What TopstepX is
TopstepX is the in-house trading platform of futures prop firm Topstep, and as of our 2026-08-22 read of the official help centre, it is the standard — the TopstepX article is headlined “One platform. Everything you need.”
The NinjaTrader, Tradovate and TradingView lineup Topstep used to offer no longer appears anywhere in the 61 public help-centre articles. We documented that change in a dated news note and in our rule-change tracker.
New to Topstep itself? Start with how to start with Topstep and the reputation review.
Logging in
No install: open topstepx.com/trade or launch from the Topstep Dashboard, then log in with the username and password emailed at your first Trading Combine purchase (the password is platform-specific and can be reset on the login page). Select your account in the top left and you are ready to trade. The Trading Combine, Express Funded Account and Live Funded Account all trade on TopstepX.
What ships free — the Premium Feature Bundle
Topstep accounts include the Premium Feature Bundle at no extra cost (checked 2026-08-22):
- DOM Surface
- TPO charts
- Volume analysis tools
- Charting, capped at two indicators per chart
Market Replay is not included, and full access to the premium features requires Level 2 data.
Documented workflow features include account nicknames (30 characters max; cleared on reset; not visible to Trader Support, so keep your original account number for tickets), sound and visual alerts (Settings → Misc), drag-and-drop custom layouts with pop-out windows, and automatic contract rollover — every product is rolled to the front month during the daily 4:00–5:00 PM CST close window based on volume, open interest and expiry, so you never track rollover dates yourself.
Per-trade costs, in dollars
Fees are deducted automatically per trade, with the breakdown visible in TopstepX and the Dashboard. The structure is exchange fee + NFA regulatory fee ($0.02 round turn) + commission — $1.00 round turn on minis, $0.50 on micros. Representative round-turn totals (checked 2026-08-22):
| Product | Round-turn cost |
|---|---|
| E-mini S&P 500 (ES) | $3.78 |
| Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) | $1.22 |
| E-mini NASDAQ 100 (NQ) | $3.78 |
| Micro E-mini NASDAQ 100 (MNQ) | $1.22 |
| Crude Oil (CL) | $4.02 |
| Micro Crude Oil (MCL) | $1.52 |
| Gold (GC) | $4.32 |
| Micro Gold (MGC) | $1.92 |
Note that exchange fees on metals (GC, MGC, SI, SIL, HG, MHG, PL) rose by $0.05–$0.10 per side from July 20, 2026 — evidence that this table moves. The full product list is in the sourced help article.
Using Quantower instead
The one external platform documented (as of 2026-08-22) is Quantower, connected with your TopstepX credentials — no API subscription needed.
- In Quantower: Connections → select ProjectX → choose TopstepX as the server → enter TopstepX credentials (disconnect the default DX Feed first)
- Data runs through ProjectX — a direct CME feed with 10:1 micro-to-mini conversions
- Available for the Trading Combine and Express Funded Account only
- Sign the platform and data agreements inside TopstepX first, or you will hit a “Login Blocked” error
The Premium Feature Bundle (DOM Surface, TPO, volume tools, two indicators per chart) is included free for Quantower too.
API access and automated trading
Automation runs through TopstepX API Access (checked 2026-08-22): REST and WebSocket APIs powered by ProjectX, supporting automated strategies, third-party tool connections, custom risk rules, live and historical data, and direct order execution. Python, Java, .NET and JavaScript are the expected languages; plugging in third-party tools requires no coding. It is billed separately from the Topstep subscription — link ProjectX under Settings → API inside TopstepX, buy API access in the ProjectX dashboard, then generate your key.
Limits worth knowing
- One concurrent session across all devices (an exchange-regulation limit); logging in elsewhere disconnects the previous session. Multiple tabs on the same device and browser are fine
- Two indicators per chart
- No Market Replay
- Fees change — the July 2026 metals increase is the working example. Re-check the sourced help article before trading
Comparing against Topstep
Our side-by-side of futures firms is in best futures prop firms. In our verification data, the strongest-verified futures firm is TradeDay: trader payouts of $13,394,795 across 11,681 settlements, independently verified on-chain by Payout Junction (checked 2026-08-05). How it lines up against Topstep is in the comparison data.
Disclosure: this site earns affiliate commission from FTMO and TradeDay (TradeDay approved 2026-08-13). We have no partnership with Topstep. Compensation does not affect ratings — see About.