TheFuturesDesk
Topstep acquired it on 1 April 2026, and its own homepage footer now names Topstep Brokerage LLC. It cannot share this list with its owner: the shortlist promises no two firms from the same parent, and keeping that promise is worth more than the entry.
The rules themselves remain among the best found anywhere — static when funded, no consistency rule, no payout cap, no monthly fee, one data feed covered. Its one trap is avoidable: profit above the buffer is not carried to the live account, so it has to be withdrawn first. Its own pages quote five, six and seven days to reach live funding.
Not enough published data to simulate this firm’s floor.
No disqualifier applies, and there is a plan here worth trading — but something real is wrong, and we name it. Read the reservation before you pay.
What they published
“Topstep Brokerage Disclaimer: Topstep Brokerage LLC (“Topstep Brokerage”), an affiliate of TS TFD Buyer, LLC, is registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission as an introducing broker and is a member of the National Futures Association (NFA ID 0567079).”“Effective date: Apr 1, 2026”“Any amount earned over your buffer will not be transferred to your live account.”Scorecard
16Static at both stages — the floor never moves
Clears through a named, registered FCM
Fixed cycle, no cap that binds in practice
Two official channels disagree on a number that matters
Short history, or a sharply polarised review profile
Each axis is scored 0–5 against a published scale. The line under each bar is the rung this firm landed on — not our summary of it, the scale entry itself.
Plan by plan
3 of this firm’s challenges were read plan by plan, with a citation behind every answer. See them side by side →
Static when funded, no consistency rule, no payout cap and no monthly fee — but anything above the buffer is not carried to the live account unless withdrawn first.
Same best-in-class structure with $2,000 drawdown: withdraw the excess before the live transition or lose it.
$3,000 static drawdown floor that never trails up, with the same buffer transfer clause.
Trustpilot
What this firm published
Everything below is quoted from a page we opened, on the date shown. The quotes are in the firm’s own language, exactly as published — never edited, never shortened, never swapped for a translation. On the Spanish edition our own rendering appears underneath each one, unquoted and marked as ours: the quotation marks on this site mean the words are the firm’s, and nothing we wrote ever wears them. Where we have not read enough to put a number on an axis, we say so instead of guessing.
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Can you even pass?
Almost nobody who pays for an evaluation ever reaches a funded account, so this is the part of the product most customers actually buy. Every firm advertises its profit target; none of them advertises that target next to how much you are allowed to lose while chasing it.
4/5
Can you keep the money?
The drawdown takes the account away; the payout rules take the money. Answered by whichever of the two we can measure and is worse — they are two ways of losing the same thing, so a good half cannot pay for a bad one.
3/5
Is anyone behind it?
A named company, a market, and rules you could read before paying. These three do not substitute for one another — a company you can sue does not stop existing because the account is a simulation — so this is the average of the ones we could measure, not the worst.
How hard the test is
we did not read enough to sayNot the profit target on the sales page — that target measured against the room you are given to reach it.
Trading days you must put in7 days1.60/2
“7 minimum trading days”Cuts both ways: it costs you time, and it also stops an account passing on one lucky afternoon you could never repeat.
A second attempt costsyou pay full price again0/2
“Reset + 31-Day Extension $99”A free second attempt turns one bad week into a delay instead of another invoice.
Below 60% read we publish no number at all, because a grade computed from two facts out of six is not a lenient grade — it is a different measurement wearing the same label.
How much you must win to survive · Profit target (phase 1) · Days you have to finish (phase 1)
Maximum loss
we did not read enough to sayThe loss limit that closes your account. Does it sit still, or does it climb behind you as you win?
What makes the loss limit riseit does not move at allno changeno change3/3
“That minimum balance never changes, even if your balance climbs.”“We NEVER have any intraday unrealized drawdowns and your drawdown type follows you into the funded account.”“That buffer becomes your opening equity, with zero as the static minimum for all accounts.”A limit that climbs takes back the cushion you already earned.
What taking a payout does to the limitnothing — the limit stays where it was2/2
“That buffer becomes your opening equity, with zero as the static minimum for all accounts.”Taking your money out should not leave you closer to losing the account.
Daily limit40%, measured on live equity, open trades includedwe did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“During assessment, your Daily Loss Limit is 40 percent of your Max Drawdown.”A generous percentage measured on live equity is not generous — it is the same number with a trapdoor under it.
Where the limit stops risingNo such thing in this plan.—
“Static Drawdown
Your minimum balance is set once when you start: your starting balance minus your drawdown value. That minimum balance never changes, even if your balance climbs.”The difference between a danger with an end date and one that never ends.
Below 60% read we publish no number at all, because a grade computed from two facts out of six is not a lenient grade — it is a different measurement wearing the same label.
What the limit is measured against (phase 1) · What the limit is measured against (funded) · What the limit is measured against (live) · Total loss allowed (phase 1) · Total loss allowed (funded) · Total loss allowed (live) · Daily limit (funded) · Daily limit (live)
Withdrawing
How much can leave the account, how soon, how often — and whether they can say no.
Withdrawals before the account endsThey state there is none.3/3
“No consistency or minimum days between payouts (Mon-Fri)”The cap per withdrawal times how many they allow is the real size of the account. One plan here is sold on a $200,000 banner and closes after five withdrawals of $2,100.
What else a payout changesThey state there is none.3/3
“No consistency or minimum days between payouts (Mon-Fri)”The floor is not the only thing a withdrawal moves, and the rest of it is never on the same page. Position size, the consistency rule and the share you are paid all reset or shift at some firms, and a trader who checked only the drawdown finds out afterwards.
What breaking the consistency rule costsit delays the payoutThey state there is none.no change3/3
“Moves your profit target by the same amount you already earned over the DBH.”“No consistency in funded”Weighted by what it costs, not by existing: reading plan by plan, no consistency rule ever closed an account — they postponed the withdrawal.
Can it refuse without giving a reasonyes — it reserves that right in writing0/3
“The Futures Desk may modify the Trading Rules at its sole discretion, at any time, and without notice.”“We may decline for any reason” is not a rule, it is the absence of one — it makes every other number on this axis conditional on goodwill.
Days before you can ask for money7 days2/2
“7 days to uncapped payouts”How long your money is theirs.
Most one withdrawal can pay youThey state there is none.2/2
“Once you're trading live, you can request daily uncapped payouts with a $100 minimum.”$2,000 is generous on a $25K account and a joke on a $200K one, so it is measured as a share and at the worst size sold.
Does that cap rise with the accountNo such thing in this plan.—
“Daily uncapped payouts”Fee charged to pay youThey do not say.0/1
we read the page that should answer this and it does not
What they charge you to pay you.
Profit required before the first request
How you may trade
Can you trade the way you actually trade — around the news, over the weekend, at the size and speed you use?
Restriction around the newsThey state there is none.we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“You can trade the news with no restrictions during the Assessment.”Mandatory stop-lossThey state there is none.we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“There is only one way to fail your assessment; hitting your max drawdown.”Minimum time a trade must be heldThey state there is none.no changeno change—
“Microscalping ✅ Yes, no minimum hold times”“there are no hidden consistency rules, minimum trade days or forced holding periods.”Forced close before the weekendnothing may stay open over the weekendno changeno change—
“Swing trading and holding positions beyond the trading session are not permitted.”LeverageNo such thing in this plan.we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“Please carefully consider whether it is appropriate for you to engage in futures trading in light of your personal financial circumstances.”Limit on position size1we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“Static Minimum Balance -$1,000
Target $2,000
Min Days 7
Daily Loss Limit $400
Consistency $286 Base Hits
Contract Limit 1 Mini / 10 Micros”No score here, on purpose. The six axes above ask whether the firm can take your money or refuse to pay it. These rules ask something else — whether you can trade your way — and the right weight depends on who is reading: a minimum holding time decides the account for a scalper and is invisible to anyone else, while the weekend rule is the reverse. A single number would be wrong for half of you, and would look decided. The firm’s own sentences are here; the judgement is yours.
How it grows
What makes the account get bigger, how big it can get, and whether the path ends at a real market or at a larger simulation.
What makes the account growprofit · their decision — all of them—
“As you prove consistency and profitability, you can increase your contract limits and daily drawdown thresholds. Just reach out to support or your risk manager to request a raise.”How large it can getThey do not say.—
we read the page that should answer this and it does not
Where the path endsat a real market—
“After you pass and build your buffer, you move into a fully live brokerage account where all capital and executions are real.”One of these questions is scored and it is not here. “Does the cap rise with the account” sits on the cash axis, next to the cap itself, because it has a right answer: a bigger account that pays the same cheque has handed you a larger number and the same money. The three below are different. A two-million ceiling is the whole point of the product for one reader and irrelevant to someone who wants one clean payout, so the firm’s sentences are here and the weight is yours.
How hard the test is
we did not read enough to sayNot the profit target on the sales page — that target measured against the room you are given to reach it.
Trading days you must put in7 days1.60/2
“7 minimum trading days”Cuts both ways: it costs you time, and it also stops an account passing on one lucky afternoon you could never repeat.
A second attempt costsyou pay full price again0/2
“Reset + 31-Day Extension $99”A free second attempt turns one bad week into a delay instead of another invoice.
Below 60% read we publish no number at all, because a grade computed from two facts out of six is not a lenient grade — it is a different measurement wearing the same label.
How much you must win to survive · Profit target (phase 1) · Days you have to finish (phase 1)
Maximum loss
we did not read enough to sayThe loss limit that closes your account. Does it sit still, or does it climb behind you as you win?
What makes the loss limit riseit does not move at allno changeno change3/3
“That minimum balance never changes, even if your balance climbs.”“We NEVER have any intraday unrealized drawdowns and your drawdown type follows you into the funded account.”“That buffer becomes your opening equity, with zero as the static minimum for all accounts.”A limit that climbs takes back the cushion you already earned.
What taking a payout does to the limitnothing — the limit stays where it was2/2
“That buffer becomes your opening equity, with zero as the static minimum for all accounts.”Taking your money out should not leave you closer to losing the account.
Daily limit40%, measured on live equity, open trades includedwe did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“During assessment, your Daily Loss Limit is 40 percent of your Max Drawdown.”A generous percentage measured on live equity is not generous — it is the same number with a trapdoor under it.
Where the limit stops risingNo such thing in this plan.—
“Static Drawdown
Your minimum balance is set once when you start: your starting balance minus your drawdown value. That minimum balance never changes, even if your balance climbs.”The difference between a danger with an end date and one that never ends.
Below 60% read we publish no number at all, because a grade computed from two facts out of six is not a lenient grade — it is a different measurement wearing the same label.
What the limit is measured against (phase 1) · What the limit is measured against (funded) · What the limit is measured against (live) · Total loss allowed (phase 1) · Total loss allowed (funded) · Total loss allowed (live) · Daily limit (funded) · Daily limit (live)
Withdrawing
How much can leave the account, how soon, how often — and whether they can say no.
Withdrawals before the account endsThey state there is none.3/3
“No consistency or minimum days between payouts (Mon-Fri)”The cap per withdrawal times how many they allow is the real size of the account. One plan here is sold on a $200,000 banner and closes after five withdrawals of $2,100.
What else a payout changesThey state there is none.3/3
“No consistency or minimum days between payouts (Mon-Fri)”The floor is not the only thing a withdrawal moves, and the rest of it is never on the same page. Position size, the consistency rule and the share you are paid all reset or shift at some firms, and a trader who checked only the drawdown finds out afterwards.
What breaking the consistency rule costsit delays the payoutThey state there is none.no change3/3
“Moves your profit target by the same amount you already earned over the DBH.”“No consistency in funded”Weighted by what it costs, not by existing: reading plan by plan, no consistency rule ever closed an account — they postponed the withdrawal.
Can it refuse without giving a reasonyes — it reserves that right in writing0/3
“The Futures Desk may modify the Trading Rules at its sole discretion, at any time, and without notice.”“We may decline for any reason” is not a rule, it is the absence of one — it makes every other number on this axis conditional on goodwill.
Days before you can ask for money7 days2/2
“7 days to uncapped payouts”How long your money is theirs.
Most one withdrawal can pay youThey state there is none.2/2
“Once you're trading live, you can request daily uncapped payouts with a $100 minimum.”$2,000 is generous on a $25K account and a joke on a $200K one, so it is measured as a share and at the worst size sold.
Does that cap rise with the accountNo such thing in this plan.—
“Daily uncapped payouts”Fee charged to pay youThey do not say.0/1
we read the page that should answer this and it does not
What they charge you to pay you.
Profit required before the first request
How you may trade
Can you trade the way you actually trade — around the news, over the weekend, at the size and speed you use?
Restriction around the newsThey state there is none.we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“You can trade the news with no restrictions during the Assessment.”Mandatory stop-lossThey state there is none.we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“There is only one way to fail your assessment; hitting your max drawdown.”Minimum time a trade must be heldThey state there is none.no changeno change—
“Microscalping ✅ Yes, no minimum hold times”“there are no hidden consistency rules, minimum trade days or forced holding periods.”Forced close before the weekendnothing may stay open over the weekendno changeno change—
“Swing trading and holding positions beyond the trading session are not permitted.”LeverageNo such thing in this plan.we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“Please carefully consider whether it is appropriate for you to engage in futures trading in light of your personal financial circumstances.”Limit on position size2we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“Static Minimum Balance -$2,000
Target $4,000
Min Days 7
Daily Loss Limit $800
Consistency $572 Base Hits
Contract Limit 2 Minis / 20 Micros”No score here, on purpose. The six axes above ask whether the firm can take your money or refuse to pay it. These rules ask something else — whether you can trade your way — and the right weight depends on who is reading: a minimum holding time decides the account for a scalper and is invisible to anyone else, while the weekend rule is the reverse. A single number would be wrong for half of you, and would look decided. The firm’s own sentences are here; the judgement is yours.
How it grows
What makes the account get bigger, how big it can get, and whether the path ends at a real market or at a larger simulation.
What makes the account growprofit · their decision — all of them—
“As you prove consistency and profitability, you can increase your contract limits and daily drawdown thresholds. Just reach out to support or your risk manager to request a raise.”How large it can getThey do not say.—
we read the page that should answer this and it does not
Where the path endsat a real market—
“After you pass and build your buffer, you move into a fully live brokerage account where all capital and executions are real.”One of these questions is scored and it is not here. “Does the cap rise with the account” sits on the cash axis, next to the cap itself, because it has a right answer: a bigger account that pays the same cheque has handed you a larger number and the same money. The three below are different. A two-million ceiling is the whole point of the product for one reader and irrelevant to someone who wants one clean payout, so the firm’s sentences are here and the weight is yours.
How hard the test is
we did not read enough to sayNot the profit target on the sales page — that target measured against the room you are given to reach it.
Trading days you must put in7 days1.60/2
“7 minimum trading days”Cuts both ways: it costs you time, and it also stops an account passing on one lucky afternoon you could never repeat.
A second attempt costsyou pay full price again0/2
“Reset + 31-Day Extension $99”A free second attempt turns one bad week into a delay instead of another invoice.
Below 60% read we publish no number at all, because a grade computed from two facts out of six is not a lenient grade — it is a different measurement wearing the same label.
How much you must win to survive · Profit target (phase 1) · Days you have to finish (phase 1)
Maximum loss
we did not read enough to sayThe loss limit that closes your account. Does it sit still, or does it climb behind you as you win?
What makes the loss limit riseit does not move at allno changeno change3/3
“That minimum balance never changes, even if your balance climbs.”“We NEVER have any intraday unrealized drawdowns and your drawdown type follows you into the funded account.”“That buffer becomes your opening equity, with zero as the static minimum for all accounts.”A limit that climbs takes back the cushion you already earned.
What taking a payout does to the limitnothing — the limit stays where it was2/2
“That buffer becomes your opening equity, with zero as the static minimum for all accounts.”Taking your money out should not leave you closer to losing the account.
Daily limit40%, measured on live equity, open trades includedwe did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“During assessment, your Daily Loss Limit is 40 percent of your Max Drawdown.”A generous percentage measured on live equity is not generous — it is the same number with a trapdoor under it.
Where the limit stops risingNo such thing in this plan.—
“Static Drawdown
Your minimum balance is set once when you start: your starting balance minus your drawdown value. That minimum balance never changes, even if your balance climbs.”The difference between a danger with an end date and one that never ends.
Below 60% read we publish no number at all, because a grade computed from two facts out of six is not a lenient grade — it is a different measurement wearing the same label.
What the limit is measured against (phase 1) · What the limit is measured against (funded) · What the limit is measured against (live) · Total loss allowed (phase 1) · Total loss allowed (funded) · Total loss allowed (live) · Daily limit (funded) · Daily limit (live)
Withdrawing
How much can leave the account, how soon, how often — and whether they can say no.
Withdrawals before the account endsThey state there is none.3/3
“No consistency or minimum days between payouts (Mon-Fri)”The cap per withdrawal times how many they allow is the real size of the account. One plan here is sold on a $200,000 banner and closes after five withdrawals of $2,100.
What else a payout changesThey state there is none.3/3
“No consistency or minimum days between payouts (Mon-Fri)”The floor is not the only thing a withdrawal moves, and the rest of it is never on the same page. Position size, the consistency rule and the share you are paid all reset or shift at some firms, and a trader who checked only the drawdown finds out afterwards.
What breaking the consistency rule costsit delays the payoutThey state there is none.no change3/3
“Moves your profit target by the same amount you already earned over the DBH.”“No consistency in funded”Weighted by what it costs, not by existing: reading plan by plan, no consistency rule ever closed an account — they postponed the withdrawal.
Can it refuse without giving a reasonyes — it reserves that right in writing0/3
“The Futures Desk may modify the Trading Rules at its sole discretion, at any time, and without notice.”“We may decline for any reason” is not a rule, it is the absence of one — it makes every other number on this axis conditional on goodwill.
Days before you can ask for money7 days2/2
“7 days to uncapped payouts”How long your money is theirs.
Most one withdrawal can pay youThey state there is none.2/2
“Once you're trading live, you can request daily uncapped payouts with a $100 minimum.”$2,000 is generous on a $25K account and a joke on a $200K one, so it is measured as a share and at the worst size sold.
Does that cap rise with the accountNo such thing in this plan.—
“Daily uncapped payouts”Fee charged to pay youThey do not say.0/1
we read the page that should answer this and it does not
What they charge you to pay you.
Profit required before the first request
How you may trade
Can you trade the way you actually trade — around the news, over the weekend, at the size and speed you use?
Restriction around the newsThey state there is none.we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“You can trade the news with no restrictions during the Assessment.”Mandatory stop-lossThey state there is none.we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“There is only one way to fail your assessment; hitting your max drawdown.”Minimum time a trade must be heldThey state there is none.no changeno change—
“Microscalping ✅ Yes, no minimum hold times”“there are no hidden consistency rules, minimum trade days or forced holding periods.”Forced close before the weekendnothing may stay open over the weekendno changeno change—
“Swing trading and holding positions beyond the trading session are not permitted.”LeverageNo such thing in this plan.we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“Please carefully consider whether it is appropriate for you to engage in futures trading in light of your personal financial circumstances.”Limit on position size3we did not read this stagewe did not read this stage—
“Static Minimum Balance -$3,000
Target $6,000
Min Days 7
Daily Loss Limit $1,200
Consistency $858 Base Hits
Contract Limit 3 Minis / 30 Micros”No score here, on purpose. The six axes above ask whether the firm can take your money or refuse to pay it. These rules ask something else — whether you can trade your way — and the right weight depends on who is reading: a minimum holding time decides the account for a scalper and is invisible to anyone else, while the weekend rule is the reverse. A single number would be wrong for half of you, and would look decided. The firm’s own sentences are here; the judgement is yours.
How it grows
What makes the account get bigger, how big it can get, and whether the path ends at a real market or at a larger simulation.
What makes the account growprofit · their decision — all of them—
“As you prove consistency and profitability, you can increase your contract limits and daily drawdown thresholds. Just reach out to support or your risk manager to request a raise.”How large it can getThey do not say.—
we read the page that should answer this and it does not
Where the path endsat a real market—
“After you pass and build your buffer, you move into a fully live brokerage account where all capital and executions are real.”One of these questions is scored and it is not here. “Does the cap rise with the account” sits on the cash axis, next to the cap itself, because it has a right answer: a bigger account that pays the same cheque has handed you a larger number and the same money. The three below are different. A two-million ceiling is the whole point of the product for one reader and irrelevant to someone who wants one clean payout, so the firm’s sentences are here and the weight is yours.
The rules in writing
Could you read the rule before paying, and can they change it afterwards?
Where the rule that binds you is publishedin a help-centre article the contract never mentions1.20/4
“We encourage you to regularly review the most up-to-date schedule of Trading Rules and account parameters, which can be found on our dedicated rules page.”If the rule that binds you lives in a help article your contract never mentions, you did not sign it.
Can it change the rules without noticeyes, and it says so0.60/3
“Please note that these rules and parameters may be subject to periodic adjustments or changes, without prior notice.”The clause that makes every dated verdict perishable, including ours. Near-universal, so not fatal.
Is the binding document datedyes2/2
“Effective date: Apr 1, 2026”Without a date you cannot tell whether the rule you read is the rule they apply.
Two official pages that disagree
the account size or the speed · costs credibility
“Start earning in as few as five days in live accounts.”“7 days to uncapped payouts”the fees · costs money
“Reset + 31-Day Extension $99”“Assessment Max Drawdown
Price
$100 to $3000
$75”who stands behind the account · costs money
“All capital earned is backed by real capital , so there is never a worry about how much you can make.”“The funds provided for simulated trading are entirely fictitious. You have no ownership rights to these funds beyond their use within the Sites and Services. They cannot be used for actual trading, and you are not entitled to any payment based on them. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, you will not receive any payment or profits from your simulated trading performance, nor will you be liable for any simulated losses.”The company behind it
If it goes wrong, which company do you claim against, and under whose laws?
The company you contract withTS TFD Buyer, LLCno changeno change4/4
“The Futures Desk -The TS TFD Buyer, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.”With no named company there is nobody to sue.
Where it is registeredDelaware, USno changeno change1/2
“The Futures Desk -The TS TFD Buyer, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.”A claim in the Czech Republic and a claim in St Vincent are not the same claim.
Its registration numberThey do not say.no changeno change0/2
we read the page that should answer this and it does not
What turns a name into something checkable in a public register.
That company owns the brandyes2/2
“These Terms of Use outline the rules for using the websites and services ("Sites or Services") of TS TFD Buyer, LLC and its affiliates (the “Company”, "The Futures Desk”, “TFD", "we", or "us").”Signing with a company other than the brand’s owner separates who sold to you from who answers to you.
The people behind it are namedThey do not say.0/2
we read the page that should answer this and it does not
Named people can be looked up. A company on its own cannot always be.
Almost no firm here has a financial regulator, because selling simulated evaluations is not a regulated activity anywhere. Of the 114 firms we scored by hand, 96 sat in the bottom two rungs of backing for this reason. So we do not count it against anyone — it only adds when a firm genuinely has one.
The market
Do your orders reach a market, or is all of it a simulation?
What the funded account issimulated, with a published route to a live stage2/4
“During the assessment phase, trading is simulated but uses real-time market data. After you pass and build your buffer, you move into a fully live brokerage account where all capital and executions are real.”The question that separates a firm that earns when you lose from one that earns when you last.
The broker or clearer namedDorman / Plus5003/3
“No, we are not a broker . But we use ONLY regulated FCMs who pass stringent compliance by the NFA and CFTC (Dorman/Plus500).”Almost nobody names one, because almost no account reaches a market. It adds when present.
Conditions to reach a real marketpublished2/2
“When you reach your buffer we move you into a real brokerage account and you can take payouts from the buffer.”Promising a route to a real market without publishing the conditions is promising nothing.
We read the rules of every plan it sells and issued a verdict on each one.