TakeProfit Trader vs Topstep
Every figure below comes from each firm's own site and is scored by the same published formula. A firm's commercial relationship with us changes nothing here.
The short answer
Topstep scores 7.7/10 on the PFM Score, TakeProfit Trader 7.4/10.
TakeProfit Trader leads on Payout Integrity (8.4 vs 8.3) and Trading Conditions (7.9 vs 7.4); Topstep leads on Rule Clarity (6.9 vs 5.5).
Choose TakeProfit Trader if…
- you want faster payout processing (1 day vs 2 days)
- you want a lower activation fee ($130 vs $149)
Choose Topstep if…
- you want the higher profit split (90% vs 80%)
- you want it cheaper to get funded on a $50K account ($198 vs $300 in month one)
- you want a lower monthly fee ($49 vs $170)
- you trade the news (TakeProfit Trader doesn't allow it)
- you run EAs or bots (TakeProfit Trader doesn't allow them)
Side by side
✓ marks the firm ahead on that metric, by the rules on our methodology page — a fact, not a recommendation. "At least" means a fee or step isn't published (or we haven't verified it yet); the real figure can only be higher, so it's never counted as a lead. Costs are list prices, not promos.
| Metric | TakeProfit Trader | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| PFM Score | 7.4/10 (#18 of 25) | 7.7/10 (#15 of 25) (ahead) |
| Payout Integrity | 8.4 (ahead) | 8.3 |
| Rule Clarity | 5.5 | 6.9 (ahead) |
| Trading Conditions | 7.9 (ahead) | 7.4 |
| Rules & payouts | ||
| Drawdown | End-of-day · $2K | End-of-day · $2K |
| Profit split | 80% | 90% (ahead) |
| Payout processing | 1 day (ahead) | 2 days |
| Minimum path to first payout | 4 trading days | Not verified |
| Profit target | 6% ($3,000 on $50K) | 6% ($3,000 on $50K) |
| Costs — $50K account | ||
| Entry fee | $170 | $49 (ahead) |
| Monthly fee | $170 | $49 (ahead) |
| Activation fee | $130 (ahead) | $149 |
| Cost to get funded (month one) | $300 | $198 (ahead) |
| Trading conditions | ||
| Platforms | NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Quantower, RTrader | TopstepX, NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView |
| Account sizes | $25K–$150K | $50K–$150K |
| News trading | No | Yes (ahead) |
| Weekend holding | No | No |
| EAs / bots | No | Yes (ahead) |
| Scaling plan | Yes | Yes |
| Same-day payouts | Yes | Yes |
| The firm | ||
| Founded | 2021 | 2012 |
| Based in | United States | Chicago, IL · United States |
Sources
- TakeProfit Trader — official site ↗ · pricing page screenshot, Jul 9, 2026, 16:39 UTC · inputs last verified Sep 14, 2026
- Topstep — official site ↗ · pricing page screenshot, Sep 14, 2026, 20:07 UTC · inputs last verified Sep 14, 2026
Terms change. Always confirm the current rules and prices on the firm's own site before you buy an evaluation.