Topstep: rules card
Every Topstep rule that decides whether a strategy fits, on one page with sources and a verification date. This is the reference; the how-to-pass guide is the walkthrough.
Topstep rules at a glance
| Rule | Current terms |
|---|---|
| Drawdown (evaluation) | Maximum Loss Limit, EOD trailing on the Combine ($2,000 on 50K) |
| Drawdown (funded) | EOD trailing on Express Funded and Live |
| 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) |
| Consistency | 50% Consistency Target on the Combine: best day may not exceed half of the profit target, or the target increases |
| 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 |
| Contract cap | 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 |
| 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) |
| Automation | Bots and EAs allowed in Combine and funded; no setup support; HFT and algorithmic scalping excluded |
| Copy trading | Native copier in TopstepX; must run on the device you are logged in from, no VPS; around 5 accounts |
| News | No-news window applies |
| 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) |
| Path to Live | Combine → Express Funded → Live; 0.71% of accounts reached Live in 2025 |
Source: Puravida Edge rules card for Topstep, verified 29 September 2026 against the firm’s program pages and help center.
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Rows marked “Verify with firm” are where current rule trackers are silent or disagree; the firm's own help center is the only binding source.
What this means for a systematic strategy
Topstep's rule set is the most complete filter on strategy shape in the group: a 50% consistency target, winning-day counts at the payout stage, and a 90/10 split from the first dollar on new accounts. A strategy that produces steady small days passes it; one that makes its month in three sessions triggers the consistency target, which raises the bar rather than ending the account. The 30-winning-days gate to daily payouts is a two-stage journey most accounts never complete.
Is Topstep worth it for a systematic strategy?
Yes, for strategies with steady small days. Topstep's consistency mechanism is the only one in the group that raises the profit target instead of failing the account, which turns a big day into a longer test rather than a dead account. Bots and EAs are permitted outright, and the Combine has no minimum day count.
Where it fails is the return shape. A strategy that makes its month in three sessions will keep pushing the target upward, and the five-winning-day gate at $150 before each Express payout adds a second filter on frequency. The 30-winning-day journey to daily payouts on Live is long enough that most accounts never reach it.
Topstep Combine vs XFA vs Live: what changes at each stage
Section merged from the former standalone article on 8 October 2026; figures as verified at that date.
Three stages, three rulebooks
Topstep runs one drawdown model throughout but changes almost everything else between the Trading Combine, the Express Funded Account and the Live Funded Account. The table follows one account through all three.
| Rule | Trading Combine | Express Funded (XFA) | Live Funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawdown | EOD trailing Max Loss Limit ($2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500) | EOD trailing MLL; locks at $0 once profit equals the MLL | EOD, locks at $0 |
| Daily loss limit | none universal (optional on some configurations) | none universal | a DLL that adjusts with balance |
| Consistency | 50% target-day rule to pass | none on the Standard payout path; 40% on the optional Consistency path | none |
| Contract cap | 5 / 10 / 15 minis | Scaling Plan by balance: a 50K opens at 2 lots, 3 above $1,500, 5 from $2,000 | Dynamic Live Risk Expansion |
| Starting balance | account size | $0 (profit is the balance) | live capital |
| Payout | — | 5 winning days of $150+ (Standard) or 3 trading days with no day above 40% (Consistency); 90/10 | daily after 30 winning days of $150+; 90/10 |
| Automation | allowed, no HFT | allowed, no HFT | allowed, no HFT |
| Reset | available | — | — |
The switches that catch systematic accounts
The XFA starts at a $0 balance. That single fact drives the two rules people miss: the contract cap does not carry over (a 50K Combine allows 5 minis, the XFA opens at 2 lots and scales by balance), and the Max Loss Limit locks at zero once profit equals the MLL, not at the original balance. A strategy sized for 5 minis has to run at 2 until it has built $2,000 of balance, released between sessions.
The Live account then adds the rule the Combine never had, a daily loss limit that moves with balance, and replaces the Scaling Plan with Dynamic Live Risk Expansion. Only 0.71% of accounts reached Live in 2025, so most systematic accounts live on the XFA, where the choice that matters is the payout path: Standard (five winning days of $150+) or Consistency (three trading days, no day above 40%). Details on payout paths; the scaling numbers on the scaling page; the full card at Topstep rules.
Guides for this firm
- Apex vs Topstep: which is harder to pass?
- Topstep payout paths: Standard vs Consistency, which pays faster
- How to pass the Topstep Combine
- Best strategy: Topstep 50K
- Best strategy: Topstep 100K
- Best strategy: Topstep 150K
- Topstep vs MyFundedFutures
- Topstep vs Tradeify
- Topstep vs TradeDay
- TradingView compatibility across firms
Every rule in the table is defined in the glossary and explained by mechanism in the rules hub.
FAQ
Does Topstep have a scaling plan?
Yes, but only on the Express Funded Account. The XFA starts at a $0 balance and your maximum position is set by that balance: on a 50K, 2 lots, 3 above $1,500, 5 from $2,000, released between sessions. The Combine has a fixed cap (5/10/15 minis) and the Live Funded Account uses Dynamic Live Risk Expansion instead.
Does Topstep still pay 100% of the first $10,000?
Only on accounts opened before 12 January 2026. Newer accounts run 90/10 from the first dollar.
When do Topstep daily payouts unlock?
After 30 non-consecutive winning days of $150 or more in the Live account. Express days do not count toward the 30.
Does the Topstep Combine have minimum trading days?
No — the day-count minimum was dropped and the Combine can be passed in as few as two sessions, provided the best day stays under half of the profit target.
Does Topstep allow automated trading?
Yes. Bots and EAs are allowed in the Combine and on funded accounts, with no setup support from the firm; HFT and algorithmic scalping are excluded. The native copier in TopstepX must run on the device you are logged in from, no VPS, across about 5 accounts.
What is the Topstep daily loss limit?
There is no universal daily loss limit on the standard Trading Combine; it is optional on some configurations. The Live Funded Account runs a Daily Loss Limit that adjusts with the account balance.
What are the Topstep drawdown and consistency rules?
The Combine runs an end-of-day trailing Maximum Loss Limit ($2,000 on a 50K) and a 50% Consistency Target: your best day may not exceed half of the profit target, or the target increases. Express Funded and Live accounts trail end-of-day too.
How many contracts can I trade at Topstep?
5 / 10 / 15 minis (50 / 100 / 150 micros) on 50K / 100K / 150K in the Trading Combine, mixable within the cap. The cap does not carry into the Express Funded Account, which opens at 2 lots on a 50K, 3 above $1,500 and 5 from $2,000, with released size applied from the next session.
Does the Topstep contract cap carry over to the funded account?
No. The Combine cap (5 / 10 / 15 minis) applies only to the Combine; the Express Funded Account starts at a $0 balance and its Scaling Plan opens at 2 lots on a 50K, releasing size by balance between sessions.
Does Topstep have a daily loss limit?
Not universally on the Combine or the XFA. The Live Funded Account runs a daily loss limit that adjusts with balance.
Where does the Topstep Max Loss Limit lock?
On the XFA it locks at $0 once profit equals the MLL amount, because the account starts at a $0 balance.
Sources: firm documentation and current rule trackers (Prop Firm Pine Scripts rules database June 2026, DamnPropFirms July 2026, proptradingvibes and tradetanto June–August 2026, Finance Magnates), cross-checked September 2026. Rules change quarterly; the firm's help center is the binding source.