SHARK Futures and Topstep are both futures prop firms with funded-trader programs. Topstep is one of the oldest names in the space; SHARK launched April 2026 with a tighter rulebook and a 6-day payout SLA. This page lays both side by side without spin.

Quick comparison

Factor	SHARK Futures	Topstep
Account sizes	$25K / $50K / $100K / $150K	Multiple plan sizes; flagship $50K, $100K, $150K
Evaluation pricing (starting)	From $59	Subscription model — monthly fee
Pricing model	One-time per evaluation	Monthly subscription per active evaluation
Profit split	90/10 from day one	Tier-based, with caps at certain thresholds
Payout time	6 business days	Standard wire timing, plan-dependent
Min days before first payout	5 trading days	Plan-dependent
Drawdown type	EOD trailing	EOD trailing on most plans
Platform	Rithmic (Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Quantower)	Topstep's own platform + 3rd party options
Consistency rule on funded	None	Yes on some plans
Firm age	Launched April 2026	Founded 2010

Where SHARK is stronger

One-time pricing, no subscription. SHARK charges per evaluation — once. There's no monthly fee while you're working through it. Topstep's subscription model means a slow trader who takes 3 months to pass effectively pays 3x the headline rate.

Predictable 6-day payouts across every plan. Single SLA, every account size, every payout. No plan tier where the timeline changes.

No consistency rule on funded accounts. If you trade 100% of profit on one day and 0% the next, that's fine on a SHARK funded account. Topstep enforces consistency rules on some plans that limit how much of total profit can come from your best day.

Short, readable rulebook. Daily loss, EOD trailing, contract limit, flat by close. Fits on one screen. Topstep's rules are more numerous, especially on the Trading Combine evaluation phase.

90/10 split from day one. No tier curve, no "earn your way to a better split."

Where Topstep is stronger

Track record. Topstep was founded in 2010 — 16 years of paying funded traders. The volume of public payouts and named funded traders is large.

Established educational content. Topstep ships trading education, podcasts, and a daily market video alongside the funded account. If you want a firm that doubles as a learning resource, that's a real advantage.

Brand recognition. If you mention your prop firm to a non-prop trader, more people have heard of Topstep.

Larger ecosystem. More YouTube content, more Discord communities trading on the firm, more options for asking "how do I do X on this account."

TopstepX proprietary platform. Topstep ships their own front-end with built-in account tracking. SHARK relies on third-party fronts (Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Quantower) plus the SHARK dashboard.

Pricing models compared

Topstep — monthly subscription. You pay a monthly fee while in the evaluation phase. Pass quickly, pay once. Take 3 months, pay 3 times. There's no penalty for taking longer except the cost. This favors fast passers.

SHARK — one-time per evaluation. You pay $59-$229 once for the evaluation. If you take 3 months, you still paid the one fee. If you fail and reset, you pay a discounted reset fee. This favors slow, careful traders.

Which is cheaper depends on you. A trader who passes a $50K evaluation in 30 days might pay similar amounts at both firms. A trader who takes 90 days pays meaningfully less at SHARK.

Consistency rules — the subtle difference

Topstep enforces a consistency rule on some funded plans: a single day can't account for more than X% of your total profit. If your best day is 60% of total profit and the cap is 30%, you can't request a payout until your other days catch up.

SHARK has no consistency rule on funded accounts. The evaluation phase has a consistency check (we don't want one-trade-luck passes), but once funded, you can have profit distributed however your actual trading produces it.

Which is better depends on your style:

• If you scalp consistently and produce similar daily P&L → either firm works
• If you have a few big winning days per month → SHARK's no-rule approach is cleaner
• If you want a firm forcing you into more consistent sizing → Topstep's rule is a built-in discipline tool

Platform and execution

Both end up on equivalent execution. Topstep ships TopstepX as a proprietary front-end plus supports Tradovate, NinjaTrader, etc. SHARK uses Rithmic-based third-party fronts. Same data feed. The differentiator is the firm's risk overlay, not the platform.

Who is each one for

Pick SHARK if you:

• Don't want a monthly subscription while you're learning a firm's rules
• Want a 90/10 split from the first payout, no tier curve
• Want a short rulebook with no consistency rule on funded accounts
• Want a predictable 6-day payout SLA
• Value a newer firm built around the funded trader's experience

Pick Topstep if you:

• Want the longest track record in futures prop
• Want educational content + market analysis bundled with the firm
• Trade consistently across all days (consistency rule won't bite you)
• Want a proprietary front-end (TopstepX) rather than third-party
• Value brand recognition outside prop trading circles

Both are legitimate firms. The right pick is the one whose rule structure and pricing model match how you actually trade.

Try SHARK

If the SHARK side fits, start with an evaluation or read the full rules first.