Head-to-head comparison
Topstep vs TradeDay
Compare FirmFax scores, account rules, reputation, fees, platforms, and current offers before choosing.
Topstep vs TradeDay
TradeDay leads by 8 FirmFax points.
Account reviewed
Trading Combine - Standard Path 78/100 account scoreAccount reviewed
Fast Pass 86/100 account scoreFast answer
This is a genuine trade-off. Topstep is $51 cheaper to start, but TradeDay scores 8 points higher (86 vs 78). And we do not have one drawdown model for both firms (Topstep runs end-of-day trailing, TradeDay's drawdown varies by plan), which can matter more than the score gap depending on how you trade.
Best for Topstep
Pick Topstep for Trading Combine - Standard Path, its top-scored tracked account at 78/100.
Best for TradeDay
Pick TradeDay for Fast Pass, its top-scored tracked account at 86/100, 8 points clear of Topstep's top-scored account.
Next step
Topstep
Account reviewed: Trading Combine - Standard Path. $10-$30 Responsible Trading Discount.
Next step
TradeDay
Account reviewed: Fast Pass. 55% off, accounts from $45.
The short version
What actually separates them
5 fields on the record split Topstep and TradeDay — the three that change how you trade are here. Everything else either matches or is not on the record yet.
Intraday trailing tightens against your open profit; end-of-day trailing only resets at the close; static never moves. This is the rule most likely to end an account.
A consistency cap limits how much of your total profit one day may contribute, so a single outsized winner can delay a payout.
Entry cost for the cheapest account each firm sells, before any live discount.
Not comparable yet: daily loss limit — at least one of the two firms has no figure on record, so we do not draw a conclusion from it. A blank here means we have not confirmed the rule, not that the firm has none.
Fig. 01 — Category winners
Who wins each category
They split the decided categories 2–2 (1 tied, 1 not comparable). Pick on the category that matters most to you.
Price
Topstep is cheaper to enter ($49 vs $100).
Drawdown
No single ruleWe do not have one drawdown model for every TradeDay plan on sale, so there is no single firm-level rule to compare.
Payouts
Topstep keeps a higher trader split (90% vs 50%).
Rules
TieBoth score 72 on plan rules (drawdown model). The figures are for XFA Standard Payout Path and Fast Pass, the plans whose scores are the two firms' grades.
Platforms
TradeDay supports more platforms (6 vs 2).
Firm score
TradeDay has the higher firm score (86 vs 78).
A “tie” means both firms publish the same answer. “No data” means one of them has no figure on record for that category, so there is nothing to compare — it is never a point against either firm. “No single rule” means a firm’s plans do not share one rule in our record, so there is no firm-level rule to compare.
Buyer guide
Which one should you choose?
Topstep is stronger when...
- Pick Topstep for Trading Combine - Standard Path, its top-scored tracked account at 78/100.
- Entry cost: $49 starting price.
- Risk model: end-of-day trailing drawdown, daily loss limit not recorded. Confirm it fits how you size trades.
- Our record does not hold one consistency rule for every Topstep plan, so check the plan you would buy before you plan around one big day.
- Payouts: 90/10; traders who joined the new dashboard before January 12, 2026 receive 100% of first $10k lifetime profits, XFA Standard requires five $150+ winning days; XFA Consistency requires three days and a 40% consistency target; closed Labs drops can carry separate payout-day thresholds., first withdrawal from 3 days (unit not recorded).
TradeDay is stronger when...
- Pick TradeDay for Fast Pass, its top-scored tracked account at 86/100, 8 points clear of Topstep's top-scored account.
- Entry cost: $100 starting price.
- Risk model: a drawdown that varies by plan, daily loss limit not recorded. Confirm it fits how you size trades.
- Our record does not hold one consistency rule for every TradeDay plan, so check the plan you would buy before you plan around one big day.
- Payouts: Quick Pay Sim 50/50 below $4k current profit, 80/20 above threshold; Funded Live 90/10, Not recorded, first withdrawal from 1 day (unit not recorded).
Before you buy
Topstep is $51 cheaper to start ($49 starting price), but weigh activation fees and any live discount before deciding.
Both firms sit at 0 logged status issues, so status issues are level in this matchup.
Freshness: Topstep was last reviewed 2026-09-23; TradeDay on 2026-10-15.
Fig. 02 — Score breakdown
Where each firm is stronger
Each side shows the plan whose score is that firm's grade.
A dash means the factor is not scored for that plan: we have not recorded the evidence it needs, such as the firm's founding year or enough of the plan's rules. Its weight moves to the factors that are scored rather than counting as a zero.
Fig. 04 — The tale of the tape
Head-to-head
| Metric | Topstep | TradeDay |
|---|---|---|
| FirmFax firm score | 78 | 86✓ |
| Account score | 78 (Trading Combine - Standard Path) | 86 (Fast Pass)✓ |
| Reputation | Mixed reputation | Strong reputation✓ |
| Founded | 2012✓ | 2020 |
| Starting price | $49✓ | $100 |
| Markets | Futures | Futures |
| Jurisdiction | USA | USA |
| Platforms | TopstepX, Quantower | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower, Jigsaw, Rithmic |
| Drawdown | Trailing (end-of-day) | Varies by plan |
| Daily loss limit | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Consistency rule | Varies by plan | Varies by plan |
| Profit split | 90/10; traders who joined the new dashboard before January 12, 2026 receive 100% of first $10k lifetime profits | Quick Pay Sim 50/50 below $4k current profit, 80/20 above threshold; Funded Live 90/10 |
| Payout frequency | XFA Standard requires five $150+ winning days; XFA Consistency requires three days and a 40% consistency target; closed Labs drops can carry separate payout-day thresholds. | Not recorded |
| Min days to payout | 3 days (unit not recorded) | 1 day (unit not recorded) |
Checkmarks flag the objectively better value (higher score/reputation, older firm, lower price/fee) and are only awarded when both firms have that figure on record — “Not recorded” never loses a row. Rules are shown side by side without a “winner” because the best choice depends on your strategy.
Current discount
$10-$30 Responsible Trading Discount
Official source · Last checked 2026-09-05
Current discount
55% off, accounts from $45
Official source · Last checked 2026-09-05
Search answers
Topstep vs TradeDay FAQ
Is Topstep or TradeDay better for futures traders?
TradeDay's highest-scoring account has the higher FirmFax score right now. The better pick is the one whose drawdown, platforms, and fees match how you trade. TradeDay's drawdown varies by plan, so compare the plan you would buy.
Which is cheaper, Topstep or TradeDay?
Topstep has the lower starting price we hold, about $51 less. Discounts can change often.
How do drawdown rules compare between Topstep and TradeDay?
Topstep uses end-of-day trailing drawdown and TradeDay uses a drawdown that varies by plan. Intraday trailing tightens fastest, so it is the stricter style to trade under.
Do Topstep and TradeDay have a consistency rule?
Our record does not hold one consistency rule for every Topstep plan, and our record does not hold one consistency rule for every TradeDay plan. Where a firm's plans do not share one rule in our record, check the plan you would buy on its firm page.
Does FirmFax rank Topstep vs TradeDay using payouts?
Payout history is used as context, not as a score input. FirmFax scores each plan on plan rules, firm track record, plan transparency and plan accessibility.
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