Topstep 2026 Verified Guide Updated 2026-10-17 Verified Against Venasri MT5 Engine

Topstep 1-Step vs 2-Step Challenge Comparison: Which Evaluation Has Higher Pass Odds?

Direct Technical Answer

Topstep 1-step vs 2-step challenge math gives both paths a 2% daily loss and a 3% maximum loss. Phase 1 target is 6%. Phase 2 target is 0%. On $100,000 that is a $2,000 daily line, a $3,000 maximum, and a $6,000 Phase 1 target. Minimum trading days are two.

Topstep's 1-Step and 2-Step quote the same 2% day and the same 3% maximum. Topstep 1-step vs 2-step challenge then sets Phase 2 at 0%, so the second phase is not a second profit hurdle. The trailing loss is end-of-day, and the book is flat at 3:10 PM CT.

Topstep Daily Loss Limit 2% ($2,000 on $100K)

Max Drawdown Model 3% (End-of-Day)

Phase 1 / Phase 2 Targets 6% / 0%

Venasri Guard Cut-Off 1.25% (3s Auto-Flatten)

Activate Free MT5 Protection Open Equity Guard & Kelly Sizing Launch 24/7 MT5 Bot

Topstep 1-Step vs 2-Step Challenge Comparison: obsidian vault and brass balance scale representing prop firm evaluation rules and drawdown — Topstep 1-Step vs 2-Step Challenge Comparison

Balance-Anchored Daily Breach Floor $95,000.00 FTMO / FundedNext / E8 day-start balance basis

Equity-Anchored Rollover Breach Floor $96,900.00 FundingPips / The5ers / Alpha Capital higher-of-equity basis

Venasri Pre-Breach Equity Guard Cut-Off $97,650.00 Auto-flattens MT5 0.75% before firm liquidation

Exact MT5 Lot Size (XAUUSD / EURUSD) & Streak Buffer 2.00 Lots (8.5 losses to guard) $500.00 risk per ticket · 3-second Equity Guard active

2% and 3% on both paths

There is no tighter daily percent hiding on the 1-Step. Both paths are 2% daily and 3% maximum. On $100,000 that is $2,000 and $3,000. The published end-of-day trailing amounts are $2,000 on $50,000, $3,000 on $100,000, and $4,500 on $150,000, locking at the initial balance. Equity Guard can use one daily percent for both labels and still must follow the trailing floor.

Phase 1 is 6%, $6,000 on $100,000. Phase 2 is 0%. Comparing this to a CFD firm that asks for 8% and then 5% will overstate how many targets you have left after the first pass. Minimum trading days are two. The $100,000 fee is $99 a month.

The trail and the flatten, not a second target

The meaningful differences are the end-of-day trail, the 3:10 PM CT flatten, the 5:00 PM CT session, and the 50% consistency rule. They apply across the Combine path. A 1-Step label does not waive the flat. A 2-Step label does not add a 5% Phase 2. The bot should flatten both paths on the same clock.

The largest day on a $100,000 Combine cannot exceed $3,000 if the target is $6,000, because 50% of the target is the ceiling in the published example. That rule can extend the target. It is not different for a path whose Phase 2 is already 0%.

100% of the first $10,000, then 90%

Payout structure does not split by step in the published terms. You receive 100% of the first $10,000 withdrawn, then 90%. A withdrawal can be up to 50% of balance after five winning days of at least $200. Create a Venasri account and track those five days. They are not the same as the two minimum evaluation days.

News is permitted in the evaluation. Live funded accounts add Tier-1 flatten windows. Platforms are TopstepX, NinjaTrader, Tradovate, TradingView, and Quantower. Automated orders must stay inside CME Globex order-to-fill limits.

There is no published pass percentage

The page can compare the contracts. It cannot quote a pass rate the firm did not publish. What it can say is that both paths share the tight 2% day and the 3% trail, and that you do not buy a looser day by picking a second step. The 6% target is the profit job. The 0% Phase 2 means you are not asked for another 5% after that.

Weekend holding is prohibited. A strategy that needs Friday-to-Monday exposure does not fit either step. That constraint is larger than the 1-Step versus 2-Step label. If your edge is a multi-day hold, this comparison is the wrong product pair.

Equity Guard Circuit Breaker

Watches account equity and can flatten open MT5 positions

Warning: Armed Critical: Armed Auto-Flatten: Active

Behavioral Trade Monitor

Alerts when order flow turns impulsive

Revenge alerts: Clear Stop changes: Locked Rapid edits: Clear

Manual Trade Guard

Active on XAUUSD / EURUSD · News pause available

Stop-loss: On Breakeven: On Partials: On

Verified Answers

Frequently Asked Questions: Topstep 1-Step vs 2-Step Challenge Comparison: Which Evaluation Has Higher Pass Odds?

Do Topstep 1-Step and 2-Step have different daily losses?

No. Both are 2% daily and 3% maximum. On $100,000 that is $2,000 and $3,000. Phase 1 is 6% and Phase 2 is 0%. The end-of-day trailing loss is $3,000 on $100,000, $2,000 on $50,000, and $4,500 on $150,000.

Is there a second profit target?

Phase 2 target is 0%. After the 6% Phase 1 target, the published hurdle is not another profit percent. You still have the trailing loss, the 2% day, the 3:10 PM CT flatten, and the 50% consistency rule.

How many minimum days are required?

Two minimum trading days in the evaluation. A payout asks for five winning days of at least $200 before you withdraw up to 50% of balance. Those are different counts. The first $10,000 withdrawn is paid at 100%, then 90%.

Which path allows weekend holds?

Neither. Positions are flat before 3:10 PM CT daily and before the 5:00 PM CT session, including Friday. The 1-Step versus 2-Step choice does not change that. News is allowed in the evaluation, with Tier-1 flatten windows on live funded accounts.

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