Topstep vs Trade Day

Trade Day is $136 cheaper to get started. Topstep charges $49/mo (monthly subscription) plus a $149 activation fee. Trade Day charges $62/mo (monthly subscription).

Topstep uses EOD Trailing drawdown at 4% ($2,000 buffer once locked at initial), while Trade Day uses Intraday Trailing drawdown at 4% ($2,000 buffer once locked at initial). Trade Day uses intraday trailing, the strictest type — your floor moves in real time with every tick of profit. Topstep's EOD trailing only adjusts at market close, giving intraday profits a safer cushion. Topstep's daily loss limit is a soft mechanism (pause until next day), while Trade Day's daily pause behavior is not stated.

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

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

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's minimum profitable days requirement between withdrawals is not stated.

Topstep requires 5 trading days between payout requests. Trade Day'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. Trade Day's qualifying day minimum is not stated.

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

Topstep caps each withdrawal at $2,000 per request. Trade Day's per-request cap is not stated.

Topstep is more flexible overall. Automation: Topstep allows bots and algo trading while Trade Day prohibits it — a critical difference for systematic traders. News trading: Topstep allows it while Trade Day restricts it. Both require flat-by deadlines: Topstep at 3:10 PM CT, Trade Day at 5:30 PM CT.

Both firms work well for day traders and scalpers and budget traders. 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 10. Topstep costs $20 less to get started. Trade Day projects $4,844/mo more in funded earnings.

Overall, Topstep scores higher (68 vs 60) on our trader-friendliness index. Key advantages: more forgiving drawdown rules, fewer trading restrictions, more lenient consistency rules. That said, Trade Day wins on lower starting cost. See the full glossary to understand any unfamiliar terms, or explore trading styles to find the best firm for your approach.