6 min readMyTradingBuddy
Topstep Rules (2026): Trading Combine, Express Funded Account and Live
Topstep rules for 2026: Combine targets, the Maximum Loss Limit, the 55% consistency target, Express Funded payout paths and Live account limits.
Share this
Topstep rules are short, but they change at each stage. In the Trading Combine there's one rule that ends the account (don't hit the Maximum Loss Limit) and two objectives: reach the profit target, and keep your best day under 55% of your total profit. In the Express Funded Account the loss limit stays, there's no profit target, and you pick one of two payout paths. In the Live Funded Account, a daily loss limit becomes mandatory.
We checked the numbers below against Topstep's help center on November 8 and 9, 2026.
Topstep rules at a glance
| 50K | 100K | 150K | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combine profit target | $3,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| Maximum Loss Limit | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Max position (Combine) | 5 minis / 50 micros | 10 / 100 | 15 / 150 |
| Daily Loss Limit (optional in Combine and XFA) | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Consistency target (Combine) | Best day under 55% of total profit | Same | Same |
| Minimum trading days | None | None | None |
The Combine is a monthly subscription. Topstep sells it two ways: a Standard path with a lower monthly price and a one-time activation fee when you pass, and a No Activation Fee path that costs more each month but charges nothing when you pass. Our Topstep account pages list each size side by side, starting with the Topstep Standard 50K.
Trading Combine rules
The Combine is a simulated evaluation. You pass when three things are true at once:
- Your profit has reached the target ($3,000 on a 50K).
- Your best day is under 55% of your total profit.
- Your balance has never touched the Maximum Loss Limit.
There's no minimum number of days, but the consistency target means you can't pass in one session: a single day would be 100% of your profit. Two well-sized days is the practical floor. Profits from the Combine don't carry into your funded account.
The Daily Loss Limit is optional. If you add it at checkout, hitting it stops your trading for the day without failing the Combine. Right now it also doubles your per-request payout caps later in the Express Funded Account, but only if you added it when you bought the Combine, and Topstep calls that a limited-time offer. That's a real trade-off worth thinking about before you buy.
How the Maximum Loss Limit trails
The Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) trails your highest end-of-day balance, but it's enforced in real time. On a 50K Combine:
| Moment | Balance | MLL |
|---|---|---|
| Start | $50,000 | $48,000 |
| Day 1 closes at | $50,900 | $48,900 |
| Day 2 dips intraday to $49,100, closes at | $50,400 | $48,900 (no new high) |
| Day 3 closes at | $51,600 | $49,600 |
On day 2, the dip to $49,100 survived because the MLL was $48,900. Had it touched $48,900 even for a second, the Combine would have ended. The MLL stops trailing once it reaches your starting balance. On a 50K that's $50,000, which happens after an end-of-day high of $52,000. That end-of-day trail is gentler than the intraday trailing drawdown some other firms use, but only if you respect the real-time floor.
The 55% consistency target
Your largest single-day profit must be under 55% of your total profit. Going over doesn't fail you. Instead, your effective profit target rises to best day ÷ 0.55.
Say you're on a 50K Combine and you make $1,800 on one day:
- $1,800 ÷ 0.55 = $3,273
- You now need $3,273 of total profit to pass, not $3,000.
On a 50K, keeping every day under $1,650 means the original $3,000 target never moves. It's the simplest way to plan the Combine: decide your best-case day before the session, and stop when you hit it. I write that number at the top of my plan every morning, and MyTradingBuddy flags a setup whose target would push the day past it. If you want that check on your own Combine, start the 3-day trial for $7 with code MAKEBANK.
Express Funded Account rules
Pass, and you get an Express Funded Account (XFA). It's still simulated, but payouts are real money. Your balance starts at $0 and you can hold up to five XFAs at a time. The Maximum Loss Limit stays: it starts below $0 and locks at $0, and after your first payout it moves to $0. Contract size follows the Topstep Scaling Plan instead of the Combine's position limit.
When you activate the XFA, you choose a payout path:
| Standard | Consistency | |
|---|---|---|
| To request a payout | 5 winning days of $150+ (not consecutive), net profit above $0 since the last payout | At least 3 trading days, best day at most 40% of total net profit |
| Max per request (50K / 100K / 150K) | $2,000 / $3,000 / $5,000 | $3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000 |
| Each request | Up to 50% of your balance | Up to 50% of your balance |
On both paths the split is 90/10 and the minimum request is $125. A Daily Loss Limit added at Combine checkout doubles those caps while Topstep's limited-time offer runs.
An XFA with no trades for more than 30 days can be closed, so don't park one and forget it.
Live Funded Account rules
Strong XFA traders can be called up to a Live Funded Account, which trades real capital. Two rules change:
- The Daily Loss Limit is mandatory.
- Payouts aren't capped. After 30 winning days in Live, you can access up to 100% of your profits daily.
Rules that close accounts
Most Topstep accounts don't end on a bad read. They end on these:
- Touching the MLL intraday. It's enforced in real time, even though it only moves at the close.
- One huge Combine day. It won't fail you, but it raises your target and often leads to forcing trades to catch up.
- Oversizing in the XFA. Trading above your Scaling Plan tier.
- Prohibited conduct. Coordinated trading with other people and other practices on Topstep's prohibited list can close funded accounts and forfeit payouts. Read the list before you trade.
A pre-trade checklist for Topstep
Before each entry:
- Where's my MLL right now, and how far is my stop from it?
- If I'm using a Daily Loss Limit, how much is left today?
- Combine: if this trade hits target, does today go over 55% of my total profit?
- XFA: am I inside my Scaling Plan tier?
MyTradingBuddy can run that check for you. It reads your 1D, 4H and 15m charts, draws the key levels on your TradingView chart, and checks each setup against a playbook holding your Topstep limits, including stop placement and position size. You can see how it checks a chart before you pay anything. It's an educational tool, AI can make mistakes, and nothing guarantees a pass or a payout. You can try it for 3 days for $7 with code MAKEBANK; see pricing.
Sources: Topstep help center, Topstep Program Overview and Topstep Payout Policy, checked November 9, 2026. Rules change; your Topstep dashboard shows the terms on your account.