Side-by-side: drawdown, payouts, pricing, platforms. Topstep uses Intraday trailing, FTMO uses Static — these are different beasts.
| Dimension | Topstep | FTMO |
|---|---|---|
| Drawdown mechanic | Intraday trailing | Static |
| Cheapest eval | $49 | $280 |
| Profit split | 90% | 80% / 90% |
| Payout frequency | Next Trading Day | Bi-Weekly |
| Max funding | $150,000 | $200,000 |
| Max payout | $150,000 | — |
| Assets | Futures | Forex, Indices, Commodities, Metals, Crypto |
| Platforms | TopstepX, NinjaTrader, Tradovate | MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader |
| Payout methods | Wise, Wire / SWIFT, ACH, Aeropay | — |
| Promo code | — | — |
| Paul-tested | Research-based | Yes |
Topstep uses Intraday trailing while FTMO uses Static. Your risk approach needs to adjust when switching.
MLL tracks intraday equity-high tick by tick. Spike up = floor raised instantly.
Fixed-dollar MLL — never moves. Simplest mechanic.
Topstep offers 4 plans. FTMO offers 4 plans.
Topstep's cheapest evaluation is $49. FTMO's cheapest is $280. Topstep wins on entry price by $231.
Topstep uses Intraday trailing. FTMO uses Static. These are fundamentally different — your risk model needs to change when switching between them.
Topstep: 90%. FTMO: 80% / 90%.
Topstep is research-based on this site — Paul has not yet completed a full evaluation cycle there. FTMO also Paul-tested with documented payouts.
Yes. Different prop firms have no shared compliance — running them in parallel is the standard playbook for funded traders looking to diversify firm-risk. Track each firm's rule changes independently.
Topstep payout cadence: Next Trading Day. FTMO: Bi-Weekly. Method matters too — Wise and Plaid typically beat ACH and wire by 1-2 days.
No cross-firm compliance overlap. Each firm 1099s independently for US residents. Cross-firm copy-trading rules only matter inside a single firm's account family.
Drawdown mechanic comes first. Both firms run trailing mechanics — winners decide on entry price and payout speed. After mechanic, evaluate payout speed and your strategy's drawdown profile.
