Bulenox vs Topstep
Every rule that actually affects your account — drawdown, daily loss, consistency, payout split, news, platforms — with a clear winner per category.
Rule by rule
Green = winner on that row. Ties show as "—".
| Rule | Bulenox | Topstep | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawdown type | Trailing | Trailing | — |
| Daily loss limit | None | Optional add-on since April 14, 2026 ($1K/$2K/$3K by size). Always mandatory on Live Funded. | Bulenox |
| Payout split | 100% of first $10K then 90/10. | Post-Jan 2026: 90/10 from day one. Pre-Jan 2026: 100% first $10K then 90/10. | — |
| Min trading days | 0 | 0 | — |
| Consistency rule | 40% on withdrawals (no single day > 40% of total profit). | Combine: 50% (best day < 50% of total). Funded Standard: none. Funded Consistency tier: 40%. | — |
| News trading | Yes | Yes | — |
| Weekend holding | No | No | — |
| Copy trading | No | Yes | Topstep |
| Platforms | Rithmic, NinjaTrader, Sierra Chart, Bookmap, Quantower, ATAS, Jigsaw, MultiCharts | TopstepX (all new accounts), Quantower (exception) | — |
Real talk
What traders actually experience beyond the marketing copy.
Good for automation/bot traders (allowed on all accounts). 91% off promos make it dirt cheap. Two option types give flexibility. But: copy trading prohibited, high activation fees, no resets, monthly pricing is expensive without promos.
Option 1 and 2 have SAME dollar drawdown but completely different mechanics. Opt1 intraday trailing = floor moves up with unrealized P&L tick by tick. Opt2 EOD trailing = only updates at session close. Know which you're buying.
100% on first $10K is competitive. First 3 payouts are capped ($1K-$2.5K). After 3rd payout: unlimited. $78 mid-cycle reset available. Free reset on billing renewal date. Activation fees are high ($98-$898).
Copy trading PROHIBITED. No resets. High activation fees ($98-$898). Opt1 intraday trailing is unforgiving. Monthly pricing is expensive without promos. Max 11 active funded accounts.
Most established firm. Free resets are huge. Automated trading allowed on TopstepX. But: all new accounts forced to TopstepX (no NinjaTrader/Tradovate choice). Post-payout MLL reset is dangerous. Scaling starts at only 2-3 contracts on funded.
EOD trailing is fair - intraday swings don't move the floor. Locks once profit exceeds drawdown amount. CRITICAL: After a payout, your MLL resets to $0 - one bad day right after withdrawing can blow the account instantly.
90/10 from day one for new traders. Post-payout MLL reset to $0 is the biggest hidden risk. Free resets are genuinely valuable. Back2Funded ($599-829) lets you revive a blown funded account.
After payout, MLL resets to $0 - extremely vulnerable. New accounts TopstepX only (no NinjaTrader/Tradovate). Funded starts at 2-3 contracts (must scale up). VPS/VPN usage PROHIBITED. Positions must close by 3:10 PM CT. $30 ACH payout fee.
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