Topstep vs Tradeify: rules, floors and payouts
Topstep sells structure and longevity. Tradeify sells speed. Underneath the brands sit different loss-limit models, and that difference matters more than either marketing page.
Update, 1 November 2026: the catalogue now has 11 strategy families and 36 tracks, and the ranking moved to the 2026-11 edition. Current figures: the strategies page.
⚠ Rules change often. Prop-firm rules, prices and payout policies change frequently. Verify everything with the firm directly. Checked June 2026.
Every rule side by side
| Rule | Topstep | Tradeify |
|---|---|---|
| Drawdown (evaluation) | Maximum Loss Limit, EOD trailing on the Combine ($2,000 on 50K) | EOD trailing ($2,000 on 50K) |
| Drawdown (funded) | EOD trailing on Express Funded and Live | EOD on Select; per plan otherwise |
| Daily loss limit | No universal DLL on the standard Combine; optional on some configurations. The Live Funded Account runs a Daily Loss Limit that adjusts with account balance (topstep.com, Live Funded Account rules) | Soft — no hard dollar cap on the Growth path |
| Consistency | 50% Consistency Target on the Combine: best day may not exceed half of the profit target, or the target increases | None on evaluation; tiered 20% / 25% / 30% across the first payouts on Lightning funded accounts |
| Minimum days | None on the Combine (can pass in 2 sessions); 5 winning days of $150+ per Express payout; daily payouts unlock after 30 winning days ($150+) in the Live account | 1 day on evaluation; 5 profitable days before first payout on Pro+ Rewards |
| Contract cap (50K) | Trading Combine: 5 / 10 / 15 minis (50 / 100 / 150 micros) on 50K / 100K / 150K, minis and micros mixable within the cap. The cap does not carry into the Express Funded Account, which opens at 2 lots on a 50K | 4 minis |
| Scaling plan | Express Funded Account only. The XFA starts at a $0 balance and the Scaling Plan sets max position by current balance: on a 50K, 2 lots, 3 above $1,500, 5 from $2,000, with released size applied from the next session, never mid-session. 100K and 150K open at 2–3 lots; the full ladder is a chart in help.topstep.com article 8284223. Not in the Combine; replaced in the Live Funded Account by Dynamic Live Risk Expansion (help.topstep.com, Sep 2026) | not published on the card |
| Automation | Bots and EAs allowed in Combine and funded; no setup support; HFT and algorithmic scalping excluded | Allowed; anti-HFT and anti-tick-scalping clauses |
| Copy trading | Native copier in TopstepX; must run on the device you are logged in from, no VPS; around 5 accounts | Native Tradovate copying; 5 funded accounts per household; third-party copiers compatible |
| News | No-news window applies | not published on the card |
| Payout | Express: per-request caps $2,000–$6,000 by size; Live: uncapped; 1–3 days ACH/Wise; 90/10 from first dollar on accounts opened after 12 January 2026 (100% of first $10,000 only on earlier accounts) | 90/10; instant funding options; tiered payout caps on Lightning |
Every cell from the rules cards, verified September 2026; the same dimensions across 24 firms on the comparison table.
The two firms aim at different temperaments. Topstep is the veteran combine with the most process-heavy identity in futures funding; Tradeify is the newer entrant competing on payout velocity. For a systematic trader the decision turns on the floor and the friction.
The floors are not the same animal
Topstep's combine runs an end-of-day loss limit framework with its own definitions and a maximum-loss structure that behaves differently from Apex-style trailing, the distinctions unpacked in how to pass Topstep and contrasted in Topstep vs MFF. Tradeify's models vary by account type across EOD-flavored and intraday-flavored floors, the playbook in how to pass Tradeify. Two different "end of day" wordings can hide two different breach mechanics; the only safe reading is the firm's own definition against the drawdown models map.
Friction and philosophy
Topstep's process orientation shows up as rules, checks and an ecosystem of coaching, which some traders find supportive and a systematic trader mostly experiences as constraints to encode. Tradeify's lighter structure is the counter-offer. Both publish consistency-style requirements that punish lumpy equity, the general mechanism in the consistency rule.
Payout and the pick
Tradeify leads on first-payout speed; Topstep leans on predictability and brand longevity, the broader cycle comparison in fastest payouts. A rule-based, flatten-before-close approach generally prefers whichever account type gives the cleanest end-of-day floor at the tier you want, and at both firms that answer lives in the account-type fine print rather than the homepage.
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FAQ
Is Topstep or Tradeify better for systematic futures trading?
Whichever offers the cleaner end-of-day floor at your tier, which varies by account type at both. Topstep brings mature, process-heavy rules; Tradeify brings lighter friction and faster payouts with a younger rulebook.
Do Topstep and Tradeify use trailing drawdown?
Topstep's combine uses an end-of-day loss-limit framework with its own definitions rather than classic trailing; Tradeify varies by account type. Read each firm's own definition, because identical wording can hide different breach mechanics.
Which has fewer rules to violate?
Tradeify markets simplicity and generally has fewer hoops; Topstep is deliberately process-heavy. For an automated approach, fewer rules matter less than clearly documented ones.
Not financial advice. Performance figures are hypothetical, modeled outputs (backtest + live sample; ~1,500-path Monte Carlo where noted). Past performance does not guarantee future results. Verify every prop-firm rule with the firm directly.