Topstep vs Earn2Trade: Rules, Payouts & Best Funding Path

Topstep vs Earn2Trade Futures Prop Firms Comparison

You’ve got the skills, the drive, and a killer futures trading strategy but your trading capital is stuck in first gear. Enter prop trading firms like Topstep vs Earn2Trade, offering funded trader programs that promise to supercharge your potential.

But which one actually fits your goals? Are their trading challenges fair? How do their profit splits, evaluation process, fees, and risk management rules stack up?

In this Topstep review vs Earn2Trade review, we’ll break down the real differences between customer support quirks to tech tools and payout rules. Ready to see how the future of prop trading is shifting-and which firm might finally let you trade like a pro?

Let’s get in because in this game, the right partner could mean the difference between a $200 withdrawal and a $200,000 funded account.

Topstep Vs Earn2trade Comparison

Parameter	Topstep	Earn2Trade
Evaluation Process	Multi-step (Trading Combine)	Single-step (Gauntlet Mini™) or progressive (Trader Career Path®)
Account Sizes	$50,000, $100,000, $150,000	$25,000, $50,000, $100,000, $150,000, $200,000, $400,000
Profit Target Example	$3,000 (50K), $6,000 (100K), $9,000 (150K)	$1,750 (25K), $3,000 (50K), $6,000 (100K), $9,000 (150K), $11,000 (200K)
Drawdown / Max Loss	Daily loss and max loss limits (e.g., $1,000 daily/$2,000 max for 50K)	End-of-day drawdown and daily loss limits; progression ladder for contract size
Consistency Rule	Yes (Best day ≤ 50% of profit target)	Yes (Best day ≤ 30% of total profit in evaluation)
Minimum Trading Days	None	15 days (Trader Career Path® and Gauntlet Mini™)
Allowed Instruments	CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX futures (e.g., ES, NQ, CL, GC, micro contracts, etc.)	CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX futures (stock index, commodity, currency, interest rate futures)
Trading Platforms	TopstepX, NinjaTrader, R	Trader Pro, others
Monthly Cost (50K acct)	$165	~$150 (varies by program and promotions)
Profit Split	100% first $10K, then 90/10 ongoing	80/20 or 80% to trader, varies by funding partner
Payout Frequency	After 5 winning days, processed daily	After 15 trading days, then as frequently as every 5 days (varies by program)
Payout Speed	1–3 business days	1–3 business days
Scaling/Upgrade Path	Multiple funded accounts allowed; can hold up to 5 Express Funded Accounts	Scaling plan: upgrade to larger accounts as you hit targets and withdraw profits
Reset Fee	$49 (50K), $99 (100K), $149 (150K)	$80–$220 (varies by account size and program)
Community/Education	Extensive: TopstepTV™, coaching, Discord community	Education modules, webinars, support, Discord/Slack communities
TrustPilot/Reviews	4.6/5 (5,500+ reviews)	6.3/10 (TradersUnion), moderate client satisfaction

Topstep: A Different Path to Futures Funding?

Founded by former floor trader Michael Patak, Topstep has been around since 2012, carving out a space by offering traders a shot at a funded account without putting their own savings on the line.

Based in Chicago, they've focused exclusively on futures since discontinuing forex. The core idea seems to be identifying and nurturing trading talent.

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The Trading Combine®: One Hurdle to Funding

Topstep's evaluation, the Trading Combine®, is designed to test your skills and discipline. Previously a multi-step process, it's presented now as having “1 Rule. 1 Goal” – pass the evaluation, and you could get funded. It's pitched as a way to build better trading habits while aiming for that funded account, potentially securing one in just a couple of days if you meet the criteria.

Support and Staying in Control

Beyond just the evaluation, Topstep emphasizes trader development with resources like coaching and community support. A standout feature is their TopstepX™ platform, which isn't just for placing trades.

It includes specific risk management tools designed by traders, for traders. Think features like manually locking yourself out of trading sessions, setting limits on daily trades, blocking specific symbols, or even pausing activity without closing positions – tools aimed at enforcing discipline.

Reputation & Reliability

With over 12 years in the business and having funded thousands of traders (paying out over 81,000 times in 2024 alone, according to their site), Topstep has built a track record. Their Trustpilot score sits at a solid 4.5, reflecting generally positive user experiences.

They offer a clear path: pass the Combine, pay a one-time activation fee for the funded account, and then focus on trading and potential payouts (starting at 100% up to $10k).

So, Topstep presents a structured path backed by specific tools and a history in the market. But is their model the best fit compared to others out there? That’s the real question when stacking them against the competition…

Earn2Trade: The Learning Curve to Funding?

Earn2Trade positions itself as an education and evaluation company first and foremost, aiming to prepare traders for the realities of professional futures trading. Founded with the goal of bridging the gap for aspiring traders, they offer structured pathways combined with learning resources.

Under the leadership of CEO Osvaldo Guimarães, who notably spearheaded initiatives like the “Trader Career Path“, Earn2Trade emphasizes development alongside evaluation.

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Education Meets Evaluation

The core idea here is to teach solid trading habits and risk management before connecting you with one of their partner proprietary trading firms. They offer evaluations designed to test your skills in a simulated environment, essentially acting as a proving ground. If you pass their tests, they guarantee a funding offer from a partner firm. It’s about building proficiency and then getting your shot.

Paths to a Funded Account: TCP & Gauntlet Mini™

Earn2Trade provides distinct evaluation programs:

The Trader Career Path®: This is framed as a longer-term progression. You start with an evaluation, and if successful, you get funded. As you hit profit targets, your account can potentially grow, offering a scaling journey.
The Gauntlet Mini™: Pitched as a quicker route, this involves a single-step evaluation. Pass the challenge by meeting profit goals and following the rules, and you qualify for funding.

Backing and Reputation

Earn2Trade has established connections with partner prop firms who provide the actual funding once you pass an evaluation. They've been operating for several years and maintain a solid reputation in the trading community, reflected by their Trustpilot score of 4.4.

Special Offer: Thinking of giving it a go? Earn2Trade currently has a deal: Enjoy professional trading benefits at half the cost for two months with coupon code ‘smartstart.’

So, Earn2Trade offers a structured, education-heavy path with clear evaluation options. But is this learning-focused model the ideal fit for your trading style, especially when compared to other firms? It's certainly something to consider.

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Broker Options: Topstep vs Earn2Trade

Where your trades actually get executed matters. Here’s a rundown of the brokers associated with live-funded accounts at Topstep vs Earn2Trade, based on the platforms used or partner arrangements.

Topstep | Broker Choices

Topstep offers funded accounts through several well-known brokers, often tied to the trading platform you choose during your evaluation.

Broker	Brief Description
Tradovate	A popular choice, directly integrated for funded accounts, especially if using Tradovate or TradingView platforms.
Plus500	A global brokerage group acting as the FCM for traders using Topstep's T4 platform or the TopstepX platform.
NinjaTrader Brokerage	Handles accounts for traders using the widely-used NinjaTrader platform or other Rithmic-feed-based platforms.
Dorman Trading	A long-standing Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) is sometimes associated with prop firm accounts.
CQG	Primarily known as a data feed provider, often linked with platforms like Tradovate for connectivity.

Earn2Trade: Broker Connections

Earn2Trade connects successful traders with partner proprietary trading firms, which in turn utilize specific brokers for clearing and execution.

Broker	Brief Description
EdgeClear	An introducing broker known for focusing on active futures traders, partnered with Earn2Trade's funding partners like Helios.
Phillip Capital	A global financial institution acting as the Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) often working with EdgeClear for clearing.
Dorman Trading	Another established FCM option is available through Earn2Trade's network of partner prop firms.

Platforms & Payments: Topstep vs Earn2Trade

Here’s how the two firms compare when it comes to the software you can trade on and how funds move in and out.

Feature	Topstep	Earn2Trade
Trading Platforms	Jigsaw Daytradr, Tradovate, T4, MotiveWave, Quantower, MultiCharts, Investor/RT, Trade Navigator, Bookmap, Atas Orderflow Trading, VolFix, NinjaTrader, R Trader Pro, Rithmic, TopstepX, Sierra Chart, TradingView	Jigsaw Daytradr, Finamark, Inside Edge Trader, MotiveWave, Quantower, MultiCharts, Investor/RT, Trade Navigator, Bookmap, Atas Orderflow Trading, QScalp, OverCharts, Photon, R Trader, QSI-Quick Screen Trading, VolFix, NinjaTrader, R Trader Pro, Rithmic, Scalp Tool, Sierra Chart
Payment Methods (For Evaluations)	Credit/Debit Card, PayPal	Crypto, Credit/Debit Card, PayPal
Payout Methods (For Funded Traders)	Wise, ACH, Bank Wire Transfer	Riseworks

Both firms offer a wide array of compatible trading platforms, covering many popular choices among futures traders like NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Quantower, and Sierra Chart.

Topstep also features its own platform, TopstepX. When it comes to paying for evaluations, Earn2Trade adds Crypto as an option alongside standard cards and PayPal.

For receiving payouts, the methods differ, with Topstep offering several direct options while Earn2Trade utilizes Riseworks.

Trading Power | Topstep's Contract Limits

Let's talk about buying power, or what's often called ‘leverage' in the prop firm world. It's not leverage in the traditional brokerage sense (like 100:1), but rather how much size – how many contracts – you're allowed to trade based on the account size you're managing. This is a key rule because exceeding it can get you disqualified.

Topstep sets clear limits on the maximum number of contracts you can have open at any one time. It scales directly with the size of the account you pass the evaluation for:

$50,000 Account: You can trade up to 5 contracts simultaneously.
$100,000 Account: Your maximum position size increases to 10 contracts.
$150,000 Account: With the largest standard account, you can manage up to 15 contracts.

These limits are fixed for the standard funded accounts, giving you a clear boundary for your trading size.

Trading Power: Earn2Trade's Contract Limits

Earn2Trade's approach depends slightly on which program you choose, as they have different structures.

For the Gauntlet Mini™: This program also uses a tiered system for maximum contracts based on the evaluation account size you select:

$50,000 Account: Allows up to 6 contracts.
$100,000 Account: Permits up to 12 contracts.
$150,000 Account: Matches Topstep's largest, allowing up to 15 contracts.
$200,000 Account: Offers the ability to trade up to 16 contracts.

For the Trader Career Path®: This program has a scaling component, but the initial evaluation (and the starting funded account) also has defined contract limits:

$10,0000 Account: Starts you off with a maximum of 12 contracts.
$50,000 Account: Allows up to 6 contracts.
$25,000 Account: Lets you trade up to 3 contracts.

The Rulebook | Navigating Topstep vs Earn2Trade

Let's get into the nitty-gritty: the rules of the game. Every prop firm has its own playbook, and understanding the dos and don'ts for Topstep vs Earn2Trade is essential. Think of these as the house rules you need to follow to stay in the game and eventually get paid.

Consistency | Can You Spread Your Wins?

Both firms want to see you make consistent profits, not just land one massive lucky trade. They measure this with a “consistency rule,” but they approach it differently.

Topstep: During their Trading Combine® evaluation, they have a 50% consistency rule. This means no single trading day's profit can make up more than half of your total profit target for the evaluation. So, if your target is $3,000, you can't make more than $1,500 on any one day. Once you're funded, this rule disappears. It's like they want to see you can hit singles and doubles during the tryout, not just swing for a grand slam.
Earn2Trade: They are a bit stricter here, applying a 30% consistency rule during both the Trader Career Path® and the Gauntlet Mini™ evaluations. Your best trading day cannot account for 30% or more of your total profit achieved during the evaluation period. If you rack up $10,000 in profits during the test, no single day can contribute $3,000 or more to that total. They seem keen on ensuring you have a repeatable process right from the start.

Trading Styles: Bots, Copying, and News

via GIPHY

How flexible are they with different trading approaches?

Topstep: Generally quite open. They explicitly allow news trading, copy trading, and the use of automated strategies (EAs or bots) during both the evaluation and funded stages. If you've got a system, they seem happy for you to use it.
Earn2Trade: A bit more mixed. They allow news trading and permit the use of EAs. However, copy trading is explicitly NOT allowed. If you were planning on mirroring signals from another trader or service, Earn2Trade isn't the place for that.

Other Key House Rules

Here are some other notable differences in their rulebooks:

Market Closure (Earn2Trade): Earn2Trade has a specific rule requiring you to close all positions and working orders between 3:50 PM CT and 5:00 PM CT daily. You need to be flat during this period. Topstep doesn't seem to have this specific daily closure requirement mentioned as prominently.
Post-Payout Rules (Topstep): Topstep has an interesting rule for funded accounts. After you take a payout, your maximum allowable loss limit essentially resets to your new account balance (meaning it effectively becomes $0 relative to your starting balance). You need to build up a profit buffer again.
Inactivity: Both firms expect you to be active, but the timelines differ. Topstep gives you a 30-day window in funded accounts before inactivity becomes an issue. Earn2Trade is quicker, affecting accounts after just 5 consecutive trading days of inactivity.
Minimum Trading Days (Earn2Trade): Earn2Trade evaluations (like the Gauntlet Mini™) require you to trade for at least 10 days to pass, regardless of how quickly you hit the profit target.
LiveSim Withdrawal Cap (Earn2Trade Gauntlet): For funded accounts obtained via the Gauntlet Mini™ that start on LiveSim, there's an initial maximum withdrawal cap of $4,000 (requiring $5k profit due to the 80/20 split).
General Conduct: Both firms have clauses against “prohibited” or “unrealistic” trading practices that could harm them or don't reflect real market activity. It's a catch-all to prevent gaming the system.

So, while both aim to foster disciplined trading, their specific rules on consistency, allowed strategies and daily operations show some clear differences.

Earn2Trade appears slightly more restrictive on consistency and copy trading but allows EAs, while Topstep offers more freedom in strategies but has that unique post-payout drawdown reset.

Choosing between them might depend on which set of rules best suits your trading style and tolerance.

Show Me the Money | Payout Policies Compared

Now, let's talk about the most important part for many traders: getting paid! How do Topstep vs Earn2Trade handle payouts? It's where the rubber meets the road, and they have pretty different ways of slicing the pie.

How the Profit Cookie Crumbles? (The Split)

Topstep: They roll out the red carpet initially. You keep 100% of your first $10,000 in payouts – that's across all your funded accounts combined. Once you've withdrawn that first $10k, the split shifts to 90% for you and 10% for Topstep on all future payouts. It's a very attractive start.
Earn2Trade: Their approach is straightforward and consistent: it's an 80/20 split right from the beginning, with you taking home 80% of the profits you generate. No initial 100% phase, but you always know exactly where you stand – 80% is yours.

Getting Your Hands on the Cash (Eligibility & Frequency)

Topstep: To request a payout, you need to rack up five “winning” trading days (days where your net profit is $200 or more). These days don't have to be back-to-back. Once you hit those five days, you can ask for cash. Payouts are processed daily. Even better, once you hit 30 total winning days in a Live Funded Account, you can request payouts daily and potentially pull out up to 100% of your balance (though that closes the account).
Earn2Trade: It's simpler to qualify initially. As soon as you've made at least $100 in profit, you're eligible to request a withdrawal. However, the processing is on a fixed schedule: requests sent by Friday 2 PM CT are processed the following Tuesday. So, it's a weekly rhythm.

How Much Can You Take? (Amounts & Limits)

Topstep: In the initial “Express Funded Account,” you can withdraw up to $5,000 or 50% of your balance per request (after hitting your 5 winning days). In the “Live Funded Account,” it's up to 50% per request initially. After those 30 winning days, the 50% cap can be lifted. The minimum you can pull out is $125.
Earn2Trade: The minimum withdrawal is $100. There's a notable cap specifically for funded accounts started via the Gauntlet Mini™ evaluation on LiveSim®: the maximum you can withdraw from these is $4,000 total (you'd need $5,000 profit to get the full $4k due to the 80% split).

The Logistics (Methods & Fees)

Topstep: They offer payouts via Wise, ACH, and Bank Wire Transfer. Processing times vary by method. There aren't explicit withdrawal fees mentioned, but the 10% cut after $10k is the main cost.
Earn2Trade: Payouts are handled through Riseworks, which facilitates methods like Bank Wire or Crypto. There's generally a $10 fee per withdrawal, but it's waived if you withdraw $500 or more. Also, remember that a one-time $139 data activation fee for LiveSim® accounts gets deducted from your first payout.

So, Topstep lures you in with that initial 100% split and potential for daily access later, while Earn2Trade offers a simpler 80% split from day one and a lower initial profit threshold, but operates on a weekly payout schedule with some specific caps and fees.

Which payout structure feels better depends entirely on your cash flow needs and trading performance.

Topstep vs Earn2Trade | Quick FAQs

Who Offers the better Profit Split for Traders?

Topstep gives you 100% of the first $10,000, then a 90/10 split. Earn2Trade offers a straight 80/20 split from the start. Topstep's initial deal is very appealing.

Which Firm gets you Funded Faster, Topstep vs Earn2Trade?

Topstep's one-step Trading Combine® has no minimum day requirement now. Earn2Trade's Gauntlet Mini™ needs at least 10 trading days. Topstep could be quicker if you're fast.

Can I use Trading Bots or Copy Trade with these Firms?

Topstep allows bots (EAs), news trading, and copy trading. Earn2Trade is okay with EAs and news trading, but strictly prohibits copy trading.

How quickly can I actually get paid by Topstep vs Earn2Trade?

Topstep processes payouts daily once you have 5 winning days ($200+ each). Earn2Trade pays weekly (Tuesdays) after you earn at least $100 profit.

Do I Pay Fees just to start My Funded Account?

Yes, both have setup costs. Topstep charges a one-time Activation Fee ($149) upfront for the Express Funded Account. Earn2Trade deducts a setup fee ($139) from your first payout on LiveSim®.

Which Firm lets you handle bigger Accounts or Scale up more?

Earn2Trade offers initial accounts up to $200k and the Trader Career Path can scale up to $400k. Topstep's standard initial max is $150k. Earn2Trade has higher scaling potential.

The Final Bell | Choosing Your Futures Prop Firm Path

So, the Topstep vs Earn2Trade matchup reveals two solid choices for futures prop firm funding.

Topstep pulls you in with that sweet 100% initial profit split and relaxed trading rules on bots via the Trading Combine®.

Earn2Trade strikes back with its educational foundation, the serious scaling potential on the Trader Career Path®, and the straightforward Gauntlet Mini™ evaluation – though with tighter consistency rules and an 80% take from the start.

Choosing means weighing their distinct evaluation styles, payout systems, and specific guidelines against your own approach. There isn't one “best” funded account; the right futures prop firm depends entirely on your journey to consistent trading and which set of rules feels like a better fit. Which partner helps you build your trading career?

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