FTMO vs Topstep: Compared Rule by Rule for 2026
Topstep arrived in 2012, a full 3 years before its rival here. That gap shows up in payout history, community depth and, quietly, in the confidence of the rule enforcement. FTMO focuses on forex, indices, metals and crypto on MT4, MT5 and cTrader, while Topstep covers US futures on the same execution stack. That alone makes them shortlisted together only when a trader is choosing an asset class rather than a firm.
At 100K: FTMO from €399, Topstep from $99/month.
Side-by-side comparison
| Rule | FTMO | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Markets | Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks | Futures (CME) |
| Watchlist | No | on watchlist |
| Evaluation | 1-Step or 2-Step | 1-Step (Combine) |
| Account sizes | $5K, $10K, $25K, $50K, $100K, $150K, $200K | $50K, $100K, $150K |
| Fee (100K) | €399 | $99/month |
| Profit split | 80 to 90% | 90% |
| Max drawdown (100K) | 10% | $3,000 |
| Drawdown type | End-of-day trailing | End-of-day trailing |
| Daily loss (100K) | $3,000 | n/a |
| Consistency rule | 50% | 55% |
| Min trading days | n/a | n/a |
| First payout | 14 days | 3 days |
| News trading | Restricted on funded accounts (2-min window) | Allowed |
| EAs / bots | Allowed with restrictions | Allowed (limited) |
| Weekend holding | Swing account only | Not allowed |
| US traders | Via FTMO US / OANDA only | Yes |
| Trustpilot | Trustpilot profile | Trustpilot profile |
Verdict
Pick FTMO if you want MT4, MT5 or cTrader access to forex, indices and metals, or a fast first payout window fits your cashflow. Pick Topstep if you want US futures on Rithmic or Tradovate rather than spot FX. Neither firm is objectively better; the wrong one is the firm whose rules you will forget under pressure.
Heads up: Topstep has announced model changes in the past 90 days. We re-audit watchlisted firms every 7 days; double-check the live rules page before purchasing.
FTMO strengths
Longest track record, static drawdown, no consistency rule
FTMO weaknesses
Capped scaling, no futures, news restrictions on funded accounts, US traders via FTMO US only
Topstep strengths
14 year track record, live funded account pathway, breakeven drawdown lock
Topstep weaknesses
Monthly subscription model, tightest drawdown in industry, slower monthly payouts