Topstep / TopstepX FAQ

Topstep is a US futures prop firm founded in 2010 by Michael Patak - the original "OG" prop firm in the futures space. You pay a monthly subscription for the Trading Combine (the eval), hit a profit target without breaching the Maximum Loss Limit, then graduate to an Express Funded Account (XFA) and eventually a Live Funded Account (LFA). Per Topstep's 2026 marketing, the firm has paid out $1 billion+ cumulatively to funded traders and remains one of the most-recognized names in retail futures prop trading.

Founded 2010 in Chicago by Michael Patak. One of the longest-operating retail prop firms in futures. Headquartered in Chicago, with 15+ years of continuous operation as of 2026.

Legit by every standard prop firm metric - Topstep has been operating since 2010, claims $1 billion+ in cumulative payouts (2026 marketing), has a ~174,000-member Discord, and is one of the most-reviewed prop firms on Trustpilot. That said, the Trustpilot rating dropped from 4.5+ in 2025 to roughly 3.4/5 across ~14,000 reviews as of May 2026 - driven largely by the TopstepX migration friction and the 11+ outages in late 2025. Payout integrity itself is rarely the complaint; platform reliability and rule-change pacing are.

Most countries except OFAC-sanctioned (Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus). Topstep has US-based KYC infrastructure and pays international traders via Wise, Aeropay, and SWIFT wires. Verify your country in the Topstep dashboard before purchasing.

No - Topstep accepts traders globally. Non-US traders submit a W-8BEN form instead of a W-9, and payouts route through international payment methods.

18 years old, standard for retail prop firms.

Topstep is a prop firm - you pay them an evaluation fee, they test your trading via simulation, and they pay you a profit share if you pass and reach payout. A broker holds your money and routes orders. Topstep doesn't hold your money; they pay independent contractors based on simulated performance.

No. Trading Combine (eval) is simulated. Express Funded Account (XFA) is simulated but pays real cash. Live Funded Account (LFA) involves real exchange capital but is reached only after passing the Combine, qualifying through XFA, and meeting Reserve unlock criteria. Most traders trade simulated for the entire Topstep journey.

Sign up - buy Trading Combine subscription - hit profit target without breaching MLL - pay activation fee - trade XFA - take payouts - meet LFA criteria via Reserve unlock - graduate to LFA. Most traders take months or years to reach LFA; many never get there.

Most traders who pass take 2-4 weeks on the Combine, but only 10-20% pass first try. Many take multiple Combine resets. The minimum 5 trading days to pass is a structural floor, not a typical timeline.

Topstep's marketing claims an "86% higher pass rate on TopstepX vs third-party platforms" - this is a Topstep marketing figure, not independently verified. Industry averages put first-try Combine pass rates around 10-20% across firms.

No. Topstep operates as a tech / contractor company, not a broker-dealer. Like other major retail prop firms, the relationship is governed by Topstep's funded trader agreement, not exchange or regulator rules.

Promotional pricing on the $50K Combine is around $49/mo, the $100K around $99/mo, the $150K around $149/mo. List prices are higher (around $165 for the $50K). Discount codes run almost continuously. Verify current pricing on topstep.com.

Topstep runs aggressive promotional pricing. The $49 number is the discounted promo, not list. The discount typically applies to the first month; subsequent months may revert to list. Read the fine print on the checkout page.

Varies by promotion. Some promos lock the discount for the entire subscription life as long as you stay continuously subscribed; others only apply to the first month. Read the specific promo terms.

No - the Combine subscription stops when you pass and activate the XFA. You pay a one-time XFA activation fee instead. The Combine fee is eval-only.

Topstep offers two Combine paths: the standard Combine that requires a $149 activation fee after passing, and a "No Activation Fee Path" introduced February 5, 2026 with slightly different rules and a higher monthly subscription. Pick based on whether you'd rather pay monthly during the eval or one-time after passing.

After passing the Combine, you pay a $149 one-time fee to activate the XFA. Required on the standard path. The fee replaces the recurring Combine subscription on the funded side. Refundable only within specific windows.

No - only one code per checkout. The "stack two codes for 95% off" claims don't work in the Topstep checkout.

topstep.com landing pages display current promo codes. Topstep's email newsletter is the freshest source. Affiliate aggregators (ProTradingVibes, SaveOnPropFirms, BestPropFirms) also list current codes.

Log in, go to Account - Subscriptions, click Cancel. The cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle - you keep the Combine active until then. After the cycle ends, the Combine deactivates and your account goes inactive.

No. Once you pass the Combine and activate the XFA, the Combine subscription stops automatically. You don't need to manually cancel.

Month-to-month. No annual option for the Combine. Bills monthly until you pass or cancel.

Major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex). Some regions support PayPal. International cards are accepted but may incur foreign transaction fees from the issuer.

Topstep doesn't charge a separate fee, but your bank may. The transaction is processed in USD, so non-US cards see the standard FX conversion plus any foreign-transaction fee from the card issuer.

Topstep gives you 1 free reset credit per month per active Combine subscription (not 1-2 - the cap is one free reset, additional resets are paid). When you breach a Combine, you can use the credit to reset instead of starting over. Credits don't expire while the subscription is active. After cancellation, unused credits are forfeited.

$50K, $100K, $150K. Topstep historically offered other sizes; current lineup is the three.

$3,000 net profit. Standard for the $50K Combine - verify current target on Topstep's Combine parameters page.

$6,000 net profit on the $100K Combine.

$9,000 net profit on the $150K Combine.

On TopstepX: ~5 minis on $50K, 10 minis on $100K, 15 minis on $150K. Micros count at 10:1 (so $50K = 50 micros, $100K = 100 micros, $150K = 150 micros). Silver micros count at 5:1. IMPORTANT: the 10:1 ratio applies only on TopstepX - legacy Tradovate-hosted accounts historically counted micros 1:1 against the mini cap, which made them effectively unusable for retail position sizing. The ProjectX migration (Feb 28, 2026) ended that legacy ratio.

10 micros = 1 mini for position limit purposes (5:1 for silver). So on a $50K with a 5-mini cap, you can hold 50 micros, or 4 minis + 10 micros, or any combination summing to 5 mini-equivalents.

10:1 reflects the actual contract size ratio for most products (MES is 1/10 the size of ES, so 10 MES = 1 ES in real exposure). Silver micros (SIL) are 1/5 the size of full silver (SI), so the ratio is 5:1.

Yes - 5 minimum trading days. Even if you hit the profit target on day 2, you must log 5 trading days total before the Combine pass triggers.

No - the 5-day minimum prevents this. Even with the target hit, you must continue trading until 5 days are logged.

No hard time limit - the Combine continues as long as your subscription is active. Many traders take 30-60 days. Some take longer. Failure happens via MLL breach, not time.

Yes - any day you execute at least one round-trip trade counts as a trading day, regardless of P&L.

A day where you executed at least one round-trip trade (an open and a close). Topstep's specific definition is on the Combine parameters page; the round-trip is the standard.

Yes - pay separate subscriptions for each. Topstep caps total funded accounts at 5 with a $750K total funding cap, so running multiple Combines lets you scale up to that ceiling.

Limited by the 5 funded account cap and the $750K total funding ceiling. Within those limits you can purchase as many Combines as you want concurrently.

If you've also met the 5-day minimum, the Combine moves to "passed" status. You then pay the activation fee (or transition automatically on the No-Activation-Fee Path) and the XFA goes live within hours.

Cheapest subscription, smallest target ($3,000), and lower contract size means smaller dollar swings while you learn Topstep's specific rule mechanics. Once you have payouts on a $50K, scale up confidently to $100K+ Combines.

The Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) is Topstep's trailing drawdown - a floor that ratchets up with your peak end-of-day balance but never moves down. Hit it and the Combine fails. Topstep's MLL is one of the more forgiving in the industry because it's EOD-based, not intraday.

Trailing on the Combine - moves up with each day's peak closing balance. Locks once you hit the profit target, then stays static through the rest of the Combine and through the XFA.

End-of-day. The MLL only updates based on the closing balance each day - intraday wicks don't move it. This is structurally friendlier than Apex's intraday option, and one of Topstep's distinguishing features.

Once you hit the profit target on the Combine, the MLL freezes at the level it was at when you passed. After that, you have a static drawdown going forward.

$2,000 on $50K, $3,000 on $100K, $4,500 on $150K. These are starting MLLs that trail upward; verify exact figures on Topstep's Combine parameters page.

On the Combine, MLL is trailing. Once you pass and move to XFA, the MLL is locked at the level it was at when you passed and is static from that point. The XFA also has its own DLL that operates separately.

XFAs are tracked relative to the locked MLL. So a "$50K XFA" has a $48,000 floor (after the $2,000 MLL) and Topstep displays your distance from that floor. The number you see is your buffer above MLL - start at $2,000 buffer (for the $50K), grow it via profit, lose it via losing days.

Stays at the same locked level - payouts don't move the MLL. Your buffer above the MLL shrinks by the payout amount, but the floor stays put.

No on the Combine and XFA - only EOD closing balance counts toward MLL movement. Intraday floats do not breach the MLL even if they're below it momentarily.

Closing balance at exactly the MLL level is treated as a breach. Stay above it, even by $1, to keep the account alive.

Only via a paid reset (which uses a credit from your Reset Bank). Resets restart the Combine with a fresh MLL at the original starting level. The reset is what saves you when you've gotten too close to MLL but not breached.

EOD-only trailing (no intraday tick-by-tick mechanic), locks once you pass the Combine, and the dollar amounts are reasonable relative to position size. Compared to Apex Intraday or some forex props, Topstep's MLL is structurally easier to trade.

There is NO default Daily Loss Limit on the TopstepX Combine or XFA - Topstep removed the default DLL effective August 25, 2024. The only DLL today is an optional, free "Personal Daily Loss Limit" you can set yourself for risk control. Legacy historical defaults were $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 across $50K / $100K / $150K Combines, but none of those are enforced now unless you opt in to a Personal DLL.

No. Since August 25, 2024 there is no default DLL on TopstepX Combines or XFAs - the Daily Loss Limit is entirely optional via the free "Personal DLL" feature you configure yourself. Without opting in, the only daily-loss style guardrail is the Maximum Loss Limit (trailing/locked) plus Topstep's auto-flatten at 3:10 PM CT.

Topstep removed the default Daily Loss Limit on TopstepX Combines and XFAs effective August 25, 2024 - not in 2026. The free "Personal Daily Loss Limit" feature replaced it: traders can self-set a daily cap if they want one, but there is no enforced default. Common social-media claims of an "April 2026 DLL change" are inaccurate; the rule change is nearly two years old.

Only applies if you opted in to a Personal DLL (since Aug 25, 2024 there is no default). If you did set one and you hit it, open positions auto-liquidate, you're paused for the rest of that trading day, and you come back tomorrow. The Personal DLL is a self-imposed timeout, not a Combine kill - it does not count as a rule violation.

Just a self-imposed timeout - never a violation or a Combine fail. Since the default DLL was removed August 25, 2024, the only DLL on TopstepX is the Personal DLL you chose to enable. Repeatedly tripping your own Personal DLL is a discipline red flag but does not kill the Combine.

6:00 PM ET - the CME daily reset. Hit DLL Tuesday afternoon, you can trade again Tuesday at 6:00 PM ET (which starts the Wednesday trading day).

Yes - the Personal DLL is a free, optional feature you toggle inside the TopstepX dashboard. You can enable, disable, or change the dollar value at any time. There is no charge and no default DLL was enforced after August 25, 2024.

Yes. LFA has dynamic DLL based on tradable balance - drops below $10K, DLL becomes $2K and position cap drops to 5; below $5K, DLL becomes $1K and position cap 3; below $1K, full liquidation. The structure protects against runaway losses.

Tradable balance below $10K - DLL drops to $2K, max position 5 contracts. Below $5K - DLL drops to $1K, max position 3 contracts. Below $1K - full liquidation. The DLL becomes increasingly tight as the account approaches LFA failure.

Yes. The platform auto-flattens any open positions when the DLL is touched. Liquidation can produce bad fills if the market is moving - that's the cost of letting a trade run into the DLL.

Your single best trading day cannot exceed a percentage of your total profit. The Combine uses 50% (best day ≤ 50% of total). The XFA Consistency Path uses 40%. The XFA Standard Path uses winning-day count instead of percentage.

Combine: best day ≤ 50% of total profit during the eval. XFA Consistency Path: best day ≤ 40% at payout request. The XFA threshold is stricter because the funded phase wants tighter consistency before paying out.

Net realized P&L per day, summed for total. Best day = highest single net day. Percentage = best day / total × 100.

5:00 PM ET - end of CME trading day. Whatever your net P&L is at that moment becomes that day's locked figure for consistency purposes.

You're held back from passing until you log enough additional smaller-profit days to dilute the best day's percentage below 50%. The account isn't killed - it just delays passing.

Less strictly. LFA has its own payout review with looser consistency expectations once you've demonstrated track record. Most consistency-rule discussions concern the Combine and XFA.

XFA Standard uses winning-day count ($200+ winning days, raised from $150 in 2024) rather than a consistency percentage. So instead of "best day ≤ 40% of total," it's "you need 5 qualifying winning days of $200+ for the first payout." Different mechanism, similar intent.

If you're targeting a $3,000 Combine pass on $50K with 50% consistency, your best day should ideally be ≤$1,500 ($3,000 × 50%). Pacing big days helps you pass without consistency delays.

Yes - after a successful XFA payout, the consistency calculation resets for the next cycle.

XFA Standard ($200+ winning days, raised from $150 in 2024) avoids the percentage-based consistency rule, replacing it with a count of qualifying winning days. If you're a "many small days" trader, Standard is friendlier. If you're a "fewer bigger days" trader, the percentage-based Consistency Path may suit better.

XFA is the funded phase you graduate to after passing the Combine. Simulated capital, real-cash payouts, locked MLL, and your choice of XFA Standard or XFA Consistency path. The XFA is where you actually start earning.

Simulated. XFAs run on TopstepX's simulator with real-time market data. Payouts are real cash, but the orders fill against simulated quotes.

Up to 5 funded accounts (XFAs + LFA combined) with a $750K total funding ceiling.

XFA Standard requires a count of $150+ winning days for payout eligibility. XFA Consistency requires best day ≤ 40% of total profit at payout time. Pick based on your trading style - many small days favors Standard; fewer bigger days favors Consistency.

February 5, 2026 - Topstep launched the Standard vs Consistency dual paths to give traders flexibility based on style.

A trading day where net P&L is at least $200. The threshold was raised from $150 to $200 in 2024 and remains $200 as of 2026 - any day under $200 net does not count toward the winning-day requirement.

Standard activation window - pay the activation fee promptly after the Combine passes. Verify exact deadline in your dashboard. Don't let it expire.

$149 one-time on the standard path. The "No Activation Fee Path" Combine bypasses this fee in exchange for a higher Combine subscription.

Yes via the "No Activation Fee Path" Combine - pay more during the eval, skip the activation fee. Trade-off depending on how fast you expect to pass.

XFAs close after 30 days of no trading - the XFA inactivity window is 30 days, not 90. Trade at least once a month to keep an XFA alive. The 90-day rule referenced elsewhere applies to LFAs only; if you see 90 days mentioned in an XFA context, the correct number is 30.

Yes - automation via the TopstepX API is allowed. Webhook bridges (PickMyTrade) connect TradingView alerts to TopstepX. Topstep's TOS restricts fully-automated bots running on trader-managed VPS without supervision; cloud-hosted bridges that authenticate to your account and require trader-initiated signals are permitted.

XFA payouts are capped at a FLAT $6,000 per request, identical across $50K, $100K, and $150K XFAs. The popular "50% of profit" claim circulating online is wrong - that was the LFA pre-Benchmark rule, not XFA. So on a $50K XFA your very first payout maxes out at $5,000 (because the size is also capped at the funded balance), and on $100K / $150K XFAs each request maxes at $6,000. The 30 Benchmark Days uncap rule is an LFA mechanic, not XFA.

First XFA payout requires 5 winning days of at least $200 net profit each (the winning-day floor was raised from $150 to $200 in 2024). Subsequent XFA payouts run on a weekly cadence - request approximately every 7 days. The often-quoted "8 trading days" minimum is outdated; the controlling number is 5 qualifying $200+ winning days.

Yes - TopstepX has a built-in Trade Copier for same-direction copying across your own XFAs. PickMyTrade's Manual Trade Copier also supports multi-account routing for the same purpose. Cross-trader copying is banned.

LFA is Topstep's tier where you trade real exchange capital instead of simulated. Reached after the XFA milestones. Has different rules: no MLL trailing, dynamic DLL, real fills.

Topstep allocates LFA capital based on your XFA performance and Combine size. The LFA balance starts at the XFA's locked balance.

LFA splits the funded balance: 20% is immediately tradable, 80% sits in Reserve. Hit profit milestones to unlock 25% of Reserve at a time, tied to Combine profit target levels.

Hit profit thresholds tied to your Combine size. Each milestone unlocks an additional 25% of Reserve. Reaching all four milestones moves the entire Reserve into your tradable balance.

Reviewed at each profit-target milestone. Hit the threshold, the unlock processes within Topstep's review cycle. Not automatic on every dollar.

Dynamic - depends on tradable balance. Below $10K - $2K DLL. Below $5K - $1K DLL. Below $1K - liquidation. Above $10K, the DLL scales with the funded amount.

XFAs typically deactivate when you graduate to LFA - Topstep doesn't run XFAs in parallel with LFAs.

Topstep generally caps LFAs to one per trader. The 5-account cap (XFA + LFA combined) and $750K funding ceiling apply.

A defined count of trading days post-LFA-activation that unlock additional payout flexibility. After 30 Benchmark Days the 50% payout cap is removed.

On XFAs the cap is a flat $6,000 per request, regardless of account size or trader tenure. On LFAs the cap structure is different: pre-Benchmark you receive a percentage of profit, and after 30 Benchmark Days on the LFA the cap is fully removed. The widely repeated "50% on XFA" is a confusion of the LFA's pre-Benchmark structure - XFAs have always been capped by dollar, not percentage.

After 30 Benchmark Days on the LFA. From that point you can request full available profit each cycle.

90-day inactivity closes an LFA. Trade at least once every 90 days to maintain the account.

First XFA payout after 5 winning days of $200+ each. After your first payout, XFA payouts run on a weekly cadence - about every 7 days. LFA payouts are weekly pre-Benchmark and can be requested daily after 30 LFA Benchmark Days. The wider one-to-two-week cycle wording from older guides is outdated - current cadence is a clean 7-day rhythm on XFA and daily on uncapped LFA.

Yes for new traders signing up after January 12, 2026 - Topstep replaced the prior model with a flat 90/10 split from dollar one. Pre-Jan-12-2026 traders were grandfathered: they keep the original "100% of the first $10,000 LIFETIME, then 90/10" structure. The $10,000 is a one-time lifetime threshold for grandfathered traders, not a per-account or per-payout figure.

Flat 90/10 (90% trader, 10% Topstep) from dollar one for traders who joined on or after January 12, 2026. Pre-Jan-12-2026 traders were grandfathered into the original split: 100% of the first $10,000 in LIFETIME payouts, then 90/10 on every dollar after. There is no third tier.

Yes. Traders who started their XFA before January 12, 2026 retain the original split: 100% of their first $10,000 in LIFETIME payouts, then 90/10 on every dollar after that threshold. New traders from January 12, 2026 onward are on flat 90/10 from dollar one - no $10K free band.

$125 minimum payout request on most accounts. Verify your specific minimum in the dashboard.

ACH (US), Wise, Aeropay, SWIFT wire (international). Crypto support varies. Verify available methods for your country in the payouts page.

ACH: 1-3 business days (US). Wise: 1-2 days international. Aeropay: typically same-day to 1 day. SWIFT wire: 2-5 days international depending on banking corridors.

Topstep generally absorbs the processing fee for ACH and US methods. International wires may have bank-level fees. Wise applies its standard FX conversion fee.

OFAC-sanctioned countries (Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus). Some smaller countries with weak banking infrastructure may have limited payout methods. Verify before purchasing.

No. Payouts must go to a bank account in the trader's name (KYC requirement). Third-party transfers are not supported.

Stays at the same locked level. The MLL doesn't move with payouts on the XFA - your buffer above MLL shrinks by the payout amount, but the floor itself doesn't change.

US traders submit a W-9. Non-US traders submit a W-8BEN. Both forms are inside the Topstep dashboard before first payout. KYC documents (ID, proof of address) also required at first payout.

XFA cap exists because XFAs are simulated - Topstep wants demonstrated consistency before unlimited payouts. LFA caps lift after 30 Benchmark Days because the trader has demonstrated track record.

First LFA payout has a minimum 28 days from LFA activation before request eligibility. Subsequent payouts have shorter cycles.

TopstepX is Topstep's proprietary trading platform built on ProjectX infrastructure. Replaced legacy Tradovate / NinjaTrader / TradingView / Quantower as the exclusive platform for new Topstep accounts effective July 7, 2025.

Charting (multi-timeframe), DOM, OCO and bracket order types, Trailing stop, the Tilt indicator, Daily Levels indicator, built-in Trade Copier, Trade Journal, mobile companion app. All free for active Topstep traders.

Both. Browser version runs in Chrome/Firefox; desktop app available for Windows and Mac. Mobile companion on iOS and Android.

Yes - iOS and Android apps. Order entry, charts, P&L, account dashboard all available. Mobile is suitable for monitoring and emergency exits, less ideal for active trading.

Yes - multi-device login is supported. Just don't violate the no-shared-account rule (only you should have access).

Standard timeframes from 1-minute up to monthly. Notably no 10-minute (jump from 5 to 15). Tick charts and seconds charts are supported on certain timeframes.

Platform design choice. Topstep skipped 10-minute in favor of 5 and 15. Use a custom interval if your strategy needs 10-minute precision.

TopstepX supports multi-chart layouts with several panes simultaneously. Verify the exact number on the platform docs.

No. TopstepX has its own indicator framework, not Pine Script. To run Pine Script-driven strategies, use TradingView for charting/signals and route via webhook through PickMyTrade to TopstepX.

No - TopstepX uses a different indicator system. The way to keep using TradingView indicators is to chart on TradingView, fire alerts, and route execution via PickMyTrade to TopstepX.

A Topstep-built behavioral indicator that monitors your trading patterns and warns when you appear to be tilting (revenge trading, oversizing, breaking your own rules). Free with TopstepX.

A Topstep-published indicator that overlays daily/weekly/monthly key levels on the chart for major futures products (ES, NQ, MES, MNQ, CL, etc.). Updates daily. Free.

DOM, OCO (one-cancels-other), trailing stop, bracket orders, market, limit, stop, stop-limit. Standard professional order types. No advanced conditional orders.

Free TopstepX feature that copies orders from one of your accounts to your other Topstep accounts (master/follower style). Designed for traders running multiple XFAs simultaneously. Same-direction only - no hedging via copy.

All NEW Trading Combine purchases became TopstepX-exclusive. NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, and Quantower were removed for new signups. Legacy traders on those platforms were grandfathered.

Combine resets became TopstepX-only. If a legacy Tradovate-hosted account hits MLL, the trader cannot reset on Tradovate - they must start a new Combine on TopstepX.

No. TopstepX is the only platform for new purchases as of July 7, 2025, and after February 28, 2026 there are no legacy non-TopstepX accounts at all - the ProjectX shutdown for third-party props closed that door. Every active Topstep account today runs on TopstepX.

No - not after February 28, 2026. The ProjectX backend that hosted those Tradovate-routed Topstep accounts was shut down for third-party props on that date, which forced ALL legacy Tradovate-hosted Topstep XFAs to migrate to TopstepX. Before Feb 28, 2026 legacy accounts could persist until MLL breach or inactivity - that grace window is now closed.

Moot post-February 28, 2026 - there are no legacy Tradovate-hosted Topstep accounts left to breach. Prior to that date, a legacy MLL breach failed the account with no reset option, forcing migration to TopstepX. The ProjectX shutdown completed the migration for everyone still on the legacy backend.

Topstep wanted full UX control, simpler risk management, and the ability to ship features faster (Tilt indicator, Trade Copier, Daily Levels). The TopstepX/ProjectX foundation gives them that. The trade-off is removing the platform choice traders previously had.

February 28, 2026 - ProjectX officially discontinued support for ALL third-party prop firms, making TopstepX (Topstep's UI on ProjectX) effectively exclusive. Firms that had been using the ProjectX backend — including TickTickTrader and Tradeify — were moved off the platform as of that date. Note: MFFU never used ProjectX and was not affected by this change. Any Tradovate-hosted Topstep account that previously sat on the ProjectX backend was also migrated. The rationale per industry coverage was strategic - ProjectX consolidating around Topstep, its anchor customer.

ProjectX is the underlying platform / API layer. TopstepX is Topstep's branded UI built on top of ProjectX. The relationship is similar to NinjaTrader (UI) on Rithmic (API).

No public timeline. Topstep has signaled TopstepX is the future. The path forward for traders who want their TradingView setup is to use TradingView for charting and webhook bridges (PickMyTrade) for execution into TopstepX.

11+ confirmed outages between November-December 2025 per industry tracking (Phidias). April 1-2, 2026 saw another outage round. Topstep emails affected traders and offers individual reviews.

Topstep typically reviews outage-affected accounts case by case and may credit subscription time, refund losses, or reset accounts. Not automatic - traders need to contact support.

TopstepX is more prop-firm-centric - built-in Combine progress, Trade Copier, Tilt indicator, Daily Levels. Tradovate is more general-purpose. UX is comparable; many ex-Tradovate users adapt within a few sessions.

Yes - via the ProjectX Gateway API. Trader-owned automation, supervised, is permitted. The API access is a paid add-on; PickMyTrade abstracts the API layer so non-coders can automate without touching it.

No native TradingView broker panel inside TopstepX. Go to pickmytrade.io, add TopstepX as your broker connection, and enter your TopstepX API key (generated from the TopstepX dashboard API section). Then use Generate Alert to get your JSON configuration and webhook URL. Paste the webhook URL into your TradingView alert and the JSON into the alert message. Full setup guide: https://docs.pickmytrade.io/docs/connect-projectx-to-topstep-api/

TopstepX is built on ProjectX, not on TradingView's broker integration framework. Topstep made the strategic choice to control the trading UX themselves rather than embed in TradingView. The webhook + bridge pattern is the official path for TradingView users.

Yes - the ProjectX Gateway API. REST endpoints for orders, positions, account info; WebSocket streams for real-time data. $29/month subscription, with a 50% discount for active Topstep traders (effective ~$14.50/mo).

The underlying API that TopstepX uses internally and that third-party tools (like PickMyTrade) integrate with. Provides order entry, position management, market data, and account info programmatically.

$29/mo list, $14.50/mo with the 50% Topstep trader discount code. The discount is on top of any third-party tool subscription - PickMyTrade is $50/month per broker connection.

Yes - typically "topstep" or similar. 50% off the $29/mo list rate. Apply at API checkout.

Programmatic order entry, custom risk management, copy trading systems, custom dashboards, alert integrations. Most retail traders don't want to code - that's where PickMyTrade comes in as the no-code bridge.

Both. REST for order entry, position management, account queries. WebSocket for real-time market data and account event streams.

Yes for trader-owned, supervised automation. Rented bots, copy from another trader, HFT, latency arb all banned (standard prop firm rules).

Topstep's TOS restricts fully-automated trading bots operating without trader supervision (including on VPS). The cleaner path is a hosted webhook bridge that authenticates legitimately to your account via API tokens - Topstep accepts this because the orders originate from your authenticated session and you remain in control of the signals.

TopstepX has no native TradingView integration. To convert TradingView alerts into TopstepX orders, you need a service that listens for the alert (webhook URL), translates it, and calls the TopstepX API. PickMyTrade is the most-used webhook bridge for this exact path - TradingView alert - PMT - TopstepX fill in sub-second.

Go to pickmytrade.io, add TopstepX as your broker connection, and enter your TopstepX API key (generated from the TopstepX dashboard API section). Then use Generate Alert to get your JSON configuration and webhook URL. Paste the webhook URL into your TradingView alert and the JSON into the alert message. PMT receives the alert, validates, calls the ProjectX API, and places the order on your TopstepX account. End-to-end sub-second on most setups.

PMT uses revocable API tokens, not your password. Tokens are encrypted at rest. You can revoke them at any moment from your TopstepX account, immediately disconnecting PMT. No credential lock-in.

Cross-account hedging is banned. Same-account opposite directions on the same instrument are also restricted. The rule is detailed in the Topstep "Understanding Hedging" help article.

Banned. Long ES on one of your XFAs while short ES on another XFA = violation. Detected via timing patterns and account linking.

Account linking by IP/device, simultaneous opposite-direction orders across linked accounts, and post-hoc analysis of trade timing. Detection is reliable.

Account closure or warning depending on severity. First-time accidental violations sometimes get a warning; pattern violations result in permanent ban from Topstep.

Topstep restricts holding maximum-position into news events. You can trade news but not at full size. The "Prohibited Trading Strategies" article covers specifics.

Not blanket banned, but holding the maximum position size into a Tier-1 news event is prohibited. Smaller positions are generally fine. Topstep is stricter than Apex on news rules.

Yes - standard scalping (10-30 second holds, dozens of trades a day) is allowed. HFT-style sub-second scalping is not.

No - explicitly banned across all Topstep accounts.

Account stacking = running multiple accounts to hedge or to cherry-pick winners while letting losers fail. Topstep's 5-account cap with $750K total ceiling and the cross-account hedging ban together prevent stacking.

No. Copy trading from another trader's account is banned. Only same-direction copy across YOUR own accounts is permitted.

Yes - TopstepX has a built-in Trade Copier for same-direction copying across your own XFAs. PickMyTrade's Manual Trade Copier also supports multi-account routing for the same purpose, letting one TradingView alert fire across all your XFAs simultaneously. Cross-trader copying is banned.

Yes. Account sharing or letting someone else trade your account is a serious violation. Detected via behavioral analysis. Permanent ban.

Equity index (ES, NQ, YM, RTY plus micros), energy (CL, NG plus micros), some metals (silver/gold subject to current restrictions), rates (ZB, ZN), currency futures (6E, 6B, 6J), agricultural (ZC, ZS, ZW). Standard CME / NYMEX / CBOT lineup.

Topstep historically had a forex / MetaTrader product but it has been winding down. Verify current availability on topstep.com - the futures focus is dominant in 2026.

Currency futures (6E = Euro FX, 6B = British Pound, 6J = Japanese Yen) are exchange-traded contracts on CME, while spot forex is OTC dealer-quoted. Same underlying currencies, different trading mechanism. Topstep supports the futures versions.

Limited. The MetaTrader-based forex offering has been wound down. Confirm current status on topstep.com before assuming.

CME hours: 6:00 PM ET Sunday open through 5:00 PM ET Friday close. Topstep auto-flattens at 3:10 PM CT (4:10 ET) - earlier than the CME daily close.

3:10 PM CT (4:10 PM ET). Topstep auto-flattens any open positions at this time across all accounts. Earlier than Apex's 4:59 ET flatten.

No. Topstep auto-flattens at 3:10 PM CT every day. No swing or overnight account option. No weekend holds.

Sunday market open is 5:00 PM CT (6:00 PM ET) at CME. Topstep follows the CME schedule. Sunday evening starts the new trading week.

Where CME offers micros, Topstep supports them: MES, MNQ, MYM, M2K, MGC (where allowed), MCL, M6E, M6B. Micros are how new traders survive the Combine MLL.

Limited. Bitcoin micro futures (MBT) availability varies. Verify the Permitted Products page for current crypto futures support.

Coach T is Topstep's AI-driven coaching feature that gives you personalized feedback on your trading via the Prep–Trade–Reflect methodology. Free for active subscribers.

AI-driven analysis with optional human coach access on certain account tiers. Coach T analyzes your trade journal and gives behavioral feedback.

Topstep's three-phase trading process: Prep (plan before market open), Trade (execute the plan), Reflect (review what worked and what didn't). Coach T scaffolds this loop.

Topstep's live coaching streams hosted on topstep.tv. Free for subscribers. Includes the Big Board / Top 25 leaderboard showing top trader performance.

Public leaderboard showing top 25 traders by rolling performance. Some traders publicly share their progress here as content.

The main community Discord is accessible - invite link at topstep.com/community. Some channels may be subscriber-only.

~174,000 members as of 2026. One of the largest prop firm trading communities on Discord.

Yes. Topstep TV streams free coaching daily. Subscriber tiers may unlock additional sessions or one-on-one coaching.

Yes - 1099-NEC for US traders who received $600+ in payouts. Distributed in late January / early February of the following tax year.

1099-NEC (Non-Employee Compensation). The income is contractor income, reported on Schedule C.

IRS threshold - Topstep issues a 1099-NEC if you received $600 or more in payouts during the calendar year. Below $600 you still owe tax but Topstep doesn't issue the form.

Non-US traders submit a W-8BEN. Topstep doesn't issue a 1099 to non-US traders, but you're still responsible for reporting the income in your country of residence.

Inside the Topstep dashboard before first payout. KYC-verification flow walks you through the form.

Yes - Combine subscriptions, activation fees, reset fees, education, automation tools (PickMyTrade), VPS, data subscriptions all generally qualify as Schedule C business expenses for serious traders. Consult a CPA.

14-day refund window on first Combine purchases. After 14 days, no refund. Refund policies for resets and activation fees are stricter.

For accidental duplicate charges or wrong-product purchases, Topstep allows 72 hours to dispute via support. Outside that window, refunds become discretionary.

No. Once used, reset credits / paid resets are not refundable.

Cancel via Account - Subscriptions. Effective at end of billing cycle. You can re-subscribe afterward but you start with a fresh Combine - there's no resume of an old one.

Apex 4.0's one-time eval + activation fee is often cheaper over a 60-day period than Topstep's monthly Combine subscription. Topstep is cheaper if you pass quickly. Apex is cheaper if the eval drags out.

Topstep's MLL is EOD-only - friendlier than Apex Intraday. Apex EOD is comparable. Topstep's MLL also locks once you pass the Combine, giving a static drawdown on the XFA. Both are workable.

Both firms require 5 winning days for the first payout. Topstep raised the winning-day threshold to $200 in 2024 (MFFU sits around $200 too as of 2026), so the meaningful difference is no longer the day count but Topstep's flat $6,000 XFA payout cap versus MFFU's payout structure. Both pay reliably; cap size is the more material gating factor in 2026.

Topstep caps at 5 funded accounts / $750K. Tradeify also caps at 5. Tradeify Elite Live offers real-money progression at $80K cumulative payouts. Both scale similarly; Topstep has more brand maturity.

Founded 2010 by Michael Patak - the longest-operating retail futures prop firm, 15+ years in 2026. Pioneered the modern Trading Combine model. Survived the 2024-2025 collapse wave that took 80+ smaller firms and remained one of the only props with both maturity and $1B+ cumulative payouts.

Mostly the TopstepX migration friction - losing native Tradovate / NinjaTrader / TradingView. The 11+ outages in late 2025 hurt confidence. Some traders prefer Apex's flexibility or MFFU's automation friendliness. Topstep retains the strongest brand and community.

Apex 4.0 and Tradeify both have looser news rules than Topstep. MFFU has news restrictions but generally allows positions through events. Topstep's "no max position into news" is one of the stricter retail rules.

Apex (NinjaTrader + Tradovate + Rithmic), MFFU (Tradovate + Rithmic + Quantower + NinjaTrader), Tradeify (Tradovate primarily). PickMyTrade supports all of them - if you want to keep your TradingView/NinjaTrader workflow, those firms are the alternatives.

Open positions remain at the broker layer; orders may not fire. Contact Topstep support immediately with timestamps and screenshots - they review outage-affected accounts case by case and may credit losses or reset.

Sometimes - Topstep emails affected traders after major outages and offers individual reviews. Not automatic. Document everything (timestamps, screenshots, position details) and contact support promptly.

Likely DLL hit, not MLL. Check the daily P&L log. Or you breached on a different rule (consistency, max position, news rule). The dashboard shows the specific reason.

Dashboard updates may lag the platform by a few minutes during heavy load. Check exchange fees and commissions - those often account for the gap. PickMyTrade's audit log can help reconcile execution vs displayed P&L.

Most common: KYC mismatch (name, address, ID), consistency rule violation, or insufficient qualifying days. The denial email lists the specific reason. Resolve and re-request.

Topstep's auto-flatten will close the position. The trade itself isn't a violation, but the auto-flatten fill price may be unfavorable. Plan around the 3:10 cutoff to avoid surprises.

Daily loss limit breach from revenge trading after a losing trade. Followed by MLL breach from giving back unrealized gains. Followed by consistency rule violation from one big day vs total profit.

[email protected] or the in-dashboard chat. Discord community can also escalate. Response time is typically within 24 business hours. For payout / outage issues, include timestamps and screenshots.

PickMyTrade includes a Trading Time feature available across all supported broker connections. You can configure specific active trading windows with start and end times (24-hour ET format). Any TradingView alerts received outside your configured hours are automatically rejected — no new trades are placed. Existing open positions remain active. Settings can be applied to specific accounts or all accounts at once. Full guide: https://docs.pickmytrade.io/docs/trading-time-settings/