Topstep Trading Combine Rules Explained

The Topstep Trading Combine is a one-step futures evaluation. Hit a profit target without touching the Maximum Loss Limit, respect the consistency target and position size cap, and you can move to an Express Funded Account.

This guide explains each rule as Topstep describes it in its Trading Combine parameters article and related help pages, checked on 3 November 2026. You can compare every Combine size in our prop firm rules database.

Trading Combine rules at a glance

50K Combine

• Profit target: $3,000
• Maximum Loss Limit: $2,000 (end-of-day trailing)
• Maximum position size: 5 contracts or 50 micros
• Optional Daily Loss Limit: $1,000

100K Combine

• Profit target: $6,000
• Maximum Loss Limit: $3,000 (end-of-day trailing)
• Maximum position size: 10 contracts or 100 micros
• Optional Daily Loss Limit: $2,000

150K Combine

• Profit target: $9,000
• Maximum Loss Limit: $4,500 (end-of-day trailing)
• Maximum position size: 15 contracts or 150 micros
• Optional Daily Loss Limit: $3,000

All sizes share a 55% consistency target, no time limit, and no overnight or weekend holding.

The Maximum Loss Limit (MLL)

The MLL is the rule that decides most Combines. Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit article sets out three points.

• It trails on end-of-day balance. The limit rises as your end-of-day balance grows. It never moves down.
• It is enforced in real time. The level updates at the end of each day, but it is monitored throughout the session. Realised and unrealised P&L both count.
• It locks at the starting balance. Once the limit reaches your starting balance, it stops trailing for good.

Example (50K, illustrative): you start at $50,000 with the MLL at $48,000. You end day one at $51,000. The MLL moves up to $49,000. On day two, an open trade dips to $49,000 intraday. That breaches the limit, even though the MLL only updated overnight.

Keep going and the MLL keeps rising until it reaches $50,000. From then on it stays at $50,000, so your profits above that become a real cushion.

The drawdown calculator shows where your limit sits after each day. For background, see trailing vs static drawdown.

The Daily Loss Limit is optional

In the Trading Combine, the Daily Loss Limit (DLL) is optional. You add it at checkout. Once set at purchase, it cannot be changed.

Hitting the DLL is not a rule violation. Topstep flattens open positions, cancels pending orders and blocks trading until 5:00 PM CT, the start of the next session. The account stays eligible.

Choosing the DLL also qualifies you for a Responsible Trading Discount on No Activation Fee Combines: $10 off on 50K, $20 on 100K and $30 on 150K, per Topstep's help center. Without a checkout DLL, you can still set a personal daily limit in your risk settings.

We think the DLL is worth considering for most traders. A forced stop on a bad day protects the MLL, which is the rule that actually fails accounts.

The 55% consistency target

Topstep says your best single day should stay below 55% of your profit target. On a 50K Combine, that means no single day above $1,650. If one day goes over that share, you will need more total profit before you pass.

Example (50K): a $2,000 day is 67% of the $3,000 target. That day alone does not fail you. But you will have to keep trading to bring your total profit up before the Combine counts as passed.

Our consistency calculator works out how much extra profit a big day requires. Our consistency rule guide compares how firms apply this rule.

Position size limits

Each Combine size has a maximum position: 5, 10 or 15 contracts. Micros count at a 10:1 ratio, so 50, 100 or 150 micros. You can always trade fewer contracts.

Being allowed 5 contracts does not mean you should use 5. On a 50K account with a $2,000 MLL, a full-size position can lose the whole allowance in a single move. Use the position size calculator to size from your stop distance instead.

Trading hours and holding rules

• The trading day runs from 5:00 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT the next calendar day.
• Positions cannot be held overnight or over the weekend. Be flat before the session ends.
• There is no time limit. Topstep says you can pass in as few as two days.

News and prohibited strategies

News trading is allowed. Topstep's prohibited strategies list does ban deliberately placing a full maximum-size position into a scheduled major news event.

Automated tools are not banned outright. Software or high-speed systems that manipulate or exploit simulated fills are prohibited. Read the full list on Topstep's help center if you trade with automation.

Fees and paths

The Combine is a monthly subscription. It rebills until you pass or cancel. There are two paths:

• Standard Path: $49/month (50K), $99/month (100K) or $199/month (150K), plus a $149 activation fee paid only after you pass.
• No Activation Fee Path: a higher monthly price and no activation fee. The price can change with add-ons such as the Daily Loss Limit, so confirm it at checkout.

Other fee points from Topstep's pages:

• Resets cost $49 (50K), $99 (100K) or $199 (150K).
• You cannot change account size after purchase.
• Refunds are available within 28 days only if there has been no trading activity.
• Level 1 market data is included.

We have no current Topstep discount code listed. See prop firm discounts for firms that do.

After the Combine: Express Funded Account

Passing leads to a simulated Express Funded Account (XFA). Topstep lists a 90% split on qualifying payouts. It offers two payout options:

• Standard: at least five winning days of $150 or more between payouts.
• Consistency: at least three trading days, with your best day within 40% of total profit.

Each option has per-payout caps that vary by account size. Adding a Daily Loss Limit can raise those caps. Check Topstep's payout pages for the current numbers.

Downsides to weigh

• The subscription keeps billing while you trade, so slow progress costs money.
• The trailing MLL tracks your end-of-day high until it locks, which punishes giving back profit early.
• No overnight holding rules out swing styles.
• Trading runs on TopstepX only.
• Payouts are capped per request.

For our full assessment, read the Topstep review. Comparing futures firms? See Topstep vs Tradeify.

Rules and fees were checked against Topstep's official pages on 3 November 2026 and can change. Confirm current terms on topstep.com before you buy. Examples are illustrative. This is educational content, not financial advice; futures trading involves substantial risk.