Head-to-head
Earn2Trade vs Topstep
A direct, side-by-side comparison of Earn2Trade and Topstep — profit splits, evaluation fees, payout cadence, supported assets, and trading rules. Data pulled live from our firm directory.
Quick verdict
Earn2Trade is best for
scaling toward larger allocations (up to $400,000); swing traders holding overnight.
Full Earn2Trade profile →Quick verdict
Topstep is best for
traders prioritizing profit share (90% vs 80%).
Full Topstep profile →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.
Topstep is roughly $52 cheaper to reach a first payout than Earn2Trade, based on published fees alone.
Earn2Trade
estimateApprox. total
$150
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
20days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- $150
- Monthly fee
- —
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).
- Source — eval fee: $150–$525/month (Trader Career Path / Gauntlet Mini); monthly: Monthly subscription until funded; first payout: After 10 trading days minimum.
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.
Earn2Trade trade-offs
Lower profit split
Pays 80% versus 90% — 10 points less of every funded dollar.
Topstep trade-offs
Lower scaling ceiling
Scales to $150,000 vs $400,000 at Earn2Trade — caps long-term capital growth.
No overnight holds
Closes positions intraday. Earn2Trade allows overnight holds.
Decision guide
Best for your trader type
- Highest profit share
90% vs 80%
- Biggest scaling ceiling
Up to $400,000.
- Swing & overnight
Permits holding positions overnight.
| Attribute | Earn2Trade Evaluation Based · est. 2016 | Topstep Evaluation Based · est. 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Evaluation fee | $150–$525/month (Trader Career Path / Gauntlet Mini) | $49–$149/month (Trading Combine) |
| Monthly fee | Monthly subscription until funded | Combine $49–$149; Funded $135/mo flat after first payout |
| Evaluation required | Yes | Yes |
| Instant funding | No | No |
| Capital | ||
| Profit split | 80% | 90% |
| Max allocation | $400,000 | $150,000 |
| Account sizes | $25K (scale up to $400K via TCP) | $50K, $100K, $150K |
| Scaling | Trader Career Path: 8 tiers, $25K → $400K based on profit milestones. | Scale via larger Combine accounts; no automatic in-account scaling. Up to 5 funded accounts. |
| Payouts | ||
| Frequency | On-demand | Weekly (after 5 profitable days) |
| First payout | After 10 trading days minimum | 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach |
| Assets | ||
| Futures | Yes | Yes |
| Stocks | No | No |
| Options | No | 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 | Finamark, NinjaTrader, R|Trader, Quantower | TSTrader, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower, Tradovate |
| Data feed | CQG | CME Group (real-time included) |
| Company | ||
| Headquarters | Budapest, Hungary | Chicago, USA |
About Earn2Trade
Futures education and funded trader program. Successful candidates of the Trader Career Path are funded by partner firm Helios Trading Partners.
Full Earn2Trade 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 — Earn2Trade or Topstep?
- Earn2Trade pays 80%; Topstep pays 90% of trader profits once funded. Topstep pays a higher share to the trader.
- Is Earn2Trade cheaper to start than Topstep?
- Earn2Trade: evaluation from $150–$525/month (Trader Career Path / Gauntlet Mini). Topstep: evaluation from $49–$149/month (Trading Combine).
- Which pays out faster — Earn2Trade or Topstep?
- Earn2Trade payouts: On-demand. Topstep payouts: Weekly (after 5 profitable days). First-payout eligibility: Earn2Trade — After 10 trading days minimum; Topstep — 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach.
- What's the maximum allocation at Earn2Trade vs Topstep?
- Earn2Trade scales up to $400,000. Topstep scales up to $150,000.
- Can I trade news at Earn2Trade or Topstep?
- Earn2Trade: permits news trading. Topstep: permits news trading.
- Can I hold positions overnight at Earn2Trade or Topstep?
- Earn2Trade: allows overnight holds. Topstep: does not allow overnight holds.
Still deciding?
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