Automated futures trading
Topstep review
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Topstep is the most-searched futures prop firm, and most of what is written about it is out of date. The drawdown is still one of the friendlier ones, because it follows your end-of-day balance up and then locks at your starting number. But the pricing split into two paths in 2026 and the payout mechanics changed, so the Topstep you read about last year is not the one you buy today.
I traded a Combine to see where the cost lands and which rule bites. Checked 24 June 2026.
| 50K eval | $49/mo + $149 activation (or no-fee path ~$95/mo) |
|---|---|
| Model | 1-step Combine |
| Drawdown | Trailing (EOD-based) |
| 50K max loss | $2,000 |
| Profit split | 90/10 |
| News | Restricted |
| Overnight | No |
| Automation | Yes, paid API |
| Hedging | Cross-account banned |
Pros
- Trailing drawdown locks at your starting balance
- Lowest monthly entry at $49
- Large, well-run platform with deep support
Cons
- Consistency rule can hold your payout on a one-big-day account
- $149 activation fee on top of the subscription
- No overnight holding, and news is restricted
Account sizes and pricing
Combine (Standard path). Monthly, plus a $149 activation when you pass. Intraday trailing drawdown.
| Size | List price | Profit target | Max drawdown | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50K | $49/mo | $3,000 | $2,000 | 5 / 50 micro |
| 100K | $99/mo | $6,000 | $3,000 | 10 / 100 micro |
| 150K | $199/mo | $9,000 | $4,500 | 15 / 150 micro |
List prices before any code. A No-Activation path costs more per month but skips the $149 fee. Verify at checkout. See current codes. Checked June 2026.
Pricing checked 2026-06-24 from the official pricing page.
The real cost: two paths now
Topstep no longer has one price. At checkout you choose between two paths, and you cannot switch after you buy. The Standard path is the familiar one: around $49 a month for the 50K Combine, plus a one-time $149 activation fee charged each time you pass and earn a funded account. The No Activation path flips it: a higher monthly subscription, around $95 a month on Topstep's help center, with no activation fee when you pass. Topstep's own landing page lists that figure as $85, so confirm the number at checkout before you commit.
Which path is cheaper depends on how fast you pass. Clear the Combine quickly and the Standard path wins, because you pay the low monthly for a month or two and eat the $149 once. Grind for months, or blow and re-earn accounts, and the No Activation path can come out ahead because you never pay the $149 again. Either way, the real cost is the months of subscription plus activation, not the $49 headline.
There is still no Topstep discount code. Topstep issues no public promo code, so every dated Topstep code on a coupon site is fake. The coupon page covers that in full.
The drawdown, which is the good part
Topstep's trailing drawdown follows your end-of-day balance up and then locks once it reaches your starting balance. After you build a $2,000 cushion the drawdown stops chasing you and sits at your start number, so a green run cannot be clawed back into a tight stop. That is friendlier than the firms whose drawdown trails forever.
The $2,000 maximum loss on a 50K is measured on your closing balance, not your worst intraday tick, and there is a separate $1,000 daily loss limit. For most day traders this is the easiest mainstream drawdown to live under.
Smaller daily risk, bigger payouts
Here is the part most write-ups miss, and it is the real answer to the rumor that a smaller drawdown gets you paid faster. Since June 2026, if you voluntarily add a Daily Loss Limit to the account at checkout, Topstep doubles your per-request payout caps once you are funded. On a 50K account the standard $2,000 cap becomes $4,000. It is opt-in, it must be set at purchase, and it does not shrink your drawdown or speed up the payout timeline.
So the trade is real but narrow. Accept a tighter daily leash and you can withdraw twice as much per request. For a disciplined trader who already trades to a daily stop, that is close to free money on the withdrawal side. For someone who needs room on bad days, the tighter limit is a real cost. There is no separate reduced-drawdown account to buy, whatever the forums imply. It is this one checkout option.
Payout rules: the consistency rule is the gate
Topstep applies a consistency rule on payout: your largest single day cannot be more than 40 percent of your total net profit for the cycle. Bank most of your gains in one monster session and the payout is held until your profit is spread more evenly across days. Traders who scalp one big day and coast get caught by this constantly.
The mechanics around it: you need five winning days of at least $150 each in a payout cycle, the minimum payout is $125, and after 30 winning days the account moves to daily payouts. None of it is hidden, but the 40 percent rule is the one to plan around from the first session, not the day you request the money.
Can you run a bot on Topstep?
Yes, with two catches. Topstep supports fully automated trading through the TopstepX API, powered by ProjectX, which exposes REST endpoints and a real-time feed for your own bot or an Expert Advisor. It is a separate subscription, around $29 a month on top of the Combine, not bundled in.
The catches are where accounts get closed. The bot has to run locally on your own machine, because Topstep wants personal execution, so running it on a VPS can get the account suspended. And automation runs on the evaluation and the Express Funded account, where payouts are real, but not on a Live Funded account. For most algo traders that is fine, because Express Funded is where you actually get paid, and you just cannot automate the Live tier. The automation hub compares every firm side by side.
Where it fits
beginnerslow-eval-cost
The verdict
Topstep is still a strong default for a day trader, on the drawdown that locks at your starting balance and the low Standard entry. Pick the pricing path that matches how fast you pass, plan around the 40 percent consistency rule from day one, and add the daily loss limit if you want the doubled payout caps and can trade under it.
It is the wrong firm if you need to hold overnight, since it does not allow it. For an intraday trader who spreads profit across days, it is hard to fault.
Compare Topstep
Head to head: vs Apex Trader Fundingvs TakeProfitTradervs Phidias
Best for: Which prop firms allow algo trading?
See verified Topstep coupon codes (checked 2026-06-24)
FAQ
Does Topstep allow automated trading?
Yes, through the paid TopstepX API (about $29 a month, powered by ProjectX), with REST and WebSocket access for bots and Expert Advisors. The bot must run locally rather than on a VPS. Automation runs on the evaluation and the Express Funded account, where payouts are real, but not on the Live Funded account, which most traders do not need to reach to get paid.
What does Topstep cost now?
It depends on the path you pick at checkout. The Standard path is about $49 a month for the 50K Combine plus a one-time $149 activation fee each time you earn a funded account. The No Activation path is a higher monthly, around $95 (its landing page says $85), with no activation fee. You cannot switch paths after buying.
Does Topstep pay out more if you take a smaller drawdown?
Sort of. Since June 2026, adding a voluntary Daily Loss Limit at checkout doubles your per-request payout caps once funded, so a 50K account's $2,000 cap becomes $4,000. It does not shrink your drawdown or speed up the timeline, and it must be set at purchase. There is no separate reduced-drawdown account to buy.
How does Topstep's payout work?
Once funded you request a payout, but a consistency rule applies: your largest single day cannot exceed 40 percent of your total net profit for the cycle. You also need five winning days of at least $150, with a $125 minimum. After 30 winning days, payouts can be taken daily.
What is Topstep's drawdown?
A trailing end-of-day drawdown, $2,000 on a 50K, that follows your closing balance up and then locks at your starting balance, plus a separate $1,000 daily loss limit. After you build a cushion it stops trailing, which is friendlier than most.
Is there a Topstep discount code?
No. Topstep issues no public promo code, so any dated Topstep code online is fake. The genuine ways to change your cost are the No Activation pricing path and the daily-loss-limit payout-cap option, both chosen at checkout.