Tradeify vs Topstep: Which Futures Prop Firm Is Better?

Tradeify has quietly positioned itself as the most complete alternative to Topstep in 2026—and in several critical areas, it's surpassed the industry pioneer.

Both firms use EOD trailing drawdown. Both offer one-step evaluations with no time limits. Both support futures-only trading on CME exchanges. But Tradeify differentiates with zero activation fees, a "Straight to Sim Funded" option that bypasses evaluation entirely, a clear path to live capital through Tradeify Elite, and one of the fastest payout systems in the industry—often processing within hours, including weekends.

Topstep counters with 14 years of operational trust, commission-free execution on TopstepX, structured coaching via TopstepTV, and brand recognition that still dominates the space. Having tested both, Tradeify is the better firm on paper. Whether it's the better firm for you depends on how much weight you put on track record versus economics.

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.

Account Options: Tradeify's Variety vs Topstep's Simplicity

Topstep gives you one path: the Trading Combine evaluation. Pick your account size (50K, 100K, 150K), hit 6% profit target, stay within 4% EOD trailing drawdown, maintain 50% consistency. Pass, pay $149 activation, trade your Express Funded Account.

Tradeify offers three distinct account types, each with genuinely different risk profiles.

Select is their flagship evaluation—50K ($159/month before discounts), 100K ($259), or 150K ($359). One-step eval with EOD trailing drawdown, 40% consistency rule during evaluation only, minimum 3 trading days to pass, and zero daily loss limit during evaluation. After passing, you choose between two funded payout policies: Select Flex (no consistency rule, no daily loss limit, 50% profit withdrawal per request, requires 5 winning days) or Select Daily (daily payouts but with a 20% consistency rule and daily loss limit). Zero activation fee on all Select accounts.

Growth uses similar EOD trailing drawdown but with a larger buffer requirement before payouts and slightly different consistency rules. It's the middle ground for traders who want evaluation structure with more conservative payout conditions.

Lightning Funded (formerly "Straight to Sim") is the instant-funding option—pay a one-time fee and start trading simulated capital immediately. No evaluation required. Complete 4 successful payouts to qualify for Tradeify Elite live capital.

The Select Flex funded account deserves special attention because it removes the consistency rule entirely once you're funded. Your best day can be 90% of your total profit—doesn't matter. Combined with zero daily loss limit, this gives funded Tradeify Flex traders more freedom than any Topstep funded account.

Drawdown Locking: A Shared Advantage, Differently Applied

Both firms lock the trailing drawdown once the trader profits beyond the drawdown amount plus $100. On a 50K account with $2,000 drawdown, once your EOD balance reaches $52,100, the drawdown floor locks at $50,100 and never moves again. This is identical in both firms.

But the critical difference is what happens after locking. At Tradeify Select Flex, once your drawdown locks, you can request a payout after just 5 winning days—regardless of your account balance. There's no minimum balance requirement beyond staying above the locked drawdown floor. At Topstep, the XFA payout requirements still apply post-lock: 5 winning days of $150+, balance above starting capital + drawdown + $100, and maximum 50% of balance per withdrawal.

Tradeify's approach is more trader-friendly after the lock. If your locked floor is $50,100 and your balance is $51,500, you can request a payout at Tradeify Flex. At Topstep, you'd need the balance above $52,100 plus the XFA winning-day requirements.

The one caveat: Tradeify Flex requires your balance to be higher than it was at the time of your previous payout request before you can request the next one. So if you request at $55,000, withdraw $2,500, your balance drops to $52,500—you can't request again until you exceed $55,000. This "high-water mark between payouts" rule can trap traders who withdraw too much too early and then struggle to reclaim the high.

Payout Speed: Tradeify's Standout Feature

Tradeify processes payouts within hours—not business days. And they do it on weekends. I've seen payout approvals come through on Saturday mornings. Via Rise and Plane payment processing, money hits bank accounts fast.

Topstep's payout processing varies: same-day for Wise, 1-3 days for international wire, up to 10 business days for ACH. The $30 payout processing fee also applies to each withdrawal.

For traders who need cash flow—and most prop traders do—Tradeify's speed is a meaningful advantage. Getting paid Saturday morning versus the following Wednesday changes the practical experience of trading for a prop firm.

The Path to Live: Tradeify Elite

After 5 successful payouts from your sim-funded account, Tradeify offers transition to Tradeify Elite—a live funded account with real capital, assigned risk manager, personalized scaling decisions, and daily payout capability. This is a genuine path to professional trading that Topstep doesn't currently offer.

Topstep keeps all traders on sim-funded accounts indefinitely. Your Express Funded Account trades on live data but executes in a simulated environment. There's no pathway to live capital through Topstep regardless of how long or how profitably you trade.

For traders whose end goal is managing real institutional capital, Tradeify's Elite pathway is a significant differentiator. The risk manager relationship, customized scaling, and live execution create professional development opportunities that sim-funded accounts can't replicate.

Cost Comparison: Topstep's Upfront Advantage

Tradeify's evaluation is more expensive per month: $103-$159 for 50K (depending on discounts) versus Topstep's $49. But Tradeify charges zero activation fee, while Topstep charges $149.

For a trader who passes in month one:

• Topstep: $49 + $149 = $198 total. No ongoing fees.
• Tradeify: $103-$159 total. No activation. No ongoing fees.

Surprisingly comparable. Tradeify is actually cheaper for traders who pass quickly—you save the $149 activation fee at the cost of a higher monthly evaluation fee. For traders who take 3+ months to pass, Topstep's lower monthly fee wins because the $149 activation is a one-time cost spread across more evaluation months.

The Lightning Funded option changes the math entirely for traders who want to skip evaluation. One-time fee, immediate trading, no monthly subscription. If you're confident in your strategy and don't want to grind through evaluation, Lightning is a unique value proposition with no Topstep equivalent.

Education and Community: Topstep Wins Clearly

TopstepTV daily coaching, Training Camp, 72K+ Discord members, The Tilt™ sentiment indicator, Consistency Target Calculator. Topstep's educational ecosystem is unmatched in futures prop trading.

Tradeify offers a "Sage Score" performance metric, built-in trade journaling, and community Discord, but the educational depth doesn't compare. Tradeify is built for traders who already have their edge—they're providing infrastructure, not education.

If you're still developing as a trader, Topstep's coaching and community add real value that can accelerate your learning curve. If you've been trading for years and just need funded capital with good rules, Tradeify's infrastructure is more relevant than Topstep's education.

The Verdict

Choose Tradeify if you: want zero activation fees, prefer the option of no consistency rule when funded (Select Flex), need the fastest payouts in the industry, want a path to live capital (Tradeify Elite), prefer platform flexibility (Tradovate/NinjaTrader/TradingView), want an instant-funding option (Lightning), and have a proven strategy that doesn't need coaching support.

Choose Topstep if you: prioritize 14 years of proven payout history, want commission-free execution (saves $800-1,200/month for active traders), value daily coaching via TopstepTV, prefer lower monthly evaluation costs ($49 vs $103+), want self-imposed risk management tools via TopstepX, and are still developing your trading edge.

The honest synthesis: Tradeify edges Topstep on funded-stage rules (no consistency on Flex, zero activation, faster payouts, live capital pathway). Topstep edges Tradeify on trust (14-year history), education, and commission-free execution. For experienced traders with a proven strategy, Tradeify offers the better overall package. For developing traders who need structure and coaching, Topstep remains the superior choice. The market's big enough for both—and running accounts at each simultaneously isn't a bad strategy either.

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