Lucid Trading vs Topstep Comparison

Buyer-first futures comparison · checked October 13, 2026

Lucid Trading vs Topstep Buyer’s Scorecard

Lucid Trading and Topstep both sell simulated futures evaluations with end-of-day trailing drawdowns, the same profit targets and drawdowns at 50K, 100K and 150K, a 90/10 split and a discretionary path to live capital. The structural differences are how you pay (one fee at Lucid, a monthly subscription at Topstep), how big a single payout can be, how many platforms you can use, and what happens to your simulated balance when you move live.

Decision point	Lucid Trading	Topstep
Matched product	50K LucidFlex (5 profitable days per payout, no funded consistency rule)	50K Trading Combine, then an Express Funded Account (XFA) on the Standard path (5 winning days per payout)
How you pay	One-time fee: $136 list, $90.20 with Lucid’s published VAULT code and the daily loss limit on. No activation fee	Monthly subscription until you pass: $49/month plus a $149 activation fee (Standard path), or $95/month with no activation fee ($85 with the daily loss limit on)
Profit target / minimum days	$3,000; two days in practice under the 50% consistency rule	$3,000; two days in practice under the 55% consistency target
Evaluation drawdown	$2,000 end-of-day trailing	$2,000 end-of-day trailing
Daily loss limit	Optional $1,200 (chosen at checkout, soft)	Optional $1,000 (chosen at checkout, soft)
Funded account start	Starts at $50,000 with the $2,000 drawdown; floor locks at $50,100	Starts at a $0 balance with the floor at −$2,000; floor locks at $0, and moves to $0 after the first payout
Payout gate	5 days of $150+ profit and positive net profit in the cycle; $500 minimum	5 winning days of $150+ and profit since the last payout; $125 minimum
Per-request maximum (50K)	50% of profit, up to $2,000; up to 5 payouts, then a live review	50% of the balance, up to $2,000, or $4,000 if the daily loss limit was added at Combine checkout (limited-time offer); no payout-count limit
Platforms	12 platforms on CQG or Rithmic, including NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, Sierra Chart and Quantower	TopstepX (Topstep’s own platform, TradingView charts) and Quantower through the TopstepX connection
Live account	90/10; starts at a $0 balance with a fresh drawdown; repeatable live bonus; cashout option	90/10; carries your XFA balances over (capped at account size), 20% tradable and 80% in reserve; daily payouts after 30 winning days
Best fit	Traders who want one payment with no time pressure, a 25K size, LucidPro’s one-day pass, uncapped daily payouts (LucidDaily), a straight-to-funded account (LucidDirect) or third-party platforms such as NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Sierra Chart or Bookmap.	Traders who expect to pass within a month, want much larger simulated payout caps, published pass and payout statistics, phone support, Treasury or crypto futures, a live account that carries their sim balance over, or who live in a country Lucid restricts, such as South Africa, the Philippines or Indonesia.

Advanced checks before paying

• Estimate how many months you will need to pass. Topstep rebills every 30 days until you pass; Lucid charges once and has no time limit.
• At Topstep, decide on the daily loss limit at checkout: it lowers the No Activation Fee price and, for now, doubles the funded payout caps, but it cannot be removed later.
• Work out the cushion you keep after each payout. Topstep moves the funded loss floor to $0 after the first payout, so whatever balance you leave is your entire drawdown.
• Check that your platform is offered. Topstep runs on TopstepX and Quantower only; Lucid has no proprietary platform.
• Confirm your country: Topstep accepts some countries for funded accounts but not live accounts, and Lucid restricts a longer list.

Figures are tied to the products named in each row and were read from each firm’s public pages and help centre on October 13, 2026. Coupon prices are calculated from published list prices and codes, not verified by purchase. Recheck checkout before paying.

Short answer: Lucid Trading vs Topstep is a choice between paying once and paying monthly. Both firms use a $3,000 target and a $2,000 end-of-day trailing drawdown on a 50K evaluation, both pay 90/10, and both decide at their own discretion who moves to live capital. Lucid charges one fee with no activation fee and no time limit, sells four current plans (LucidPro, LucidFlex, LucidDaily and the straight-to-funded LucidDirect) from 25K to 150K, works with 12 third-party platforms and caps most funded payouts at $1,000 to $3,500 per request for up to five payouts. Topstep sells a monthly Trading Combine at 50K, 100K and 150K, runs on its own TopstepX platform, allows simulated payouts of up to $12,000 per request with no payout-count limit, publishes its pass and payout rates, and carries your simulated balance into a live account. On Trustpilot, Lucid scores 4.4 from 6,900 reviews and Topstep 3.7 from 14,939 (read October 13, 2026). Neither firm is better for everyone; the right one depends on how fast you pass, how large you trade and which platform you use.

This page compares Lucid Trading and Topstep (people also search “Topstep vs Lucid” or “Topstep Lucid”) plan by plan. Every number below comes from the firms’ own websites and help centres, read on October 13, 2026, and each section links to its source. Where a firm’s own pages disagree, we say so.

Checked October 13, 2026: lucidtrading.com, support.lucidtrading.com, topstep.com and help.topstep.com. Prices with codes are calculated from the published list price and the firm’s own published code; they were not verified by purchase.

Both firms run simulated evaluation and funded accounts. Payouts from the funded stage are real money paid on simulated results under each firm’s rules, and only a small share of traders reach live capital: Topstep says 0.71% of its Express Funded Account traders were called up to a live account in 2025. This is educational research, not financial advice.

Lucid Trading vs Topstep at a glance

Factor	Lucid Trading	Topstep
Current products	LucidPro, LucidFlex, LucidDaily (evaluations) and LucidDirect (straight to funded). LucidBlack and older live structures are legacy	Trading Combine (evaluation), then Express Funded Account (Standard or Consistency path), then Live Funded Account. Topstep Labs sells limited one-off experiments
Account sizes	25K, 50K, 100K, 150K on every plan	50K, 100K, 150K (Labs drops have included 25K, 50K static and 250K accounts)
Fee model	One-time fee, no monthly subscription	Monthly subscription until you pass or cancel
Activation fee	$0	$149 per funded account on the Standard path; $0 on the No Activation Fee path
Evaluation time limit	None	None, but the subscription rebills every 30 days
Evaluation consistency	None (LucidPro); 50% (LucidFlex, LucidDaily)	55% of total profit
Drawdown type	End-of-day trailing; LucidDaily funded accounts trail intraday	End-of-day trailing
Funded split	90/10	90/10 (100% of the first $10,000 for traders who joined the new dashboard before January 12, 2026)
Minimum payout	$500	$125
Largest simulated payout per request (150K)	$3,500 (LucidPro, LucidDirect); LucidDaily pays all profit above its buffer	$6,000 (Consistency path), or $12,000 with the limited-time daily-loss-limit offer
Payouts before a live review	Up to 5 on Flex, Pro and Direct	No fixed number; call-up is at the risk team’s discretion
Daily payouts	LucidDaily funded accounts	Live accounts only, after 30 winning days of $150+
Platforms	CQG: NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView. Rithmic: Quantower, Tradesea, MotiveWave, Sierra Chart, Jigsaw, Bookmap, ATAS, R|Trader Pro, MultiCharts	TopstepX (web platform with TradingView charts) and Quantower via the TopstepX connection; API access for automation
Payout methods	Plaid (US), WorkMarket by ADP (bank or PayPal), crypto (international)	Aeropay and prop-to-brokerage (US), ACH ($30), Wise (China, Canada, UK), wire ($30)
Published pass and payout rates	None	2025: 16.8% of Combines passed; 33.3% of funded traders received a payout
Support channels	Live chat and tickets, “Usually 2-4 hours”, Monday to Friday	AI assistant first, then chat, phone (Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM CT), email, SMS and WhatsApp
Trustpilot (read October 13, 2026)	4.4 from 6,900 reviews; replied to 0% of negative reviews	3.7 from 14,939 reviews; replied to 5% of negative reviews

How each firm works

Lucid Trading

Lucid Trading is a US futures prop firm operated by Lucid Trading Group LLC. You buy an evaluation (or a straight-to-funded account) for a single fee, trade it in simulation on CME futures, and once you pass you receive a simulated funded account from which you can request real payouts at 90/10. Lucid has no monthly subscription and no activation fee. Its four current plans differ in how you pass and how you get paid:

• LucidPro: one-day pass with no evaluation consistency rule; funded payouts need a 40% consistency ratio and a profit goal per cycle.
• LucidFlex: 50% consistency rule in the evaluation, none once funded; payouts after 5 profitable days, at 50% of profit up to a cap.
• LucidDaily: daily payouts of everything above a buffer, with an intraday trailing drawdown once funded and a maximum daily profit that triggers a live review.
• LucidDirect: no evaluation; a funded account from day one with a 20% consistency rule and higher price.

After the fifth payout on Flex, Pro or Direct, or after hitting LucidDaily’s maximum daily profit, a trader enters Lucid’s live review pool. For every plan in detail, see our Lucid Trading review and Lucid accounts compared.

Topstep

Topstep is the older firm: it began in 2010 as Patak Trading Partners on the Chicago Board of Trade floor and launched Topstep Trader in 2012. Its program has three stages. The Trading Combine is a monthly subscription evaluation with one rule (do not hit the Maximum Loss Limit) and two objectives (reach the profit target and meet the 55% consistency target). Passing earns an Express Funded Account (XFA), a simulated account that starts at a $0 balance and pays real money; you choose the Standard path (5 winning days per payout) or the Consistency path (3 trading days and a 40% rule) when you activate it, and the choice is permanent. Topstep’s risk team may then call you up to a Live Funded Account (LFA) trading the firm’s capital, which closes all your XFAs.

Topstep’s simulated program is run by TopstepTrader, LLC, its live accounts by TopstepFunded LLC, and its TopstepX platform is owned by ProjectX Trading LLC. A sister company, Topstep Brokerage LLC, is an NFA-registered introducing broker for traders using their own money. Topstep Labs sells limited “drops”, such as a $50K static-drawdown Combine for a one-time $149; the Labs page currently lists every drop as past, so availability varies. More on the firm in our Topstep review and how Topstep rules work.

Plan lineups and how they pair up

The two firms build their programs differently, so the useful comparison is by design. This is how Lucid’s current plans line up against Topstep’s Combine and funded paths.

If you are looking at…	Lucid plan	Closest Topstep option	Main difference
Payouts after a set number of profitable days	LucidFlex	Trading Combine + XFA Standard	The closest pair on this page. Both need 5 days of $150+ at 50K and pay up to 50% of profit per request. LucidFlex caps a 50K request at $2,000 and allows 5 payouts; the XFA caps it at $2,000 ($4,000 with the daily-loss-limit offer) with no payout limit. LucidFlex is a one-time fee; the Combine is monthly.
A consistency-based payout cycle	LucidPro	Trading Combine + XFA Consistency	Both use a 40% best-day rule once funded. LucidPro has no evaluation consistency rule (one-day pass); the Combine has a 55% target. The XFA Consistency path needs only 3 trading days per payout and caps a 50K request at $3,000 ($6,000 with the offer); LucidPro caps it at $2,000 for payout 1 and $2,500 after.
Daily payouts	LucidDaily	No direct equivalent	Topstep offers daily payouts only in a Live Funded Account after 30 winning days. LucidDaily allows a request every day once funded, at the cost of an intraday trailing drawdown and a hard breach for trading red-folder news once funded.
Skip the evaluation	LucidDirect	No equivalent	Topstep does not sell instant or straight-to-funded accounts; every XFA comes from a passed Combine (or a Labs drop).
A one-time fee	Every Lucid plan	Topstep Labs drops only	Topstep’s standard Combine is monthly. Its Labs $50K static Combine ($149, 90-day life, $2,000 static drawdown, $4,000 target, $8,000 payout cap) was one-time, but Labs drops are limited and the Labs page lists it as past.
A 25K account	All four plans	None in the standard program	Topstep starts at 50K; a $25K static Combine was a past Labs drop.

Lucid also has legacy products (LucidBlack and older live and LucidMaxx structures) and an invite-only LucidMaxx program; its terms depend on your purchase date. Topstep’s legacy terms mainly concern traders who joined its new dashboard before January 12, 2026 (100% of the first $10,000) and accounts on the older platform. Never apply an old video’s rules to a new purchase.

Prices at 25K, 50K, 100K and 150K

Lucid quotes one-time list prices and shows “FOR THE BEST DEAL USE CODE: VAULT” (30% off all four plans) on its homepage. Topstep quotes monthly prices; it showed no site-wide code when we checked, and its promo codes apply to the first month only (or a reset, not both). New Topstep customers can also use another trader’s referral code for 15% off the first purchase. BestProps has no codes of its own; our Lucid Trading deals and Topstep deals pages track each firm’s offers.

Lucid plan (one-time fee)	25K	50K	100K	150K
LucidPro list	$108	$172	$272	$365
LucidPro with VAULT, DLL on	$70.60	$115.40	$180.40	$245.50
LucidFlex list	$79	$136	$258	$372
LucidFlex with VAULT, DLL on	$50.30	$90.20	$170.60	$250.40
LucidDaily list (EOD / intraday evaluation)	$93 / $79	$136 / $108	$222 / $179	$315 / $258
LucidDaily with VAULT, DLL on (EOD / intraday)	$65.10 / $55.30	$95.20 / $75.60	$155.40 / $125.30	$220.50 / $180.60
LucidDirect list (straight to funded)	$329	$515	$700	$836
LucidDirect with VAULT	$230.30	$360.50	$490.00	$585.20

Topstep (monthly)	50K	100K	150K
Trading Combine, Standard path	$49/month	$99/month	$199/month
Activation fee on passing (Standard path)	$149	$149	$149
Trading Combine, No Activation Fee path	$95/month	$149/month	$229/month
No Activation Fee path with the daily loss limit on	$85/month	$129/month	$199/month
Reset (Standard / No Activation Fee)	$49 / $95	$99 / $149	$199 / $229
Back2Funded reactivation of a lost XFA	$599	$699	$829
Level 2 market data (optional)	$38/month	$38/month	$38/month

What it really costs to get funded

A monthly fee and a one-time fee only compare once you add how long you take and how often you fail. These 50K scenarios use the cheapest published route at each firm with the daily loss limit on.

Scenario at 50K (daily loss limit on)	LucidFlex	LucidPro	Topstep Standard path	Topstep No Activation Fee path
Pass in the first month	$90.20	$115.40	$49 + $149 = $198	$85
Pass slowly in month 3 without ever breaching	$90.20	$115.40	$49 × 3 + $149 = $296	$85 × 3 = $255
Breach once, then pass in month 2	$90.20 + $90 reset = $180.20	$115.40 + $115 reset = $230.40	$49 × 2 + $149 = $247	$85 × 2 = $170
Breach twice, then pass in month 3	$270.20	$345.40	$49 × 3 + $149 = $296	$85 × 3 = $255
Three months, never pass	$270.20 (three attempts)	$345.40	$147	$255

The pattern: Topstep’s No Activation Fee Combine is cheapest for a quick pass, and Topstep is also cheaper for a trader who keeps failing, because each rebill includes a free reset. Lucid is cheapest for a slow, careful pass, because its fee never repeats unless you breach. Topstep’s Standard path only beats the No Activation Fee path if you need five or more months with the daily loss limit on (four or more without it). The Topstep subscription for the passed Combine cancels automatically; any other Combines keep billing until you cancel them.

Profit targets, minimum days and time to funded

Plan (50K)	Target	Minimum days	Evaluation consistency	Evaluation daily limit	Max contracts
LucidPro	$3,000	1	None	Optional $1,200	4 minis
LucidFlex	$3,000	2 in practice (50% rule)	50%	Optional $1,200	4 minis
LucidDaily	$3,000	2 in practice (50% rule)	50%	Optional $1,200	4 minis
Topstep Trading Combine	$3,000	2 in practice (55% rule)	55% (best day must stay at or below $1,650)	Optional $1,000	5 minis / 50 micros
LucidDirect	No evaluation	Trade from purchase	Funded rule only (20%)	$1,200	4 minis

How the two evaluation consistency rules play out. Both firms divide the best day by total profit, but they react differently when you break the limit. At Topstep, a best day above 55% raises your target: a $1,800 day on a 50K means you now need $1,800 ÷ 0.55 = $3,273, and a $2,200 day pushes it to $4,000. The best day locks at 3:10 PM CT, so extra profit the same session only raises the target further. Lucid’s 50% rule on LucidFlex and LucidDaily works the same way (a $1,800 day needs $3,600 in total), with a small published cushion: Lucid lets a 50K LucidFlex pass with a best day of up to $1,560. LucidPro has no evaluation consistency rule at all, so a single $3,000 day passes.

Lucid upgrades a passed evaluation to a funded account within 5–30 minutes of hitting the target, with no activation fee. At Topstep, the Combine closes and its subscription cancels when you pass (status can take up to 30 minutes to update); you then activate the XFA from your dashboard, paying $149 on the Standard path. An XFA activated on a Friday cannot be traded until Sunday 5 PM CT. Profits in the Combine do not carry over to the XFA. Neither firm sets a deadline, but Topstep’s subscription keeps billing every 30 days until your dashboard shows a pass.

Drawdown: where the floor sits

Account	Drawdown (50K / 100K / 150K)	How it trails	Where it stops
LucidPro, LucidFlex evaluation and funded	$2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500	End-of-day	Starting balance + $100 once the balance closes above the trail balance (e.g. $50,100 after $52,100 on 50K). On Flex it also locks there as soon as you request a payout
LucidDaily funded	$2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500	Intraday, including open profit	Starting balance + $100
LucidDirect funded	$2,000 / $3,500 / $5,000	End-of-day	Starting balance + $100
Topstep Trading Combine	$2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500	End-of-day (monitored in real time, including open losses)	The starting balance ($50,000 on 50K)
Topstep XFA	−$2,000 / −$3,000 / −$4,500 from a $0 start	End-of-day	$0 once the balance reaches the drawdown amount; set to $0 after the first payout regardless
Topstep Live Funded Account	Balance may not reach $0; a balance under $1,000 closes the account	Daily loss limit $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 instead of a trailing floor	—

For 50K, 100K and 150K the drawdown amounts are identical at the two firms, and both trail on end-of-day balances while liquidating in real time if open losses touch the floor. The real difference is the funded stage. A Topstep XFA starts at $0 and the floor starts at −$2,000 (50K); once the balance reaches $2,000 the floor locks at $0, and after your first payout it is set to $0 no matter where it was. From then on, the balance you leave in the account is your whole cushion. Lucid’s funded accounts start at the full account size with the floor $2,000 below, and lock it $100 above the starting balance.

In practice: take a $1,500 payout from a 50K XFA holding $3,000 and you keep a $1,500 cushion. Take the same $1,500 from a LucidFlex at $53,000 and you have $51,500 against a $50,100 floor, a $1,400 cushion. The numbers are close; what matters is to know that every payout at either firm shrinks your room for the next losing streak. Our EOD drawdown prop firm list compares more firms on this point.

Daily loss limits

• Lucid: every daily loss limit is soft (trading stops until the next session). On LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDaily you choose at checkout whether to have one ($1,200 / $1,800 / $2,700 at 50K / 100K / 150K); the choice cannot be changed later and turning it off costs extra. On LucidPro and LucidDirect, once the funded balance closes above the initial trail balance the fixed limit becomes LucidScale: 60% of your highest end-of-day profit.
• Topstep: the daily loss limit is optional in the Combine and XFA: $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 at 50K / 100K / 150K, fixed if added at checkout and carried into the XFA. Hitting it flattens positions and pauses the account until 5 PM CT; it is not a rule violation. Adding it at Combine checkout lowers the No Activation Fee price by $10 to $30 a month and, under a limited-time offer that began June 2, 2026, doubles the XFA payout caps. You can also set a personal daily loss limit (fixed or trailing) in TopstepX’s risk settings, which you can change unless you lock it for the day. Live Funded Accounts always have one ($2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 to start).
• Both firms: a daily loss limit is not a stop loss; liquidation fills at market and can land past the limit in a fast move. Topstep says over 63% of traders have lost an account in a single day.

Payouts: split, gates and caps

Account	Split	How often	Minimum	Maximum per request (25K / 50K / 100K / 150K)
LucidPro	90/10	Any day once the 40% rule, profit goal and buffer are met	$500	Payout 1: $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000. Payouts 2+: $1,500 / $2,500 / $3,000 / $3,500
LucidFlex	90/10	After every 5 days of $100 / $150 / $200 / $250+	$500	50% of profit, up to $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000
LucidDaily	90/10	Daily	$500	All profit above the $26,100 / $52,100 / $103,100 / $154,600 buffer
LucidDirect	90/10	Any day once the 20% rule and profit goal are met	$500	Payouts 1–3: $1,000 / $2,000 / $2,500 / $3,000. Payouts 4–5: $1,000 / $2,500 / $3,000 / $3,500
Topstep XFA Standard	90/10	After every 5 winning days of $150+ (and profit since the last payout)	$125	No 25K. 50% of the balance, up to $2,000 / $3,000 / $5,000; $4,000 / $6,000 / $10,000 if the daily loss limit was added at Combine checkout
Topstep XFA Consistency	90/10	After 3 trading days with the best day at or below 40% of net profit	$125	No 25K. 50% of the balance, up to $3,000 / $4,000 / $6,000; $6,000 / $8,000 / $12,000 with the daily-loss-limit offer
Topstep Live Funded Account	90/10	After every 5 winning days; daily after 30 winning days	$125	Up to 50% of the unlocked balance, no dollar cap; 100% once daily payouts are unlocked (taking 100% closes the account)

A Topstep winning day is a day with $150 or more net profit, locked at 4:00 PM CT; days need not be consecutive, and the day you request a payout does not count toward the next cycle. On the Consistency path, a $2,000 best day needs $5,000 of net profit in the window. Lucid’s Flex days work the same way at $150 for 50K. Lucid’s LucidPro and LucidDirect add a profit goal per cycle and a 40% or 20% consistency ratio.

Worked payout examples at 50K

These examples assume every day-count and consistency rule is already met and the account started fresh.

50K account, cycle rules met	Profit $3,000: request	You receive	Cushion left	Profit $6,000: request	You receive	Cushion left
LucidFlex	$1,500 (50% of profit)	$1,350	$1,400	$2,000 (cap)	$1,800	$3,900
LucidPro (payout 1)	$900 (above the $52,100 buffer)	$810	$2,000	$2,000 (cap)	$1,800	$3,900
LucidDaily	$900 (above the $52,100 buffer)	$810	$2,000 (intraday)	$3,900	$3,510	$2,000 (intraday)
Topstep XFA Standard	$1,500 (50% of balance)	$1,350	$1,500	$2,000 (cap)	$1,800	$4,000
Topstep XFA Standard, cap doubled	$1,500	$1,350	$1,500	$3,000 (50% of balance)	$2,700	$3,000
Topstep XFA Consistency	$1,500	$1,350	$1,500	$3,000 (cap)	$2,700	$3,000

What this shows: on a normal cycle of a few thousand dollars, the firms pay almost the same. Topstep pulls ahead on large cycles once the cap doubles or on the Consistency path, and it does not stop paying after five payouts. Lucid pulls ahead for traders who want daily access to profit (LucidDaily) or a payout without a large balance requirement on LucidPro’s later cycles. Topstep’s own example also shows the “profit since last payout” rule: after taking $3,000 from a $6,000 balance, the next request needs the balance to rise above $3,000 again, but it does not need a new set of $3,000 profits.

For more on how caps work across the industry, see how prop firm payout caps work. Plan-by-plan detail: Lucid Trading payouts and Topstep payouts.

Payout methods, fees and speed

• Lucid: once approved, the payout is deducted within minutes and disbursed “within 2 business days”. US traders can link a bank through Plaid; Lucid’s FAQ says Plaid transfers typically arrive within 5–15 minutes and international payouts can take up to 2 business days. WorkMarket by ADP pays US and international traders by bank or PayPal, and international traders can take BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT or USDC. Requests are final once submitted. Lucid publishes no payout-approval rate.
• Topstep: payouts can be requested Sunday 5 PM CT to Friday 5 PM CT. US traders can use Aeropay (instant after approval if the bank supports real-time payments, no Topstep fee) or send the payout to a Topstep Brokerage account the same day if requested by noon CT. ACH takes 1–3 business days and costs $30; wire/SWIFT takes 5–10 business days and costs $30; Wise (China, Canada and the UK only since August 2026) takes 1–3 business days. Topstep says internal approval can take 1–3 business days, advertises a “9 seconds” average for auto-approved US Aeropay payouts and a 99.26% approval rate. Its worked example: a $500 ACH request pays $420 after the 10% split and the $30 fee.
• Both firms: a trade that drops the balance below the required level before processing can get the request denied (Lucid) or must be avoided until the deduction lands (Topstep live accounts). Topstep collects a W-9 or W-8BEN with the request and pays only to a bank account in your own name; Lucid may issue a 1099 to US traders.

We have not tested a payout at either firm; the times above are the firms’ own statements.

Moving to a live account

Question	Lucid Trading	Topstep
What triggers a live review	Payout 5 on Flex, Pro or Direct; the maximum daily profit on LucidDaily; large lifetime payouts; strong sim results; a previous live account	Risk team review of your whole record (consistency, sizing, stops, payout history); no payout count is required
Can you decline	You can take a cashout instead, described as 50% of the live starting balance at 90/10, within 24 hours of the email	No. You move to live or close your XFAs
What happens to sim accounts	All closed; one live account per funded account that had at least one payout	All XFAs close; one Live Funded Account only
Live starting balance	$0, with a fresh EOD drawdown of $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 (25K–150K)	Your XFA balances added together, capped at the account size (average of your XFA tiers, rounded up). 20% is tradable (at least $10,000) and 80% held in reserve, released in 25% steps each time you make $3,000 / $6,000 / $9,000 (50K / 100K / 150K); any excess over the cap is forfeited
Daily loss limit and size	No daily loss limit; 4 / 6 / 10 minis at 50K / 100K / 150K	Daily loss limit $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 and 5 / 10 / 15 lots, expanding with live profit
Live payouts	90/10, daily payouts; a repeatable Live Bonus of $1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 / $4,500 after a live profit target and 20 trading days	90/10; after every 5 winning days, up to 50% of the unlocked balance with no cap; daily payouts of up to 100% after 30 winning days. Monthly Topstep Octagon leaderboard bonuses ($250,000 pool)
Live costs	Live data and terms are set in the live onboarding agreement	Professional market data $133 per exchange per month (one exchange covered), real commissions and your own platform licence
Automation in live	Not stated in the articles we read	Not possible: the API is not available on live accounts
Losing a live account	Standard 2-week cooldown before buying a new evaluation	Back to a new Trading Combine; Topstep may also “Shoulder Tap” a live trader back to one simulated account without warning

The live terms are where the firms differ most. Lucid starts every live account at $0 and pays you the simulated profit through the funded payouts you have already taken, plus a repeatable live bonus. Topstep moves the simulated balance itself into the live account, but only up to the account size and only 20% of it at first. Example from Topstep’s help centre: four 50K XFAs holding $25,000 each are capped at $50,000, so $50,000 is forfeited, $10,000 is tradable and $40,000 sits in reserve. Our Lucid live accounts and LucidMaxx guide covers Lucid’s new and legacy live structures.

Contract limits and scaling

• Lucid: LucidPro, LucidDirect and LucidDaily give you the full size from the first funded trade: 2 / 4 / 6 / 10 minis (or ten times as many micros) at 25K / 50K / 100K / 150K. LucidFlex funded accounts scale: a 50K starts at 2 minis, moves to 3 at $1,000 of profit and 4 at $2,000.
• Topstep: the Trading Combine allows 5 / 10 / 15 minis at 50K / 100K / 150K. XFAs follow a scaling plan based on the balance: 50K starts at 2 lots, 3 from $1,500 and 5 above $2,000; 100K starts at 3, then 4, 5 and 10 above $3,000; 150K starts at 3, then 4, 5, 10 and 15 above $4,500. New limits apply from the next session, and a payout that drops the balance lowers the tier. Live accounts start at 5 / 10 / 15 lots.
• Current volatility limits at Topstep (updated October 13, 2026): silver, copper and platinum minis are set to 0, and gold, crude oil and other energies are capped at 3 / 6 / 9 minis at 50K / 100K / 150K. Lucid does not publish an equivalent list.
• What it means: a new 50K funded account trades 2 lots at both LucidFlex and Topstep, and 4 at LucidPro. Above $2,000 of profit, Topstep’s 50K XFA allows 5 lots against Lucid’s 4.

Platforms, data and copy trading

This is the clearest practical difference. Lucid has no platform of its own. It offers two data routes: CQG runs NinjaTrader, Tradovate and TradingView; Rithmic runs Quantower, Tradesea, MotiveWave, Sierra Chart, Jigsaw, Bookmap, ATAS, R|Trader Pro and MultiCharts. Lucid’s platform article, updated October 12, 2026, says every listed platform works with every account type. CQG users must sign in to Tradovate first; Rithmic is down for maintenance at weekends. Non-professional traders pay no exchange data fee.

Topstep runs on TopstepX, a browser platform with TradingView charts and built-in risk settings (personal daily loss and profit limits, contract limits, lock-outs). It cannot connect to an external TradingView account or use custom TradingView indicators. Quantower connects through the TopstepX (ProjectX) connection for Combines and XFAs, with a free premium feature bundle. Topstep’s help centre does not list NinjaTrader, Tradovate or Rithmic. Level 1 data is free and Level 2 (depth of market) costs $38 a month. Exchange rules limit you to one TopstepX session at a time across devices.

ProjectX history matters here. ProjectX, which builds TopstepX, says it wound down its third-party service for most partner firms, supporting them only through February 28, 2026, and its site now sends traders to TopstepX. ProjectX is not on Lucid’s current platform list. Several Reddit commenters in the threads we read cite the ProjectX episode as a reason they avoid Topstep. Our Lucid platforms and setup guide covers Lucid’s connection steps.

Markets and commissions

Contract	Lucid: commission per side (× 2 for a round trip)	Topstep: round-turn cost including exchange and NFA fees
ES / NQ	$1.75 ($3.50)	$3.78
MES / MNQ	$0.50 ($1.00)	$1.22
CL	$2.00 ($4.00)	$4.02
GC	$2.30 ($4.60)	$4.32
MGC	$0.80 ($1.60)	$1.92
Micro Bitcoin (MBT)	Not on the approved list	$2.82
10-Year Note (ZN)	Not on the approved list	$2.62

Taken at face value, the costs are close: 20 MNQ round trips a day cost $20 at Lucid and $24.40 at Topstep, about $88 more over a 20-day month at Topstep, while gold minis are slightly cheaper at Topstep. If Lucid’s per-side figure excludes exchange fees, the gap narrows or reverses. In a Topstep live account you pay real commissions and professional data instead.

Prohibited strategies and trading restrictions

Rule	Lucid Trading	Topstep
News trading	Allowed on Pro, Flex and Direct. LucidDaily funded accounts must be flat from 1 minute before to 1 minute after US high-impact (red-folder) news, or the account is breached	Allowed in every account; no requirement to be flat. Purposely trading your maximum position size into a major scheduled release is prohibited, and slippage is never refunded
Automation	Automated systems and trade copiers permitted; the trader carries all software risk	Allowed in the Combine and XFA “with conditions” (no support, no exceptions for malfunctions); API access is a separate paid ProjectX subscription; not available in live accounts
Very short trades	Microscalping flagged when more than 50% of profit comes from trades held 5 seconds or less	No fixed minimum hold time; scalping designed to exploit simulated fills (hundreds of rapid trades, tight brackets for favourable fills) is prohibited
Hedging	Prohibited across accounts, users and firms, including correlated contracts	Cross-account hedging (including ES/MES, NQ/MNQ) triggers a real-time warning, then enforcement; coordinated trading with others prohibited
Price limits	No published rule	Holding a position within 2% of a product’s CME price limit is prohibited
VPN / location	Terms ban circumventing geographic restrictions	VPNs, proxies and TOR are not permitted
Trading hours	Flat by 4:45 PM ET; reopen 6:00 PM ET	Flat by 3:10 PM CT (4:10 PM ET); Topstep’s risk desk starts flattening at 3:08 PM CT; reopen 5:00 PM CT
Inactivity	Deleted after 30 calendar days without a $1 net profit or loss	XFAs with no trading for more than 30 days may be closed
Account stacking	No named rule in the articles we read	Prohibited: repeatedly blowing one account and switching to another; excessive purchases can lead to the Focused Trader Program (one $50K account at a time)

Full rulebooks: Lucid Trading rules and Topstep rules.

Account limits, copy trading and automation

• Account limits. Lucid allows up to 10 active evaluations and 5 active funded accounts per household or family, 10 in total across both, and 5 live accounts. Topstep allows unlimited Trading Combines, up to 5 active XFAs (any mix of sizes and paths) and one Live Funded Account, all under one profile; resets are limited to 2 per account per day.
• Copy trading. Both firms allow copying across your own accounts. Topstep allows a trade copier up to $750,000 of buying power (five 150K XFAs) and disables the copy connection while a payout processes. Lucid permits copiers and refuses compensation for copier errors. Both ban copying or coordinating with other people.
• Identity. Topstep requires identity verification before your second purchase. Lucid handles KYC at payout when its payout provider requires it.
• Losing a funded account. Lucid funded accounts cannot be reset. Topstep’s Back2Funded lets you reactivate a lost XFA up to twice if it never paid out, for $599 / $699 / $829 within 30 days.

Risk settings that keep either account alive

Most accounts at both firms end on one bad day, not a slow bleed. These habits matter more than which firm you pick.

• Size to the floor, not the contract limit. A 50K at either firm has $2,000 of drawdown. Four NQ minis can lose that in about 25 points; trading micros until the floor has locked gives you ten times the room.
• Choose the daily loss limit deliberately. At Lucid it lowers the price slightly; at Topstep it lowers the No Activation Fee price and currently doubles the funded caps. In both cases it is fixed once bought, and it stops one bad session from ending the account.
• Plan your payouts around the cushion. After a Topstep XFA payout the floor is $0, so withdrawing 50% of a thin balance leaves little room. Waiting until the balance is well above the drawdown amount, as Topstep itself recommends, keeps the account alive for the next cycle.
• Respect the scaling tiers. Topstep checks contract limits from the next session and reviews over-size positions held 10 seconds or more; Lucid can remove a day’s profit for exceeding LucidFlex’s funded scaling plan.
• Know your flat time. Topstep closes at 3:10 PM CT, earlier than Lucid’s 4:45 PM ET; a position you expect to hold into the last hour behaves differently at each firm.

Countries, payments and markets

Restricted countries. Lucid lists 82 countries and regions where citizens or residents cannot use its services. Topstep lists 34 ineligible countries and regions plus 25 countries that can earn funded accounts but not live accounts. Both exclude, among others, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, Iran and North Korea. Lucid also restricts countries Topstep fully accepts, including South Africa, the Philippines, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Lithuania, Panama, Ecuador, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tanzania. Countries that Lucid restricts but Topstep accepts for funded accounts only include Serbia, Vietnam, Ghana, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Iceland. Topstep’s funded-only countries also include Germany, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Monaco and Nepal, which Lucid accepts; traders there can take up to $200,000 in total Topstep payouts and may be offered a simulated Pro Account instead of live capital.

Paying. Lucid takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club and Maestro, and no crypto. Topstep takes Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Google Wallet and Apple Pay, not PayPal; the card must be in your name.

Markets. Both firms trade CME equity index, energy, metals, currency and agricultural futures. Topstep also lists Treasury futures (ZT, ZF, ZN, TN, ZB, UB), Micro Bitcoin, Micro Ether and micro currency contracts; Lucid’s approved list has none of these. Neither offers spot forex, and neither allows overnight holds in its simulated accounts.

Reputation, ownership and published figures

• Trustpilot (read October 13, 2026): Lucid Trading 4.4 from 6,900 reviews (6,504 in the last 12 months), 86% five-star and 10% one-star, profile claimed April 2025, replied to 0% of negative reviews. Topstep 3.7 from 14,939 reviews (3,547 in the last 12 months), 70% five-star and 19% one-star, profile claimed December 2020, replied to 5% of negative reviews. Both profiles invite customers to review and are paid Trustpilot subscribers.
• Published statistics. Topstep’s site discloses its 2025 results: 16.8% of Trading Combines passed, 51.8% of participants reached the funded level in at least one Combine, 33.3% of funded-level participants received a payout, and 0.71% of XFA traders were called up to live. Lucid publishes no pass, payout or live-transition rates.
• Firm claims, not audited figures. Topstep says “$1.5B+” paid to traders on its homepage and prop page, while its instant-payouts page says “$1.4B+”, and its community figures range from 200,000 to 750,000 traders across pages. Lucid says “$700M+ earned by traders”, “500K+ traders” and “15ish min from request to bank”.
• Ownership. Topstep LLC was founded by Michael Patak in Chicago, and its brokerage arm is an NFA member (ID 0567079). Lucid’s policies name Lucid Trading Group LLC under Delaware law; its official X account (created December 2024) refers to its founder and CEO as AJ, and third-party event listings name him as AJ Campanella. Lucid does not publish a leadership page.
• Support. Topstep starts with an AI assistant and escalates to people by chat, phone (888-407-1611, Monday to Friday 8 AM–5 PM CT), email, SMS or WhatsApp. Lucid offers live chat and tickets, says responses usually take 2–4 hours and is staffed Monday to Friday; it publishes no phone number. We have not timed either firm’s support.
• Refunds. Topstep offers a 14-day satisfaction guarantee on a first-ever Combine (one monthly payment, if you have not passed) and refunds a forgotten untraded rebill within 28 days. Lucid has a strict no-refund policy for traded accounts and may consider an untraded one at its discretion. Both treat improper chargebacks as grounds for a ban.

Lucid’s operating notes and recent changes are on our Lucid Trading status page and Lucid Trading pulse; Topstep’s are on our Topstep status page.

What traders say on Reddit

We read the most-discussed Reddit threads comparing the two firms on October 13, 2026. They are individual opinions, not verified experiences.

• r/LucidProp, “Lucid vs Topstep” (July 4, 2026; 37 points, 35 comments): the poster, who already had a Topstep live account, passed a LucidFlex evaluation in three days and said Lucid’s evaluation was better while Topstep was better once trading. Replies praised Lucid’s fast US bank payouts; one argued Topstep was better on everything except instant payouts and the subscription, while another complained about Topstep’s payout-cap cuts.
• r/PropFirmTester, “Spent way too long researching Tradeify vs Topstep vs Lucid” (September 18, 2026; 45 points, 30 comments): the poster found the firms more alike than their marketing (all CME-only, 90/10, end-of-day drawdowns) and named Topstep’s locked platform, monthly fee and 2026 cap cuts as downsides, and Lucid’s low entry price and fast payouts as strengths. Several commenters ranked Lucid first and cited the ProjectX episode against Topstep; one described Lucid refusing to restore copied accounts after an outage, and another said Topstep handled its own platform problems by reversing bad trades.
• Search results for “Topstep vs Lucid” on Reddit also include r/PropFirmTester threads from January, May and July 2026 asking the same question, with mixed answers.

Common themes across these threads: Lucid is liked for one-time pricing and payout speed; Topstep is liked for its larger caps, risk tools and live program, and criticised for its subscription and single platform.

How often the rules change

Both firms change their terms often and date their help-centre articles. These are the dated changes that affect this comparison.

Date	Lucid Trading	Topstep
November 28, 2025	LucidPro accounts bought or reset from 3 PM EST pay 90/10 from the first dollar under a 40% funded rule; earlier accounts keep 100% of the first $10,000 and a 35% rule	—
January 12, 2026	—	Traders who joined the new dashboard after this date pay 90/10 from the first dollar; earlier joiners keep 100% of the first $10,000
February 28, 2026	End of ProjectX support for partner firms that were dropping it; ProjectX is not on Lucid’s current platform list	ProjectX (TopstepX’s developer) now directs traders to TopstepX
May 29 – June 2, 2026	—	Back2Funded window extended from 7 to 30 days; limited-time doubled payout caps for traders who add a daily loss limit at Combine checkout
June – October 2026	LucidDaily added (summer 2026); legacy LucidMaxx pricing retired (October 4); New Live Structure with cashout and repeatable bonus (October 9); platform list updated (October 12)	Topstep Labs drops #001–#007; live performance bonus replaced by the Topstep Octagon (from August); Wise payouts restored for China, Canada and the UK (August); CME fee rise on MCL and MNG (October 1)
October 13, 2026	LucidFlex funded-account article updated	Payout policy and volatility-restriction articles updated

How to choose between them

1. Estimate your pass time. If you usually pass within a month, Topstep’s $85 No Activation Fee Combine (DLL on) is cheaper than most Lucid plans at 50K. If it takes you two months or more, Lucid’s one-time fee wins.
2. Pick your payout style. Daily withdrawals point to LucidDaily; large, infrequent withdrawals point to Topstep’s Consistency path.
3. Check your platform. If you use NinjaTrader, Sierra Chart, Bookmap, ATAS or another third-party platform, only Lucid supports it.
4. Check your markets. Treasuries, Micro Bitcoin and Micro Ether are tradable at Topstep, not at Lucid. Topstep currently blocks silver, copper and platinum minis.
5. Check your country. See the eligibility section below.
6. Read the live terms. Decide whether you prefer a $0-start live account with bonuses (Lucid) or a capped transfer of your sim balance with a reserve (Topstep).

Which firm fits which trader

Lucid Trading tends to suit you if you:

• Expect to take more than a month to pass, or want no time pressure at all: one fee, no rebill.
• Use NinjaTrader, Tradovate, Sierra Chart, Bookmap, ATAS, MotiveWave or another third-party platform.
• Want a 25K account, a one-day pass with no evaluation consistency rule (LucidPro) or a straight-to-funded account (LucidDirect).
• Want daily payouts from a simulated funded account (LucidDaily).
• Run automated strategies and want the same freedom in a live account.
• Live in a country Topstep accepts only for funded accounts, such as Germany or Hong Kong, and want a path to live capital.

Topstep tends to suit you if you:

• Usually pass within a month: the 50K No Activation Fee Combine with a daily loss limit costs $85.
• Want large simulated payouts: up to $6,000 per request at 50K on the Consistency path with the doubled-cap offer, and no limit on the number of payouts.
• Trade Treasury futures, Micro Bitcoin or Micro Ether.
• Want published pass and payout statistics, phone support and an NFA-registered sister brokerage.
• Want your simulated balance to move into a live account, with daily payouts after 30 winning live days.
• Live in a country Lucid restricts, such as South Africa, the Philippines, Indonesia, Bulgaria or Lithuania.

Watch-outs on each side: Lucid caps most funded payouts at $1,000 to $3,500 and allows only five before a live review, LucidDaily funded accounts breach on red-folder news and trail intraday, Lucid publishes no pass or payout rates and replies to none of its negative Trustpilot reviews. Topstep bills monthly until you pass, has a single proprietary platform, sets the funded loss floor to $0 after your first payout, caps live transfers at the account size with 80% held in reserve, does not let you decline a call-up, and currently restricts several metals and energy contracts.

Alternatives if neither fits

If neither firm fits, compare the other futures firms on the same terms. Our best alternatives to Lucid Trading and best alternatives to Topstep guides rank them by use case, and these head-to-heads use the same method as this page: Apex Trader Funding vs Lucid Trading, Lucid Trading vs Tradeify, Lucid Trading vs My Funded Futures, Topstep vs Apex Trader Funding and Topstep vs TradeDay. For a ranked list, see best futures prop firms.

What to verify before choosing Lucid Trading or Topstep

Check	Why it matters
Billing model	Topstep rebills every 30 days until the dashboard shows a pass; cancel unused Combines yourself, because only the passed one cancels automatically.
Path and add-ons	Topstep’s Standard or No Activation Fee path, the daily loss limit and the XFA payout path are all fixed once chosen. Lucid’s daily-loss-limit choice is fixed too.
Payout cap offer	Topstep’s doubled caps apply only to new Combines bought with a daily loss limit during the offer, which has no published end date.
Cushion after payouts	Topstep’s XFA floor moves to $0 after the first payout; Lucid’s locks at the starting balance + $100.
Platform	TopstepX and Quantower only at Topstep; Lucid has no proprietary platform.
Products	Topstep currently restricts some metals and energies by contract count; Lucid has no Treasuries or crypto.
Country	Check both lists, and whether Topstep would allow you a live account or only a funded one.
Live terms	Lucid starts live at $0 with bonuses; Topstep transfers a capped balance, 20% tradable.

Source conflicts we found

• Topstep Back2Funded window: the help centre says 30 days since May 29, 2026; the Express Funded Account rules page on topstep.com, “Last updated June 26, 2025”, still says 7 days. We use the help centre.
• Topstep No Activation Fee price: the help centre lists $95 / $149 / $229 a month; the plan cards show $85 / $129 / $199 because they default to the daily loss limit on, which carries a $10 / $20 / $30 discount.
• Topstep paid-out totals: “$1.5B+” on the homepage and prop page, “$1.4B+” on the instant-payouts page and “more than $1 billion” in an FAQ answer on the same prop page.
• Topstep payout ceiling: its prop page says payouts of “up to $12,000” and “up to $6,000” on the same page; $12,000 is the 150K Consistency cap with the daily-loss-limit offer, $6,000 without it.
• Lucid LucidFlex payout basis: the payout table says “50% of Profit”, the text above it “50% of their account balance”. We use the table.
• Lucid cashout: the New Live Structure prices the cashout at 50% of the live starting balance while saying live accounts start at $0. Ask support how your cashout is calculated.
• Lucid news rule: Lucid’s general FAQ says news trading is permitted; the trading-activities article makes red-folder news a hard breach on LucidDaily.

What we could not confirm: the end date of Topstep’s doubled payout caps, how long Topstep payout approval takes in practice, whether Lucid’s per-side commission includes exchange fees, Lucid’s live payout minimum, and how Lucid calculates its live cashout. Prices with codes are calculated, not verified by purchase.

Frequently asked questions

More Lucid Trading research on BestProps

• Lucid Trading review: every plan, legitimacy and support
• Lucid Trading payouts: methods, timing and caps by plan
• Lucid Trading deals: current codes and discounts
• Lucid Trading status: operating status and change log
• Lucid Trading pulse: recent signals in one place
• Best alternatives to Lucid Trading
• Lucid Trading vs FTMO
• More Lucid Trading guides: Lucid Trading rules, LucidFlex rules and payouts, LucidPro rules and payouts, LucidDaily rules and payouts, LucidDirect rules and payouts, LucidBlack legacy rules and payouts, Lucid live accounts and LucidMaxx, Lucid Trading accounts compared, Lucid Trading consistency rule and Lucid Trading platforms and setup
• More Lucid Trading comparisons: Apex Trader Funding vs Lucid Trading, Lucid Trading vs My Funded Futures, Lucid Trading vs Take Profit Trader, Lucid Trading vs Tradeify, Alpha Futures vs Lucid Trading, Bulenox vs Lucid Trading, Lucid Trading vs TradeDay, FundedNext Futures vs Lucid Trading and Lucid Trading vs Top One Futures
• Topstep: review, payouts, rules, deals, status and alternatives
• Hubs: futures comparisons, all prop firm reviews, payout guides, rule guides, firm status
• Guides: best futures prop firms, prop firms with daily payouts, EOD drawdown prop firms, how payout caps work

Sources

All sources read October 13, 2026.

• Lucid Trading: homepage pricing and plan cards, LucidPro evaluation, LucidPro funded account, LucidPro payouts, LucidPro daily loss limit, LucidFlex evaluation, LucidFlex funded account, LucidFlex payouts, LucidFlex consistency, LucidFlex scaling plan, LucidFlex drawdown, LucidDaily funded account, LucidDaily payouts, LucidDirect funded account, LucidDirect payout objectives, New Live Structure, payout methods, supported platforms, approved products and commissions, other trading activities, allowed trading times, hedging, microscalping, inactivity, account limits, payment methods, restricted countries, refund and chargeback policy.
• Topstep: homepage and 2025 performance statistics, plan cards, Express Funded Account rules page, instant payouts, about us, Topstep Labs, help centre: program overview, Trading Combine parameters, subscriptions, pricing and payment, resets, reset limits, consistency, Maximum Loss Limit, daily loss limit, XFA parameters, XFA activation, scaling plan, payout policy, Back2Funded, Live Funded Account parameters, call-up and call-down, Dynamic Live Risk Expansion, live account costs, Topstep Octagon, Pro Account, TopstepX, Quantower, API access, market data, commissions and fees, products and hours, volatility restrictions, 2% price limit, economic releases, prohibited conduct, prohibited strategies, hedging, Focused Trader Program, identity verification, eligibility, refund policies, contact support.
• Trustpilot: Lucid Trading and Topstep. ProjectX: homepage.
• Reddit: r/LucidProp “Lucid vs Topstep” and r/PropFirmTester “Tradeify vs Topstep vs Lucid”.

Final word

Lucid Trading and Topstep use the same targets, the same drawdowns at 50K to 150K and the same 90/10 split, so the decision turns on four things. Billing: Lucid charges once, Topstep charges every month until you pass, which favours Topstep for fast passers and Lucid for slow, careful ones. Payout size: Topstep’s funded caps run far higher, especially with its current daily-loss-limit offer, and it sets no payout count; Lucid offers daily payouts and caps most plans at a few thousand dollars for five payouts. Platform: Lucid supports a dozen third-party platforms, Topstep only its own TopstepX and Quantower. Live: Topstep transfers part of your simulated balance, Lucid starts you at $0 with bonuses or a cashout. Pick the firm whose terms fit how you trade, then confirm the exact terms at checkout.

This page is for educational purposes only and is not financial, investment or trading advice. Futures trading carries substantial risk of loss. Prop-firm terms change often; confirm current rules, prices and payout policies with each firm before you pay.

Research and disclosure

How this comparison was reviewed

Basis

Document-based comparison of official product pages, trading objectives, and help-center material cited in this page.

Scope

Lucid Trading and Topstep programs and the exact account comparisons stated on this page. Other firms and changing checkout promotions are outside this comparison.

Limitations

BestProps did not purchase an account or perform first-hand trading, support, identity-check, or payout testing for this comparison. Recheck current terms before purchase.

Commercial state

BestProps currently has no active affiliate or sponsor relationship with Lucid Trading, Topstep, or any firm named on this page. Any future relationship will be disclosed next to affected links and in this record.

Editorial methodology · Corrections · Commercial disclosure