Head to head · August 2026
Topstep vs TradeDay
Our call: Topstep (8.0 vs 7.0). The best counterparty in the industry: 13 years, 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 | 150K Combine $199/mo list, ~$129 first month with champions35; 50K ~$32 first month | 150K Quick Pay Intraday $162/mo with (55%); 50K from $59/mo discounted |
| Activation | $149 one-time (Standard path); $0 on No-Activation-Fee path | $0 (eliminated in the 2.0 relaunch) |
| Drawdown | EOD | mixed |
| Consistency | 50% best-day cap in eval; funded: none on Standard path, 40% on Consistency path | Eval only: 30% (Quick Pay) / 45% (Fast Pass) — breach raises target, doesn't fail you; none once funded |
| Profit split | 90/10 from dollar one (post-Jan-2026 accounts) | Quick Pay: 50/50 first $4K → 80/20 → 90/10 live; Fast Pass: 80/20 sim → 90/10 live |
| Payouts | Weekly-capable; Standard path needs 5 winning days of $150+ per cycle; per-payout caps $2,000-$6,000 by size/path (cut April 2026); min $125; MLL resets to $0 after every payout. | Quick Pay: payout-eligible day one of funding, min $250, no max, 24h processing; Fast Pass: 5 profitable days per payout. Live review after ~3rd sim withdrawal. |
| Platforms | TopstepX (in-house only), Quantower via TopstepX credentials | Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Jigsaw, Quantower |
| Discount norm | 30-50% first-month promos near-constant (champions35 = 35%) | 55% on-site; 50% affiliate evergreen |
| Get started | Visit Topstep | Visit TradeDay |
Topstep in one paragraph
Worst deal in Tier 1 (35% max discount, $5-6K payout caps) but the most trustworthy payout record in futures prop: 13 years, weekly payouts, no credible non-payment scandal. Keep exactly one as the 'this check always clears' anchor; don't scale here — post-April-2026 payout caps and the MLL-resets-to-$0-after-payout rule make it engineered churn for big withdrawals.
Full review →TradeDay in one paragraph
A credible payout-reliability anchor: true day-one payouts with $250 minimum and no cap, $0 activation, no daily loss limit, no funded consistency rule, a documented transition to live capital, and a founder who publishes pass rates (36% Jan-Jun 2026). The 50/50 split on the first $4,000 of Quick Pay profits is the toll booth, and Quick Pay funded accounts run intraday trailing even if you paid for the EOD eval.
Full review →Not sure either fits? Take the 60-second quiz and get matched against every firm we track.