Topstep vs Trade Day

Topstep is $28 cheaper to get started. Topstep charges $49/mo (monthly subscription) plus a $149 activation fee. Trade Day charges $87/mo (monthly subscription) plus a $139 activation fee. Trade Day currently has an active promotion which may further reduce cost.

Topstep's daily loss limit is a soft breach — the account pauses rather than fails. Trade Day'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). Consistency rules also affect pacing: Topstep caps your best day at 50% of total profit, while Trade Day caps at 30% — a looser rule means you may need fewer trading days in practice.

Topstep offers up to 90% profit split(Daily payouts, $125 min), while Trade Day offers up to 95%(On Demand payouts, $250 min). The 5 percentage point difference in profit split can add up significantly over time — on a $10,000 profit, that's $500 more in your pocket.

When comparing withdrawal frequency, the gap between payouts matters. Topstep requires 5 profitable trading days between each withdrawal — at 20 trading days per month, that works out to roughly 4 payouts per month. Trade Day has no minimum profitable days requirement between withdrawals.

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

Topstep is a stronger fit for day traders and scalpers (news trading allowed). Trade Day is a stronger fit for budget traders (starting at $87). 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, Topstep reaches break-even on day 12 while Trade Day reaches it on day 12. Topstep costs $28 less to get started. Trade Day projects $3,224/mo more in funded earnings.