Can I run Topstep and Lucid Trading evaluations at the same time?

Yes. Nothing prevents you from holding evaluations at both firms simultaneously. Many traders trade one leader account and copy the same signals into evaluations at both firms to increase their odds of getting funded.

Does Lucid Trading have a consistency rule like Topstep?

No. Lucid does not require your profit to be spread across multiple days. Topstep requires that no single day account for more than 30% of your total profit during the Combine.

Which is cheaper to start?

Lucid Trading's one-time evaluation fee (around $50 for a $50K account, often discounted further) is generally cheaper upfront than Topstep's recurring monthly subscription (around $165/month for the same size).

Do Topstep and Lucid Trading use the same broker platform?

Both run on Tradovate. Topstep also offers TopstepX, which is powered by ProjectX. Because Lucid is Tradovate-only, connecting it to a trade copier uses the same integration as classic Topstep.

Can Signal Trade App copy trades between Topstep and Lucid accounts?

Yes. Add both account types to the same copy group with independent daily loss limits and drawdown guards, so each firm's rules are enforced separately even though they share a leader.

Topstep vs Lucid Trading 2026: Which Prop Firm Should You Trade?

Category: Prop Firms | Date: 2026-07-08

Two Tradovate-Based Prop Firms, Different Rule Sets

Topstep is the longest-running name in futures prop trading. Lucid Trading is a newer, Tradovate-based firm that has picked up traders looking for a faster, less restrictive evaluation. Because both firms provision accounts on Tradovate, moving between them — or running both at once — is mechanically simple. The decision comes down to rules, not platform friction.

This is a direct, head-to-head comparison of Topstep and Lucid Trading: evaluation structure, drawdown, pricing, payouts, and what changes if you copy trade across both.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Topstep	Lucid Trading
Evaluation type	Single-phase Combine	Single-phase evaluation
Profit target ($50K)	$3,000	$3,000
Daily loss limit ($50K)	$1,000	$1,250
Minimum trading days	None (consistency rule applies instead)	None
Consistency rule	Yes — max 30% of profit from one day	No
Drawdown	Trailing from highest balance	Verify current terms before starting — see note below
Evaluation pricing ($50K)	~$165/month subscription	Around $50 one-time (frequently discounted)
Funded profit split	100% first $10K, then 90/10	80/20 standard plan, 90/10 premium plan
Payout schedule	Weekly	Processed within 24–48 hours
Platform	Tradovate, TopstepX (ProjectX)	Tradovate

Evaluation Rules

Topstep Combine Rules

Single-phase evaluation
Profit target: $3,000 on $50K, $6,000 on $100K, $9,000 on $150K
Daily loss limit: $1,000 on $50K, $2,000 on $100K, $3,000 on $150K
Trailing maximum drawdown from highest account balance
Consistency rule: no single day can account for more than 30% of total profits
No expiration on the evaluation — trade at your own pace

Lucid Trading Evaluation Rules

$50K evaluation starts around $50 (evaluation pricing is frequently discounted)
Profit target: $3,000 on the $50K evaluation
Daily loss limit: $1,250 on the $50K evaluation
No minimum number of trading days — you can pass as soon as you hit the profit target
No consistency rule
Maximum drawdown rule applies — confirm the current static-vs-trailing terms before you start (see below)

The Key Difference: Consistency Rule and Pass Speed

Topstep's consistency rule is the biggest structural difference. No single trading day can represent more than 30% of your total profit during the Combine. If you make $2,000 on day one of a $50K Combine, that day now exceeds 30% of your $3,000 target, and you need additional profitable days before you officially pass — even though you already hit the number.

Lucid Trading has no consistency rule and no minimum trading-day requirement. If you hit the $3,000 profit target on your $50K evaluation in a single session, you pass. This makes Lucid structurally faster to clear for traders with a high-conviction, lower-frequency style, while Topstep rewards traders who can distribute profits across multiple sessions.

Drawdown: Confirm Before You Trade

Topstep uses a trailing maximum drawdown that rises with your highest account balance — a strong day tightens your safety net for the rest of the Combine. This is well documented and consistent across Topstep's account sizes.

Lucid Trading enforces a maximum drawdown rule, but whether it is static (fixed from the starting balance) or trailing (follows your peak equity) can change with their current terms. This distinction has a real effect on risk management — trailing drawdowns leave less room for losses after a strong day, while static drawdowns stay fixed. Check Lucid's current evaluation terms before sizing your risk, and set your personal daily stop well inside the official daily loss limit regardless of which drawdown model applies.

Pricing

Topstep charges a recurring monthly fee for the Combine — around $165/month for the $50K account — that continues until you pass or reset. Lucid Trading evaluations are a one-time purchase rather than a subscription, with the $50K tier starting around $50 and frequently discounted further through promotions. If you plan to run several evaluations at once to increase your odds of passing, Lucid's one-time pricing model is generally cheaper to stack than Topstep's recurring subscription.

Platforms and Broker Infrastructure

Topstep runs on Tradovate for its classic Combine and on TopstepX, which is powered by ProjectX, for its newer offering. Lucid Trading runs exclusively on Tradovate. Because both firms share Tradovate as a common platform, connecting either one to a trade copier uses the identical Tradovate OAuth flow — there is no separate integration to configure for Lucid versus classic Topstep.

Payouts

Topstep pays out weekly, with 100% of your first $10,000 in profit and a 90/10 split after that. They have the longest operating history and payout track record of any futures prop firm. Lucid Trading processes payouts within 24–48 hours of a request via bank transfer or cryptocurrency, with an 80/20 split on standard funded accounts and a 90/10 split available on their premium plan.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Topstep if: you want the most established firm with the longest payout history, you are comfortable spreading profits across multiple sessions, and you prefer a weekly payout cadence.
Choose Lucid Trading if: you want the fastest possible pass with no consistency rule and no minimum trading days, you want a lower one-time evaluation cost, or you want to run several simultaneous evaluations cheaply.
Do both: since both firms run on Tradovate, there is little friction to running a Topstep Combine and a Lucid evaluation at the same time and copying your best account to both.

Copy Trading Across Both Topstep and Lucid

You do not have to pick one. Signal Trade App connects your Topstep accounts and your Lucid Trading accounts through the same Tradovate integration, so both can sit in a single copy group regardless of which firm they belong to. Trade your leader once, and every Topstep and Lucid follower mirrors the fill within 100–500ms, including full bracket orders with stops and targets.

Each follower keeps its own daily loss limit and drawdown guard, so a Topstep account working under the 30%-consistency rule and a Lucid account with no consistency rule are protected independently even though they share the same leader trade. And because Signal Trade App supports cross-broker copy groups, you are not limited to Tradovate — add Apex accounts on NinjaTrader/Rithmic or Take Profit Trader accounts to the same group and scale your entire prop firm portfolio from one leader.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run Topstep and Lucid Trading evaluations at the same time? Yes. Nothing prevents you from holding evaluations at both firms simultaneously. Many traders trade one leader account and copy the same signals into evaluations at both firms to increase their odds of getting funded.
Does Lucid Trading have a consistency rule like Topstep? No. Lucid does not require your profit to be spread across multiple days. Topstep requires that no single day account for more than 30% of your total profit during the Combine.
Which is cheaper to start? Lucid Trading's one-time evaluation fee (around $50 for a $50K account, often discounted further) is generally cheaper upfront than Topstep's recurring monthly subscription (around $165/month for the same size).
Do Topstep and Lucid Trading use the same broker platform? Both run on Tradovate. Topstep also offers TopstepX, which is powered by ProjectX. Because Lucid is Tradovate-only, connecting it to a trade copier uses the same integration as classic Topstep.
Can Signal Trade App copy trades between Topstep and Lucid accounts? Yes. Add both account types to the same copy group with independent daily loss limits and drawdown guards, so each firm's rules are enforced separately even though they share a leader.

Ready to Trade Both Topstep and Lucid?

Topstep and Lucid Trading solve different problems: Topstep offers the longest track record and a weekly payout cadence; Lucid offers a faster, cheaper pass with no consistency rule. Running both at once — on the same Tradovate infrastructure — is one of the simplest ways to diversify your funded account portfolio.

Start your 5-day free trial of Signal Trade App — a credit card is required to activate the trial, but you are not charged until it ends. Connect your Topstep and Lucid Trading accounts, create a copy group, and trade one leader across your entire prop firm portfolio.

Start Copy Trading Free

Signal Trade App lets you copy one trade across unlimited prop firm accounts in under 500ms. Sign up free with a 5-day Pro trial (credit card required, no charge during trial).