Topstep Review 2026: Since 2023, 6 Combines, Honest Verdict

Topstep has offered its Trading Combine since 2012. The evaluation leads to an Express Funded Account, where trading remains simulated. A later move to a Live Funded Account is a separate decision by Topstep.

My account history covers the $50K Combine and earlier Express Funded Account cycles. The experience section below sets out what I used and what I have not traded.

For the account decision, check the monthly subscription, the distance to the current loss floor and the payout path you intend to choose. The Combine has a 55% consistency target.

Official Combine consistency target

I started trading Topstep in 2023 on the $50K Combine. I've passed multiple Combines and moved them into Express Funded Accounts. During one 12-month period, I ran six Combines and received multiple payouts through Wise before Topstep narrowed that payment route. Those were earlier payout cycles; the available methods for a new request depend on the current policy and country.

I watch the distance to the current loss floor and use TopstepX's personal Daily Loss Limit to set a tighter session limit. I bank profits on strong days rather than letting them ride into reversals.

TopstepX has been my preferred platform. The browser-native experience, the TradingView drawing tools in the charts, and quick contract sizing make it the Topstep platform I default to. The Tilt sentiment indicator is a curiosity I check before opens but rarely act on as a primary signal. The personal Daily Loss Limits and trade limits inside TopstepX are the discipline tools I actually use. Those features pre-set my session and remove the temptation to override risk after a bad open.

I also used NinjaTrader on earlier Topstep accounts. That is historical experience. The platform section below describes the currently documented connections.

What I have not tested personally. The following details come from Topstep's documentation:

• $100K and $150K Combines. I have run $50K only.
• The Live Funded Account. My personal trading record stops at the Express Funded Account.
• The Express Funded Account Consistency Path that launched February 5, 2026. My earlier XFA cycles ran on the Standard Path.
• The post-January-12-2026 grandfathering edge cases. My account history is on the older 100%-first-$10K structure for accounts that pre-date the change.

Topstep uses TopstepX, with separate Quantower and ProjectX connections:

• TopstepX, the proprietary web-based platform. Charts with TradingView drawing tools built in, 50+ futures (indices ES/NQ/RTY, currencies, energy, metals, agriculture, fixed income), The Tilt sentiment indicator, personal Daily Loss Limits and Profit Targets, trade limits (daily/weekly), account lockout, Training Camp interactive education, Trade Copier, hotkeys, and DOM. TopstepX feature documentation.
• Quantower, connected with TopstepX credentials. Topstep documents the Quantower connection for the Trading Combine and the Express Funded Account only; the Live Funded Account stays on TopstepX. Connection steps in the Topstep Quantower connection instructions.
• TopstepX API via ProjectX. API access to TopstepX is powered by ProjectX and billed separately from the Topstep subscription. The ProjectX API is not available for trading on a Live Funded Account. Official API access rules.

TFD acquisition and TopstepX

Topstep's July 2026 Labs article confirms the acquisition of The Futures Desk and names its co-founder as Head of Innovation at Topstep Labs. It does not establish that particular TFD tools have shipped in TopstepX. Topstep Labs announcement.

Connection details are in the Topstep trading platforms guide.

Topstep Brokerage

Topstep Brokerage is a separate service for trading futures with your own money on TopstepX. Its listed FCM partner is Plus500US. Opening a brokerage account is separate from passing the Trading Combine or receiving a funded account. Brokerage commissions, funding fees and eligibility are listed on the brokerage site.

Topstep Brokerage: current services and fees

On the Combine and XFA, the Maximum Loss Limit moves up with the end-of-day balance and is enforced throughout the session against realized and unrealized P&L. Size positions against the current floor: an open loss can breach it before a trade closes. Official Maximum Loss Limit rules.

First-payout strategy on the $50K XFA

Payouts begin in XFA. Standard requires five winning days of $150+ net P&L; Consistency requires three trading days and a 40% consistency target. Requests start at $125 and are limited to 50% of the balance, with base $50K caps of $2,000 Standard or $3,000 Consistency. The limited offer for adding a DLL to a new Combine purchase doubles those caps; adding the DLL at XFA activation does not qualify. Official payout policy. First-payout planning guide.

Working around the consistency target

For the $50K Combine, a best day of $1,650 is 55% of the initial $3,000 target. A larger day raises the total profit required: a $2,200 best day requires $4,000 total profit ($2,200 ÷ 0.55). This is a worked rule example, not a trading target. The XFA Consistency Path uses 40% of net profit in its payout window; XFA Standard instead requires the qualifying winning days. Official consistency calculation.

Sizing news trades

Topstep prohibits deliberately trading the full Maximum Position Size directly into a scheduled major news event. A smaller position still carries the risk of a rapid move through the loss floor. Prohibited trading strategies.

Planning a $50K Combine

The $50K Combine label describes buying power. Plan around the $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit and the monthly fee. A personal Daily Loss Limit can pause your session before you reach the account’s hard loss floor.

Scaling and multi-account

Topstep allows an unlimited number of Trading Combines and up to 5 active Express Funded Accounts. Each account has its own position and loss limits. If a copier Lead hits its DLL, its Followers are flattened too. Official Trade Copier behavior. Pass a Combine while you are already at the 5-account limit and the new XFA goes on hold until one closes; an XFA with no trading activity for more than 30 days may be closed. Multi-account scaling is allowed but cross-account hedging is prohibited. Copy trading via TopstepX is allowed under the rules covered in the copy trading rules guide, including the automatic unlink of Follower accounts when an XFA payout is submitted. The Live Funded Account is the cap on real-capital scaling: exactly one at a time, sized as the rounded-up average of your active eligible XFA account sizes, and the call-up closes every XFA you hold.

Topstep launched the Trading Combine in 2012. That operating history is part of the firm assessment. It does not guarantee a future payout or protect an account from a rule breach.

Cohort transparency

Topstep's published 2025 cohort statistics use different denominators: Official disclosure.

• 16.8% of all Trading Combines started were passed.
• 51.8% of people who entered one or more Combines advanced to the Funded Level through at least one of them.
• 33.3% of people at the Funded Level received a payout.
• 0.71% of people trading an XFA were called up to a Live Funded Account.

Funded Level combines XFA and Live participants. These 2025 figures do not forecast an individual trader’s result.

Trustpilot signal in context

The Trustpilot rating above is a dated snapshot. A review count does not explain why people complained or establish current service quality. Read recent reviews alongside the account rule involved in each complaint. Topstep on Trustpilot.

Costs and restrictions to weigh

Compare the cost of another subscription month with the progress left on the profit and consistency targets.

Payout methods

For a new request, check the payment methods available in your country. Wise is currently limited to China, Canada and the UK. The published processing times are estimates; internal approval can take 1–3 business days. Current payout methods and fees.

KYC and verification

Topstep requires identity verification before a second purchase. After the first purchase, it sends an email and a dashboard notice. Trading can continue, but further accounts and resets are blocked until verification is complete. The listed requirements are a valid physical government-issued ID and a camera for ID photos and a selfie. Official identity-verification steps.

Comparing Topstep with another firm

Compare the same account size and stage. Topstep’s monthly Combine fee makes the time spent in evaluation part of the cost. A lower entry fee at another firm may come with a different reset price, funded activation fee or payout path. Use the exact account terms when making that comparison.

For drawdown, compare when the floor moves, when a breach is enforced and where it locks. “EOD” alone does not tell you how much room an open trade has.

If you need another platform, check the connection and account phase before paying for a Combine.

Compare Lucid, Apex and Topstep

For MyFundedFutures, open the current account options in its review, then compare the selected phase with Topstep. Check the fee schedule, loss floor and payout conditions for that specific account.