Rules compared
| Rule | Topstep | Elite Trader Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Market | Futures | Futures |
| Phases | One-phase | One-phase |
| Eval cost (mid tier) | $165 | $175 |
| Profit target | 6% | 6% |
| Max drawdown | Trailing (EOD) · 4% | Trailing (EOD) · 5% |
| Daily loss limit | 2% | None |
| Consistency rule | None | 30% |
| Min trading days | 2 | 1 |
| Max days | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Profit split | 100% | 90% |
| Payout buffer | 1% | 4% |
| Trailing on funded | Yes | No |
| Payout frequency | Every 4 days | Every 14 days |
Simulated outcomes, same trader
Identical balanced archetype (50% win rate, 1.2R average winner, 3 trades a day), 10,000 simulated evaluations against each firm's exact ruleset.
| Metric | Topstep | Elite Trader Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Pass rate | 0.5% | 58.6% |
| Payout rate (if passed) | 46.6% | 36.6% |
| Joint withdrawal probability | 0.5% | 21.4% |
| Expected P&L over 50 challenges | -$8k | $35k |
| Failures from drawdown breach | 13% | 53% |
| Failures from daily loss | 77% | 0% |
Which should you pick?
Topstep: Topstep is the industry veteran and has the cleanest funded-account structure — no consistency rule at any stage, real payouts on schedule. The Trading Combine is one of the tougher single-phase evaluations because of the strict daily loss and the trailing max loss on both eval and funded. Traders who blow up on daily-loss gates elsewhere blow up here too.
Elite Trader Funding: ETF is the classic Apex-style ruleset with tweaks — trailing-until-target, no daily loss, high theoretical pass rate for scalpers. Consistency and multiple funded-account rules matter more than the eval itself. Frequent promo pricing makes cost-adjusted EV attractive.
On the numbers above, Elite Trader Funding is the better expected-value choice for a balanced profile — but archetypes are not you. A scalper and a swing trader can flip this ranking entirely, because drawdown type punishes lumpy P&L far more than frequent small P&L. Run your own drawdown numbers first, then simulate your real stats.
Frequently asked
Is Topstep or Elite Trader Funding easier to pass?+
In our simulation of a balanced 50%-win-rate trader, Topstep passes 0.5% of the time and Elite Trader Funding passes 58.6% — so Elite Trader Funding is the easier evaluation for that profile. The gap is driven mostly by drawdown type (Trailing (EOD) vs Trailing (EOD)) and the number of phases.
Which is cheaper, Topstep or Elite Trader Funding?+
The mid-tier evaluation costs $165 at Topstep and $175 at Elite Trader Funding. Sticker price is the wrong comparison though: over 50 attempted challenges our simulation nets -$8k at Topstep versus $35k at Elite Trader Funding, because a cheaper eval you fail more often is not cheaper.
Which pays out more reliably, Topstep or Elite Trader Funding?+
Conditional on passing, our model gives Topstep a 46.6% chance of reaching a first payout versus 36.6% at Elite Trader Funding. End to end — pass and withdraw — that is 0.5% vs 21.4%. Profit splits are 100% and 90%.
What is the biggest rule difference between Topstep and Elite Trader Funding?+
Topstep uses a trailing (eod) drawdown of 4% with a 2% daily loss limit; Elite Trader Funding uses a trailing (eod) drawdown of 5% with no daily loss limit. Topstep is the stricter ruleset for most trading styles.
Compare both firms using YOUR trading stats
Log your trades in the journal, push your real win rate and R-multiple into the simulator, and see which of these two rulesets you actually clear.
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Based on publicly listed rules as of 2026-07-15. Independent — not affiliated with Topstep or Elite Trader Funding. Rules change; verify before paying. Simulations are estimates, not guarantees.