Head-to-head
Chicago Trading Company (CTC) vs Topstep
A direct, side-by-side comparison of Chicago Trading Company (CTC) and Topstep — profit splits, evaluation fees, payout cadence, supported assets, and trading rules. Data pulled live from our firm directory.
Quick verdict
Chicago Trading Company (CTC) is best for
traders avoiding evaluation hurdles; swing traders holding overnight.
Full Chicago Trading Company (CTC) profile →Quick verdict
Topstep is best for
traders prioritizing profit share (90% vs 50%).
Full Topstep profile →Cost & compensation
Cost and compensation path
Published fees and payout timing apply to trader-paid funding programs. Firm-capital and institutional paths are shown separately because their economics usually depend on hiring, allocation, salary, bonus, or profit-sharing terms.
Topstep
estimateApprox. total
$98
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
15days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- $49
- Monthly fee
- $49/mo
How we estimated this
- Evaluation path: lowest published one-time evaluation fee.
- Adds ~10 calendar days for evaluation completion (most firms require ≥5 minimum trading days).
- Monthly fee ($49) × 1 month added to startup cost.
- Source — eval fee: $49–$149/month (Trading Combine); monthly: Combine $49–$149; Funded $135/mo flat after first payout; first payout: 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach.
Chicago Trading Company (CTC)
Firm CapitalNot applicable for this model
This is a firm-capital or hiring-based trading path, not a trader-paid funding program. Compensation is typically handled through salary, bonus, draw, allocation, or profit-sharing arrangements rather than a published evaluation fee and payout schedule.
Trade-offs
Where each firm is weaker
No firm wins on every axis. These are the most meaningful drawbacks of each option — derived from the same structured fields shown in the table, never invented.
Chicago Trading Company (CTC) trade-offs
Lower profit split
Pays 50% versus 90% — 40 points less of every funded dollar.
Topstep trade-offs
No overnight holds
Closes positions intraday. Chicago Trading Company (CTC) allows overnight holds.
Decision guide
Best for your trader type
- Highest profit share
90% vs 50%
- Fastest to funded
No mandatory evaluation.
- Biggest scaling ceiling
Up to $150,000.
- Swing & overnight
Permits holding positions overnight.
- Fastest payouts
Weekly (after 5 profitable days) payouts.
| Attribute | Chicago Trading Company (CTC) Firm Capital · est. 1995 | Topstep Evaluation Based · est. 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Evaluation fee | — | $49–$149/month (Trading Combine) |
| Monthly fee | — | Combine $49–$149; Funded $135/mo flat after first payout |
| Evaluation required | No | Yes |
| Instant funding | No | No |
| Capital | ||
| Profit split | 50% | 90% |
| Max allocation | Institutional only | $150,000 |
| Account sizes | Institutional only | $50K, $100K, $150K |
| Scaling | — | Scale via larger Combine accounts; no automatic in-account scaling. Up to 5 funded accounts. |
| Payouts | ||
| Frequency | Annual bonus | Weekly (after 5 profitable days) |
| First payout | — | 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach |
| Assets | ||
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Stocks | Yes | No |
| Options | Yes | No |
| Forex | No | No |
| Crypto | No | No |
| Trading rules | ||
| News trading | Yes | Yes |
| Overnight holding | Yes | No |
| Weekend holding | Yes | No |
| Copy trading | No | No |
| Technology | ||
| Platforms | Proprietary | TSTrader, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower, Tradovate |
| Data feed | — | CME Group (real-time included) |
| Company | ||
| Headquarters | Chicago, USA | Chicago, USA |
About Chicago Trading Company (CTC)
Leading derivatives liquidity provider and proprietary trading firm. Active across equity index, interest rate, energy, and agricultural options.
Full Chicago Trading Company (CTC) profile →Trust & stability
Reputation and rule-change activity
Two added decision signals: a weighted reputation score from independent review sources, and a 90-day view of structural rule-change activity where monitored sources are available.
Reputation
canonical- Sources used
- 1
- Confidence
- low
Weighted blend of independent trader-review sources. See methodology.
Rule Stability
last 90dWe do not currently have enough monitored public rule sources for this firm to report rule-change activity honestly.
Reputation
canonical- Sources used
- 1
- Confidence
- medium
Weighted blend of independent trader-review sources. See methodology.
Rule Stability
last 90d- Last change
- —
- Type
- —
- Sources monitored
- —
- Status
- No changes detected in monitored sources
Weekly diff of the firm's published rule pages (terms, rules, FAQ, legal). "No changes detected" only means none of the monitored monitored sources changed — other surfaces (Discord, email, dashboards) are not covered. "Limited" or "unavailable" means our monitor cannot reach enough sources to make an honest call.
Frequently asked
Common questions
- Which has a higher profit split — Chicago Trading Company (CTC) or Topstep?
- Chicago Trading Company (CTC) pays 50%; Topstep pays 90% of trader profits once funded. Topstep pays a higher share to the trader.
- Is Chicago Trading Company (CTC) cheaper to start than Topstep?
- Chicago Trading Company (CTC): evaluation pricing varies. Topstep: evaluation from $49–$149/month (Trading Combine).
- Which pays out faster — Chicago Trading Company (CTC) or Topstep?
- Chicago Trading Company (CTC) payouts: Annual bonus. Topstep payouts: Weekly (after 5 profitable days). First-payout eligibility: Chicago Trading Company (CTC) — n/a; Topstep — 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach.
- What's the maximum allocation at Chicago Trading Company (CTC) vs Topstep?
- Chicago Trading Company (CTC) scales up to Institutional only. Topstep scales up to $150,000.
- Can I trade news at Chicago Trading Company (CTC) or Topstep?
- Chicago Trading Company (CTC): permits news trading. Topstep: permits news trading.
- Can I hold positions overnight at Chicago Trading Company (CTC) or Topstep?
- Chicago Trading Company (CTC): allows overnight holds. Topstep: does not allow overnight holds.
Still deciding?
Get a personalized firm match
A short quiz about your trading style, account size, and goals — we'll rank Chicago Trading Company (CTC), Topstep, and every other firm in our database by fit.
Find my firm match →