Topstep Trading Combine Rules 2026

Topstep uses a single-step evaluation called the Trading Combine. Unlike other prop firms that use one-time evaluation fees, Topstep charges a monthly subscription while your evaluation is active, but there is no time limit or expiration date.

To pass, you must reach the profit target without ever breaching the trailing drawdown or the daily loss limit at any point during the evaluation. All three rules apply simultaneously.

Available account sizes are $50K, $100K, and $150K. Monthly fees are $49/mo for $50K, $99/mo for $100K, and $199/mo for $150K.

Topstep uses an EOD (end-of-day) trailing drawdown. The threshold only adjusts at market close, based on your end-of-session balance. This is a significant structural difference from firms like Apex that use intraday trailing drawdowns.

With an EOD trailing drawdown, intraday paper profits on open positions do NOT move the drawdown threshold. Only realized, closed-day profits cause the threshold to rise. This makes Topstep more forgiving during volatile intraday swings.

By comparison, an intraday trailing drawdown at Apex would have moved the threshold to $58,000 the moment your equity touched $60,000 on that open trade, leaving a much tighter cushion if price reversed. Topstep's EOD structure gives you more room to breathe during the trading day.

Topstep's daily loss limit is the maximum you can lose in a single trading day, measured from the prior day's closing balance. On a $50K account, the limit is $1,000. On a $100K account, it is $2,000.

The daily loss limit includes unrealized losses on open positions. If your account is down $1,000 intraday (including the mark-to-market loss on any open trade), no new positions can be opened for the remainder of that session.

For Ghost users: Set your Ghost daily loss cap to slightly below Topstep's limit as a buffer. On a $50K account with a $1,000 daily limit, setting Ghost's cap to $900 gives you a safety margin in case of slippage or a slightly delayed fill on a stop.

Topstep offers two payout options after you receive a funded account:

Topstep allows API automation in the Trading Combine and Express Funded accounts; Live Funded accounts cannot trade through the ProjectX API. Topstep also says all trading activity must originate from your personal device.

Topstep pays 90% to the trader on standard withdrawals. The first $10,000 withdrawn is paid at 100%.

Payouts are bi-weekly after a minimum of 5 winning days. There is no daily payout option. The combination of 90% split, 100% on the first $10K, and automation compatibility on funded accounts makes Topstep one of the more trader-friendly funded structures for systematic traders.