Head-to-head
Topstep vs TradeDay
A direct, side-by-side comparison of Topstep and TradeDay — profit splits, evaluation fees, payout cadence, supported assets, and trading rules. Data pulled live from our firm directory.
Quick verdict
Topstep is best for
traders who prefer Evaluation-Based Funding and a Chicago, USA-based firm.
Full Topstep profile →Not sure which fits?
Help me decide between Topstep and TradeDay
Answer 3 quick questions for a lean. The full Match weighs your whole 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 $1 cheaper to reach a first payout than TradeDay, based on published fees alone.
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.
TradeDay
estimateApprox. total
$99
to reach first payout eligibility
Approx. time
15days
from sign-up to first eligible request
- Start cost
- $99
- 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: $99–$399/month; monthly: Monthly; funded $0 ongoing on certain plans; first payout: 5 winning days, 10 trading days.
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.
Topstep trade-offs
No overnight holds
Closes positions intraday. TradeDay allows overnight holds.
TradeDay trade-offs
No structural disadvantages versus the other firm based on the fields we track.
Decision guide
Best for your trader type
- Highest profit share
Tie
Both pay 90%.
- Swing & overnight
Permits holding positions overnight.
| Attribute | Topstep Evaluation-Based Funding · est. 2012 | TradeDay Evaluation-Based Funding · est. 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | ||
| Evaluation fee | $49–$149/month (Trading Combine) | $99–$399/month |
| Monthly fee | Combine $49–$149; Funded $135/mo flat after first payout | Monthly; funded $0 ongoing on certain plans |
| Evaluation required | Yes | Yes |
| Instant funding | No | No |
| Capital | ||
| Profit split | 90% | 90% |
| Max allocation | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Account sizes | $50K, $100K, $150K | $25K, $50K, $100K, $150K |
| Scaling | Scale via larger Combine accounts; no automatic in-account scaling. Up to 5 funded accounts. | Earn allocation increases at $5K profit milestones up to 5x starting size. |
| Payouts | ||
| Frequency | Weekly (after 5 profitable days) | On-demand (after profit threshold) |
| First payout | 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach | 5 winning days, 10 trading days |
| 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 | Yes |
| Weekend holding | No | Yes |
| Copy trading | No | No |
| Technology | ||
| Platforms | TSTrader, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower, Tradovate | Rithmic, NinjaTrader, TradingView, Quantower |
| Data feed | CME Group (real-time included) | Rithmic |
| Company | ||
| Headquarters | Chicago, USA | London/Chicago |
About TradeDay
Futures evaluation firm built by ex-Topstep operators with a focus on transparency.
Full TradeDay 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 — Topstep or TradeDay?
- Topstep pays 90%; TradeDay pays 90% of trader profits once funded. Both firms offer the same profit share.
- Is Topstep cheaper to start than TradeDay?
- Topstep: evaluation from $49–$149/month (Trading Combine). TradeDay: evaluation from $99–$399/month.
- Which pays out faster — Topstep or TradeDay?
- Topstep payouts: Weekly (after 5 profitable days). TradeDay payouts: On-demand (after profit threshold). First-payout eligibility: Topstep — 5 winning days, $0 trailing drawdown breach; TradeDay — 5 winning days, 10 trading days.
- What's the maximum allocation at Topstep vs TradeDay?
- Topstep scales up to $150,000. TradeDay scales up to $150,000.
- Can I trade news at Topstep or TradeDay?
- Topstep: permits news trading. TradeDay: permits news trading.
- Can I hold positions overnight at Topstep or TradeDay?
- Topstep: does not allow overnight holds. TradeDay: allows overnight holds.
Still deciding?
Get a personalized firm match
A short quiz about your trading style, account size, and goals — we'll rank Topstep, TradeDay, and every other firm in our database by fit.
Find my firm match →