E8 Futures vs Topstep

E8 Futures is $198 cheaper to get started. E8 Futures charges $0 one-time. Topstep charges $49/mo (monthly subscription) plus a $149 activation fee.

Topstep's daily loss limit is a soft breach — the account pauses rather than fails. E8 Futures's daily loss limit is a hard breach — hitting it immediately disqualifies the account.

Topstep gets you funded faster, with an estimated ~10 days to first payout (2d eval + 5d winning + 3d processing). E8 Futures has no consistency rule, meaning you could pass the evaluation in a single profitable day. Topstep requires your best day to be no more than 50% of total profit.

E8 Futures offers up to 80% profit split(On Demand payouts, $125 min), while Topstep offers up to 90%(Daily payouts, $125 min). The 10 percentage point difference in profit split can add up significantly over time — on a $10,000 profit, that's $1,000 more in your pocket.

When comparing withdrawal frequency, the gap between payouts matters. E8 Futures requires 5 profitable trading days between each withdrawal, while Topstep requires 5 profitable trading days. At 20 trading days per month, that means E8 Futures can request roughly 4 payouts per month versus Topstep's 4.

E8 Futures requires clearing a buffer zone before your first payout — you must earn above your starting balance plus the drawdown amount before any withdrawal is allowed. has no buffer requirement, meaning payouts are available from day one.

Topstep is more flexible overall. Automation: Topstep allows bots and algo trading while E8 Futures prohibits it — a critical difference for systematic traders.

Both firms work well for day traders. E8 Futures is a stronger fit for budget traders (starting at $260). Topstep is a stronger fit for scalpers (news trading ok). Explore all trading styles to see which firms match your approach.

Based on $500/day profit, 20 trading days/month, 55% win rate

At $500/day profit, E8 Futures reaches break-even on day 9 while Topstep reaches it on day 12. E8 Futures costs $198 less to get started. E8 Futures projects $3,420/mo more in funded earnings.