Firm comparisons
Topstep vs Boxcar Trading: fees, payout rules and account stages
Topstep's regular Trading Combine renews monthly; Boxcar evaluations use a one-time purchase. Their funded payout paths also differ, including whether a 50% limit uses account balance or profit earned in the current cycle.
Choose the same account stage
Topstep's regular route is Trading Combine evaluation, Express Funded Account (XFA), then possible Live Funded Account selection. The XFA is simulated-funded, starts at a $0 balance and can qualify for real payouts. Its $50K label describes buying power, not $50,000 of withdrawable money.
BoxcarPrime, BoxcarFlex and BoxcarPayout also begin with an evaluation. BoxcarFunded skips evaluation and starts simulated-funded. Live access requires separate approval. This comparison is published by Boxcar Trading, covers rules checked October 17, 2026, and is not an independent performance review.
Sources: Topstep program stages · Topstep Express Funded Account parameters · Compare Boxcar plans and stages
Compare fee paths before counting payout days
The table covers regular $50K Trading Combines. Topstep Labs has separate offers, including one-time-fee static-drawdown programs with their own expiry and payout terms; the monthly pricing below does not describe those products.
At Topstep's listed base rates, passing after one billed month costs $198 on Standard ($49 + $149) or $95 on No Activation Fee. After four billed months, those totals become $345 or $380. These examples exclude resets, taxes, promotions, optional Daily Loss Limit (DLL) discounts and data upgrades.
| Account purchase | Recurring evaluation charge | Activation after passing |
|---|---|---|
| Topstep $50K Standard fee path | $49 per month | $149 per XFA |
| Topstep $50K No Activation Fee path | $95 per month | $0 |
| Boxcar evaluation | No automatic Eval renewal; one-time purchase | $0 |
Sources: Topstep pricing and payment questions · Topstep Labs program-specific rules · Boxcar billing and reset fees
Evaluation consistency and payout consistency are separate
Topstep's regular Trading Combine uses a 55% best-day consistency threshold. Exceeding it raises the total profit needed to pass. This is different from the XFA Consistency payout path's 40% ceiling.
BoxcarPrime has no Eval consistency rule, then applies 40% in simulated-funded. Flex and Payout use a 52% Eval ceiling, including their two-percentage-point cushion, then remove funded consistency. BoxcarFunded starts simulated-funded with 20% consistency.
Sources: Consistency at Topstep · Compare Boxcar plans and stages
Topstep payout rules versus $50K BoxcarFlex
Topstep's fee path and XFA payout path are separate choices. You choose Standard or No Activation Fee pricing at purchase; you select XFA Standard or XFA Consistency when activating the funded account.
The figures below use regular $50K XFAs without the promotional DLL cap increase. Topstep currently doubles the listed caps for qualifying new Trading Combine purchases that add a DLL at purchase. Adding one only at XFA activation does not qualify.
Topstep lists a $125 minimum payout; Boxcar's minimum gross request is $500. Both currently give new traders 90% of approved payout profit. Eligible Topstep dashboard traders who joined before January 12, 2026 retain 100% of their first $10,000 in lifetime profits. The caps below apply before the split.
Topstep excludes the payout-request trading day from the next qualifying-day count. Its day count and Consistency calculation restart after a payout; BoxcarFlex starts a new cycle after an approved payout.
| Simulated-funded path | Qualifying days and consistency | Amount basis and $50K cap |
|---|---|---|
| Topstep XFA Standard | 5 non-consecutive days of at least $150 net; no consistency target. Later payouts also require net profit since the last payout. | Up to 50% of account balance; $2,000 cap. |
| Topstep XFA Consistency | At least 3 days with a trade each; largest day at most 40% of cycle net profit. | Up to 50% of account balance; $3,000 cap. |
| BoxcarFlex | 5 days of at least $150 net; net-positive cycle; no funded consistency. | Up to 50% of current-cycle profit; $2,000 cap, with loss-floor protection. |
Sources: Topstep Express Funded Account parameters · Topstep pricing and payment questions · Topstep payout policy · BoxcarFlex rules · Boxcar payout eligibility by plan
Two 50% rules can produce different requests
Suppose a regular $50K XFA Standard account retains $2,000 after an earlier payout. It then earns $200 net on each of five new qualifying days: $1,000 of new profit and a $3,000 balance. Half the balance is $1,500, below the $2,000 cap.
Now suppose $50K BoxcarFlex retains $2,000 above its starting balance after an earlier payout, then earns the same five $200 days. Its new-cycle profit is $1,000, so the 50% limit permits a $500 request, not $1,500. The retained $2,000 is not new-cycle profit.
These hypothetical figures assume all other trading and payout conditions are satisfied. They show a difference in calculation, not expected returns.
Sources: Topstep payout policy · BoxcarFlex rules · Boxcar payout eligibility by plan
Compare the floor left after a payout
On a regular $50K Trading Combine, Topstep's $2,000 Maximum Loss Limit trails end-of-day (EOD) balances and stops at the starting balance. It is still enforced during the session, including unrealized losses. In a $50K XFA, the floor starts at -$2,000 and ultimately locks at $0; the first payout sets it to $0 even if it had not reached that level.
BoxcarFlex also uses EOD drawdown, but its $50K locked floor is $50,100, and a payout request locks that floor. In the previous example, the $500 request leaves a $52,500 balance: $2,400 above the floor. Topstep's $1,500 request leaves $1,500 above its $0 floor.
Sources: Topstep Maximum Loss Limit · BoxcarFlex rules
Check the connection your software needs
Topstep directs new traders to TopstepX. It also documents Quantower access through TopstepX credentials for Trading Combine and XFA accounts. Boxcar uses Rithmic and lists Rithmic Trader Pro and NinjaTrader among its supported platforms. Confirm the exact connection, account stage and any separate license or data cost for the software you intend to use.
Sources: Topstep guide for new traders · Topstep Quantower connection instructions · Boxcar supported platforms · Boxcar billing and reset fees