Head to head · September 2026
Topstep vs TradeDay
Our call: Topstep (8.0 vs 7.0). The best counterparty in the industry: over a decade, zero denial pattern — but the row-by-row below shows where TradeDay still wins.
Topstep8.0 | TradeDay7.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.0 / 10 | 7.0 / 10 |
| Eval cost (50K) | $85/mo | $59/mo |
| Activation fee | $0 | $0 |
| Drawdown | EOD | EOD + intraday (changes on pass) |
| Consistency | 55% eval, none funded | 30 to 45% eval, 45% funded |
| Profit split | 90/10 from dollar one (post-Jan-2026 accounts) | Quick Pay: 50/50 while current profit is under $4K → 80/20 above → 90/10 live; Fast Pass: 80/20 sim → 90/10 live |
| First payout | 5 days | 1 to 5 days |
| Platforms | TopstepX (in-house only), Quantower via TopstepX credentials | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Jigsaw, Quantower |
| Discount | up to 13% off | 55% off |
| Get started | Visit Topstep | Visit TradeDay |
Topstep in one paragraph
Worst deal in Tier 1 (no public discount code, $5-6K payout caps on a 150K) but the most trustworthy payout record in futures prop: more than a decade, no credible non-payment scandal. Keep exactly one as the 'this check always clears' anchor. Two things to price in: the MLL resets to $0 permanently after every payout, so you are one bad day from losing the account; and the caps only double (to as much as $12,000) if you opt into the Daily Loss Limit add-on at purchase — without it, scaling withdrawals here is slow.
Full review →TradeDay in one paragraph
A credible payout-reliability anchor: true day-one payouts on Quick Pay with $250 minimum and no cap, $0 activation, no daily loss limit, a documented transition to live capital, and a founder who publishes pass rates (36% Jan-Jun 2026). Three tolls to know: Quick Pay pays 50/50 any time current profit sits below $4,000 — it recurs, it isn't a one-off on the first $4K; Quick Pay funded accounts run intraday trailing even if you paid for the EOD eval; and Fast Pass accounts opened since 2026-07-26 carry a 45% consistency rule into the funded stage. Sim profit above $10,000 is forfeited at live review.
Full review →More Topstep comparisons
More TradeDay comparisons
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