Lean Topstep if
Best fit
Traders who want the most established structure and can work within payout objectives.
Think twice if
You need the old first-$10K profit split as a new trader, or you dislike payout caps and objective changes.
Topstep vs Bulenox
A source-backed, side-by-side look at how Topstep and Bulenox treat drawdown, payouts, pricing, and the rules that actually decide whether you keep a funded account.
Quick verdict
Lean Bulenox if
Best fit
Traders who want a large account-size menu up to $250K, either a self-paced Qualification path or a one-time-fee Fast Track/Momentum shortcut, and understand Master/Funded transition mechanics.
Think twice if
You dislike per-cycle Qualification pricing, the Option-1/Option-2 drawdown-model lock-in, or discretionary consolidation into live funded accounts.
Topstep vs Bulenox: rules at a glance
Every value below is pulled from each firm's official sources. Confirm live figures at checkout. New to the terms? See the key terms below.
| Rule | Topstep | Bulenox |
|---|---|---|
| Account sizes | $50K, $100K, $150K | $25K, $50K, $100K, $150K, $250K |
| Evaluation pricing | Standard path: $49/$99/$199 per month. No Activation Fee path: $95/$149/$229 per month. | $145/$175/$215/$325/$535 for a Qualification account by size, charged once per subscription cycle (last confirmed 2026-07-26, not reconfirmed 2026-09-03). Fast Track/Momentum one-time fees and Master's per-size activation fee are not published outside a client-rendered pricing tab. |
| Activation fee | $149 on Standard path after passing; $0 on No Activation Fee path. | Master Account: one-time fee that scales with account size (exact per-size dollar figures gated behind the client-rendered pricing tab, not confirmed). Momentum Master: free, no activation fee. |
| Profit targets | $3K, $6K, $9K profit target by account size. | $1.5K, $3K, $6K, $9K, $15K. |
| Drawdown | EOD trailing Maximum Loss Limit of $2K/$3K/$4.5K; monitored in real time. | Option 1 (No Scaling) trails your highest balance in real time including open positions, full contract size from day one. Option 2 (EOD) updates once daily at the close on realized profit, contract size scales with Cash On Hand, and a daily loss limit pauses the day instead of ending the account. The choice is locked for the life of the account. Drawdown $1.5K/$2.5K/$3K/$4.5K/$5.5K. |
| Daily loss limit | Optional in Trading Combine/XFA; required on Live Funded Accounts. Responsible Trading Discount applies to No Activation Fee path with fixed DLL. | Option 2 DLL: $500/$1.1K/$2.2K/$3.3K/$4.5K. |
| Consistency rule | Trading Combine best day must be at or below 50% of total profit. Optional XFA Consistency path uses 40% and can qualify in 3 trading days. | Master Account payout page includes a consistency rule on withdrawal requests (best single trading day must not make up too large a share of total profit for the payout period); the FAQ states the exact percentage differs by account type (Fast Track/Momentum/Master) but those figures sit behind client-rendered help-center anchors not reachable via static fetch. Existing record's 40% figure not reconfirmed this pass. |
| Min trading days | As little as 2 days to pass the Trading Combine if consistency and target are met. | Qualification pass requires the profit target with no minimum or maximum number of trading days (fully self-paced). Fast Track has no profit target and no minimum trading days at all -- instant simulated-funded start. Master Account Funded-Account reward request after at least 5 trading days; Fast Track/Momentum accounts are instead reviewed for Funded Account status after 3 payouts and 30 trading days. |
| Payout | New traders joining on or after Jan. 12, 2026 receive 90% of approved payouts. XFA Standard requires 5 winning days of $150+; XFA Consistency can qualify with 3 trading days and 40% consistency. | Master Account pays the Trader directly: first $10,000 withdrawn commission-free, then the company takes 10% of profit (Trader keeps 90%). Fast Track and Momentum payout requests are processed the same day, any day of the week; a regular Master Account's payouts are processed every Wednesday. Payout methods are ACH, wire transfer, or PayPal. After three successful Fast Track/Momentum Master payouts (and 30 trading days), those accounts are reviewed for Funded Account status; active Master Accounts consolidate. Funded Accounts carry a balance cap by size, effective April 28, 2025: $25K account capped at $2.5K, $50K at $5K, $100K at $10K, $150K at $15K, $250K at $25K. |
| Coupon | Built-in discount — no promo code to enter | BULENOX (homepage promo banner) (verify at checkout) |
How the rules differ
Drawdown. Topstep: EOD trailing Maximum Loss Limit of $2K/$3K/$4.5K; monitored in real time. Bulenox: Option 1 (No Scaling) trails your highest balance in real time including open positions, full contract size from day one. Option 2 (EOD) updates once daily at the close on realized profit, contract size scales with Cash On Hand, and a daily loss limit pauses the day instead of ending the account. The choice is locked for the life of the account. Drawdown $1.5K/$2.5K/$3K/$4.5K/$5.5K.
Payouts. Topstep: New traders joining on or after Jan. 12, 2026 receive 90% of approved payouts. XFA Standard requires 5 winning days of $150+; XFA Consistency can qualify with 3 trading days and 40% consistency. Bulenox: Master Account pays the Trader directly: first $10,000 withdrawn commission-free, then the company takes 10% of profit (Trader keeps 90%). Fast Track and Momentum payout requests are processed the same day, any day of the week; a regular Master Account's payouts are processed every Wednesday. Payout methods are ACH, wire transfer, or PayPal. After three successful Fast Track/Momentum Master payouts (and 30 trading days), those accounts are reviewed for Funded Account status; active Master Accounts consolidate. Funded Accounts carry a balance cap by size, effective April 28, 2025: $25K account capped at $2.5K, $50K at $5K, $100K at $10K, $150K at $15K, $250K at $25K.
Cost beyond the sticker. Topstep runs a Monthly subscription with path choice model — New-account payout caps and 90% split materially affect expected value. Bulenox runs a One-time, non-recurring per-cycle Qualification purchase (no auto-renewal). Master Account carries no monthly fee, only a one-time per-size activation fee. Fast Track and Momentum are each a one-time fee with no recurring charges; Momentum's Master-stage activation is free. model — Master-to-Funded transition and account consolidation can change realized economics after payouts.
Frequently asked
Is Topstep or Bulenox cheaper for a funded futures evaluation?
Topstep: Standard path: $49/$99/$199 per month. No Activation Fee path: $95/$149/$229 per month. Activation: $149 on Standard path after passing; $0 on No Activation Fee path. Bulenox: $145/$175/$215/$325/$535 for a Qualification account by size, charged once per subscription cycle (last confirmed 2026-07-26, not reconfirmed 2026-09-03). Fast Track/Momentum one-time fees and Master's per-size activation fee are not published outside a client-rendered pricing tab. Activation: Master Account: one-time fee that scales with account size (exact per-size dollar figures gated behind the client-rendered pricing tab, not confirmed). Momentum Master: free, no activation fee. Net cost depends on current sales and activation fees, so confirm the final total at checkout.
What is the difference between Topstep and Bulenox drawdown rules?
Topstep: EOD trailing Maximum Loss Limit of $2K/$3K/$4.5K; monitored in real time. Bulenox: Option 1 (No Scaling) trails your highest balance in real time including open positions, full contract size from day one. Option 2 (EOD) updates once daily at the close on realized profit, contract size scales with Cash On Hand, and a daily loss limit pauses the day instead of ending the account. The choice is locked for the life of the account. Drawdown $1.5K/$2.5K/$3K/$4.5K/$5.5K.
Does Topstep or Bulenox have a daily loss limit?
Topstep: Optional in Trading Combine/XFA; required on Live Funded Accounts. Responsible Trading Discount applies to No Activation Fee path with fixed DLL. Bulenox: Option 2 DLL: $500/$1.1K/$2.2K/$3.3K/$4.5K.
What are the payout rules for Topstep vs Bulenox?
Topstep: New traders joining on or after Jan. 12, 2026 receive 90% of approved payouts. XFA Standard requires 5 winning days of $150+; XFA Consistency can qualify with 3 trading days and 40% consistency. Bulenox: Master Account pays the Trader directly: first $10,000 withdrawn commission-free, then the company takes 10% of profit (Trader keeps 90%). Fast Track and Momentum payout requests are processed the same day, any day of the week; a regular Master Account's payouts are processed every Wednesday. Payout methods are ACH, wire transfer, or PayPal. After three successful Fast Track/Momentum Master payouts (and 30 trading days), those accounts are reviewed for Funded Account status; active Master Accounts consolidate. Funded Accounts carry a balance cap by size, effective April 28, 2025: $25K account capped at $2.5K, $50K at $5K, $100K at $10K, $150K at $15K, $250K at $25K.
Do Topstep or Bulenox have a consistency rule?
Topstep: Trading Combine best day must be at or below 50% of total profit. Optional XFA Consistency path uses 40% and can qualify in 3 trading days. Bulenox: Master Account payout page includes a consistency rule on withdrawal requests (best single trading day must not make up too large a share of total profit for the payout period); the FAQ states the exact percentage differs by account type (Fast Track/Momentum/Master) but those figures sit behind client-rendered help-center anchors not reachable via static fetch. Existing record's 40% figure not reconfirmed this pass.
Sources
Official help, pricing, and payout pages used for this comparison.
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Key terms
- EOD (end-of-day) drawdown
- Your maximum-loss line trails on your balance at the daily close, not your highest intraday equity. Open profit you give back during the day does not pull the line up against you.
- Trailing drawdown
- Your maximum-loss line trails your highest intraday equity, so profit you reach and then give back can move the line up against you.
- Daily loss limit (DLL)
- A cap on how much you can lose in a single trading day — some firms call it a Daily Loss Guard. A few make it optional during the evaluation.
- Consistency rule
- Caps how much of your total profit can come from a single best day, so one outlier session can't carry a pass or a payout.
- Activation fee
- A one-time fee to turn a passed evaluation into a funded account, charged on top of the evaluation price.
- Profit split
- The share of payouts you keep. A 90/10 split means you keep 90% and the firm keeps 10%.
- XFA / PA
- Firm-specific funded-account names: XFA is Topstep's Express Funded Account; PA is Apex's Performance Account.
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Comparison research, not investment advice. Funded-account rules, pricing, payout schedules, and coupons change without notice — figures here reflect the dataset last reviewed September 5, 2026. Always confirm current terms on the firm's official site before purchasing an evaluation.