Which has a higher profit split — FTMO or Topstep?

FTMO pays 90%; Topstep pays 90% of trader profits once funded. Both firms offer the same profit share.

Is FTMO cheaper to start than Topstep?

FTMO: evaluation from €89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass). Topstep: evaluation from $49–$149/month (Trading Combine).

Which pays out faster — FTMO or Topstep?

FTMO payouts: On-demand (default 14 days, weekly available). Topstep payouts: Weekly (after 5 profitable days). First-payout eligibility: FTMO — First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request; Topstep — 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach.

What's the maximum allocation at FTMO vs Topstep?

FTMO scales up to $200,000. Topstep scales up to $150,000.

Can I trade news at FTMO or Topstep?

FTMO: permits news trading. Topstep: permits news trading.

Can I hold positions overnight at FTMO or Topstep?

FTMO: allows overnight holds. Topstep: does not allow overnight holds.

Head-to-head

FTMO vs Topstep

A direct, side-by-side comparison of FTMO and Topstep — profit splits, evaluation fees, payout cadence, supported assets, and trading rules. Data pulled live from our firm directory.

Quick verdict

FTMO is best for

scaling toward larger allocations (up to $200,000); swing traders holding overnight; copy-trading setups.

Full FTMO profile →

Quick verdict

Topstep is best for

traders who prefer Evaluation-Based Funding and a Chicago, USA-based firm.

Full Topstep profile →

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.

FTMO

estimate

Approx. total

—

to reach first payout eligibility

Approx. time

17days

from sign-up to first eligible request

Start cost: —
Monthly fee: None

How we estimated this

Adds ~10 calendar days for evaluation completion (most firms require ≥5 minimum trading days).
Source — eval fee: €89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass); monthly: No monthly fee — one-time challenge cost; first payout: First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request.

Topstep

estimate

Approx. 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.

FTMO trade-offs

No structural disadvantages versus the other firm based on the fields we track.

Topstep trade-offs

Lower scaling ceiling
Scales to $150,000 vs $200,000 at FTMO — caps long-term capital growth.
No overnight holds
Closes positions intraday. FTMO allows overnight holds.
No copy trading
Forbids copy / algo bridges. FTMO permits them.

Decision guide

Best for your trader type

Highest profit share
Tie
Both pay 90%.
Biggest scaling ceiling
FTMO
Up to $200,000.
Swing & overnight
FTMO
Permits holding positions overnight.
Copy & algo traders
FTMO
Copy trading is permitted.

Attribute	FTMO Evaluation Based · est. 2015	Topstep Evaluation Based · est. 2012
Cost
Evaluation fee	€89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass)	$49–$149/month (Trading Combine)
Monthly fee	No monthly fee — one-time challenge cost	Combine $49–$149; Funded $135/mo flat after first payout
Evaluation required	Yes	Yes
Instant funding	No	No
Capital
Profit split	90%	90%
Max allocation	$200,000	$150,000
Account sizes	$10K, $25K, $50K, $100K, $200K (USD/EUR/GBP/CZK)	$50K, $100K, $150K
Scaling	Scaling Plan: +25% balance every 4 months at 10%+ profit over 2 of 4 months.	Scale via larger Combine accounts; no automatic in-account scaling. Up to 5 funded accounts.
Payouts
Frequency	On-demand (default 14 days, weekly available)	Weekly (after 5 profitable days)
First payout	First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request	5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach
Assets
Futures	Yes	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	Yes	No
Technology
Platforms	MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, DXtrade	TSTrader, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower, Tradovate
Data feed	Purple Trading / Spotware	CME Group (real-time included)
Company
Headquarters	Prague, Czech Republic	Chicago, USA

About FTMO

Online evaluation program funding remote retail traders.

Full FTMO profile →

About Topstep

Futures-focused funded trader program with a combine evaluation.

Full Topstep 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.

FTMO

Reputation

canonical

4.8/ 5

Sources used: 1
Confidence: medium

Weighted blend of independent trader-review sources. See methodology.

Rule Stability

last 90d

—monitoring status

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.

Topstep

Reputation

canonical

3.5/ 5

Sources used: 1
Confidence: medium

Weighted blend of independent trader-review sources. See methodology.

Rule Stability

last 90d

—monitoring status

Last change: —
Type: —
Sources monitored: —
Status: No changes detected in monitored sources

Frequently asked

Common questions

Which has a higher profit split — FTMO or Topstep?: FTMO pays 90%; Topstep pays 90% of trader profits once funded. Both firms offer the same profit share.
Is FTMO cheaper to start than Topstep?: FTMO: evaluation from €89–€1,080 one-time (refundable on pass). Topstep: evaluation from $49–$149/month (Trading Combine).
Which pays out faster — FTMO or Topstep?: FTMO payouts: On-demand (default 14 days, weekly available). Topstep payouts: Weekly (after 5 profitable days). First-payout eligibility: FTMO — First payout possible after 14 days; reduce to weekly on request; Topstep — 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach.
What's the maximum allocation at FTMO vs Topstep?: FTMO scales up to $200,000. Topstep scales up to $150,000.
Can I trade news at FTMO or Topstep?: FTMO: permits news trading. Topstep: permits news trading.
Can I hold positions overnight at FTMO or Topstep?: FTMO: 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 FTMO, Topstep, and every other firm in our database by fit.

Find my firm match →

← All head-to-head comparisons Compare different firms FTMO profile →Topstep profile →