Rules as published by each firm
CFD vs FUTURES
Static Balance-Based vs End-of-Day Trailing (Intraday-Enforced)
☪ Islamic / Swap-Free Ready
The5ers vs Topstep
Which of these two is likelier to end your account, and why — compared rule by rule from what each firm publishes.
Short answer
- The drawdown works differently, and that is the difference that matters. The5ers' loss limit is fixed to your starting balance and never moves; Topstep's steps up at each daily close and never steps back down. Topstep: A floor set at last night's close is still enforced live all session, so you can be liquidated intraday by a level you never saw move.
- Daily loss cap: The5ers 5%, Topstep 2%.
- Minimum trading days: The5ers 3 days, Topstep 2 days — this sets the earliest you can finish, however fast you hit the target.
- Overnight and weekend: The5ers lets you hold; Topstep requires you flat before the session closes, so a swing plan does not fit it.
- Entry cost: The5ers from $39, Topstep from $49.
Figures below are what each firm publishes. Confirm them on the firm's own site before paying for an evaluation — these rules change without notice.
The5ers
CFD • Max $500,000
Drawdown Model
Static Balance-Based
Profit Split
80% - 100%
Starting Price
$39
Min Trading Days
3 Days
Topstep
FUTURES • Max $450,000
Drawdown Model
End-of-Day Trailing (Intraday-Enforced)
Profit Split
90%
Starting Price
$49
Min Trading Days
2 Days
Side-by-Side Specifications Matrix
Every figure below is taken from the firm's own published rules. Check the source and date under the table before you size a position on it — prop firm rules change without notice.
| Evaluation Parameter | The5ers | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Asset Class / Market | CFD | FUTURES |
| Drawdown Calculation Type | Static Balance-Based The total-loss cap is static — a fixed percentage of the starting balance that never trails — but the daily limit is recalculated every day off the previous day's close, so it is not a fixed dollar figure. |
End-of-Day Trailing (Intraday-Enforced) The floor ratchets once per day on the closing balance and locks permanently when it reaches your starting balance, but the breach check runs live all session on realized plus unrealized P&L — touching it for one tick liquidates the account immediately. The threshold only steps up on your end-of-day balance and never moves down, so an open winning trade cannot drag your floor higher during the session. |
| Max Daily Loss | 5.0% 5% on High Stakes, measured off the higher of the previous day's closing balance or equity and reset at 00:00 UTC+3; Hyper Growth and Pro Growth use 3%, and the firm's own 2-Step Plan FAQ also states 3%. |
2.0% 2% of account size ($1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 on $50K / $100K / $150K), measured on the day's net P&L; it is optional in the Trading Combine and Express Funded Account and automatic only in the Live Funded Account, and hitting it never ends the account — it flattens you, cancels your orders and locks you out until 5 PM CT the next session. |
| Max Overall Loss | 10.0% 10% of the initial balance on High Stakes, fixed when the account opens and never trailing; Hyper Growth and Pro Growth stop out at 6%, and Bootcamp uses 5% on steps 1-3 and 4% once funded. |
4.0% 4% on the $50K account ($2,000); the $100K account gets 3% ($3,000) and the $150K account 3% ($4,500), because Topstep sets this limit in dollars per size rather than as a percentage. |
| Profit Split | 80% - 100% | 90% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 3 Days High Stakes needs 3 profitable days at Step 1, at Step 2 and again at every scaling step, where a profitable day means closed trades netting at least 0.5% of the initial balance. |
2 Days Two days is the Trading Combine minimum, and it only works if your best day stays under 50% of the Profit Target; the Express Funded and Live Funded accounts have their own separate day counts for payouts. |
| News Trading Policy | ✓ New orders may not be executed from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after high-impact news on the High Stakes programme; holding existing positions through news is allowed, and any profit made inside that window is deducted from the account and does not count toward the profit target | ✓ News trading is allowed, but putting on your full maximum position size directly into a scheduled major news event is a named prohibited strategy and those profits can be rejected |
| Weekend & Overnight Holding | ✓ Permitted (Overnight and weekend holding allowed with no restrictions) | ✗ Flat by Close (Intraday futures only; every position flat by 3:10 PM CT, risk desk starts flattening at 3:08 PM CT, nothing held from one session to the next) |
| Supported Platforms | MT5, cTrader, TradingView | TopstepX, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Quantower |
| Payout Schedule | Bi-weekly or on-demand after 14 days | Daily payouts after 5 winning days (+$200/day) |
| First Payout Eligibility | 14 days from funding First withdrawal 14 days after the funded account is activated, then every 2 weeks from the last approved one, with $150 minimum profit required to request a payout. |
5 winning days (Standard Path) or 3 trading days (Consistency Path) Standard Path needs five winning days; the Consistency Path pays out after three trading days with at least one trade each, but only if your biggest day stays at or below 40% of total net profit. |
| Consistency Rule | No restrictive lot-size or profit consistency rule | Trading Combine: best single day must stay at or below 50% of the Profit Target. Express Funded Consistency payout path: largest day must stay at or below 40% of total net profit Measured as your largest single day divided by the relevant total — against the Profit Target in the Combine (50%), against total net profit on the Express Funded Consistency payout path (40%, not rounded). |
| Islamic / Swap-Free Option | ✓ Native Swap-Free Option Native Swap-Free account option selectable upon registration with zero administration fee markups |
✓ Inherently Swap-Free (CME Futures) Inherently Swap-Free (Topstep forces every position flat by 3:10 PM CT and permits no holding from one session to the next, so no overnight interest/riba can accrue) |
| US Residents Accepted | ✗ Restricted | ✓ Accepted |
| Maximum Capital Allocation | $500,000 | $450,000 |
Where these figures come from. Read from The5ers' own published rules on : High Stakes daily/total loss mechanics and 00 · High Stakes minimum profitable days table and · Platform availability by residency · MetaQuotes platforms prohibited for US residen · Full banned-strategy list and the termination, · 14-day first withdrawal, 2-week cadence therea · Bootcamp per-step max loss (5% steps 1-3, 4% f · Hyper Growth / Pro Growth 6% stop-out and 3% d · 2-Step Plan daily loss limit stated as 3% of t. Prop firm rules change without notice — confirm on the firm's own site before you pay for an evaluation.
Where these figures come from. Read from Topstep's own published rules on : Maximum Loss Limit · Daily Loss Limit · Combine 50%-of-Profit-Target best-day rule and · 3 · Flat 90/10 split and the pre-2026-01-12 gating · Named prohibited strategies · Trading Combine two-day minimum and the best-d · The two restriction tiers · TopstepX as the firm's own platform and the st · Quantower connects via TopstepX credentials, T · Express Funded Standard Path five-winning-day . Prop firm rules change without notice — confirm on the firm's own site before you pay for an evaluation.
What can end the account even if you are profitable
These are the rules people usually find out about after a payout is refused.
- The5ers: You cannot open or close an order in the four-minute window running from two minutes before to two minutes after a high-impact news release, and if you do, the profit from it is taken off your account and does not count toward your target while the loss still counts against you. source
- The5ers: Copy trading, running an expert advisor whose source code you do not own, sharing or reselling your account, or paying someone to pass a challenge for you gets the account terminated, any profit or refund you were owed withheld, and you permanently banned from The5ers. source
- The5ers: Arbitrage, tick scalping, high-frequency trades lasting seconds, bracketing stop orders around news, hedging the same instrument across accounts, and gambling-sized or one-directional bets carry the same penalty: account closed, profit and refund forfeited, permanent ban. source
- The5ers: You must produce three separate profitable days, each closing at least 0.5% of your starting balance in profit, to clear Step 1, to clear Step 2 and again at every scaling step — hitting the profit target in one big day is not enough to pass. source
- The5ers: If you place no trades for 30 days in a row on an evaluation account, or 60 days in a row on a funded account, The5ers expires the account automatically and you lose it without breaking any trading rule. source
- The5ers: You cannot take any money out for the first 14 days after your funded account is activated, you need at least $150 of profit to request a payout, and after that each request comes two weeks after your last approved one. source
- Topstep: Your account is wiped the instant your balance touches the Maximum Loss Limit at any point in the session, and open unrealized losses count — you can be up on the week and still get liquidated by one spike against an open trade. source
- Topstep: In the Trading Combine your single best day must stay at or below 50% of the Profit Target, and if it goes over, Topstep raises your Profit Target instead of passing you. source
- Topstep: If you take the faster three-day payout path on an Express Funded Account, your biggest single day must be 40% or less of your total profit — Topstep does not round, so 40.1% means no payout. source
- Topstep: You must close every position by 3:10 PM CT each weekday, and Topstep's risk desk starts flattening people at 3:08 PM CT, so a winning trade left open into the close gets closed for you and nothing can be carried into the next session or the weekend. source
- Topstep: Deliberately loading up your full maximum position size right before a scheduled major news release is a banned strategy, and Topstep can reject the profits it produces. source
- Topstep: Blowing one account into its Maximum Loss Limit and then repeating the same reckless bet on your next account is banned as account stacking, and Topstep shuts it down and can refuse the profits when the gamble finally works. source
- Topstep: Deliberately draining a Live Funded Account to force it to fail is banned, so you cannot blow up a struggling live account to get a clean start. source
- Topstep: Using software, AI, ultra-high-speed systems or mass order entry to gain an unfair edge, or placing orders outside the current best bid and offer, is banned and Topstep can reject your profits and close the account. source
- Topstep: Running scalping bots, firing hundreds of seconds-long trades a day, trading recklessly into gapped markets or milking the simulator's unrealistically clean stop-loss fills gets your payout refused and you removed from the program, even if you hit the profit target. source
- Topstep: You cannot take a first payout until you have five winning days on the Standard Path, or three trading days with at least one trade each on the Consistency Path — profit alone does not unlock the money. source
Drawdown Architecture: The5ers vs Topstep
The fundamental differentiator between The5ers and Topstep lies in how risk and liquidation thresholds are tracked:
The5ers: Static Balance-Based
The5ers applies a Static Balance-Based approach. Under this structure, your stop loss floor is anchored to balance intervals. This ensures that temporary floating open profits do not pull your stop loss floor higher in real-time.
Topstep: End-of-Day Trailing (Intraday-Enforced)
Topstep implements a End-of-Day Trailing (Intraday-Enforced) model. This provides traders with full intraday flexibility without the fear of open spikes ratcheting up their liquidation point.
The Trader's Verdict: Which Firm Should You Choose?
Depending on your trading style, asset preference, and capital requirements, here is how our research team segments the two providers:
Choose The5ers if you:
- Want Static Balance-Based risk management.
- Trade primarily CFD instruments with MT5, cTrader, TradingView.
- Value Traders looking for instant funding programs, low entry fee Bootcamps, and scaling that reaches $4,000,000 on Bootcamp (High Stakes and Hyper Growth both cap at $500,000).
- Want the ability to hold swing positions over weekends and economic news releases.
- Seek up to $500,000 in maximum scaling capital.
Choose Topstep if you:
- Prefer End-of-Day Trailing (Intraday-Enforced) execution terms.
- Trade FUTURES via TopstepX, Tradovate, NinjaTrader.
- Value Disciplined futures day traders who prioritize End-of-Day drawdown protection and rapid daily payout availability.
- Require strict intraday liquidity and same-day/daily payout options.
- Want access to starting entry fees at $49.
Frequently Asked Questions: The5ers vs Topstep
Which firm offers a better drawdown model between The5ers and Topstep?
The5ers uses Static Balance-Based, while Topstep utilizes End-of-Day Trailing (Intraday-Enforced).
Traders who hold positions through volatile pullbacks typically favor The5ers, whereas scalpers capitalizing on quick momentum benefit from Topstep.
Can I trade both The5ers and Topstep accounts at the same time?
Yes. Many professional prop traders run trade copiers (such as Replikanto for NinjaTrader futures, or Social Trader Tools for MT4/MT5 CFDs) to mirror trades across both The5ers and Topstep simultaneously, diversifying broker risk and maximizing total payout potential.
Which prop firm has faster payout disbursements?
The5ers processes payouts on a Bi-weekly or on-demand after 14 days basis (14 days from funding), whereas Topstep operates on a Daily payouts after 5 winning days (+$200/day) schedule (5 winning days (Standard Path) or 3 trading days (Consistency Path)). Both platforms support crypto and direct bank transfers.