Head-to-head
E8 Markets vs Topstep
A direct, side-by-side comparison of E8 Markets and Topstep — profit splits, evaluation fees, payout cadence, supported assets, and trading rules. Data pulled live from our firm directory.
Quick verdict
E8 Markets is best for
traders prioritizing profit share (95% vs 90%); traders who want to skip the evaluation; traders avoiding evaluation hurdles.
Full E8 Markets profile →Watch flags · risk only
Public risk notes we've recorded on the firm record. Not a judgement of fit — just things to verify before committing capital.
- Topstep
unregulated entity status, trader complaints over platform glitches affecting accounts
Cost to first payout
Cost to first payout
What it actually costs to reach payout — a normalized estimate built from each firm's lowest published evaluation cost, monthly fees, and first-payout window. Estimates, not guarantees. Each card shows the assumptions used.
E8 Markets is roughly $65 cheaper to reach a first payout than Topstep, based on published fees alone.
E8 Markets
estimateApprox. total
$33
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
7days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- $33
- Monthly fee
- None
How we estimated this
- Instant-funding path: lowest published activation cost.
- Firm advertises no monthly fee.
- Source — eval fee: $33–$688 (eval); Instant from $108; monthly: No monthly fee; first payout: 7 days after first trade.
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.
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.
E8 Markets trade-offs
No structural disadvantages versus the other firm based on the fields we track.
Topstep trade-offs
Lower profit split
Pays 90% versus 95% — 5 points less of every funded dollar.
Slower to funded
Requires passing an evaluation before payouts. E8 Markets offers instant funding as an alternative path.
Lower scaling ceiling
Scales to $150,000 vs $400,000 at E8 Markets — caps long-term capital growth.
Decision guide
Best for your trader type
- Highest profit share
95% vs 90%
- Fastest to funded
Offers instant funding.
- Biggest scaling ceiling
Up to $400,000.
- Swing & overnight
Permits holding positions overnight.
| Attribute | E8 Markets Instant Funding · est. 2021 | Topstep Evaluation Based · est. 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Evaluation fee | $33–$688 (eval); Instant from $108 | $49–$149/month (Trading Combine) |
| Monthly fee | No monthly fee | Combine $49–$149; Funded $135/mo flat after first payout |
| Evaluation required | No | Yes |
| Instant funding | Yes | No |
| Capital | ||
| Profit split | 95% | 90% |
| Max allocation | $400,000 | $150,000 |
| Account sizes | $25K, $50K, $100K, $200K, $400K | $50K, $100K, $150K |
| Scaling | 25% balance growth every 4 months when profitable. | Scale via larger Combine accounts; no automatic in-account scaling. Up to 5 funded accounts. |
| Payouts | ||
| Frequency | Bi-weekly (weekly on EightCap Plus) | Weekly (after 5 profitable days) |
| First payout | 7 days after first trade | 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach |
| Assets | ||
| Futures | No | Yes |
| Stocks | Yes | No |
| Options | No | No |
| Forex | Yes | No |
| Crypto | Yes | No |
| Trading rules | ||
| News trading | Yes | Yes |
| Overnight holding | Yes | No |
| Weekend holding | Yes | No |
| Copy trading | No | No |
| Technology | ||
| Platforms | MetaTrader 5, TradeLocker, ThinkTrader | NinjaTrader, Quantower, Sterling, TradeStation, TradingView, Tradovate, TSTrader |
| Data feed | ThinkMarkets liquidity | CME Group (real-time included) |
| Company | ||
| Headquarters | Dallas, USA | Chicago, USA |
About E8 Markets
Texas-based funded trader program (formerly E8 Funding) offering evaluation accounts up to $400K with profit splits up to 90%.
Full E8 Markets 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
- 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.
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 — E8 Markets or Topstep?
- E8 Markets pays 95%; Topstep pays 90% of trader profits once funded. E8 Markets pays a higher share to the trader.
- Is E8 Markets cheaper to start than Topstep?
- E8 Markets: offers instant funding (no evaluation). Topstep: evaluation from $49–$149/month (Trading Combine).
- Which pays out faster — E8 Markets or Topstep?
- E8 Markets payouts: Bi-weekly (weekly on EightCap Plus). Topstep payouts: Weekly (after 5 profitable days). First-payout eligibility: E8 Markets — 7 days after first trade; Topstep — 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach.
- What's the maximum allocation at E8 Markets vs Topstep?
- E8 Markets scales up to $400,000. Topstep scales up to $150,000.
- Can I trade news at E8 Markets or Topstep?
- E8 Markets: permits news trading. Topstep: permits news trading.
- Can I hold positions overnight at E8 Markets or Topstep?
- E8 Markets: allows overnight holds. Topstep: does not allow overnight holds.
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