Blue Guardian Futures vs Topstep: 2026 Comparison

Blue Guardian Futures and Topstep are both futures-focused prop firms with EOD trailing drawdown—but that's where the similarities end.

Blue Guardian offers 100% profit split on your first $15,000 (versus Topstep's flat 90/10 for new traders), no minimum trading days to pass evaluation, a unique Guardian Shield risk management tool, and up to $400K in merged funded accounts. Topstep counters with 14 years of proven payouts, commission-free execution on TopstepX, and the most established community in futures prop trading. I've tested both, and the choice splits cleanly: Blue Guardian gives you more money in your pocket early, while Topstep gives you more confidence that the money will actually arrive.

How I compare firms: This comparison is built from actual accounts I've evaluated and traded with each firm—not from reading marketing pages or aggregating reviews. I've run evaluations, tested platforms, analyzed rule differences, and tracked real payout data across both firms.

Topstep pioneered futures prop trading and remains the benchmark every other firm gets measured against. For the full breakdown of their account structure, pricing, rules, and what makes them different from newer futures firms, check out my complete Topstep review. It's based on real evaluation experience and honest analysis—including what works, what doesn't, and where newer competitors have caught up. For the absolute latest, check Topstep's website or their Help Center.

Evaluation Structure

Topstep runs a single one-step evaluation: hit 6% profit target, stay within 4% EOD trailing drawdown, maintain 50% consistency. Account sizes: 50K ($49/month), 100K ($99/month), 150K ($149/month). Plus a $149 activation fee.

Blue Guardian Futures offers multiple evaluation tracks. The Standard model features a 10% profit target with 4% daily drawdown and 8% max drawdown—a wider target but more drawdown room. The Guardian model drops the daily loss limit entirely but increases the profit target. No time limits on any evaluation. No minimum trading days required to pass. Account fee is refundable after your fourth payout (for accounts purchased from January 21, 2026 onward).

The Guardian model's elimination of daily loss limits is genuinely distinctive. Most prop firms use daily limits as a safety net—Blue Guardian says "manage your own risk, just don't breach the trailing drawdown." For experienced traders who know their risk tolerance, this is freedom. For beginners, it's dangerous.

The Guardian Shield: Unique Risk Tool

Blue Guardian's Guardian Shield is a funded-stage-only feature that automatically closes all open trades if your unrealized P&L hits a 1-2% loss of initial balance (depending on account type). It's a soft breach—you can resume trading immediately. You get a maximum of 2 breaches before consequences.

This is different from a daily loss limit. It triggers on unrealized losses specifically, acting like an automatic stop-loss on your entire portfolio. For traders who let positions run against them too long, it's forced risk management. For scalpers who frequently carry temporary drawdown, it can be annoying.

Topstep's approach via TopstepX lets you set your own daily loss limits, profit targets, and trade count caps—but these are self-imposed. Nobody forces you to use them. The discipline is on you.

Payout Structure: Blue Guardian's Clear Edge

Blue Guardian's 100% profit split on the first $15,000 is the most generous threshold in the futures prop firm space. For new Topstep traders getting 90/10 from dollar one, that's $1,500 more on your first $15K in payouts that stays in your pocket with Blue Guardian.

The 24-hour payout guarantee is also distinctive: if Blue Guardian doesn't process your payout within 24 hours of the request, you keep 100% of that payout's profit split. It's a commitment to speed that creates accountability.

Topstep's payout processing (1-3 days via Wise, up to 10 days for ACH) is standard but carries no equivalent guarantee.

Track Record: Topstep's Decisive Advantage

Topstep: 14 years, 11,500+ Trustpilot reviews, millions in documented payouts. Blue Guardian Futures: launched more recently as a futures division of the broader Blue Guardian brand (which focuses on forex). The futures-specific track record is limited.

Blue Guardian (the parent brand) operates as Iconic Exchange FZCO based in the UAE—a different regulatory environment than Topstep's Chicago, Illinois base. For traders who prioritize US-based firms with longer operating histories, this matters.

The Verdict

Choose Topstep if you: prioritize proven payout history, want EOD drawdown with consistent application, prefer US-based firm, value coaching and community, and don't mind TopstepX exclusivity.

Choose Blue Guardian Futures if you: want 100% profit on first $15K, need platform variety, like the Guardian Shield auto-risk feature, plan to scale to $400K+ in merged accounts, want no daily loss limit (Guardian model), or value the 24-hour payout guarantee.

For pure payout economics, Blue Guardian wins. For long-term reliability and trust, Topstep wins. Your priority determines your choice.