- Pick FTMO 2-Step for forex, gold and index CFDs. You pay €345 once for a $50K challenge, get no time limit and trade against a static 10% max loss floor. Topstep does not offer spot forex or CFDs.
- Pick Topstep for CME futures on a budget. A 50K Combine costs $49 a month plus a $149 activation fee once you pass, trails only at the end of the day and comes from a firm that publishes its 16.8% Combine pass rate.
- Compare Topstep against FTMO Futures if you only trade futures. FTMO's monthly CME plan starts at $119 a month with no activation fee, unlocks NinjaTrader, Tradovate and TradingView, and lets you request a first payout after 4 qualifying days instead of 5.
- US traders use different doors. Topstep serves US futures traders directly with instant Aeropay payouts after approval, while FTMO routes US CFD buyers through ftmo.oanda.com at $399 for a $50K 2-Step.
Most FTMO vs Topstep comparisons pit two completely different products against each other. FTMO built its reputation on one-time challenges for forex, gold and index CFDs, where you pay €345 up front for a $50K 2-Step and take as many months as you want against a static 10% loss floor. Topstep only trades regulated CME futures, bills $49 a month as a recurring subscription until you pass or cancel, and trails your drawdown at the end of every trading day.
That line blurred when FTMO launched FTMO Futures, a monthly CME evaluation starting at $119 a month for a 50K account that goes head-to-head with Topstep's $49 Combine. Below is how all three options compare on real 50K costs, drawdown traps, platform access and payout speed, checked directly against each firm's public rulebooks and help-center pages.
FTMO vs Topstep at a glance
FTMO gets two columns below because its CFD challenge and its futures plan share a brand name and almost nothing else. Every figure in the table is for a 50K account.
| FTMO 2-Step $50K | FTMO Futures Growth 50K | Topstep 50K Combine | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market | Forex, indices, commodities, stocks and crypto as CFDs | CME futures | CME futures |
| Billing | €345 once | $119 a month | |
| Activation fee | None | None | $149, or $0 on the $95-a-month plan |
| Steps | Two | One | One |
| Profit target | 10%, then 5% | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Max loss | 10%, static | $2,000, end-of-day trailing | $2,000, end-of-day trailing |
| Daily loss limit | 5% | None in the evaluation | Optional, $1,000 |
| Minimum days | 4 per phase | Not stated | 2 in practice |
| Consistency rule | None | Best day at most 40% of profit, evaluation only | Best day at or below 55% of profit in the Combine |
| Profit split | 80%, 90% after scaling | 90% | 90% |
| First payout | Day 14 after your first funded trade | 4 qualifying days of $150+ | 5 winning days of $150+ |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView | NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView | TopstepX, Quantower |
| Funded at once | $400K in total | 3 accounts | 5 accounts |
| Fee refund | May be refunded with your first reward | Not stated | Up to one month, within 14 days, on your first Combine |
| Pass rate published | No | No | Yes |
The biggest day-to-day difference in that table is what happens after a winning week. On FTMO's 2-Step, making $2,000 gives you $7,000 of breathing room above your static $45,000 loss floor. On both futures plans, making $2,000 pulls your trailing floor up by $2,000 at the daily close until it locks at the $50,000 starting balance.
If you want a one-phase CFD challenge that feels closer to a futures evaluation, FTMO also sells a 1-Step for €319 on a $50K account. It replaces the two-phase structure with a single 10% profit target, a tighter 3% daily loss limit and a 10% max loss that trails your end-of-day balance. Your best day can be at most 50% of the total of your profitable days, both in the challenge and for every reward. Going over 50% doesn't fail the account; you keep trading until your best day drops back under half, which makes two trading days the fastest possible pass. The 1-Step pays 90% from the first reward, though you can't leave rewards on the account to grow the balance and the entry fee isn't refunded.
Why Topstep bills monthly and FTMO doesn't
FTMO's CFD challenge is a one-off purchase. You pay €345 for a $50K 2-Step and trade with no calendar deadline pushing you into bad setups at the end of the month. FTMO says the fee "may be refunded with the first Reward withdrawal" (fee refund), though its terms allow it to issue that refund in FTMO Points rather than cash. If you breach the drawdown rules, the challenge ends and starting over means buying a new one at full price.
Topstep's Combine works like a gym membership. It rebills every 30 days until you either pass or cancel (subscriptions). When you break a rule, you don't buy a fresh evaluation; you pay for a reset at the same monthly price, which wipes the violation and pushes your next billing date out 30 days. Every monthly renewal also drops one free Reset Credit into your Reset Bank, valid for a year on the same account size and plan (resets). Once you pass, the Standard plan charges a one-time $149 activation fee to open your funded account.
That billing model rewards speed and punishes hesitation. Topstep is dirt cheap if you pass in your first two weeks, and gets more expensive every month you sit in consolidation or reset. FTMO hurts more at checkout and costs nothing while you wait for your edge.
Topstep has occasionally tested one-time Combines through limited drops called Topstep Labs. Its October 2026 drop was a $50K Static Combine for $149 one-time with a static $2,000 loss limit and a 90-day clock (Topstep Labs), which now sits under past drops on the Labs page. Meanwhile, FTMO adopted Topstep's model for its own CME product: FTMO Futures is "based on a recurring monthly subscription, not a one-time fee" (futures billing).
FTMO Futures vs Topstep
When you compare the two futures plans directly, the core mechanics look familiar. Both are one-step evaluations with an end-of-day trailing drawdown that locks at the starting balance, a 90% profit split, and a mandatory daily flatten at the exact same moment, since 4:10 p.m. ET at FTMO is 3:10 p.m. CT at Topstep. Where they diverge is monthly cost, reset billing and payout rules.
| FTMO Futures Growth 50K | FTMO Futures Pro 50K | Topstep 50K Standard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $119 | $139 | $49 |
| Reset | $109 | $129 | $49 |
| Activation | None | None | $149 |
| Max drawdown | $2,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 |
| Daily loss, evaluation | None | $1,000, ends the account | Optional $1,000, pauses the day |
| Daily loss, funded | $1,000, pauses the day | $1,000, ends the account | Optional $1,000, pauses the day |
| Consistency, evaluation | Best day at most 40% | Best day at most 50% | Best day at or below 55% |
| Contracts | 5 in the evaluation, 2 to start once funded | 5 in the evaluation, 2 to start once funded | 5 in the Combine, then a scaling plan |
| Days per payout | 4 of $150+ | 5 of $200+ | 5 of $150+ |
| Cap per request | $2,500, and at most 50% of profit | $5,000, up to 100% of profit | $2,000, and at most 50% of balance |
| Funded accounts | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| News trading | Allowed in every phase | Allowed in every phase | Allowed. No new opening trades in equity-index or metals minis for 5 minutes either side of CPI |
| Live account | By invitation | By invitation | Risk Team call-up. 0.71% of Express traders in 2025 |
- Topstep is less than half the monthly price, and you only pay the activation fee if you pass. A reset at FTMO doesn't move your billing date, so a slow month costs the subscription plus any resets.
- Against Topstep's Standard path, FTMO Futures Growth pays a day sooner and caps higher. Growth needs four qualifying days against five and caps a 50K request at $2,500 against $2,000. Topstep's optional Consistency path asks for three trading days under a 40% best-day rule and caps at $3,000. At least half of each FTMO request must be profit from the current cycle.
- Topstep's consistency rule is looser. 55% against 40% on Growth. Neither firm applies it to the funded account, though Topstep has an optional payout path with a 40% rule.
- FTMO Futures Pro is the stricter account. Its daily loss limit ends the account in both stages. Growth has no daily limit in the evaluation, and its funded limit only pauses the day, like Topstep's optional one.
- Platforms differ. FTMO Futures runs on NinjaTrader, Tradovate and TradingView. Topstep runs on its own TopstepX and on Quantower, and you can't connect a TradingView account to it.
Topstep doubles its payout caps if you added a daily loss limit when you bought the Combine: $4,000 on the Standard path and $6,000 on the Consistency path for a 50K. Its payout policy has labelled that "Limited Time" since 2 June 2026.
What a 50K account costs
Very few traders pass on their first try. Here is what a 50K account actually costs at list price if you fail twice and pass on your third attempt, assuming all three futures attempts happen inside the first billing month.
| Plan | First attempt | Two more attempts | Activation | Total to funded | Refunded later |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO 2-Step $50K | €345 | €690 | €0 | €1,035 | €345 may come back with the first reward |
| FTMO 1-Step $50K | €319 | €638 | €0 | €957 | No |
| FTMO Futures Growth 50K | $119 | $218, two resets | $0 | $337 | Not stated |
| FTMO Futures Pro 50K | $139 | $258, two resets | $0 | $397 | Not stated |
| Topstep 50K Standard | $49 | $98, two resets | $149 | $296 | No |
| Topstep 50K, no activation fee | $95 | $190, two resets | $0 | $285 | No |
Because FTMO's CFD pages list no reset discount, every blown challenge means paying the full €319 or €345 again. Watch your checkout method too: paying by PayPal, Skrill or crypto on FTMO's CFD challenges tacks on a 3% surcharge, while cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Revolut Pay are free. Topstep takes cards, Apple Pay and Google Wallet, and doesn't support PayPal at all.
If you pass on your very first attempt, the cost ranking flips. Topstep's no-activation plan comes in cheapest at $95, or $85 a month if you opt into the $1,000 Daily Loss Limit at checkout. FTMO Futures Growth is $119, Topstep Standard is $198 with its $149 activation fee included, the FTMO 1-Step is €319, and the FTMO 2-Step is €345, which FTMO says may be refunded with your first reward.
At larger sizes, both futures firms sell 100K and 150K plans with $6,000 and $9,000 profit targets. FTMO Futures charges $169 and $229 a month on Growth, with $3,500 and $5,000 drawdowns, or $199 and $269 on Pro, with $4,500 and $6,000 drawdowns. Topstep charges $99 and $199 a month on Standard plus the $149 activation fee, or $149 and $229 with no activation fee, and sets max loss at $3,000 on the 100K and $4,500 on the 150K. On CFDs, FTMO's 2-Step runs from €89 on a $10K account to €540 on a $100K and €1,080 on a $200K.
You can plug in your own number of failed attempts in the prop firm calculator.
Drawdown rules
The drawdown floor decides whether a winning week gives you breathing room or pulls your stop-out level up behind you.
FTMO 2-Step. The max loss is 10% of the starting balance and never moves, locking in a static $45,000 floor for the life of a $50K account. Make $2,000 in week one and you now have $7,000 of total drawdown buffer. FTMO still enforces a 5% daily loss limit on equity, open trades included, measured against your balance at midnight Prague time. Under terms dated 4 August 2026, FTMO also deducts 0.7% from the realized profit or loss whenever you close a position whose profit currency differs from the account currency.
FTMO 1-Step. Here you trade the static cushion for a single evaluation phase. The 10% max loss trails your highest midnight balance, the daily limit tightens to 3%, and FTMO's page states no level at which that trailing floor ever locks.
FTMO Futures and Topstep. Both trail your end-of-day balance by a fixed dollar amount and lock permanently once the floor reaches the starting balance. Both check that floor in real time against intraday equity, open losses included, and Topstep states that it "makes no exceptions" (Maximum Loss Limit).
Once you pass Topstep's Combine, your funded Express account starts at a $0 balance with the floor at -$2,000, and the floor locks at $0 once your balance reaches $2,000. The real catch comes on your first withdrawal: Topstep moves the floor to $0 wherever it was, so whatever cash you leave behind in the account is your entire remaining drawdown buffer. If you blow an Express account before taking a first payout, Topstep's Back2Funded option lets you reactivate it up to twice for $599 on a 50K, $699 on a 100K or $829 on a 150K, or $50 less if the account had a Daily Loss Limit.
If you swing trade or let winners build over several sessions, FTMO's static 2-Step floor is noticeably easier to live with. On a trailing futures account, every strong day pulls the floor up behind you until you clear the $2,000 buffer.
Platforms and scaling plans
Platforms and automation. On global CFD accounts, FTMO offers MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader and TradingView, where simulated CFD trades route through the OANDA broker profile (platforms FAQ). Standard CFD accounts offer up to 1:100 leverage and Swing accounts up to 1:30. FTMO allows expert advisors on CFD accounts up to 200 open orders at a time and 2,000 server requests or positions per day. FTMO Futures unlocks NinjaTrader, Tradovate and TradingView simultaneously under one shared login (futures platforms).
Topstep runs on its own TopstepX platform, built by ProjectX Trading LLC, and on Quantower for the Combine and Express Funded Account only. TopstepX embeds TradingView charts, but you can't connect an external TradingView account or load custom TradingView indicators. Automated trading on TopstepX requires the ProjectX API at $29 a month, or $14.50 a month for Topstep traders, works on simulated accounts only, and bans VPNs, VPSs and remote servers (API access). Level 1 CME data is free on simulated accounts, while Level 2 depth of market costs $38 a month.
Scaling and capital caps. FTMO caps initial CFD allocation at $400,000 per trader or strategy before scaling. Meet its Scaling Plan by staying funded for four months with at least 10% net profit and two processed rewards, and FTMO increases your balance by 25% every four months up to $2,000,000 and raises the 2-Step split from 80% to 90%. FTMO also runs a Premium Programme: Prime status unlocks after four rewards of 4%+ with no failed account in four months and raises your cap to $600,000 with a 10% challenge discount, while Supreme lifts the cap to $1,000,000, removes the Maximum Daily Loss limit and enables immediate reward withdrawals.
On FTMO Futures, you can hold up to three Sim-Funded accounts at once, up to $450,000 in total if all three are 150K accounts (futures account limit). Sim-Funded accounts start at 2 contracts on a 50K, 4 on a 100K and 6 on a 150K, and scale up as end-of-day profit grows.
Topstep lets you hold up to five active Express Funded Accounts and copy trade across them up to $750,000 in buying power (Express parameters). If Topstep's Risk Team calls you up to a Live Funded Account, the move is mandatory: all Express accounts close and merge into a single Live account capped at $150,000. Only 20% of your transferred balance is available to trade immediately, with a $10,000 minimum, while the remaining 80% sits in a Reserve that unlocks in 25% steps as you hit profit targets. Live traders pay $133 per month per CME exchange after the first one Topstep covers, and compete for a fixed $250,000 monthly bonus pool in the Topstep Octagon.
Payouts
| FTMO CFD | FTMO Futures | Topstep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First payout | Day 14 after your first funded trade | After 4 or 5 qualifying days | After 5 winning days, or 3 on the Consistency path |
| Stated processing | Review 1 to 2 business days, payment 1 to 2 more | Not stated | Approval 1 to 3 business days, then the method |
| Methods | Bank wire, Visa Direct, Mastercard Send, Skrill, crypto | Wise, Revolut bank wire, Visa Direct, Mastercard Send | Aeropay, ACH and Prop-to-Brokerage in the US. Wise for Canada, the UK and China. Wire elsewhere |
| Minimum | $20 by wire, $50 by crypto | $20 | $125 |
| Fees | No FTMO commission | Not stated | $30 for ACH or wire. None for Aeropay or Wise |
If you want fast cash in a US bank account, Topstep's Aeropay rail is the standout here: once your request clears the 1 to 3 business day approval window, the transfer lands instantly at US banks that support real-time payments with no fee. If you want crypto payouts, FTMO's global CFD challenge is your only option in this table; neither Topstep nor FTMO Futures pays in crypto, and FTMO Futures also restricts some card payout rails for US residents.
Watch how much you can actually pull out on your first request, too. FTMO's 2-Step keeps 20% of your profit until you qualify for its Scaling Plan after four months funded, 10% net profit in that window and two paid rewards, at which point the split rises to 90% and the balance scales by 25% every four months.
On futures, say you build $2,000 of profit on a funded 50K account and meet the qualifying-day rule. FTMO Futures Growth lets you request half of that profit at a 90% split, putting $900 in your pocket. FTMO Futures Pro lets you request all $2,000 at 90%, so you take home $1,800. Topstep's Standard path caps a first request at half the balance with a 90% split, which also comes out to $900. You can test your own daily P&L against those caps in the prop firm calculator.
United States and Canada
US traders can't buy FTMO's CFD challenge on ftmo.com. Following FTMO's acquisition of OANDA, US CFD challenges run through a separate entity, JV Prop Corporation, at ftmo.oanda.com. There a $50K 2-Step costs $399 and a $50K 1-Step costs $359, platform choice is limited to MetaTrader 5 or TradingView with no MT4 or cTrader (US platforms), and the only payout method is a Revolut bank wire after submitting an IRS Form W-9 and proof of US bank ownership. FTMO US doesn't serve Arkansas, Delaware, Louisiana, Montana or South Carolina. FTMO Futures is sold to US residents on ftmo.com, with the same five states excluded, and excludes Mastercard Send for US payouts. Topstep has the most US payout options of the three: Aeropay, ACH and Prop-to-Brokerage, and issues a 1099-NEC to US citizens who receive over $600 in annual payouts (tax FAQ).
Canadian traders can use both. Canada isn't on FTMO's CFD or futures restricted lists, and a CAD account caps total allocation at CAD 480,000. Australian CFD traders use a separate local site at ftmo.com/au/, and Australia is excluded from FTMO Futures. Topstep takes Canadians through a US-based sub-account and pays them through Wise in 1 to 3 business days with no Topstep fee.
What each firm tells you about your odds
Topstep prints its actual funnel numbers in the footer of its site. Across 2025, traders passed 16.8% of Combines, 51.8% of individual participants got funded at least once, 33.3% of funded traders took a payout, and Topstep called up 0.71% of Express traders to a live account (disclosures).
FTMO publishes no pass rate at all. Its marketing pages quote a lifetime total of "$650 million in rewards" and 4.5M+ customers, which tells you the firm is large and nothing about your odds of passing a challenge this month. Any blog quoting an "8 to 10%" pass rate for FTMO is guessing without an FTMO source.
Both firms are upfront that "funded" still means simulated trading. FTMO provides "demo accounts with fictitious funds" (disclosure). See prop firm pass rates for how Topstep's numbers compare against every other firm that publishes data.
Which to pick
Pick FTMO's 2-Step if you trade forex, gold or index CFDs. Topstep doesn't offer them. You get a static floor, no time limit, and a fee that FTMO says may be refunded with your first reward. Take the Swing account if you hold over the weekend or through news.
Pick Topstep if you trade futures and want the lowest monthly price, an instant transfer after approval at US banks that support real-time payments, and a firm that publishes how many of its traders pass and get paid.
Pick FTMO Futures if you trade futures on NinjaTrader, Tradovate or TradingView, want to trade news freely, or want a payout after four days. You pay more than twice Topstep's monthly price for it.
In my comparison of four prop firms I rated FTMO 4.4 out of 5 and Topstep 4.3, on a published rubric that weights payout reality, rule fairness, cost and disclosure. They lead different markets, so the scores don't settle this choice. Your market does. For Topstep against the other big futures firm, see Apex vs Topstep.
See FTMO's current prices → · See FTMO Futures plans → · See Topstep's current prices →
Disclosure: the FTMO links are affiliate links. If you buy a challenge or a futures plan through one, I may earn a commission. The Topstep link carries no referral code.
FTMO vs Topstep FAQ
Is FTMO or Topstep cheaper?
Topstep is cheaper to start, at $49 a month against €345 for an FTMO $50K 2-Step. FTMO says that fee may be refunded with your first reward, and it never bills again. With two failed attempts and a pass on the third, Topstep totals $296 and FTMO €1,035, of which €345 may come back.
Can US traders use FTMO?
Yes, through FTMO US at ftmo.oanda.com for CFDs. A $50K 2-Step costs $399 there against €345 on the global site, and Revolut bank wire is the only payout method. FTMO Futures is sold on ftmo.com. Five states are excluded from both.
Does FTMO offer futures?
Yes. FTMO Futures is a one-step evaluation on CME futures, billed monthly from $119 for a 50K Growth account, on NinjaTrader, Tradovate and TradingView.
Does Topstep offer forex?
No. Topstep's help center says "No Forex". It trades CME futures only, including FX futures.
Which pays out faster, FTMO or Topstep?
On futures, FTMO Futures Growth lets you request after four qualifying days and Topstep after five winning days, or three trading days on its Consistency path. An FTMO CFD account waits until day 14. Topstep states 1 to 3 business days of approval and FTMO 1 to 2 business days of review plus 1 to 2 for payment on CFD accounts.
Why does Topstep charge a monthly fee?
Its evaluation is a subscription that runs until you pass or cancel. FTMO's CFD challenge is a one-time purchase with no time limit. FTMO Futures is monthly too.
Can I move from a funded account to a live one?
At Topstep, the Risk Team decides, calling up 0.71% of Express traders in 2025. FTMO Futures offers its Live Funded account by invitation only. FTMO describes its CFD accounts as demo accounts with fictitious funds.
How many funded accounts can I hold at FTMO and Topstep?
FTMO caps CFD accounts at $400,000 in total per trader before scaling, and FTMO Futures at three Sim-Funded accounts. Topstep allows up to five active Express Funded Accounts.
Does FTMO have a free trial?
Yes, on its CFD challenges. FTMO offers a 14-day free trial of each one, and you can repeat it.
