Guide
Topstep vs FTMO Futures: 50K drawdown, daily loss and consistency compared
In short: On a 50K evaluation, Topstep's Trading Combine and FTMO Futures Growth both need a $3,000 profit target against a $2,000 trailing max-loss figure that starts at a $48,000 floor; FTMO Pro uses a $3,000 end-of-day trailing drawdown that starts at $47,000 and adds a hard $1,000 Daily Loss Limit that fails the Evaluation if hit. Full answer ↓
At a glance
Key number
$2,000
max loss on Topstep and FTMO Growth
Max loss
Daily loss
Consistency (best day)
Fastest pass
Profit target
Same on all
All figures from Topstep and FTMO official pages, checked 2026-10-16. Sources and full rules below.
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Compare Topstep and FTMO side by side on 50K rules →
50K risk rules at a glance
Three plans on one 50K scale. In each row a bar shares the scale so lengths compare. ◆ marks a second figure on the same scale. A dashed ◆ is Topstep's optional daily limit (pauses the day only). Figures are the firms', except those marked ours.
Swipe for Growth and Pro. 3 plans.
$49/mo + $149 activation · or $95/mo + $0 · paths locked at purchase
◆ recommended best day under $1,650 (Topstep, 55% of Profit Target)
trailing · floor starts $48,000 · real-time unrealized liquidation · dashed ◆ optional $1,000 DLL pauses the day only · scale: $3,000
forced break until 5:00 PM CT (6:00 PM ET) · not a rule violation · Personal Daily Loss Limit is separate
same checkout DLL carries into the XFA · XFA starts at $0 with MLL −$2,000
50 micros · XFA Scaling Plan tiers not fully published in the fetched article (item f)
$119 a month · reset $109 · no activation fee · subscription cancelled on pass
◆ best day if you pass exactly at the target: $1,200 (ours, 40% rule)
EOD trailing on equity (incl. – Commissions) · floor starts $48,000 · no daily limit, so the whole $2,000 can go in one day · scale: $3,000
only the drawdown can fail the Evaluation
soft: positions closed, day paused · the max drawdown still ends the account
50 micros · funded starts at 2, back to 5 from $2,000 profit · payout cap $2,500
$139 a month · reset $129 · no activation fee · subscription cancelled on pass
◆ best day if you pass exactly at the target: $1,500 (ours, 50% rule)
◆ hard daily loss $1,000: a day that reaches it fails the Evaluation before the drawdown does · floor starts $47,000
hard: Evaluation unsuccessful
hard: account terminated · payout cap $5,000 (full withdrawal warning, item e)
50 micros · funded starts at 2, back to 5 from $2,000 profit
Same stop, three plans: the losing-trade ladder
Evaluation only (Combine / FTMO Evaluation). Pick how the losses fall and whether Topstep's optional daily limit is on. Each ladder counts full-stop losing trades in a row from a fresh account until it fails or, with Topstep's optional DLL, until the day is forced to break.
Risk per losing trade: $50
How the count works (ours): Topstep MLL and FTMO Max Drawdown both end the evaluation when open P&L reaches the floor (Topstep liquidates by market order; FTMO equity cannot hit the limit).
Read more
Topstep optional DLL only ends the day — it does not fail the Combine. FTMO Growth Evaluation has no daily limit. FTMO Pro hard daily limit fails the Evaluation. Spread over days: you stop before the next loser would reach a daily limit and continue the next day, so Pro's extra $1,000 of drawdown can show. Funded-stage ladders are omitted because Topstep XFA contract tiers are not fully published in the fetched Scaling Plan article (item f). With Topstep's optional DLL on, a single loser of $1,000 or more forces a day break on trade 1 and the MLL is never reached in that mode.
Tags are a TradeDesk HQ rule of thumb, not a firm rule. TOO TIGHT: fails within 5 losing trades. WORKABLE: fails on trade 6 to 9. COMFORTABLE: not before trade 10. OVER CONTRACT LIMIT: more than 5 contracts or 50 micros. DAY BREAK: Topstep optional DLL paused the day before the MLL.
Educational, not advice. The ladder ignores commissions and slippage. Confirm every figure on Topstep's help center and FTMO's Trading Objectives & Rules before buying.
Read the details
The short answer
Same on all three 50K evaluations: a $3,000 profit target, an end-of-day trailing max-loss floor that never moves down and locks at $50,000 on all three (Pro's floor starts $3,000 below the start at $47,000; Topstep Combine and FTMO Growth start at $48,000), 5 contracts or 50 micros at 10:1, no Evaluation time limit, and a 90/10 split once funded.
Different:
- Drawdown wording and consequence: Topstep's MLL is monitored in real time on realized and unrealized P&L and a touch is liquidated immediately by market order; FTMO's Max Drawdown is on equity (Balance + Open Positions P&L – Commissions) that cannot hit at any point, and a breach makes the Evaluation unsuccessful. Do not read them as identical systems (see item d).
- Daily loss: Topstep optional $1,000 forced break (account stays eligible); FTMO Growth none in the Evaluation; FTMO Pro hard $1,000 fails the Evaluation. Same dollar figure, three different outcomes (item c).
- Consistency percentage only: Topstep 55% of the Profit Target (recommended under $1,650), FTMO Growth 40%, Pro 50% of total profit. Going over is not a breach on any of them — you keep trading (Topstep raises the target; FTMO's $2,000 best-day Growth example needs $5,000 total; Ours Topstep equivalent about $3,637).
- Price (Differs, not Edge): Topstep $49+$149 or $95+$0; FTMO Growth $119 / Pro $139 with no activation and the subscription cancelled on pass. Ours pass-in-month-1: $198 / $95 / $119 / $139; Topstep paths break even at about 3.2 months.
- After you pass: XFA balance starts at $0 with MLL −$2,000 locking at $0 (set to $0 after the first payout); FTMO Sim-Funded starts at $50,000 with the same drawdown. The fresh cushion is $2,000 either way on Topstep XFA and FTMO Growth.
- Payout eligibility and caps at 50K: Topstep 5×$150 or 3-day/40% path, caps $2,000 / $3,000, $125 min; FTMO Growth 4×$150 up to 50% / $2,500; Pro 5×$200 up to 100% / $5,000 with the full-withdrawal warning (item e).
Pick Topstep if you want the cheaper Combine path at $49 or $95 a month, an optional $1,000 Daily Loss Limit that only pauses the day, a floor that locks at the starting balance, and you accept a real-time unrealized MLL plus a 55% Consistency Target that can raise your Profit Target.
Pick FTMO if you want FTMO's Growth path (no Evaluation daily limit, $2,000 drawdown, 40% consistency, $119 a month, soft $1,000 funded daily pause) or FTMO's Pro path ($3,000 drawdown, hard $1,000 daily that fails the account, 50% consistency, $139 a month, $5,000 payout cap) and you accept a higher monthly fee with no activation fee and the subscription cancelled when you pass.
Full summary
On a 50K evaluation, Topstep's Trading Combine and FTMO Futures Growth both need a $3,000 profit target against a $2,000 trailing max-loss figure that starts at a $48,000 floor; FTMO Pro uses a $3,000 end-of-day trailing drawdown that starts at $47,000 and adds a hard $1,000 Daily Loss Limit that fails the Evaluation if hit. Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit trails the end-of-day balance, never moves down, locks at the $50,000 starting balance and is monitored in real time on realized and unrealized P&L, so a touch is liquidated immediately by market order; FTMO measures Max Drawdown on equity (Balance + Open Positions P&L – Commissions) that cannot hit the limit at any point, and a breach makes the Evaluation unsuccessful. Daily loss: Topstep's $1,000 Daily Loss Limit is optional at checkout and is only a forced break for the session, not a rule violation (separate from the adjustable Personal Daily Loss Limit); FTMO Growth has none in the Evaluation; FTMO Pro's is hard at $1,000. Consistency percentages differ (Topstep best day at or below 55% of the Profit Target, recommended under $1,650; FTMO Growth ≤40% and Pro ≤50% of total closed profit) but the mechanic is the same: going over is not a breach and you keep trading until the best day fits (Topstep raises the target to best day ÷ 0.55; FTMO's 50K Growth example: a $2,000 best day needs $5,000 total; Ours for Topstep at the same $2,000 best day is about $3,637). Topstep can pass in as few as 2 days (official); FTMO Growth 3 / Pro 2 trading days is Ours from the 40% / 50% consistency limits (FTMO pages do not print a minimum day count); no Evaluation time limit on any of them, 5 contracts or 50 micros, and a 90/10 funded split. Costs at 50K: Topstep Standard $49 a month plus a $149 Express Funded Account activation, or the No Activation Fee path at $95 a month with $0 activation (paths cannot be changed after purchase; after an MLL breach the subscription keeps rebilling and you get a Reset Credit); FTMO Growth $119 a month (reset $109) and Pro $139 (reset $129), no activation fee, and the subscription is cancelled when you pass. Ours pass-in-month-1 totals: Topstep Standard $198, No Activation Fee $95, Growth $119, Pro $139; Topstep's two paths break even at about 3.2 months (49n+149 = 95n). After you pass: a Topstep Express Funded Account starts at a $0 balance with MLL −$2,000 that locks at $0 (and is set to $0 after the first payout); FTMO Sim-Funded keeps the $50,000 size with the same drawdown ($2,000 Growth / $3,000 Pro), Growth soft daily loss $1,000 (day paused) and Pro hard $1,000 (account terminated). Payouts at 50K (eligibility and caps only): Topstep XFA Standard needs 5 winning days of $150+ and Consistency needs 3 trading days with largest day at or below 40% of total net profit, 50% of balance up to $2,000 or $3,000, $125 minimum; FTMO Growth 4 Qualifying Days of $150+ up to 50% of profit capped at $2,500; Pro 5 days of $200+ up to 100% capped at $5,000 (FTMO warns a full Pro withdrawal can violate Max Drawdown). Trading day: Topstep 5:00 PM to 3:10 PM CT; FTMO 6:00 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. ET (Ours: FTMO's day ends 1 hour later in clock time, since 3:10 PM CT is 4:10 PM ET).
Plain-language terms
Evaluation risk rules (50K)
| Rule | Topstep Combine | FTMO Growth | FTMO Pro | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | $3,000 | SAME | ||
| ⓘ Pass balance $53,000 with positions closed. | ||||
| Max loss / drawdown ⓘ | $2,000 trailing MLL | $2,000 EOD trailing | $3,000 EOD trailing | Differs |
| ⓘ Topstep and Growth match at $2,000; Pro's $3,000 is paired with a hard $1,000 daily. Floor starts $48,000 / $48,000 / $47,000 (official examples). | ||||
| Daily loss ⓘ | Optional $1,000 forced break | None | Hard $1,000 fail | Differs |
| ⓘ Topstep: not a rule violation. Growth: only the drawdown can fail the Evaluation. Pro: hitting the daily limit fails it. | ||||
| Consistency ⓘ | Best day ≤ 55% of Profit Target | Best day ≤ 40% of total | Best day ≤ 50% of total | Differs |
| ⓘ Not a breach on any plan. Topstep recommended best day under $1,650 (official). | ||||
| Fastest pass | 2 trading days | 3 trading days | 2 trading days | Differs |
| ⓘ Topstep 2 days is official. Growth 3 / Pro 2 is Ours from the consistency limits (FTMO pages do not print a minimum). No Evaluation time limit. | ||||
| Max contracts | 5 (50 micros) | SAME | ||
| ⓘ 10 micros = 1 mini on all three. | ||||
| Floor start (official examples) | $48,000 | $48,000 | $47,000 | Differs |
| ⓘ Locks at $50,000 starting balance on Topstep and both FTMO plans. | ||||
| Trading day | 5:00 PM–3:10 PM CT (6:00 PM–4:10 PM ET) | 6:00 p.m.–4:10 p.m. ET | 6:00 p.m.–4:10 p.m. ET | Differs |
| ⓘ Ours: 3:10 PM CT is 4:10 PM ET, so FTMO's day ends 1 hour later in clock time. | ||||
| Payout split (funded) | 90/10 | SAME | ||
| ⓘ You keep 90%. | ||||
What you pay (50K)
| Rule | Topstep Combine | FTMO Growth | FTMO Pro | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $49 Standard or $95 No Activation Fee | $119 | $139 | Differs |
| ⓘ Topstep paths cannot be changed after purchase. | ||||
| Activation / pass fee | $149 Standard or $0 No Activation Fee | None | None | Differs |
| ⓘ FTMO subscription is cancelled when you pass. | ||||
| Reset | $49 or $95 (same as path) | $109 | $129 | Differs |
| ⓘ After a Topstep MLL breach the subscription keeps rebilling and you get a Reset Credit. After an FTMO breach without a Reset, a new Evaluation arrives on the next billing date. | ||||
| Pass in month 1 (Ours) | $198 or $95 | $119 | $139 | Differs |
| ⓘ Standard = $49+$149; No Activation Fee = $95+$0. | ||||
| Topstep path break-even (Ours) | About 3.2 months | — | — | Differs |
| ⓘ 49n+149 = 95n. | ||||
After you pass (50K)
| Rule | Topstep XFA | FTMO Growth SF | FTMO Pro SF | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting balance | $0 (50K buying power) | $50,000 | $50,000 | Differs |
| ⓘ Fresh cushion to the floor is $2,000 on Topstep XFA and FTMO Growth. | ||||
| Funded max loss | MLL −$2,000 → locks at $0 | $2,000 EOD trailing | $3,000 EOD trailing | Differs |
| ⓘ After Topstep's first payout the MLL is set to $0. | ||||
| Funded daily loss | Optional $1,000 forced break | Soft $1,000 (day paused) | Hard $1,000 (account ends) | Differs |
| Payout eligibility | 5×$150 or 3 days / 40% | 4 Qualifying Days of $150+ | 5 Qualifying Days of $200+ | Differs |
| ⓘ Topstep: Standard 5 winning days of $150+; Consistency path 3 trading days with largest day ≤40% of total net profit. | ||||
| Withdrawable / cap | 50% of balance up to $2,000 or $3,000 | 50% of profit up to $2,500 | 100% of profit up to $5,000 | Differs |
| ⓘ FTMO Pro: full withdrawal can violate Max Drawdown (item e). Topstep min $125. | ||||
| Funded contracts | Scaling Plan (50K 2-lot example only) | Starts at 2 → 5 from $2,000 | Starts at 2 → 5 from $2,000 | Differs |
| ⓘ Topstep full XFA tiers not in the fetched Scaling Plan article (item f); ladder stays Evaluation-only. | ||||
Trailing drawdown, pictured
Key difference
All three 50K plans share a $3,000 profit target. Topstep Combine and FTMO Growth both put a $2,000 trailing floor under a $50,000 start ($48,000 on day 1). FTMO Pro gives $3,000 of drawdown ($47,000 floor) but pairs it with a hard $1,000 daily limit. The enforcement wording differs: Topstep liquidates immediately on a real-time unrealized touch; FTMO says equity cannot hit the Max Drawdown at any point and the Evaluation is unsuccessful if it does. Consistency is 55% of the Profit Target on Topstep versus 40% Growth / 50% Pro of total profit on FTMO — same keep-trading mechanic, different percentages. Pass balance on all three is $53,000 with positions closed.
What this means for you: Compare the $2,000 floors on Topstep and Growth with Pro's $3,000-plus-hard-daily package, and read liquidation wording carefully before you treat the systems as the same.
Drawdown: Topstep MLL vs FTMO Max Drawdown
Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit on the 50K Combine is $2,000. It rises with your best end-of-day balance, never moves down, and locks at the $50,000 starting balance. Topstep's example: start $50,000 / MLL $48,000; after a $500 day the MLL is $48,500; after a $500 loss the balance is back at $50,000 but the MLL stays $48,500. It is monitored in real time on realized and unrealized P&L; a touch liquidates by market order. Topstep's breach example: MLL $48,000, open loss to $47,750, fill at $48,050 — still a breach. FTMO's Max Drawdown is end-of-day trailing on equity (Balance + Open Positions P&L – Commissions) that cannot hit at any point: Growth $2,000 (floor starts $48,000, locks at $50,000), Pro $3,000 (floor starts $47,000). On the Express Funded Account the balance starts at $0 with MLL −$2,000 that locks at $0; after the first payout the MLL is set to $0. FTMO Sim-Funded keeps the same $2,000 / $3,000 drawdown for the life of the account. FTMO's own Pro 50K example also locks at $50,000 once the calculated limit reaches the starting balance.
What this means for you: Leave a buffer above the floor. Topstep's $47,750 example shows an open-loss touch still counts even if the fill prints above the limit.
Daily loss: optional break vs none vs hard fail
Topstep's $1,000 Daily Loss Limit is optional at checkout on the 50K Combine, fixed once chosen, carries into the XFA, and a hit is only a forced break until 5:00 PM CT (6:00 PM ET) — the account stays eligible for funding. Separately, TopstepX lets you set a Personal Daily Loss Limit that you can change. FTMO Growth has no Daily Loss Limit in the Evaluation; on Sim-Funded Growth the $1,000 soft limit closes positions and pauses the day without ending the account. FTMO Pro's $1,000 hard Daily Loss Limit fails the Evaluation and terminates the Sim-Funded Account.
What this means for you: Decide whether you want a pause (Topstep optional DLL, Growth soft SF) or a hard fail (Pro) before you size a day.
Consistency: 55% vs 40% vs 50%
Topstep's Consistency Target keeps your best single day at or below 55% of the Profit Target. The recommended best day on 50K is under $1,650. If you go over, the Profit Target rises to best day ÷ 0.55 (Ours: a $2,000 best day needs about $3,637). FTMO Growth allows a best day ≤40% of total closed profit and Pro ≤50%; exceeding is not a breach — you keep trading. FTMO's 50K Growth example: days of $2,000 and $1,000 make $3,000, but the best day is 66.7%, so you need $5,000 total if day one stays your best. Fastest pass: Topstep as few as 2 days (official); FTMO Growth 3 / Pro 2 is Ours from the 40% / 50% limits (the fetched FTMO pages do not print a minimum day count). No consistency rule on Topstep XFA Standard; XFA Consistency uses a 40% largest-day rule for payouts. FTMO Sim-Funded has no consistency rule.
What this means for you: Plan best-day size against the percentage that applies; going over only lengthens the evaluation, it does not end it.
Costs and activation
Topstep 50K Combine: Standard path $49 a month with a $149 one-time XFA activation, or No Activation Fee path $95 a month with $0 activation. Resets cost the same as the path's monthly price. Paths cannot be changed after purchase. After an MLL breach the subscription keeps rebilling and you receive a Reset Credit on rebill; the subscription stays active until you pass or cancel. FTMO Growth $119 a month (reset $109), Pro $139 (reset $129), no activation fee. FTMO's payment FAQ: once the Evaluation is passed the subscription is cancelled and no further payments are charged for the Sim-Funded Account. Ours pass-in-month-1 totals: Topstep Standard $198, No Activation Fee $95, Growth $119, Pro $139. Topstep break-even between paths is about 3.2 months (49n+149 = 95n). After an FTMO Evaluation breach without a Reset, you also receive a new account on the next billing date while the subscription stays active.
What this means for you: Run the month-1 and multi-month maths for both Topstep paths and both FTMO plans; Topstep paths are locked at purchase.
After you pass: XFA vs Sim-Funded
Topstep Express Funded Account: balance starts at $0 (50K is buying power), MLL starts at −$2,000 and locks at $0; after the first payout MLL is set to $0. Choose Standard (5 winning days of $150+) or Consistency (3 trading days, largest day ≤40% of total net profit) at activation. Optional DLL from the Combine carries over. Up to 5 XFAs. FTMO Sim-Funded: same $50,000 size, Growth drawdown $2,000 with soft $1,000 daily loss, Pro drawdown $3,000 with hard $1,000 daily loss, no profit target, no consistency rule, up to 3 Sim-Funded Accounts. The $2,000 cushion from the floor to the start is the same idea on a fresh Topstep XFA (MLL −$2,000 under a $0 balance) and on FTMO Growth.
What this means for you: XFA's $0 start with MLL −$2,000 and FTMO Growth's $50,000 start with a $2,000 floor are the same $2,000 cushion on day one.
Payouts at 50K
Topstep XFA: 90/10 split, $125 minimum, request up to 50% of balance capped at $2,000 on Standard or $3,000 on Consistency. FTMO Growth: 4 Qualifying Days with closed P&L of $150 or more, up to 50% of profit above the start, cap $2,500 per request. FTMO Pro: 5 Qualifying Days of $200 or more, up to 100% of profit, cap $5,000; FTMO warns that a full withdrawal on Pro can violate the Max Drawdown. Deep payout mechanics beyond eligibility, cap and split live in the Topstep by-size and FTMO payout / Growth vs Pro guides. Limited-time per Topstep (checked 2026-10-16): adding a Daily Loss Limit at Combine checkout currently doubles the 50K XFA per-request caps to $4,000 Standard / $6,000 Consistency — confirm on Topstep's Payout Policy before relying on it; not shown in the tables, cards or ladder.
What this means for you: Match eligibility days and caps to your payout pace; leave Pro full-withdrawal risk to support (item e).
Contracts
Evaluation and Combine max position is 5 contracts or 50 micros on all three (10 micros = 1 mini). FTMO Sim-Funded starts at 2 contracts (20 micros) and scales back to 5 from $2,000 end-of-day profit above the start. Topstep XFA uses a Scaling Plan; the help article's worked example is a 50K XFA 2-lot plan, but the full tier table is not printed in the fetched Scaling Plan article, so funded Topstep contract steps are not modelled in the losing-trade ladder here (see item f).
What this means for you: All three evaluations cap at 5 contracts; do not invent Topstep XFA scaling tiers beyond the published 2-lot example.
Where the pages differ
(a) Topstep's Trading Combine parameters article does not print the $3,000 / $2,000 / $1,650 size table in the body; the Consistency and Maximum Loss Limit articles do. (b) FTMO's Futures FAQ 'How does your Consistency Rule work?' lists only CFD products; the Futures objectives page is the one that sets 40% Growth and 50% Pro. (c) The same $1,000 daily figure is an optional forced break on Topstep and a hard fail on FTMO Pro. (d) Both trail at end of day and both stop you on open P&L; Topstep stresses real-time liquidation by market order, FTMO says equity cannot hit the limit — do not read them as identical systems. (e) FTMO Pro objectives examples show requesting up to 100% of profit while the withdrawal FAQ warns that a full withdrawal can violate Max Drawdown; FTMO does not spell out what happens. (f) Topstep's Scaling Plan article gives a 50K XFA 2-lot example without a full published tier table in the fetched text, so this guide does not invent XFA contract steps for the ladder.
What this means for you: When two official pages disagree or stay silent, treat the lettered item as unresolved and confirm on the firm site.
Our arithmetic (not firm figures)
Best day if you pass exactly at the $3,000 target: Topstep's own recommendation is under $1,650 (official); FTMO Growth 40% is $1,200 and Pro 50% is $1,500 (Ours). Target-to-drawdown: Topstep and Growth 1.5, Pro 1.0. A $2,000 best day needs about $3,637 on Topstep (÷ 0.55, Ours) versus $5,000 on FTMO Growth (official example). Pass-in-month-1 cost: Topstep Standard $198, No Activation Fee $95, Growth $119, Pro $139; Topstep path break-even about 3.2 months. Trading-day clock: 3:10 PM CT equals 4:10 PM ET, so FTMO's session ends 1 hour later. Losing-trade ladder tags (Ours): TOO TIGHT within 5 full-stop losers, WORKABLE 6 to 9, COMFORTABLE 10 or more. Point values used in the ladder are CME contract specs, not firm figures: MNQ $2, MES $5, NQ $20, ES $50 per point.
What this means for you: Use Ours rows only as cross-checks; official help pages win every conflict.
FAQ
What are the Topstep 50K Trading Combine risk rules?
Topstep's 50K Trading Combine has a $3,000 Profit Target, a $2,000 trailing Maximum Loss Limit that locks at the $50,000 starting balance and is monitored in real time on unrealized P&L (a touch is liquidated immediately), a Consistency Target that keeps your best day at or below 55% of the Profit Target (recommended under $1,650; if exceeded the target rises to best day ÷ 0.55), and an optional $1,000 Daily Loss Limit at checkout that only forces a break for the session. You can pass in as few as 2 days; there is no time limit.
What are the FTMO Futures 50K Growth and Pro risk rules?
Both need a $3,000 profit target. Growth has a $2,000 end-of-day trailing Max Drawdown on equity (Balance + Open Positions P&L – Commissions), no Daily Loss Limit in the Evaluation and a 40% best-day limit. Pro has a $3,000 trailing drawdown, a hard $1,000 Daily Loss Limit that fails the Evaluation if hit, and a 50% best-day limit. Going over consistency is not a breach on either plan.
Does the Topstep 50K Combine have a daily loss limit?
Only if you add it: a $1,000 fixed Daily Loss Limit is optional at checkout on the 50K Trading Combine and carries into the Express Funded Account. Hitting it is a forced break for the session, not a rule violation. Topstep also lets you set a separate Personal Daily Loss Limit in the platform, which is adjustable and is not the checkout DLL.
Can one bad day fail each 50K account?
Yes, in different ways. Topstep's Combine fails funding eligibility when the MLL is touched on open P&L — Topstep's own example: MLL $48,000, an open loss takes the balance to $47,750, the fill comes back at $48,050, and it is still a breach. An optional $1,000 DLL only pauses the day. FTMO Growth has no Evaluation daily limit, so a single day that loses the whole $2,000 drawdown ends it. FTMO Pro's hard $1,000 Daily Loss Limit fails the Evaluation before the $3,000 drawdown does on a one-day streak.
Which 50K path costs less?
It depends how long you take. Topstep Standard is $49 a month plus $149 activation ($198 if you pass in month 1); the No Activation Fee path is $95 a month with $0 activation. FTMO Growth is $119 a month (reset $109) and Pro $139 (reset $129), both with no activation fee, and the subscription is cancelled when you pass. Ours: Topstep's paths break even at about 3.2 months. Paths on Topstep cannot be changed after purchase.
Sources: 20 official Topstep help-center and FTMO Futures pages
- Topstep: Trading Combine parameters
- Topstep: What is the Maximum Loss Limit
- Topstep: Consistency at Topstep
- Topstep: Daily Loss Limit in the Trading Combine and Express Funded Account
- Topstep: Express Funded Account parameters
- Topstep: Express Funded Account activation
- Topstep: Payout policy
- Topstep: What is the Scaling Plan
- Topstep: Pricing and payment questions
- Topstep: Trading Combine subscriptions
- FTMO Futures: Trading Objectives and Rules
- FTMO Futures: Comparison table
- FTMO Futures: How it works
- FTMO Futures: Overview
- FTMO Futures FAQ: Evaluation payment / subscription
- FTMO Futures FAQ: Successfully passed the Evaluation
- FTMO Futures FAQ: Withdraw payout from a Sim-Funded Account
- FTMO Futures FAQ: How Growth and Pro differ
- FTMO Futures FAQ: How does your Consistency Rule work
- FTMO Futures FAQ: How many accounts can I have
Not financial advice. Educational content only. Trading futures, options and crypto involves substantial risk of loss. Full disclaimer.