Topstep Maximum Loss Limit explained (50K, 100K and 150K Trading Combine)

Last checked 2026-10-04 against Topstep's Help Center. Topstep changes its rules from time to time, so confirm on your dashboard.

The rule in one sentence

On the Trading Combine, the Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) is a floor that starts a fixed dollar amount below your starting balance, moves up with your end-of-day balance, never moves down, and locks permanently at the starting balance. Topstep monitors it in real time, including unrealized P&L.¹

MLL by account size

Account	MLL amount	Starting floor	Floor locks at	End-of-day balance that triggers the lock
50K	$2,000	$48,000	$50,000	$52,000
100K	$3,000	$97,000	$100,000	$103,000
150K	$4,500	$145,500	$150,000	$154,500

The amounts are from Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit article.¹ The last two columns follow from "trails the end-of-day balance and locks at the starting balance": once a day closes at starting balance + MLL amount, the floor reaches the starting balance and stops there.

Worked example: 50K Combine

Day	End-of-day balance	Highest EOD balance so far	MLL floor next day	Room at the open
Start	$50,000	$50,000	$48,000	$2,000
1 (+$500)	$50,500	$50,500	$48,500	$2,000
2 (−$500)	$50,000	$50,500	$48,500	$1,500
3 (+$3,000)	$53,000	$53,000	$50,000 (locked)	$3,000

Days 1 and 2 are Topstep's own example: after a $500 gain and a $500 loss you are flat, but your room has shrunk from $2,000 to $1,500.¹ Day 3 shows the lock: $53,000 − $2,000 would be $51,000, but the floor stops at the $50,000 starting balance.

Three things that catch people out

"End-of-day" is when the floor moves, not when it is checked. A big open loss during the session can breach the MLL even if the trade recovers later. Topstep checks it in real time against unrealized P&L.¹
Green days raise the floor, red days don't lower it. A choppy week of alternating wins and losses steadily eats into your room. Compare this with a static floor in trailing vs static drawdown.
There is no mandatory daily loss limit on the Trading Combine. Topstep offers a Daily Loss Limit as an optional setting; if you choose one and hit it, trading pauses for the day and it is not a rule violation.² The MLL is the rule that ends the Combine.

When does Topstep's trading day end?

The MLL updates from your end-of-day balance. The session is commonly cited as ending around 3:10 pm CT with the new trading day starting 5:00 pm CT, but we could not confirm those times on an official Topstep page on 2026-10-04, so check your platform.

Sizing so one bad trade can't end the Combine

Room = current equity − MLL floor. Keep a buffer for slippage, then size so your stop-out fits inside what's left. Example: 50K account after the day 1/day 2 sequence above ($1,500 room), 10% buffer ($200 of the $2,000 MLL), a 10-point stop on ES at $50 per point per contract: ($1,500 − $200) ÷ $500 = 2.6, so 2 contracts at most, and that is a ceiling, not a target.

Run your Topstep numbers in the free calculator

Automation and copiers on Topstep

Topstep's API article says all trading activity must originate from your personal device and that VPS, VPNs and remote servers are prohibited ("your server can watch and record, but it cannot trade").⁴ Its prohibited-conduct article bans coordinated trading with others and hedging across your own accounts.³ Any tool you use to manage a Topstep account needs to respect that.

Sources

Topstep Help Center, "What is the Maximum Loss Limit?": help.topstep.com/en/articles/8284204-what-is-the-maximum-loss-limit
Topstep Help Center, "Daily Loss Limit in the Trading Combine and Express Funded Account": help.topstep.com/en/articles/10490293-daily-loss-limit-in-the-trading-combine-and-express-funded-account
Topstep Help Center, "Prohibited Conduct": help.topstep.com/en/articles/10296582-prohibited-conduct
Topstep Help Center, "TopstepX API Access": help.topstep.com/en/articles/11187768-topstepx-api-access