Take Profit Trader vs Topstep

Topstep is $34 cheaper to get started. Take Profit Trader charges $102/mo (monthly subscription) plus a $130 activation fee. Topstep charges $49/mo (monthly subscription) plus a $149 activation fee.

Take Profit Trader uses EOD Trailing drawdown at 4% ($2,000 buffer once locked at initial), while Topstep uses EOD Trailing drawdown at 4% ($2,000 buffer once locked at initial). Take Profit Trader also has a $1,100 daily loss limit, while Topstep's daily loss limit is not stated. Topstep's daily loss limit is a soft mechanism (pause until next day), while Take Profit Trader's daily pause behavior is not stated.

No timing winner is declared until both selected paths have formula-ready public evidence. Take Profit Trader: Missing public evidence: Fee Monthly|Fee Onetime, Min Payout Amount, Selected Economic Product. Topstep: Missing public evidence: Buffer Clearance Required, Min Profitable Days Before Payout, Min Trading Days, Payout Processing Time, PublicSourceUrls.

Payout details vary by tier. Check individual firm pages for full breakdown.

When comparing withdrawal frequency, the gap between payouts matters. Take Profit Trader's minimum profitable days requirement between withdrawals is not stated. Topstep requires 5 profitable trading days between each withdrawal — at 20 trading days per month, that works out to roughly 4 payouts per month.

Take Profit Trader 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. Topstep has no buffer requirement, meaning payouts are available from day one.

Topstep requires 5 trading days between payout requests. Take Profit Trader's minimum trading day gap between payouts is not stated.

Topstep requires a minimum of $150 daily profit for a day to count toward payout eligibility. Take Profit Trader's qualifying day minimum is not stated.

Topstep limits each payout to 50% of accumulated profit, keeping the remainder as an account buffer. Take Profit Trader's percentage-of-profit cap on payouts is not stated.

Take Profit Trader requires a $2,000 safety net buffer before your first payout — you must earn above starting balance plus this amount. Topstep's safety net requirement is not stated.

Take Profit Trader's buffer never clears — withdrawals from the buffer zone earn a reduced 50%/50% split permanently.

Topstep caps each withdrawal at $2,000 per request. Take Profit Trader's per-request cap is not stated.

Topstep is more flexible overall. Automation: Topstep allows bots and algo trading while Take Profit Trader prohibits it — a critical difference for systematic traders. News trading: Topstep allows it while Take Profit Trader restricts it. Copy trading: allowed at Topstep but restricted at Take Profit Trader. Both require flat-by deadlines: Take Profit Trader at 5:00 PM ET, Topstep at 3:10 PM CT.

Both firms work well for day traders. Topstep is a stronger fit for scalpers and budget traders (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, Take Profit Trader reaches break-even on day 12 while Topstep reaches it on day 12. Topstep costs $34 less to get started. Take Profit Trader projects $2,867/mo more in funded earnings.

Overall, Topstep scores higher (68 vs 56) on our trader-friendliness index. Key advantages: lower starting cost, more forgiving drawdown rules, fewer trading restrictions. See the full glossary to understand any unfamiliar terms, or explore trading styles to find the best firm for your approach.