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 →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.
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.
Open risk note
Watch flag on file: unregulated entity status, trader complaints over platform glitches affecting accounts
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 · est. 2012 | TradeDay Evaluation Based · 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 | NinjaTrader, Quantower, Sterling, TradeStation, TradingView, Tradovate, TSTrader | 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
Not enough independent rating sources to compute a canonical score yet.
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?
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ProprietaryTrading.com may receive compensation from certain companies featured on this site. These relationships never influence ratings, rankings, match results, verification status, or directory inclusion. Learn more in our Methodology & Editorial Standards.