Topstep began selling a new evaluation on August 21, 2026: the $3K Challenge, a limited drop from its Topstep Labs line. One payment of $49 buys two rounds, each with a $3,000 profit target and a $1,000 loss limit. Finish the second round and Topstep pays a fixed $3,000, then the account closes (Topstep blog). An evaluation is a paid service traded in simulation.
What the $3K Challenge costs and pays
Topstep numbers the release Drop #003 and sums it up in one line on its blog: “Two rounds. Simple rules. One $49 entry fee.” The fee is charged once, not monthly (Topstep blog).
| Term | $3K Challenge |
|---|---|
| Entry fee | $49, one time |
| Rounds | Challenge Round, then Payout Round |
| Starting balance | $0 in each round |
| Profit target | $3,000 per round |
| Max Loss Limit | $1,000, static |
| Position size | Up to 10 micros or 1 mini |
| Payout | Fixed $3,000, then the account closes |
The Max Loss Limit is static, so it stays where it starts instead of trailing the account’s profits (Topstep blog).
Which rules the Challenge drops
Topstep says the Challenge carries no consistency target, no Daily Loss Limit, no scaling plan and no minimum trading days (Topstep blog). The static loss limit and the contract cap are the constraints that remain.
How the payout differs from a funded account
The $3,000 is a fixed amount. Topstep’s help center says it is not tied to the account balance and carries no 90/10 split, so “you keep all $3,000” (Topstep Help Center). There is no second payout: the account closes once the Payout Round is completed (Topstep blog). A trader can hold up to five Challenges in the Payout Round at once, a cap the firm counts separately from its five-XFA limit (Topstep Help Center).
Availability
Topstep sold the drop as a limited release, available while supplies last (Topstep blog). The Prop Journalist reported on August 21 that the run had ended and the Challenge could no longer be bought, and that traders holding one can still work toward the payout (The Prop Journalist).
