E8 Markets vs Topstep: which prop firm is better in 2026?
Topstep wins this comparison (8 against 6). and it pays out a larger share of profits, so the choice is not automatic.
E8 Markets
Forex / CFD · Crypto · Futures
Every E8 Markets product is now single-phase: a 6% target, withdrawals available from day three, and a split running from 80% to 100%. The trade-offs are a 35-40% consistency rule, no scaling plan, and a Trustpilot rating suspended in August 2026 for a breach of the platform's guidelines.
Criteria won : 6 / 33
Topstep
Futures · Trustpilot 3.6/5
Founded in Chicago in 2012, Topstep is the oldest futures prop firm. It charges a monthly subscription rather than a one-off ticket, with a 6 % target and a trailing drawdown that locks once the starting balance is cleared. Its 90 % profit split and first withdrawal after five winning days are among the best in the segment.
Criteria won : 8 / 33
Pricing at equal account size
Cheapest evaluation for a 100 K account.
E8 Markets
$260
Topstep
$99
Full comparison
| Criterion | E8 Markets | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Trust | ||
| Score | 76/100 | 77/100 ✓ |
| Trustpilot | — | 3.6/5 |
| Founded | 2021 | 2012 ✓ |
| Headquarters | US | US |
| Pricing | ||
| Entry price | $110 | $49 ✓ |
| Price for a 100 K account | $260 | $99 ✓ |
| Refundable fee | No | No |
| Reset price | — | — |
| Account sizes | 500 K ✓ | 150 K |
| Rules | ||
| Steps | 1 | 1 |
| Profit target | 6 % | 6 % |
| Max daily loss | — | — |
| Max total drawdown | — | 4 % |
| Drawdown type | — | Trailing (end of day) |
| Time limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Consistency rule | 35 | 50 ✓ |
| Min trading days | — | 2 |
| Payouts | ||
| Profit split | 80 % | 90 % ✓ |
| Max profit split | 100 % ✓ | 90 % |
| First payout | — | 5 days |
| Payout frequency | A la demande (quotidien sur E8 Pro ; minimum 100 $) | Sur demande : Express Funded Standard après 5 journées gagnantes à 150 $+ ; Express Funded Consistency après 3 journées de trading avec cible de consistance 40 % |
| Payout methods | rise | wise and bank ✓ |
| Scaling plan | No | Yes ✓ |
| Max allocation | 500 K ✓ | 150 K |
| Trading | ||
| Platforms and instruments | mt5, ctrader, tradelocker, match-trader ✓ | ninjatrader, tradovate, rithmic |
| Instruments | fx, indices, metals, energy, crypto, futures ✓ | futures |
| Leverage | Forex 1:30, indices 1:15, metaux 1:15, crypto 1:1 | — |
| News trading | Yes | — |
| Weekend holding | Yes ✓ | No |
| Expert Advisors | — | — |
| Copy trading | Restricted | — |
| Scalping | — | — |
| Hedging | — | — |
Choose E8 Markets if…
- You expect to stay funded long enough for the split to matter: 100 % against 90 % at Topstep.
- You need a platform Topstep does not offer: mt5, ctrader, tradelocker, match-trader.
- You are aiming for size: allocation scales up to 500 K.
Choose Topstep if…
- You need a platform E8 Markets does not offer: ninjatrader, tradovate, rithmic.
- Your budget is the binding constraint: the entry ticket starts at $49, below E8 Markets.
Our analysis
Entry cost
Topstep opens at $49 against $110 for E8 Markets, a substantial gap on the smallest account. At the reference size of 100 K the comparison is $260 for E8 Markets against $99 for Topstep. The headline fee is rarely the real cost, though: what matters is the price of a reset after a failed attempt, whether the fee comes back on the first payout, and whether an activation fee appears when you move to a funded account. Compare those three lines in the table above before deciding on price alone.
Risk rules side by side
E8 Markets does not publish a clear drawdown model. Topstep applies a trailing (end of day) drawdown capped at 4 %. This is the single most consequential difference between the two. A static drawdown is measured once, from the starting balance, and never moves; a trailing drawdown follows your equity upward, so a winning streak raises the floor you can no longer fall below. Intraday trailing is stricter still, because it tracks unrealised peaks reached inside the session — profit you never actually banked can permanently raise your loss threshold.
Payout terms compared
E8 Markets keeps 100 % of profits, then pays A la demande (quotidien sur E8 Pro ; minimum 100 $). Topstep keeps 90 % of profits, allows a first withdrawal after 5 days, then pays Sur demande : Express Funded Standard après 5 journées gagnantes à 150 $+ ; Express Funded Consistency après 3 journées de trading avec cible de consistance 40 %. Payout frequency deserves as much attention as the split itself: a slightly lower share paid every two weeks compounds faster than a headline percentage locked behind a monthly cycle and a long first-withdrawal delay.
Platforms and instruments
E8 Markets is the only one of the two to offer mt5, ctrader, tradelocker, match-trader. Topstep covers ninjatrader, tradovate, rithmic, which its rival does not. Platform choice is not cosmetic: order execution, available order types and the reliability of your automation all depend on it, and switching mid-evaluation is rarely possible.
Trust and longevity
Topstep has been running since 2012, 9 years longer than E8 Markets. Our trust pillar scores them 74/100 and 80/100, which weighs age, corporate transparency and public payout evidence. In an industry with no financial regulator overseeing these evaluations, longevity and a verifiable payout history are the closest thing to a guarantee.