Topstep Activation Fee in 2026: What You Pay After the Combine

Written and fact-checked by the Funded Futures Family team against the firm’s published help center. Last reviewed September 4, 2026.

Topstep charges a $149 one-time activation fee when you pass a Trading Combine on its Standard Path and earn an Express Funded Account (XFA). On the No Activation Fee Path the activation fee is $0, and the monthly Combine subscription costs more instead. There is no monthly XFA fee on either path. These figures come from Topstep’s help center as of September 4, 2026.

How the Topstep activation fee works

Topstep splits its Trading Combine into two purchase paths, and the path you pick at checkout decides whether you pay an activation fee later. Topstep’s help center describes the Standard Path as “$149 one-time activation fee per XFA” and the No Activation Fee Path as “No activation fee.” The fee is charged once per Express Funded Account earned. It does not repeat each month.

The trade-off sits in the monthly subscription. Topstep lists the Standard Path Combine at $49 to $199 per month depending on account size, and the No Activation Fee Path at $95 to $229 per month. So the No Activation Fee Path moves the cost forward into a higher monthly price, and the Standard Path keeps the monthly price lower and collects $149 at the point you earn the XFA.

Which path costs less depends on how long you expect to spend in the Combine. Pass in month one and the Standard Path is one low monthly fee plus $149. Need three or four months and the No Activation Fee Path may close the gap. Source: Topstep pricing.

Discounts and reactivation costs

Topstep does not currently waive the $149 on the Standard Path. The only recurring discount on its pricing page is the Responsible Trading Discount for No Activation Fee Combines bought with a Daily Loss Limit: $10 off on 50K, $20 off on 100K, and $30 off on 150K, recurring monthly.

If you fail an XFA, Topstep offers a Back2Funded reactivation rather than a fresh Combine: $599 for a 50K XFA, $699 for 100K, and $829 for 150K. Those amounts are separate from the activation fee. Source: Topstep Express Funded Account rules.

Worked example on a 50K account

Say you pass a 50K Combine after one month with $3,000 in profit. On the Standard Path you have paid one monthly fee plus $149 to activate the XFA. On the No Activation Fee Path you have paid one higher monthly fee and nothing more. The rules of the Combine and the funded stage are identical on both paths.

What changed

Older comparisons often describe a single Combine price with a fixed activation fee attached. As of September 4, 2026 the help center presents a choice at purchase: Standard Path with the $149 activation, or No Activation Fee Path with the higher subscription. Details are in Topstep’s Express Funded Account activation article. If you bought under an older structure, your own dashboard is the authority.

Firms that do not charge this

Funded Futures Family does not charge an activation fee on any plan, and there is no daily loss limit and a 90/10 profit split across all plans. The Velocity plan is the lowest monthly price at $79 per month for a 25K account with 3 days to pass, but it carries a 40% consistency rule on both evaluation and funded stages and an intraday trailing drawdown of $1,250. The paid Daily Payout add-on ($29 to $69 per month) removes the consistency rule on the funded stage. Read the Velocity plan page and the no activation fee explainer for the full terms, or run your own numbers on the cost calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Topstep activation fee monthly or one-time?

One-time. Topstep’s help center says the Standard Path activation fee is “$149, charged once per XFA earned.” There is no monthly fee on the Express Funded Account itself. The only recurring charge is the Trading Combine subscription, which runs $49 to $199 per month on the Standard Path or $95 to $229 per month on the No Activation Fee Path. Once you hold the XFA there is no further monthly billing on that account.

Can I avoid the Topstep activation fee entirely?

Yes, by choosing the No Activation Fee Path when you buy the Combine. That path carries a $0 activation fee and a higher monthly subscription. Topstep also offers a Responsible Trading Discount on No Activation Fee Combines if you add a Daily Loss Limit at purchase, worth $10, $20, or $30 per month by size. There is no promo code or blanket waiver on the Standard Path’s $149 as of September 4, 2026.

What does it cost if I fail the funded account and want it back?

Topstep’s Back2Funded program lets you reactivate a failed Express Funded Account without repeating the Combine. The published prices are $599 for a 50K XFA, $699 for a 100K, and $829 for a 150K. These are higher than the $149 activation fee because they replace the whole evaluation. If Back2Funded costs more than a new Combine plus activation, some traders prefer to start over. Check the current amounts on Topstep’s rules page before choosing.

See FFF plans and pricing