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Topstep vs TradeDay: Full Comparison

A side-by-side comparison of Topstep and TradeDay built from our normalised 31-firm dataset. Every figure was read off the firms’ own pages, and each row carries its source and check date. Where we could not verify something we mark it “not verified” rather than leaving it blank.

Key findings

  • Topstep comes out ahead on Lowest entry fee ($49 vs $59).
  • Topstep comes out ahead on Max profit split (100% vs 90%).
  • Topstep comes out ahead on Min trading days (0 days vs 5 days).
  • TradeDay comes out ahead on Payout cycle (0 days vs 5 days).
  • TradeDay comes out ahead on Payout processing time (1 days vs 3 days).
  • TradeDay holds the higher Trustpilot rating (4.6 (1,417) vs 3.6 (14,632)).

Terms compared

Item Topstep TradeDay
Evaluation model 1-step 1-step
Lowest entry fee $49 Better $59
Max profit split 100% Better 90%
Profit target 6% 6%
Daily loss limit The two firms calculate drawdown differently, so the percentages are not directly comparable. 2% None
Max drawdown The two firms calculate drawdown differently, so the percentages are not directly comparable. 4% 4%
Drawdown type End-of-day trailing Mixed
Min trading days 0 days Better 5 days
Payout cycle 5 days 0 days Better
Payout processing time 3 days 1 days Better
Max leverage Not verified Not verified
Account sizes $50,000 / $100,000 / $150,000 $50,000 / $100,000 / $150,000
Asset classes futures futures
Trustpilot 3.6 (14,632) 4.6 (1,417) Better
Third-party payout verification Self-reported only Third-party verified
Recorded rule changes 2 3

How the drawdown works

Topstep uses a end-of-day trailing drawdown while TradeDay uses a mixed one. This is one of the most common reasons an account fails: with a trailing drawdown the limit rises with your open profit, so the same headline percentage leaves less real room.

Third-party payout verification

Topstep

$1.4B+ — Self-reported only

The largest claim in the set and the least checkable rail: payouts settle by ACH, wire/SWIFT, Wise or prop-to-brokerage transfer, none of which leave a public record, and Topstep does not appear among the firms Payout Junction tracks. It is nonetheless the only firm here that publishes a dated participant-level payout statistic: "From January through December 2025 … (c) 33.3% of all individual participants at the Funded Level received a payout". A cumulative total with no denominator says nothing about a reader’s odds; that disclosure does.

Topstep — homepage ("$1.4B+ Paid out to prop firm traders") and 2025 Trader Performance Statistics · 2026-08-05

TradeDay

$10M+ — Third-party verified

The only firm in this set whose independently checkable figure exceeds its own claim. Payout Junction reads $13,394,795 across 11,681 on-chain settlements, most recent 2026-08-04 18:59 UTC, against a homepage claim of "$10M+". Largest single settlement $49,277 (2025-09-12), average $1,147. TradeDay does not cite the tracker.

TradeDay — homepage ("Over $10 million in Verified Payouts") · 2026-08-05

Recorded rule changes

Topstep

  • Observed 2026-08-22 Before: Third-party platforms NinjaTrader, Tradovate and TradingView were offered as the trading platform lineup. → After: TopstepX, Topstep's in-house browser platform, is the standard for all accounts; the one external option is a Quantower connection via TopstepX credentials (Trading Combine and Express Funded Account only). Topstep Help Center — TopstepX™
  • Effective 2026-01-12 Before: 100% of the first $10,000 in lifetime profits, then a 90/10 split. → After: 90/10 split from the first dollar. Topstep Help Center — Topstep Payout Policy

TradeDay

  • Observed 2026-08-20 Before: Aggregators and our own earlier reading described the split as up to 90%, and the cheapest 50K plan as roughly $62.50/mo under a 50% sale. → After: The live homepage on 2026-08-20 states a staged split — 50/50 below $4,000 net profit, 80/20 above $4,000, and 90/10 only in Funded Live — and prices the 50K Intraday Quick Pay at $59/mo (list $131) with an End-of-Day variant at $79/mo (list $175), under a banner reading 55% OFF. A public promo code TDNEW is displayed site-wide with no stated discount value. TradeDay — homepage plan cards and funded-stage rules
  • Effective 2026-07-26 Before: Funded Sim accounts had no consistency objective. Payout caps were $2,000 on a 50K, $2,500 on a 100K and $3,000 on a 150K. → After: A 45% consistency objective applies — no single day may make up more than 45% of total gross profits — and payout caps fall to $1,500 on a 50K, $1,850 on a 100K and $2,250 on a 150K. TradeDay Knowledge Base — Fast Pass Funded Sim Payout Policy
  • Effective 2026-05-29 Before: Nine account SKUs across Static, EOD and Intraday types. → After: Two evaluation routes — Quick Pay and Fast Pass — with entry from $62.50 on a 50K account. TradeDay — TradeDay 2.0: The Next Evolution of Prop Trading (29 May 2026)

Which one fits you

What the data says, priority by priority. The decision is yours; we do not give investment advice.

  • Topstep comes out ahead on Lowest entry fee ($49 vs $59).
  • Topstep comes out ahead on Max profit split (100% vs 90%).
  • Topstep comes out ahead on Min trading days (0 days vs 5 days).
  • TradeDay comes out ahead on Payout cycle (0 days vs 5 days).
  • TradeDay comes out ahead on Payout processing time (1 days vs 3 days).
  • TradeDay holds the higher Trustpilot rating (4.6 (1,417) vs 3.6 (14,632)).

Check current terms on the official sites

FAQ

Which is cheaper to start, Topstep or TradeDay?
Topstep is $49 and TradeDay is $59, so Topstep is the better of the two on Lowest entry fee. This page is an informational comparison, not investment advice. Passing an evaluation is not guaranteed and entry fees may not be refundable.
Which one pays the higher profit split?
Topstep is 100% and TradeDay is 90%, so Topstep is the better of the two on Max profit split. This page is an informational comparison, not investment advice. Passing an evaluation is not guaranteed and entry fees may not be refundable.
Which one has the shorter payout cycle?
Topstep is 5 days and TradeDay is 0 days, so TradeDay is the better of the two on Payout cycle. This page is an informational comparison, not investment advice. Passing an evaluation is not guaranteed and entry fees may not be refundable.
Do they calculate drawdown the same way?
Topstep uses a end-of-day trailing drawdown while TradeDay uses a mixed one. This is one of the most common reasons an account fails: with a trailing drawdown the limit rises with your open profit, so the same headline percentage leaves less real room.
What do their Trustpilot ratings look like?
Topstep: 3.6 (14,632). TradeDay: 4.6 (1,417). Profiles were checked on 2026-07-31. Where Trustpilot has withheld a rating for a guideline breach we publish no score.

Sources

Data currency

Terms data 2026-06-22 / payout verification 2026-08-05 / rule changes 2026-08-22. Prop firm terms change without notice — always confirm on the official site before you buy.

This page is an informational comparison, not investment advice. Passing an evaluation is not guaranteed and entry fees may not be refundable.

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