PROP FIRM COMPARISON • UPDATED NOVEMBER 2026

Topstep vs FTMO — Which Should You Pick in 2026?

Live codes at similar futures firms

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These two do not compete for the same trade: Topstep funds CME futures traders on a 1-step Trading Combine, FTMO funds Forex/CFD traders — decide the market before you compare the firms. The rule engines then differ in kind rather than degree: Topstep's $2,000-$4,500 Maximum Loss Limit trails your end-of-day balance and locks static once it reaches your starting balance, while FTMO's 2-Step keeps a flat 10% static drawdown from day one. Topstep also requires a minimum of 2 trading days and caps your best day at 55% of the profit target; FTMO's 2-Step has no consistency rule at all.

Quick verdict

Pick Topstep if: futures · disciplined day traders · long term careers · ninjatrader traders.

Pick FTMO if: Established traders with a track record.

Highest Trustpilot rating goes to FTMO.

Read the Topstep review →  ·  Read the FTMO review →

Side-by-side comparison

TopstepFTMO
Cheapest challenge$95/mo$50k 2-Step: €345
Account model1-step Trading Combine1-step / 2-step / Instant / Futures (Beta)
Profit targetSee full rule summary below10% → 5%
Max drawdownStandard Path $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 END-OF-DAY trailing MLL - it rises with your end-of-day balance, never falls, and locks permanently once it reaches your starting balance. Breach is monitored in real time on realized AND unrealized P&L: touch it intraday and you are liquidated immediately. In the Trading Combine that liquidates you for the rest of the day and blocks funding until you Reset; in the XFA the account is closed for good.; No Activation Fee Path $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 END-OF-DAY trailing MLL - it rises with your end-of-day balance, never falls, and locks permanently once it reaches your starting balance. Breach is monitored in real time on realized AND unrealized P&L: touch it intraday and you are liquidated immediately. In the Trading Combine that liquidates you for the rest of the day and blocks funding until you Reset; in the XFA the account is closed for good.10% static (2-Step) / 10% trailing EOD (1-Step)
Daily drawdownSee full rule summary below5% (2-Step) / 3% (1-Step)
Consistency ruleConsistency Target: best single day should stay at or below 55% of the PROFIT TARGET - $1,650 / $3,300 / $4,950 (raised from 50% in September 2026; the old undisclosed buffer on top of the 50% was removed at the same time). Exceeding it is not an instant fail: your Profit Target is recalculated upward - the firm's own worked example divides by 0.55 - a $1,800 best day on the 50K raises the target to $3,273 - so you simply have to earn more to pass. Losses never reset your best day, and each days value locks at 3:10 PM CT. (The separate 40% figure is the XFA Consistency payout objective, measured against total net profit, and also requires a minimum of 3 trading days with at least 1 trade per day.)1-Step: Consistency rule for accounts from orders created on or after 12 Oct 2026, and for any account merged on or after that date - your Best Day may be at most 50% of your total profit (the sum of closed profits AND losses across all trading days). 1-Step accounts directly initiated from older orders keep the legacy Best Day rule (50% of Positive Days' Profit). Instant Account: Best Day max 30% of total profit to be eligible for a Reward. 2-Step: none
Profit split90% (100% first $10K for pre-Jan-2026 accounts)80% (2-step) / 90% (1-step, Instant)
Payout schedule1-3 business days approval; $125 minimum payout request. Every request is capped at 50% of your account balance, up to the dollar cap for your size. · XFA Standard: 5 winning days of $150+. XFA Consistency: 3 days at the 40% consistency target. Live Funded: 5 winning days of $150+ per cycle, daily payouts unlocked after 30 winning days.Bi-weekly (on-demand after 14 calendar days from first trade)
EA / botsAutomated strategies ALLOWED with conditions — Topstep gives no setup/troubleshooting support and makes no exceptions for errant trades. Trade copiers across multiple accounts are explicitly permitted. TopstepX API Access (powered by ProjectX) is a live paid product, $29/mo. HARD BLOCK: all trading must originate from your personal device — VPS, VPNs and remote servers are prohibited by the Terms of Use and running automation on a VPS can get you suspended or removed. Scalping algos built to exploit SIM fills are separately banned.Allowed — discretionary, algorithmic and EAs, including third-party/purchased (cap: no EA may exceed 2,000 server requests per day)
Trustpilot3.7 (15,044)4.8 (56,096)
Best discount code——
PropfirmDeals tierTier ATier S
Full rule summary1-step Trading Combine. Standard Path $49/$99/$199 per month + $149 activation per funded account, or No Activation Fee Path $95/$149/$229 per month. 6% profit target ($3,000/$6,000/$9,000), Maximum Loss Limit $2,000/$3,000/$4,500 that trails your END-OF-DAY balance (not intraday peaks) and locks static once it reaches your starting balance, plus an optional Daily Loss Limit $1,000/$2,000/$3,000. Breaches are still detected intraday on unrealized P&L. Minimum 2 trading days - a one-day pass is not possible. Consistency Target: best single day at or below 55% of the PROFIT TARGET ($1,650/$3,300/$4,950) - raised from 50% in September 2026, and the old undisclosed buffer was removed at the same time; go over and your profit target is raised rather than the account failed (the 40% figure is the separate XFA payout objective, measured against total net profit, and needs 3 trading days). All positions must be flat by 3:10 PM CT. 90/10 split (pre-Jan-2026 traders grandfathered at 100% of the first $10K). Each XFA payout request is 50% of balance up to a per-size cap ($2K/$3K/$5K Standard, $3K/$4K/$6K Consistency) - Live Funded payouts are uncapped. Since June 2, 2026 a Daily Loss Limit added at Combine purchase doubles those caps.—

Social proof tilts to FTMO (4.8/5 vs 3.7/5 on our Trustpilot estimates).

Discount codes

Lower your entry cost with a current verified code (see the full prop firm discount codes list):

Topstep vs FTMO — FAQ

Which pays out faster, Topstep or FTMO?

Topstep: 1-3 business days approval; $125 minimum payout request. Every request is capped at 50% of your account balance, up to the dollar cap for your size. · XFA Standard: 5 winning days of $150+. XFA Consistency: 3 days at the 40% consistency target. Live Funded: 5 winning days of $150+ per cycle, daily payouts unlocked after 30 winning days. — FTMO: Bi-weekly (on-demand after 14 calendar days from first trade). Always confirm the current payout policy on the firm's official terms before buying.

Does Topstep or FTMO have a consistency rule?

Topstep: Consistency Target: best single day should stay at or below 55% of the PROFIT TARGET - $1,650 / $3,300 / $4,950 (raised from 50% in September 2026; the old undisclosed buffer on top of the 50% was removed at the same time). Exceeding it is not an instant fail: your Profit Target is recalculated upward - the firm's own worked example divides by 0.55 - a $1,800 best day on the 50K raises the target to $3,273 - so you simply have to earn more to pass. Losses never reset your best day, and each days value locks at 3:10 PM CT. (The separate 40% figure is the XFA Consistency payout objective, measured against total net profit, and also requires a minimum of 3 trading days with at least 1 trade per day.). FTMO: 1-Step: Consistency rule for accounts from orders created on or after 12 Oct 2026, and for any account merged on or after that date - your Best Day may be at most 50% of your total profit (the sum of closed profits AND losses across all trading days). 1-Step accounts directly initiated from older orders keep the legacy Best Day rule (50% of Positive Days' Profit). Instant Account: Best Day max 30% of total profit to be eligible for a Reward. 2-Step: none. A consistency rule caps how much of your total profit one day may contribute — a real constraint if your profit comes in bursts.

Do Topstep and FTMO trade the same markets?

No — Topstep funds Futures traders and FTMO funds Forex/CFD + Futures traders, so the account you get is not the same product. That also explains why the rule tables look different: futures programs express drawdown and daily limits in dollars per account size and run on CME data feeds, while Forex/CFD programs express the same limits as a percentage of the account. Pick the market you actually trade first; the firm comparison only matters inside that choice.

Can you use EAs or bots on Topstep and FTMO?

Topstep: Automated strategies ALLOWED with conditions — Topstep gives no setup/troubleshooting support and makes no exceptions for errant trades. Trade copiers across multiple accounts are explicitly permitted. TopstepX API Access (powered by ProjectX) is a live paid product, $29/mo. HARD BLOCK: all trading must originate from your personal device — VPS, VPNs and remote servers are prohibited by the Terms of Use and running automation on a VPS can get you suspended or removed. Scalping algos built to exploit SIM fills are separately banned. FTMO: Allowed — discretionary, algorithmic and EAs, including third-party/purchased (cap: no EA may exceed 2,000 server requests per day). Automation rules change more often than prices — confirm the current policy in the firm's terms before you deploy a bot on a paid account.

Bottom line

Both Topstep and FTMO are reputable choices in 2026 — the right pick depends on your strategy, drawdown tolerance and budget. Use the table above to match each firm's rules to how you actually trade, then grab the current code before checkout.

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