Head-to-head
Elite Trader Funding vs Topstep
A direct, side-by-side comparison of Elite Trader Funding and Topstep — profit splits, evaluation fees, payout cadence, supported assets, and trading rules. Data pulled live from our firm directory.
Quick verdict
Elite Trader Funding is best for
scaling toward larger allocations (up to $300,000); copy-trading setups.
Full Elite Trader Funding 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 $57 cheaper to reach a first payout than Elite Trader Funding, based on published fees alone.
Elite Trader Funding
estimateApprox. total
$155
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
24days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- $70
- Monthly fee
- $85/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 ($85) × 1 month added to startup cost.
- Source — eval fee: $70–$650 one-time; monthly: PA $85/mo or one-time activation; first payout: 14 days, 5 winning days $50+.
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.
Elite Trader Funding 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 $300,000 at Elite Trader Funding — caps long-term capital growth.
No copy trading
Forbids copy / algo bridges. Elite Trader Funding permits them.
Decision guide
Best for your trader type
- Highest profit share
90% vs 80%
- Biggest scaling ceiling
Up to $300,000.
- Copy & algo traders
Copy trading is permitted.
| Attribute | Elite Trader Funding Evaluation Based · est. 2022 | Topstep Evaluation Based · est. 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Evaluation fee | $70–$650 one-time | $49–$149/month (Trading Combine) |
| Monthly fee | PA $85/mo or one-time activation | 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 | $300,000 | $150,000 |
| Account sizes | $10K–$300K | $50K, $100K, $150K |
| Scaling | Stack accounts; multiple plan styles (Fast Pass, Static, Diamond Hands). | Scale via larger Combine accounts; no automatic in-account scaling. Up to 5 funded accounts. |
| Payouts | ||
| Frequency | On-demand after first 14 days | Weekly (after 5 profitable days) |
| First payout | 14 days, 5 winning days $50+ | 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 | No | No |
| Weekend holding | No | No |
| Copy trading | Yes | No |
| Technology | ||
| Platforms | Rithmic, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, TradingView | TSTrader, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower, Tradovate |
| Data feed | Rithmic | CME Group (real-time included) |
| Company | ||
| Headquarters | Las Vegas, USA | Chicago, USA |
About Elite Trader Funding
Futures prop firm with one-step and two-step evaluation accounts and frequent payouts.
Full Elite Trader Funding 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 — Elite Trader Funding or Topstep?
- Elite Trader Funding pays 80%; Topstep pays 90% of trader profits once funded. Topstep pays a higher share to the trader.
- Is Elite Trader Funding cheaper to start than Topstep?
- Elite Trader Funding: evaluation from $70–$650 one-time. Topstep: evaluation from $49–$149/month (Trading Combine).
- Which pays out faster — Elite Trader Funding or Topstep?
- Elite Trader Funding payouts: On-demand after first 14 days. Topstep payouts: Weekly (after 5 profitable days). First-payout eligibility: Elite Trader Funding — 14 days, 5 winning days $50+; Topstep — 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach.
- What's the maximum allocation at Elite Trader Funding vs Topstep?
- Elite Trader Funding scales up to $300,000. Topstep scales up to $150,000.
- Can I trade news at Elite Trader Funding or Topstep?
- Elite Trader Funding: permits news trading. Topstep: permits news trading.
- Can I hold positions overnight at Elite Trader Funding or Topstep?
- Elite Trader Funding: does not allow overnight holds. Topstep: does not allow overnight holds.
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