TakeProfitTrader vs TopStep: Which Futures Prop Firm Actually Wins in 2026?

Reality check: TakeProfitTrader lets you withdraw from day one of your PRO account with no waiting period, while TopStep makes you hit 5 successful payouts in Express Funded before you even touch live capital. TPT uses intraday trailing drawdown (brutal for swing trades), TopStep uses end-of-day (way more forgiving). TPT has a 20.37% pass rate, TopStep sits at 22%. Both are simulated until you prove consistency—TPT's PRO+ requires $5K frozen capital, TopStep's Live Funded requires 5 Express payouts plus invitation-only access.

I've traded both. I've passed TPT's Test, withdrawn from PRO, and I've grinded through TopStep's Combine only to realize their platform lock-in (TopstepX mandatory as of July 2025) kills my NinjaTrader workflow. Here's what actually matters when choosing between these two OG futures prop firms.

The 60-Second Comparison

TakeProfitTrader: One-step evaluation, instant PRO funding, intraday trailing drawdown in PRO, 80/20 split (90/10 in PRO+), day-one withdrawals above buffer, 15+ platforms supported, simulated until PRO+ ($5K frozen profit required), monthly subscription during eval.

TopStep: One-step Trading Combine, end-of-day trailing drawdown during eval, 100% of first $10K then 90/10 split, mandatory TopstepX platform, payouts after 5 winning days in Express Funded, Live Funded requires 5 Express payouts + invitation, coaching/education heavy, monthly subscription during Combine.

Bottom line: TPT is faster to funded and withdrawal flexibility. TopStep is better for learning traders who value EOD drawdown and education. TPT scales to 5 accounts immediately. TopStep limits you to 1 Live Funded Account max.

Evaluation Structure: One Step, Different Approaches

Key difference: Both are 1-step to funded, but TPT gets you to withdrawable profits faster (day one of PRO if you pass with buffer). TopStep requires 5 successful payouts from Express Funded before they even invite you to Live Funded, and only 0.96% of traders make it to Live.

The Drawdown Showdown: Intraday vs End-of-Day

This is where the two firms diverge completely, and it's the #1 reason traders prefer one over the other.

TakeProfitTrader: Intraday Trailing Drawdown (PRO Accounts)

Test accounts: Use end-of-day trailing drawdown (updates at 5 PM ET only). You can be down $1,500 intraday, recover to +$200 before market close, and your drawdown trails from that +$200 close.

PRO accounts: Switch to intraday trailing drawdown. Your minimum balance moves in real-time with unrealized P&L. Go up $1K unrealized, minimum moves to $49K (from $48K starting). Give back $1.2K, balance drops to $48.8K, account liquidated because $48.8K < $49K minimum.

PRO+ accounts: Switch back to end-of-day trailing drawdown. This is a massive relief after PRO's intraday pressure.

Why traders hate it: 60% of negative TPT reviews mention intraday trailing as the reason they failed or left. You pass Test with EOD rules, then immediately face intraday in PRO without ever practicing it. It's a psychological shock.

Why TPT enforces it: Risk management. Most traders blow funded accounts immediately. Intraday trailing filters out emotional traders without TPT risking live capital.

TopStep: End-of-Day Trailing Drawdown (Combine & Express Funded)

Trading Combine: Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) calculates at end of day based on your highest EOD balance. $50K account with $2K max loss = $48K minimum. If you close the day at $51K, your MLL moves to $49K. But during the day, you can be down $1,800 and recover before 4 PM CT close—no liquidation.

Express Funded: Same EOD trailing as Combine. This is massive because you're not fighting real-time drawdown pressure while building payout history.

Live Funded: Once invited to Live, drawdown is still EOD-based.

Why traders love it: You get breathing room. Futures move violently intraday. EOD drawdown lets you manage out of tough positions without instant liquidation. It's more realistic to professional trading.

Why TopStep does this: They've been around since 2012 and understand that intraday trailing causes unnecessary failures. Their model is about education and development, not filtering traders through impossible rules.

Verdict: If you can't handle intraday trailing pressure, TopStep wins by a mile. If you're a scalper who closes everything before unrealized P&L builds, TPT's intraday drawdown won't affect you.

Profit Split & Payout Structure

TakeProfitTrader

PRO accounts (simulated):

• 80/20 split (you keep 80%)
• Withdraw from day one once above buffer (starting balance + max drawdown)
• $50K account = need $52K before first withdrawal
• No minimum trading days, no payout windows
• Process time: 24-48 hours via Plaid/PayPal/Wise

PRO+ accounts (live):

• 90/10 split (you keep 90%)
• No buffer requirement
• Withdraw from day one with no minimum balance
• Process time: 24-48 hours

The $5K freeze: To qualify for PRO+, you need $5K total profit in PRO. That $5K becomes frozen collateral in PRO—you can't withdraw it while PRO+ is active. When you close PRO+, you get your 80% share of the frozen $5K back.

TopStep

Express Funded (simulated):

• 100% of first $10K in profits (across all accounts), then 90/10 split
• Withdraw after 5 winning days (days with closed profit)
• Process time: 2 days to process, up to 10 business days to hit account
• Payout frequency: Up to 4x per month initially, daily after 30 winning days in Live

Live Funded (live capital):

• Same 100% first $10K, then 90/10 structure
• Daily payouts unlocked after 30 winning days
• Drawdown resets to zero after each withdrawal (this catches traders off guard)

Verdict: TPT's day-one withdrawals are faster and more flexible. TopStep's 100% first $10K is attractive, but the 5-day waiting period and slower processing (10 business days worst case) frustrates traders who need liquidity. TopStep's drawdown reset after payouts is brutal if you withdraw at wrong time.

Platform & Technology: Lock-In vs Flexibility

TakeProfitTrader

Data feeds: CQG or Rithmic (you choose during signup)

Supported platforms (15+):

• NinjaTrader 8
• TradingView (via Tradovate connection)
• Tradovate Web/Desktop/Mobile
• Quantower
• MotiveWave
• R|Trader Pro
• ATAS
• Sierra Chart
• BookMap
• And more

Key advantage: Platform flexibility. If you're already proficient in NinjaTrader or TradingView, you can use your existing setup. No learning curve, no forced platform changes.

Automation: Copy trading allowed (up to 5 PRO/PRO+ accounts), third-party tools like Tradesyncer/Replikanto supported. No bots or automated strategies permitted (discretionary trading only).

TopStep

Platform: TopstepX mandatory for all new Trading Combines as of July 7, 2025. Older platforms (NinjaTrader, TradingView, etc.) no longer supported for new accounts.

TopstepX features:

• Built on TradingView infrastructure (familiar charting)
• Proprietary risk management layer
• "The Tilt" sentiment indicator (tracks TopStep trader positioning)
• Fast execution, commission-free platform access
• Web-based (no download required)

Key limitation: Platform lock-in. If you're attached to NinjaTrader's advanced order flow tools or Sierra Chart's market profile, you're out of luck. TopstepX is solid for 90% of traders, but it's not as customizable as third-party platforms.

Automation: Copy trading allowed during Combine and Express Funded, NOT allowed in Live Funded. No bots or automated strategies permitted.

Verdict: TPT wins on flexibility. TopStep's platform lock-in is the #1 complaint from experienced traders who've spent years mastering NinjaTrader or other advanced platforms. But if you're platform-agnostic or starting fresh, TopstepX is actually pretty good—clean interface, fast execution, built-in TradingView charts.

Pricing Comparison: Monthly Subscriptions & Fees

Reset fees:

TPT: $100-$999 depending on account size, 3 resets max per account.

TopStep: $49-$149 depending on account size, unlimited resets (free reset with monthly renewal if you've been subscribed 30+ days).

Promo codes:

TPT: Frequent 40-50% lifetime discounts (e.g., NOFEE40, NOFEE100). These cut monthly fees in half permanently.

TopStep: Occasional activation fee waivers, less aggressive on monthly discounts.

Verdict: TopStep is cheaper on monthly fees ($49 vs $165 for $50K). TPT is cheaper on activation ($130 vs $149). With promo codes, TPT becomes competitive. If you're budget-sensitive and expect to take 2-3 months to pass, TopStep saves money. If you're confident you'll pass in 1 month, TPT with a promo code is comparable.

News Trading, Overnight Holds, & Restricted Strategies

TakeProfitTrader

News trading: Prohibited on PRO/PRO+ for major events (FOMC, NFP, CPI). Must be flat 1 minute before, during, and 1 minute after. Test accounts have zero restrictions.

Overnight holds: Not allowed. Must be flat by 5:00 PM ET daily across all account types (Test, PRO, PRO+). Violating this is immediate account termination.

Weekend trading: Not allowed (markets closed, but rule is enforced even if you somehow had a position open).

Copy trading: Allowed up to 5 PRO/PRO+ accounts total. Use external tools like Tradesyncer, Replikanto, etc.

Automation: Not allowed. Discretionary trading only.

TopStep

News trading: Allowed with no restrictions during Combine, Express Funded, and Live Funded. You can trade FOMC, NFP, CPI—no blackout periods. Market risk is on you.

Overnight holds: Not allowed during Trading Combine. Allowed in Express Funded and Live Funded accounts (with some position limit considerations).

Weekend trading: Not allowed (markets closed, but positions can be held into weekends in funded accounts with proper margin).

Copy trading: Allowed during Combine and Express Funded, NOT allowed in Live Funded accounts.

Automation: Not allowed. Discretionary trading only.

Verdict: TopStep is more lenient on news trading (no restrictions at all). TPT's 1-minute buffer kills news traders who rely on volatility spikes. TopStep allows overnight holds in funded accounts, TPT never does. Copy trading works in both firms until you reach live capital.

Pass Rates & Success Metrics

TakeProfitTrader:

• Pass rate: 20.37% (Jan-Aug 2023 publicly disclosed data)
• Recent pass rate: 16.86% (Jan-Dec 2024 publicly disclosed)
• 80% of traders fail Test phase
• Less than 10% of PRO traders ever reach PRO+ (estimated based on community discussion)

TopStep:

• Pass rate: 22% (Trading Combine to Express Funded)
• Live Funded rate: 0.96% make it from Express to Live (brutal filter)
• 10,000+ funded accounts total since 2012
• $9 million+ paid out to traders (as of 2020 data, likely much higher now)

Verdict: TopStep has a slightly higher initial pass rate (22% vs 20%), but the path to live capital is far more restrictive. Only 0.96% reach Live Funded. TPT's PRO+ is invitation-based after $5K profit or consistent withdrawals, but there's no public stat on how many traders actually get invited. Both firms are hard—this isn't "easy money."

Education & Community Support

TakeProfitTrader

Support: 24/5 Live Chat (Monday-Friday, 24 hours). No phone support. Discord community exists but isn't heavily promoted.

Education: Minimal. TPT provides rule docs, setup guides, and FAQ pages, but no coaching or live training sessions. You're expected to already know how to trade.

Resources: Help center (Zendesk), blog articles, occasional webinars.

Philosophy: TPT assumes you're an experienced trader. They provide capital and infrastructure, you provide strategy and execution.

TopStep

Support: Live Chat, email, Discord community (very active). Slower response times on weekends.

Education: Heavy focus. TopstepTV streams live market commentary daily (Sunday-Friday, 1:30 AM CT start). Group coaching sessions with performance coaches. Trader development is core to their brand.

Resources: TopstepTV, daily coaching, performance analytics dashboard, community forums, educational blog content.

Philosophy: TopStep sees itself as a trader development platform, not just capital provider. They want to train you into a better trader, not just pass you and collect fees.

Verdict: If you're a beginner or want structured learning, TopStep is miles ahead. If you're experienced and just need capital, TPT's lean approach is fine.

Scaling & Multi-Account Trading

TakeProfitTrader:

• Trade up to 5 PRO/PRO+ accounts simultaneously from day one
• Copy trading fully supported across all accounts
• Each account tracks its own drawdown independently
• No artificial scaling plans—if you can manage 5 accounts without violating rules, do it

TopStep:

• 1 Live Funded Account maximum at any time
• Can have multiple Express Funded Accounts (simulated)
• Scaling Plan in funded accounts: start with reduced contract limits, earn higher buying power as equity grows
• Copy trading NOT allowed in Live Funded (allowed in Combine/Express)

Verdict: TPT destroys TopStep on scaling. If your goal is to manage multiple funded accounts and compound earnings fast, TPT is the only option. TopStep's 1 Live Funded Account cap limits your upside once you reach their top tier.

Who TakeProfitTrader Is Best For

✅ Experienced intraday traders who close everything before unrealized P&L builds

✅ Scalpers who need lightning-fast payouts (24-48 hours)

✅ Traders with existing platform preferences (NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower)

✅ Multi-account scalers who want to run 5 accounts simultaneously

✅ Traders who don't need education (you already have a strategy and just need capital)

✅ Day-one withdrawal priority (liquidity is your top concern)

❌ Swing traders (can't hold overnight, 5 PM flat rule kills this style)

❌ Traders who can't handle intraday trailing drawdown (PRO accounts will wreck you)

❌ Complete beginners (20% pass rate brutal without education/coaching)

❌ News traders (FOMC/NFP/CPI blackouts on PRO/PRO+)

Who TopStep Is Best For

✅ Learning traders who value coaching and TopstepTV

✅ Traders who want EOD drawdown breathing room (no intraday liquidation risk)

✅ News traders (zero restrictions, trade FOMC/NFP/CPI freely)

✅ Disciplined day traders with 6-12 months experience

✅ Traders comfortable with platform lock-in (TopstepX actually solid if you're not attached to NinjaTrader)

✅ Anyone who wants 100% of first $10K (attractive profit split structure)

❌ Multi-account scalers (1 Live Funded Account max kills scaling)

❌ NinjaTrader/Sierra Chart power users (TopstepX mandatory, can't use other platforms)

❌ Impatient traders (5 payouts + invitation to reach Live Funded takes months)

❌ Copy traders in live capital (not allowed in Live Funded)

The Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?

Choose TakeProfitTrader if:

• You need fast withdrawals (24-48 hours, day one above buffer)
• You want platform flexibility (NinjaTrader, TradingView, etc.)
• You plan to scale multiple accounts quickly (up to 5 simultaneous)
• You're an experienced trader who doesn't need coaching
• You can handle intraday trailing drawdown pressure in PRO

Choose TopStep if:

• You're a learning trader who values education (TopstepTV, coaching)
• You want EOD drawdown (way more forgiving than TPT's intraday)
• You're a news trader (zero restrictions on FOMC/NFP/CPI)
• You want 100% of first $10K in profits
• You're okay with 1 Live Funded Account max and slower path to live capital

My take: I use TakeProfitTrader for liquidity and scaling (5 PRO accounts running copy trading), but I respect TopStep's education ecosystem and EOD drawdown structure. If I were starting from scratch today with <1 year trading experience, I'd go TopStep for the coaching. If I had 2+ years and a proven strategy, TPT for speed to capital and withdrawal flexibility.

Neither is "better"—they serve different trader profiles. Pick based on your experience level, drawdown tolerance, and scaling goals.

Your next Steps

Read my full TkeProfitTrader Review here

Read my comprehensive Topstep review here