Topstep vs Take Profit Trader (2026): Rules, Drawdown & Payouts

Category: Prop Firms | Date: 2026-09-24

Topstep vs Take Profit Trader: The Short Answer

Topstep and Take Profit Trader (TPT) both set a $3,000 target with a $2,000 end-of-day trailing drawdown on a $50K evaluation. The real differences come after you pass: how the drawdown behaves once funded, how you get paid, and which platforms you can trade on.

Topstep rules below come from Topstep’s help center, and TPT rules from TPT’s own site and recent independent rule guides, read on 2026-09-24. Both firms change terms often; confirm on their sites before buying. An earlier version of this page said TPT had no consistency rule and used a static drawdown, and quoted Topstep at about $165/month with a 30% consistency rule — none of that is current.

$50K account	Topstep	Take Profit Trader
Profit target	$3,000	$3,000
Evaluation drawdown	$2,000 end-of-day trailing	$2,000 end-of-day trailing
Evaluation consistency	Best day at or below 55% of target, or the target rises	No day above 50% of total profit, or the pass waits
Minimum trading days	None stated	3
Max size	5 minis / 50 micros	6 contracts
Evaluation pricing	$49/mo + $149 activation, or $95/mo with no activation fee	See TPT’s site; PRO activation listed at $130
Funded drawdown	End-of-day trailing	PRO: intraday trailing; PRO+: end-of-day trailing
Profit split	90/10 from the first dollar	PRO: 80/20; PRO+: 90/10
Platforms	TopstepX for new accounts	NinjaTrader, TradingView, Tradovate (CQG); R\|Trader, Quantower, MotiveWave (Rithmic)

Evaluation Rules

Both evaluations are single-phase with a $3,000 target on the 50K and no deadline. Topstep’s consistency target says your best day should stay at or below 55% of the profit target; go over and the target rises to best day divided by 0.55, but the account is not failed. TPT requires at least three trading days and that no single day exceed 50% of your total profit; go over and your pass is held until the profit is spread across more days.

In practice both rules punish the same thing — one outsized day — in slightly different ways. Topstep moves the finish line; TPT makes you keep trading until the ratio falls back under 50%.

Drawdown: Where TPT’s PRO Account Differs

Both firms use an end-of-day trailing drawdown in the evaluation: the floor moves up with your end-of-day balance, not with every intraday high. Topstep keeps that model once you are funded.

TPT changes it. The funded PRO account uses an intraday trailing drawdown, which follows your highest unrealised equity during the session. A trade that runs $800 in your favour and comes back to break-even has used $800 of your room. This is the single biggest practical difference between the two firms, and the one most likely to catch out traders who passed the TPT evaluation comfortably. PRO+, TPT’s live tier, goes back to end-of-day drawdown, but it is invitation-only.

Pricing

Topstep’s help center lists the Trading Combine at $49/month for 50K, $99 for 100K and $199 for 150K on the Standard path, plus a one-time $149 activation fee each time you earn an Express Funded Account. The No Activation Fee path is $95, $149 and $229 per month. Paths cannot be changed after purchase.

TPT lists a one-time $130 fee for the PRO account and runs frequent promotions, including offers that waive activation fees. We do not quote a Test price here because we could not confirm the current figure from TPT’s own pages; check their site for the price on the day you buy.

Payouts

	Topstep	Take Profit Trader
Split	90/10 from the first dollar	80/20 in PRO, 90/10 in PRO+
When you can withdraw	Standard path: 5 winning days of $150+; Consistency path: 3 days within 40%	From day one of PRO, on profits above the buffer
Buffer	None stated	Required in PRO; none in PRO+
Per-request cap (50K)	$2,000–$3,000, doubled with a daily loss limit	No withdrawal restriction above the buffer, per TPT
Processing	Same day to brokerage if requested by noon CT; ACH 1–3 business days	See TPT’s payout terms

The trade-off is split versus access. Topstep pays a higher split from the first dollar but asks for a run of winning days before each request. TPT’s PRO account lets you withdraw from day one once you are above the buffer, at a lower 80/20 split, until you are invited to PRO+.

Platforms

Topstep now runs new accounts on TopstepX, its own platform. Independent reviews report that new Combines became TopstepX-only in July 2026 and that Tradovate, NinjaTrader and Rithmic credentials are no longer issued to new traders; older accounts on those platforms can still be traded. TopstepX does not connect to TradingView.

TPT lists more than fifteen platforms across two data feeds, including NinjaTrader, TradingView and Tradovate on CQG and R|Trader, Quantower and MotiveWave on Rithmic. If you want to keep trading in NinjaTrader or TradingView, TPT supports it and a new Topstep account does not.

Other Rules Worth Knowing at TPT

News: you must be flat around FOMC, Non-Farm Payrolls and CPI releases, with extra restrictions for crude and bond auctions on the related contracts.
Session close: positions are closed at 4:55 PM ET, and overnight holds are not allowed.
Activity: PRO and PRO+ accounts need at least one round-trip trade each calendar week.
Account limits: up to five active PRO and PRO+ accounts combined; Test accounts are not capped.
Automation: bots are prohibited; trade copiers are allowed only between accounts you own.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Topstep if you want a 90/10 split from the first dollar, an end-of-day drawdown once funded, and are happy trading on TopstepX.
Choose Take Profit Trader if you want to trade in NinjaTrader, TradingView or a Rithmic platform, or want withdrawals from day one of a funded account.
Be careful with TPT’s PRO account if you let winners run and give some back — the intraday trailing drawdown counts unrealised highs.
Use both if you want to diversify across firms with different rules.

Copy Trading and Trading Tools

Topstep and TPT treat copying very differently. Topstep’s help center says all trading activity must originate from your personal device and that VPS, VPNs and remote servers are prohibited, so cloud copiers are out; TopstepX has its own copier for your own Topstep accounts. Signal Trade App does not connect to Topstep or TopstepX accounts. TPT allows trade copiers between accounts you own, and its accounts run on Tradovate (CQG) or Rithmic, both of which Signal Trade App supports.

If you trade TPT alongside firms on Tradovate or Rithmic, Signal Trade App copies one leader to all of them, with each follower on its own size ratio and daily loss limit — useful for sizing down a TPT PRO account on its intraday trailing drawdown. It is also a trading platform in its own right: a real TradingView chart with drag-to-modify bracket orders, an order flow view with absorption and volume profile, and a multi-account cockpit — things TopstepX, which does not connect to TradingView, does not offer. Signal Trade App is $30 for the first month, then $15/month, and the 5-day trial requires a card. Start a trial and test it on your evaluation accounts first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Topstep or Take Profit Trader better?

It depends on what you value. Topstep pays 90/10 from the first dollar and keeps an end-of-day drawdown once funded, but new accounts are TopstepX-only. Take Profit Trader supports NinjaTrader, TradingView and Rithmic platforms and allows withdrawals from day one of PRO, at 80/20 with an intraday trailing drawdown.

Does Take Profit Trader have a consistency rule?

Yes, in the Test. No single day can exceed 50% of your total profit, and you need at least three trading days. If a day goes over, your pass waits until the profit is spread across more days.

What is Topstep’s consistency rule?

In the Trading Combine your best day should stay at or below 55% of the profit target. If it goes over, the target rises to best day divided by 0.55; the account is not failed.

What drawdown does Take Profit Trader use?

End-of-day trailing in the Test ($2,000 on 50K), intraday trailing in the funded PRO account, and end-of-day trailing in the invitation-only PRO+ live account.

How much does Topstep cost in 2026?

According to Topstep’s help center: $49, $99 or $199 per month for 50K, 100K and 150K on the Standard path plus a $149 activation fee per funded account, or $95, $149 and $229 per month with no activation fee.

What is the profit split at each firm?

Topstep pays 90/10 from the first dollar. Take Profit Trader pays 80/20 in PRO and 90/10 in PRO+.

Can I use NinjaTrader or TradingView with Topstep?

Not on new accounts, according to multiple reviews — new Combines have been TopstepX-only since July 2026, and TopstepX does not connect to TradingView. Take Profit Trader supports NinjaTrader, TradingView and Tradovate on CQG.

Does Take Profit Trader allow trade copiers?

Independent rule guides report that bots are prohibited but trade copiers are allowed between accounts you own. Check TPT’s current terms before copying.

How many funded accounts can I have at Take Profit Trader?

Up to five active PRO and PRO+ accounts combined, according to recent rule guides. Test accounts are not capped.

Can Signal Trade App copy between Topstep and Take Profit Trader?

No. Signal Trade App does not connect to Topstep or TopstepX accounts, and Topstep’s terms prohibit trading from remote servers. It does copy Take Profit Trader accounts on Tradovate or Rithmic alongside other firms on those platforms, each with its own size ratio and daily loss limit.

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Signal Trade App lets you copy one trade across unlimited prop firm accounts in under 50ms. Sign up free with a 5-day Pro trial (credit card required, no charge during trial).