA uses the same MLL mechanic as the Combine: the floor moves at end of day and breaches count in real time including unrealized P&L. What differs is the starting point. The XFA balance starts at $0 and the MLL starts at minus $2,000, minus $3,000 or minus $4,500 by size, then locks at $0 once your balance reaches $2,000, $3,000 or $4,500. After your first payout it is set to $0 regardless. Position size also changes: the Combine's fixed 5/10/15 caps give way to the Scaling Plan, which sets your limit from your current balance and starts at 2 to 3 lots.

On the XFA the consistency rule is optional: the Standard Path has none, the Consistency Path runs a 40% target. Profit split for current sign-ups (post-January 12, 2026) is 90/10 in the trader's favor from the first dollar.

The Reset Credit Bank

Each monthly rebill adds one Reset Credit to your Reset Bank. Redeeming a credit is free: it returns the Combine to its starting balance, MLL, consistency target and trading-day count, and pushes your rebill date out 30 days. Credits are tied to one account size and type, cannot be combined or transferred, and stay on your profile even if you cancel the subscription, though credits issued from 11 December 2025 onward expire one year after they are added. With no matching credit you buy the Reset at the published price for your path ($49/$99/$199 Standard, $95/$149/$229 No Activation Fee), limited to 2 per account per day.

Pass strategy for the $50K Combine

Trading the $50K since 2023 has produced a consistent playbook. The specifics of the $100K and $150K Combines are structurally identical, scale the dollar figures.

Pace the consistency rule first, profit target second. On a $50K with a $3,000 target, plan for $300-$500 profit days. Five days at $600 average is $3,000 with a 20% concentration. You have room for variance. Sizing for $1,200-$1,500 days compresses that margin fast.

The DLL is your session floor, not your target. A $1,000 DLL on $50K is a hard floor, not a soft one. Trading toward it loses you the session and risks your MLL buffer. Plan sessions to stay well inside $400-$500 intraday loss before cutting. The DLL is the ceiling on bad days, not the expected loss level.

Know where your MLL floor sits before every session. Before you open a position, know where your MLL floor sits. If you had a good previous session, the floor is higher than it was. Factor that into sizing. This is the habit that separates traders who pass from traders who get taken out by a position they thought was manageable.

Sit out high-variance news events. CPI, FOMC, NFP. A 30-point NQ spike against you can run your unrealized P&L straight through the MLL floor before you can react, and the breach counts in real time. There is a rule attached, too: trading your full Maximum Position Size directly into a scheduled major news event is listed as a prohibited trading strategy, and prohibited strategies are reviewed before every payout. Topstep does not require you to flatten for economic releases, but flat or reduced size through the print is the right call.

Don't chase the pass near month-end. The monthly subscription model creates a psychological trap, traders rush to pass before the next billing date. Rushed pass attempts produce oversized position days that blow the consistency rule. There is no time limit on the Combine. A clean pass on Day 30 is the same as Day 10. Don't let billing dates drive sizing decisions.

Common Combine failure modes

Intraday MLL breach on a recovery trade. Trader takes a $600 loss, price bounces, they add size to recover quickly. The recovery trade runs against them. The MLL floor moved up at the previous session's close, and the account closes at a point the trader thought was still safe, because unrealized P&L counts against that floor in real time. This is the most common single breach cause at the $50K level.

Treating a best day above 50% as unfixable. Trader hits $2,800 of a $3,000 target on 4 trading days and realizes one day accounted for $1,600. Against the target that day is $1,600 / $3,000 = 53.3%, and it stays there no matter how much more profit arrives, because the denominator is the target rather than the running total. The number that matters is the new profit target: $1,600 divided by 0.50 is $3,200, so the trader is $400 short, not stuck. Many traders assume the gap is unfixable when it is small and exactly calculable.

Treating the DLL hit as a pass risk. The DLL does not end the Combine. Some traders who hit it once assume the account is compromised and trade defensively or recklessly afterward. Neither is correct. A DLL hit is a bad day. Come back the next session.

Platform switch mid-Combine. Switching execution surface mid-evaluation, for example moving between TopstepX and a Quantower connection, introduces platform-specific execution differences that add variance at the worst time. Pick one setup before you activate and stay on it.

Rules overview

One rule sits above every Combine specific: Topstep is a day trading program. All positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT on each weekday and trading resumes at 5:00 PM CT, which is also where the next trading day starts. Friday close is 3:10 PM CT and the market stays shut until Sunday 5:00 PM CT. There is no swing trading and no overnight holding at any stage, Combine, XFA or Live Funded. Open positions and working orders begin cancelling automatically at 3:10 PM CT and risk managers start flattening from 3:08 PM CT, but being flat in time is your responsibility, not theirs. Products with an earlier daily close have to be exited before that close, and on shortened holiday sessions every account type must be flat 15 minutes before the early close or the position is auto-liquidated.

The Combine is the entry gate. Everything downstream, the XFA, the Live Funded Account, the payouts, depends on passing it cleanly.

The bottom line

The Topstep Trading Combine runs $49/month ($50K), $99/month ($100K), or $199/month ($150K) on the Standard Path, plus a $149 activation fee (a No-Activation-Fee Path runs $95/$149/$229 with $0 activation). Pass conditions: hit the profit target ($3K/$6K/$9K), never let your balance touch the current MLL floor (it moves at end of day, but unrealized P&L counts against it in real time), mind the optional Daily Loss Limit if you added one, and keep your best day at or below 50% of the profit target. The real-time breach test is the hardest part: the floor itself only trails your closing balance and locks permanently once it reaches your starting balance, but a single unrealized touch during the session ends the account.

16.8% of Combines pass on a given attempt. 51.8% of participants eventually advance to a funded level. The traders who pass are the ones who pace the consistency target deliberately, know where the floor sits before every session, and treat the DLL as a protective floor rather than a target. Pass and you activate an Express Funded Account, where the same drawdown mechanic applies from a $0 balance and the path to payouts opens.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the monthly fees for the Topstep Trading Combine?

As of July 2026, the Trading Combine costs $49/month for $50K, $99/month for $100K, and $199/month for $150K on the Standard Path (a No-Activation-Fee Path runs $95/$149/$229 with $0 activation). The one-time $149 Express Funded activation fee is charged when you pass and activate the funded account on the Standard Path ($0 on the No-Activation-Fee Path), not at Combine signup. Topstep does not offer a one-time evaluation option, the Combine is subscription-only. Monthly fees continue until you pass, breach, or cancel.

What is the profit target for the Topstep Trading Combine?

Profit targets are $3,000 for the $50K Combine, $6,000 for $100K, and $9,000 for $150K. There is no time limit, you can take as long as needed as long as you stay within the drawdown and daily loss limits. The profit target is based on account balance, so you need your simulated account to reach $53K, $106K, or $159K respectively.

How does the Max Loss Limit drawdown work on the Trading Combine?

The Max Loss Limit floor moves up based on your end-of-day balance, never back down. Monitoring is a different story: a breach counts in real time, including unrealized P&L (per Topstep's help center, checked July 2026). The floor lifts only after a session closes at a new end-of-day high. During the session, a drop that touches the current floor, even momentarily on unrealized P&L, closes the account. The MLL is $2,000 on $50K, $3,000 on $100K, and $4,500 on $150K. Once the floor reaches your starting balance, it locks there permanently.

What is the Daily Loss Limit on the Topstep Trading Combine?

The optional Daily Loss Limit (added at Combine checkout) is $1,000 on $50K, $2,000 on $100K, and $3,000 on $150K. Only a Combine-checkout DLL doubles your later XFA payout caps, from $2,000/$3,000 to $4,000/$6,000 on the 50K, from $3,000/$4,000 to $6,000/$8,000 on the 100K and from $5,000/$6,000 to $10,000/$12,000 on the 150K by Standard and Consistency path, under a limited-time offer Topstep started on June 2, 2026. It resets at 5 PM CT each trading day. Hitting the Daily Loss Limit triggers an auto-liquidation of open positions, but it is NOT recorded as a rule violation. The account stays open, you are simply locked out of trading for the rest of that day. This is different from the MLL breach, which ends the account.

What is the 50% consistency rule on the Topstep Trading Combine?

The consistency target requires your single best day to stay at or below 50% of your profit target, and missing it is not a fail. If your best day is $1,600 against a $3,000 profit target, that is 53.3%; the pass is not denied, your profit target rises to $1,600 divided by 0.50, which is $3,200. With $3,000 already banked you are $200 short, not blocked. The percentage itself does not move, the target does. This applies during the Combine; on the XFA the Standard Path has no consistency requirement at all, and the Consistency Path uses a 40% target.

How many contracts can I trade in the Topstep Trading Combine?

The $50K Combine allows up to 5 mini contracts (or 50 micro contracts). The $100K allows 10 minis (100 micros). The $150K allows 15 minis (150 micros). These are simultaneous position limits, not daily volume limits. Mixing minis and micros is allowed within the equivalent cap.

What is the pass rate for the Topstep Trading Combine?

As of 2025 cohort data published on topstep.com, 16.8% of all Combines pass. A broader metric shows 51.8% of participants advance to any funded level, meaning many traders restart and eventually pass. Only 33.3% of funded-level traders received payouts, and 0.71% of Express Funded Account traders advanced to the Live Funded Account. These are Topstep-published figures.

What happens after I pass the Topstep Trading Combine?

Passing the Combine closes that account and auto-cancels its subscription; you then activate the Express Funded Account (XFA) yourself from your Trade Report and choose your payout path there. The $149 activation fee does not come from that choice, it comes from the Combine you bought: a Standard Path Combine carries a $149 activation fee once per XFA, a No Activation Fee Path Combine carries none. Since February 5, 2026, the XFA offers two payout paths: the Standard Path (5 winning days of $150 or more) and the Consistency Path (3 trading days at or below a 40% consistency target). The XFA runs the same end-of-day trailing Maximum Loss Limit as the Combine, monitored in real time on unrealized P&L; it just starts from a $0 balance with the limit below zero and locks at $0.

Is there a time limit on the Topstep Trading Combine?

No. There is no maximum number of days to complete the Trading Combine, and Topstep states so directly. Your monthly subscription continues billing until you pass, breach, or cancel, and it cannot be paused or put on hold. That means slow and deliberate pacing is a valid strategy, especially for managing the 50% consistency target. Each rebill also adds one Reset Credit to your Reset Credit Bank.

What does an auto-liquidation on the Daily Loss Limit mean for my Combine?

When your losses for the day reach the Daily Loss Limit ($1K/$2K/$3K), Topstep auto-liquidates all open positions and locks your trading for the remainder of that day. This is a protective mechanism, not a penalty. The Combine account remains active and continues normally the next session. Only a Max Loss Limit breach terminates the account.

What is the Reset Credit Bank and how does it apply to the Combine?

Each monthly rebill adds one Reset Credit to your Reset Credit Bank. A Reset Credit lets you reset a Combine back to starting conditions without purchasing a new account, and redeeming one costs nothing; it also pushes your rebill date out 30 days. Credits are tied to a specific account size and type, cannot be combined or transferred, and survive a cancellation, but credits issued from 11 December 2025 onward expire one year after they are added. Resets apply only to active Trading Combine subscriptions, never to an Express Funded Account, and Topstep limits you to 2 per account per day.

How does the $50K Combine compare to the $150K Combine?

The $50K Combine costs $49/month with a $3,000 profit target, a $2,000 MLL, and an optional $1,000 Daily Loss Limit. The $150K costs $199/month (Standard Path) with a $9,000 profit target, a $4,500 MLL, and an optional $3,000 Daily Loss Limit. Contract limits scale from 5 minis to 15 minis. The percentage-based difficulty is similar across sizes, all three carry the same 50% consistency target and the same EOD-trailing, real-time-monitored drawdown mechanic. The $150K offers more cushion in dollar terms but demands more total profit.

Can I use a VPN while trading the Topstep Trading Combine?

No. Topstep explicitly prohibits VPNs. Its Prohibited Conduct article states: "Do not use a VPN. VPNs, proxy services, TOR, geo-location obfuscation, and other identity-masking services are not permitted at Topstep. If you see an Error 403 Forbidden message, disable your VPN or proxy and try again." The TopstepX API rules go further: all trading activity must originate from your personal device, and VPS, VPNs and remote servers are prohibited by the Terms of Use.

Which platforms can I use for the Topstep Trading Combine?

As of August 2026, TopstepX is the only available trading platform, and its charts carry TradingView's drawing tools, plus a DOM, hotkeys and 50+ futures. Quantower can connect using your TopstepX credentials, for the Trading Combine and Express Funded Account only. ProjectX was not shut down: it powers TopstepX API access and is billed separately from your Topstep subscription, and automated trading through that API is prohibited in the Live Funded Account. TopstepX gained new capabilities following Topstep's April 1, 2026 acquisition of The Futures Desk.

What are the trading hours for the Topstep Trading Combine?

The trading day runs from 5:00 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT the following calendar day, so a trade placed at 6:30 PM CT on Tuesday counts toward Wednesday. Topstep is a day trading program: all positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT every weekday, and Friday close at 3:10 PM CT holds until the Sunday reopen at 5:00 PM CT. Swing trading and overnight holds are not permitted, on the Combine or on any account above it. From 3:10 PM CT open positions and pending orders begin cancelling automatically and risk managers start flattening from 3:08 PM CT, but the responsibility to be flat in time stays with you. Products with an earlier daily close, CBOT grains and CME livestock among them, have to be exited before their own close, and on shortened holiday sessions positions must be flat 15 minutes before the early close or they are auto-liquidated.