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. On the numbers that matter, Topstep prices its 100K challenge at "49/month, roughly a hundred dollars below FTMO, and Topstep advertises a headline split of one hundred percent.
Side-by-side comparison
| Rule | FTMO | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Markets | Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, Stocks | Futures (CME) |
| Audited variants | 2 | 3 on watchlist |
| Evaluation | 1-Step or 2-Step | 1-Step (Combine) |
| Account sizes | "0K to $200K | $50K, "00K, "50K |
| Fee (100K) | €540 | "49/month |
| Profit split | 80 to 90% | 90% (100% first "0K legacy only) |
| Max drawdown | 10% | ~3% Trailing (locks at breakeven) |
| Drawdown type | Static | Trailing |
| Daily loss | 5% | 2% (optional on eval; enforced on Live) |
| Consistency rule | None | Soft (40% on XFA path) |
| Min trading days | 4 | 1 winning day ($200+) |
| Payout speed | ~8 hours to 1 day | 3 to 7 days |
| Payout frequency | Bi-weekly / Monthly | Weekly (50% / $5K cap, $6K on XFA) |
| News trading | Restricted on funded accounts (2-min window) | Allowed |
| EAs / bots | Allowed with restrictions | Allowed (limited) |
| Weekend holding | Swing account only | Not allowed |
| Scaling cap | $2M (no $400K tier) | Multiple accounts + Live Funded |
| US traders | Via FTMO US / OANDA only | Yes |
| Trustpilot | 4.8 (29,000+) | 3.5 (10,000+) |
| Value score | 92 | 79 |
Verdict
Pick FTMO if you want MT4, MT5 or cTrader access to forex, indices and metals, or a 1 to 2 days first payout window fits your cashflow. Pick Topstep if you want US futures on Rithmic or Tradovate rather than spot FX, or the "49/month entry fee at the 100K tier changes your break-even maths. 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, $200M+ paid, static drawdown, no consistency rule
FTMO weaknesses
$400K scaling cap, 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 (2%/3%), slower monthly payouts