TopOneFutures vs Topstep: Complete Futures Prop Firm Comparison

TopOneFutures is the dark horse of the 2026 futures prop firm landscape—a US-based firm that's paid out over $21 million to traders, offers 100% profit on your first $20K, processes payouts in under 4 hours on average, and scales live funding up to $2.5 million.

Topstep is the industry standard with 14 years of operational history, EOD trailing drawdown, commission-free execution, and a structured coaching ecosystem. Having tested both with real accounts and real payouts, TopOneFutures wins on payout speed and profit split while Topstep wins on educational infrastructure and long-term brand trust.

But TopOneFutures' combination of instant funding, fast payouts, and aggressive scaling is genuinely impressive for a firm most traders haven't heard of yet.

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 Paths: Two Options vs One

Topstep runs one evaluation: the Trading Combine. Hit 6% profit target, maintain 50% consistency, stay above 4% EOD trailing drawdown. Account sizes: 50K, 100K, 150K.

TopOneFutures offers two distinct paths. The Elite Challenge is a traditional one-step evaluation with 2.5% daily drawdown (calculated EOD—off end-of-day balance, not starting balance) and a trailing max drawdown. Account sizes from $25K to $150K. The Instant Sim Funded option skips evaluation entirely—pay a one-time fee and start trading immediately with a 4% trailing drawdown and 2.5% daily drawdown.

The daily drawdown calculation matters. TopOneFutures calculates the 2.5% daily drawdown off your end-of-day balance from the previous session—not your starting balance. So if you ended yesterday at $52,000, your daily drawdown for today is $1,300 (2.5% of $52K). This is actually more forgiving than firms that calculate daily drawdown off the day's starting balance, because it factors in your growth.

Both firms use trailing drawdown that locks once you profit beyond the drawdown amount plus $100. On a $50K account with $2,000 trailing drawdown, once your EOD balance hits $52,100, the floor locks at $50,100 and never moves again. The locking mechanism is identical in function.

Payout Structure: TopOneFutures' Progressive Targets

Topstep's payout requirements are consistent: hit 5 winning days of $150+, maintain 50% consistency, and withdraw up to 50% of balance or $5K (XFA Standard). Same requirements every cycle.

TopOneFutures uses progressive payout targets that decrease over time. Your first payout requires a 6% profit target on your starting balance ($3,000 on a $50K account). Your second payout requires 5% ($2,500). Third payout onward: 4% ($2,000). The consistency rule (20% for Instant Sim, 25% for Elite Sim) and payout targets reset after each withdrawal.

The decreasing target system is clever. That first payout is the hardest—intentionally. It ensures you've built meaningful buffer before extracting profit. But once you've proven yourself, subsequent payouts get progressively easier. After your second payout, you only need $2,000 in new profits on a $50K account—compared to the full $3,000 payout eligibility requirement at Topstep every single cycle.

The 100% profit on the first $20K is also best-in-class. On $20K of total payouts: you keep $20,000 at TopOneFutures versus $18,000 at Topstep (90/10). That's $2,000 in extra profit in your pocket during the most critical early phase of your funded career.

Payout Speed: Under 4 Hours

This is TopOneFutures' strongest differentiator. Average payout processing time is under 4 hours according to their published data and consistent trader reports. Some traders report receiving payouts within minutes of approval.

Topstep's payout processing ranges from same-day (Wise) to 10 business days (ACH), with a $30 processing fee per withdrawal. The variability creates uncertainty that TopOneFutures simply eliminates.

For traders managing cash flow across multiple prop firms—paying monthly subscriptions, managing personal expenses—payout speed directly impacts your ability to stay in the game. A firm that pays in hours versus one that pays in days creates a meaningfully different experience.

Platform: Both Limited, Differently

TopOneFutures recently migrated to ProjectX (from a previous platform). ProjectX is functional for futures execution but lacks the advanced charting and indicator ecosystem of NinjaTrader, TradingView, or even Tradovate. It's fine for placing orders and monitoring positions, but if you're running volume profile analysis or custom indicators, you'll miss dedicated platforms.

TopstepX is similarly limited in one sense—it's the only option—but it integrates TradingView charts, commission-free execution, The Tilt™ sentiment tool, and built-in risk management controls. TopstepX is a more feature-rich proprietary platform than ProjectX.

Neither firm offers true platform flexibility. If platform choice is your priority, both Topstep and TopOneFutures lose to firms like Tradeify, MFFU, or Apex that support NinjaTrader, Tradovate, and TradingView natively.

Scaling Potential: TopOneFutures' Ceiling Is Higher

Topstep caps at 5 accounts × $150K = $750K maximum funded capital. No pathway to live trading.

TopOneFutures scales live funding up to $2.5 million+. After just 2 successful payouts from the S2F Sim PRO account, you can qualify for live capital. The scaling program rewards consistent performance with progressively larger allocations. You can also manage up to 3 accounts simultaneously with copy trading across all of them.

For traders with serious ambitions—building toward managing institutional-level capital—TopOneFutures' scaling ceiling is dramatically higher. The live capital pathway after only 2 payouts (compared to Tradeify's 5 or Topstep's never) is the fastest route to real money in the industry.

The caveat: the S2F Sim PRO accounts use intraday trailing drawdown, not EOD. This is substantially more punishing and requires tight real-time risk management. The faster path to live capital comes with a harder drawdown model—a deliberate trade-off.

Trust and Track Record

Topstep: 14 years, Chicago-based, 11,500+ Trustpilot reviews at 4.3 stars, industry pioneer.

TopOneFutures: US-based, launched 2025 (parent brand active since 2023), 3,100+ Trustpilot reviews at 5.0 stars, $21 million+ in reported payouts. The 5-star rating with 3,000+ reviews is remarkable—very few prop firms maintain that score at that volume.

The customer service reputation is consistently highlighted. Multiple reviews specifically name support agents (Ash, Usman, Meer, Paula) and praise response speed and quality. In an industry where support is often adversarial (especially around payouts), TopOneFutures appears to have invested heavily in the trader experience.

That said, a 1-2 year track record versus 14 years is a real difference. Topstep has survived market crashes, regulatory shifts, and competitive pressure. TopOneFutures hasn't been stress-tested by time yet. The firm's impressive early metrics don't guarantee long-term stability.

Education: Topstep Dominates

TopstepTV daily coaching, Training Camp, Discord with 72K+ members, The Tilt™ indicator, Consistency Target Calculator. Topstep's educational ecosystem is the gold standard.

TopOneFutures offers live coaching streams and educational content, but the depth doesn't compare. TopOneFutures is built for traders who already have their strategy—they're providing capital and fast payouts, not education.

The Verdict

Choose TopOneFutures if you: want 100% profit on first $20K, need the fastest payouts in the industry (under 4 hours), want instant sim-funded options without evaluation, plan to scale toward $2.5M+ in live capital, want copy trading across multiple accounts, and can handle the 2.5% daily drawdown constraint.

Choose Topstep if you: prioritize 14 years of proven reliability, want commission-free execution, value daily coaching and educational resources, prefer no daily drawdown limit, need self-imposed risk management tools via TopstepX, and want the simplest possible funded-stage rules.

The honest synthesis: TopOneFutures offers a genuinely compelling package—faster payouts, better profit split, higher scaling ceiling, and copy trading capability. The main risk is track record: 1-2 years versus 14 years. If TopOneFutures maintains its current payout reliability and customer service quality, it will become a top-3 futures prop firm within 12-18 months. For now, running accounts at both firms is the smart play—use Topstep's stability as your anchor while testing TopOneFutures' superior economics.

‍