FTMO Futures vs Topstep: Evaluation Rules, Pricing and Payouts Compared

FTMO Futures and Topstep are both futures-only prop trading programs, but they get traders to a funded simulated account through different structures and different risk rules. FTMO Futures runs a single-phase Evaluation with no time limit into a Sim-Funded Account, while Topstep runs a Trading Combine into a $0-balance Express Funded Account. Both pay a 90% trader split, but pricing, consistency thresholds, daily loss handling and payout caps diverge sharply once you look past the headline split.

FTMO Futures vs Topstep at a Glance

FTMO Futures moves traders through a simulated one-phase Evaluation, then a simulated Sim-Funded Account, with a possible invitation to a Live-Funded Account reserved for a small subset of traders. Topstep moves traders through a simulated Trading Combine, then a simulated Express Funded Account that starts at a $0 balance, then a Live Funded Account through a call-up process. Both firms settle on the same headline number, a 90% profit split to the trader, but that's where the similarity mostly ends. FTMO splits its offering into two distinct products, Growth and Pro, with different consistency rules and daily loss structures, while Topstep splits its Express Funded path into a Standard payout track and a Consistency payout track. Pricing tiers, reset costs, and payout caps differ by hundreds of dollars depending on which product and account size a trader picks.

Evaluation Structure: One-Phase vs Trading Combine

FTMO Futures runs one Evaluation phase with no time limit and no fixed minimum trading-day requirement, beyond satisfying whichever consistency rule applies to the product a trader chose. That structure splits into two lines: Growth, built around a 40% consistency rule and a softer daily loss framework, and Pro, built around a 50% consistency rule and a hard Daily Loss Limit. Topstep's Trading Combine, by contrast, layers a Maximum Loss Limit rule, a profit target, and a 50% best-day consistency objective, with maximum position sizes set at 5, 10 or 15 minis (or 50, 100 or 150 micros) depending on whether the trader is running a 50K, 100K or 150K account.

Account limits also differ. FTMO allows an unlimited number of Evaluations, though no more than 3 Sim-Funded Accounts at once. Topstep allows up to 5 Express Funded Accounts at once. A trader who wants to run several accounts in parallel toward funded status has more room to do so on the Topstep side once they've passed the Combine, while FTMO's advantage is unrestricted retries at the Evaluation stage itself.

Pricing Comparison by Account Size

FTMO Growth's monthly Evaluation fee runs $119 for 50K, $169 for 100K, and $229 for 150K, with reset fees of $109, $159, and $219 at the same tiers. FTMO Pro costs more per month, $139, $199, and $269 for 50K, 100K, and 150K, with reset fees of $129, $189, and $259.

Topstep's Standard path is cheaper up front: $49, $99, and $199 a month for 50K, 100K, and 150K, but a trader who passes then owes a one-time $149 Express Funded activation fee. Topstep's No Activation Fee path removes that charge but raises the monthly price to $95, $149, and $229 for the same three account sizes, and a reset under this path costs the plan's full monthly price rather than a separate discounted reset fee.

Topstep Standard lowers the recurring monthly charge but adds a $149 activation fee after passing. FTMO's monthly charge is higher than Topstep Standard at each listed tier but has no Sim-Funded activation fee. Total cost depends on how many monthly renewals or resets a trader needs, so compare the current checkout terms for the exact path you plan to use.

Risk Rules and Consistency Compared

The consistency rule is where these two firms diverge most. FTMO Growth requires the best single profitable day to be no more than 40% of total Evaluation profit; FTMO Pro raises that threshold to 50%. Crucially, at FTMO, missing the consistency ratio does not breach the account on its own, it can be corrected by earning more total profit. Growth pairs its 40% rule with no Evaluation Daily Loss Limit at all, and only a soft $1,000 to $3,000 Daily Loss Limit once a trader reaches the Sim-Funded stage. Pro pairs its 50% rule with a hard Daily Loss Limit of $1,000 to $2,000 that applies during both the Evaluation and the Sim-Funded phase.

Topstep's Trading Combine applies a 50% best-day consistency objective throughout the Combine itself. Once a trader reaches the Express Funded Account, Topstep offers a separate Consistency payout path with its own 40% target, but that path also requires at least 3 trading days before a payout can be requested.

The breach mechanics differ too. At FTMO, a soft breach locks trading for the rest of the day but doesn't fail the account, while a hard breach closes positions immediately and fails the account. A consistency miss alone never breaches an FTMO account.

Because consistency rules and daily loss limits are where most Evaluation attempts actually fail, it's worth understanding position sizing and drawdown discipline before paying for an attempt at either firm. Chart Academy's free trading masterclasses cover risk management and trading psychology in depth, which is useful groundwork before sitting an Evaluation with a hard daily loss limit or a strict consistency target.

Funded Account Mechanics

FTMO's Sim-Funded Account carries no profit target and no consistency rule at all, a meaningful simplification once a trader clears the Evaluation. Contract limits still scale with account size and product, from 2 up to 15 contracts depending on the tier. Sim-Funded Accounts cannot be reset if a trader fails one, though Evaluation resets can be purchased with no stated quantity limit.

Topstep's Express Funded Account starts from a $0 balance rather than the Combine's target balance, and once there, a trader chooses between two payout tracks: the Standard path or the Consistency path. That choice affects how many winning days are required and what consistency threshold applies before the first withdrawal request.

Both firms gate access to a genuinely live account behind additional criteria. FTMO's Live-Funded Accounts are invitation-only; a trader cannot apply and is instead selected by FTMO, with availability subject to country restrictions. Topstep's Live Funded Account is reached through a call-up process after the Express Funded stage.

Payout Rules and Caps

FTMO Growth payout eligibility requires 4 trading days with a minimum profit that ranges from $150 (50K) to $300 (150K), plus a 50% minimum new profit requirement; withdrawable profit is capped at 50% of the accumulated balance, and the account's payout cap runs $2,500 to $4,000 depending on size. FTMO Pro requires 5 days and a minimum profit of $200 to $500, but allows 100% of accumulated profit to be withdrawn, with a payout cap of $5,000 to $8,000. FTMO's minimum payout across both products is $20.

Topstep's Standard payout path requires 5 winning days of at least $150 net profit each, allows up to 50% of the account balance to be requested, and caps out at $2,000, $3,000, or $5,000 for 50K, 100K, and 150K accounts. Topstep's Consistency path requires only 3 trading days and a 40% consistency target, with higher caps of $3,000, $4,000, and $6,000 at the same tiers. Topstep's payout minimum is $125, well above FTMO's $20 floor, and after any Express Funded payout, Topstep resets the Maximum Loss Limit to $0.

Both firms pay the same 90% split, so the practical differences sit in eligibility timing, withdrawable percentage, and cap size rather than the split itself.

Platforms, Instruments and Trading Rules

FTMO Futures supports NinjaTrader, Tradovate, and TradingView, and lists 30 tradable instruments, 19 mini or E-mini contracts and 11 micro contracts, spanning equity index, energy, metals, currency, agriculture, and interest-rate futures. Commissions run $0.50 per side on minis and $0.20 per side on micros. FTMO requires all positions and resting orders closed before 4:10 PM Eastern Time, or an instrument's earlier applicable close, with no weekend holding permitted.

FTMO also enforces a clear list of forbidden practices: market manipulation, using the drawdown limit as a sole trade exit, hedging across accounts, third-party trade copying, prohibited automation such as high-frequency or latency exploitation, trading within 2% of a CME price limit, holding beyond the required close, and any conduct that couldn't reasonably be replicated in a live account. U.S. participants need a valid taxpayer identification number and an eligible bank account, and FTMO excludes residents of Arkansas, Delaware, Louisiana, Montana, and South Carolina.

Which Firm Suits Which Trader

Traders who want a lower entry price and are comfortable with a soft daily loss buffer, in exchange for withdrawing only 50% of accumulated profit, may lean toward FTMO Growth. Traders who want full, 100% withdrawal of accumulated profit and can operate cleanly inside a hard daily loss limit may prefer FTMO Pro, accepting the higher monthly fee for the fuller payout access.

Traders focused on minimizing monthly cash outlay, and who don't mind paying a one-time $149 activation fee only after they've already passed, may prefer Topstep's Standard path. Traders who want faster access to their first payout, with fewer required winning days, may look at Topstep's Consistency payout path (3 days, 40% target) over its Standard path (5 winning days, $150 minimum daily profit), while accepting that the Maximum Loss Limit resets to $0 after each payout.

Neither firm is a guarantee of profit, and every one of these numbers describes program structure, not trading outcomes. The right pick comes down to whether a trader values FTMO's product split between softer and harder daily loss rules, or Topstep's split between a cheaper up-front Combine and a choice of payout tracks once funded.

Frequently asked questions

What is the core structural difference between FTMO Futures and Topstep?

FTMO Futures runs a one-phase Evaluation with no time limit into a Sim-Funded Account, with invitation-only Live-Funded Accounts for a small subset of traders. Topstep runs a Trading Combine into a simulated Express Funded Account that starts at a $0 balance, then a Live Funded Account through a call-up process.

How do FTMO's Growth and Pro products differ on consistency and daily loss rules?

Growth uses a 40% Evaluation consistency rule with no Evaluation Daily Loss Limit and a soft Daily Loss Limit in Sim-Funded. Pro uses a 50% consistency rule with a hard Daily Loss Limit applied during both the Evaluation and Sim-Funded phases.

What consistency rule does Topstep apply, and does it change after funding?

Topstep's Trading Combine applies a 50% best-day consistency objective. Once funded, the Express Funded Consistency payout path instead uses a 40% target and requires at least 3 trading days before a payout can be requested.

Which firm has the lower minimum payout?

FTMO's minimum payout is $20. Topstep's minimum payout is $125.

Can a failed account be reset at either firm?

FTMO Evaluation resets can be purchased with no stated quantity limit, but Sim-Funded Accounts cannot be reset after a breach. A Topstep Trading Combine reset costs the selected plan's monthly price. After an Express Funded payout, its Maximum Loss Limit resets to $0; that is a risk-rule adjustment, not a failed-account reset.

What trading platforms does FTMO Futures support?

FTMO Futures supports NinjaTrader, Tradovate, and TradingView, with 30 tradable futures instruments across equity index, energy, metals, currency, agriculture, and interest-rate categories.

Data as of 2026-09-01.

Risk disclaimer: Trading carries a substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Prop-firm evaluations charge fees and most traders do not pass. Nothing here is financial advice; figures can change, so verify current terms with the firm before purchasing.

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