Side-by-side: drawdown, payouts, pricing, platforms. Topstep uses Intraday trailing, TradeDay uses EOD-trailing + lock — these are different beasts.
| Dimension | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| Drawdown mechanic | Intraday trailing | EOD-trailing + lock |
| Cheapest eval | $49 | $69 |
| Profit split | 90% | 95% |
| Payout frequency | Next Trading Day | Daily |
| Max funding | $150,000 | $900,000 |
| Max payout | $150,000 | Unlimited |
| Assets | Futures | Futures |
| Platforms | TopstepX, NinjaTrader, Tradovate | Ninjatrader, ProjectX, Tradingview, Tradovate |
| Payout methods | Wise, Wire / SWIFT, ACH, Aeropay | Crypto, Credit Card |
| Promo code | — | VIBES (40% off) |
| Paul-tested | Research-based | Yes |
Topstep uses Intraday trailing while TradeDay uses EOD-trailing + lock. Your risk approach needs to adjust when switching.
MLL tracks intraday equity-high tick by tick. Spike up = floor raised instantly.
MLL trails up at end-of-day until it reaches starting balance, then locks. Intraday drops don't reset.
Topstep offers 4 plans. TradeDay offers 4 plans.
Topstep's cheapest evaluation is $49. TradeDay's cheapest is $69. Topstep wins on entry price marginally.
Topstep uses Intraday trailing. TradeDay uses EOD-trailing + lock. These are fundamentally different — your risk model needs to change when switching between them.
Topstep: 90%. TradeDay: 95%.
Topstep is research-based on this site — Paul has not yet completed a full evaluation cycle there. TradeDay 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. TradeDay: Daily. 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. TradeDay offers lock-protection on first profits — favors traders who scale slow. After mechanic, evaluate payout speed and your strategy's drawdown profile.
