Lucid Trading vs Topstep

Lucid Trading is $58 cheaper to get started. Lucid Trading charges $140 one-time. Topstep charges $49/mo (monthly subscription) plus a $149 activation fee.

Lucid Trading uses EOD Trailing drawdown at 4% ($100 buffer once locked at initial), while Topstep uses EOD Trailing at 4% ($2,000 buffer once locked at initial). Lock behavior differs: Lucid Trading — locks at $50,100 after $2,100 profit, while Topstep — locks at $50,000 after $2,000 profit. Topstep's daily loss limit is a soft mechanism (pause until next day), while Lucid Trading has no such soft protection.

No timing winner is declared until both selected paths have formula-ready public evidence. Lucid Trading: Missing public evidence: Selected Economic Product. Topstep: Missing public evidence: Selected Economic Product.

Lucid Trading offers up to 90% profit split(On Demand payouts, $500 min), while Topstep offers up to 90%(Daily payouts, $125 min).

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

Topstep requires 5 trading days between payout requests. Lucid Trading has no minimum trading day gap between payouts.

To count as a qualifying day toward payouts, Lucid Trading requires at least $150 in daily profit, while Topstep requires $150.

Lucid Trading limits each payout to 50% of accumulated profit, while Topstep limits to 50%. This means some profit stays in the account as a safety buffer.

Lucid Trading caps funded accounts at 5 payouts before requiring a transition to a live account. Topstep has no maximum payout count.

Lucid Trading requires a $2,000 safety net buffer before your first payout — you must earn above starting balance plus this amount. Topstep has no safety net requirement.

Maximum per withdrawal request: Lucid Trading caps at $2,000, while Topstep caps at $2,000.

Both firms have similar trading restrictions. Both require flat-by deadlines: Lucid Trading at 4:45 PM EST, Topstep at 3:10 PM CT.

Both firms work well for day traders and scalpers. Lucid Trading is a stronger fit for budget traders and conservative / grinders (starting at $100). 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, Lucid Trading reaches break-even on day 10 while Topstep reaches it on day 12. Lucid Trading costs $58 less to get started. Lucid Trading projects $3,304/mo more in funded earnings.

Both firms score 75 on our trader-friendliness index — the right choice depends on which tradeoffs matter most to your strategy. See the full glossary to understand any unfamiliar terms, or explore trading styles to find the best firm for your approach.