Head-to-head comparison
E8 Markets vs Topstep: Which Futures Prop Firm Wins? (2026)
A side-by-side breakdown of the rules that decide which prop firm fits your strategy — drawdown type, profit splits, payout speed, account sizes, and total cost.
E8 Markets
- From
- $110
- Account sizes
- $25K – $150K
- Profit split
- 80%
- Payout
- —
Topstep
Verified payouts
- From
- $95
- Account sizes
- $50K – $150K
- Profit split
- 90%
- Payout
- 3 days
The verdict
Topstep has the lower starting price ($95 vs $110 for E8 Markets). Topstep offers a higher max profit split (90% vs 80%). Topstep has an instant-funding path with no evaluation phase. Topstep has third-party verified payout history.
Rules side by side
Each value is the best (or full range) across all of the firm's products.
| Rule | E8 Markets | Topstep |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge type | Evaluation | Evaluation + Instant Funding |
| Drawdown type | EOD | Static |
| Account sizes | $25K – $150K | $50K – $150K |
| Starting price | $110 | $95 |
| Profit split | 80% | 90% |
| Payout speed | — | 3 days |
| Payout frequency | — | On demand |
| Consistency rule | Eval: 35–35% | Eval: 0–50% |
| Payment model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Verified payouts | No | Yes |
| Sage rating | — | 4.5 / 5 |
About each firm
E8 Markets
E8 Markets offers a one-step Signature Futures Challenge with a 6% profit target and an end-of-day dynamic drawdown that adjusts based on the highest closing balance. Funded accounts range from $25K to $150K with an 80% profit split, on-demand payouts after five profitable days, and a 35% consistency rule. Supported platforms are NinjaTrader and Tradovate.
Products
- E8 Signature — 80% split
Topstep
Topstep is a long-running futures prop firm offering Trading Combine evaluations, Live Funded Accounts, and Express Funded Accounts. Restricted to CME, COMEX, NYMEX, CBOT futures.
Highlights
- Pass Trading Combine in as little as 2 days, no minimum time
- 90% profit split with payouts as fast as next trading day
- CFTC-registered Topstep Brokerage (NFA member)
- Run on proprietary TopstepX platform
Products
- Trading Combine — 90% split · 3 days
- Live Funded Account — 90% split
- Express Funded Account — Instant funding · 90% split
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper to start, E8 Markets or Topstep?
Topstep has the lower starting price at $95 for its smallest evaluation account, compared to $110 for the other.
Which has the better profit split, E8 Markets or Topstep?
Topstep pays out a higher max profit split (90%) compared to 80% on the other side.
Are payouts verified at E8 Markets and Topstep?
E8 Markets does not have third-party verified payout history. Topstep has third-party verified payout history.