Top One Trader is one of the fastest-growing prop firms because of its simple 1-step and 2-step challenges, instant funding models, transparent Top One Trader rules, and super-fast payouts. Profitable traders can benefit from its trader-friendly rules and succeed with any Top One Trader account they trade with. To avoid any account breaches, traders must prioritize learning the daily loss limits and drawdown, use of EAs, news trading, copy trading, and consistency requirements. 
 

Top One Trader allows EAs, news trading, and other most commonly used strategies but certain restrictions are there depending on the account type (1-Step, 2-Step, Instant Funding, and Instant Prime). Success is not a matter of chance; it is the mindset of being consistent, patient, and compliant with the rules. Understanding these rules helps traders stay compliant, avoid rule breaches (hard & soft) to protect their challenge and funded accounts, and receive payouts with no delays or violations. 
 

This Top One Trader breaks down all trading rules for 2025 including drawdown limits, breaches, 

consistency, and permitted strategies - so you trade safely and avoid violations.
 

QUICK ANSWER: TOP ONE TRADER RULES (2025)

• EAs Allowed: YES  
• News Trading Allowed: YES  
• Copy Trading Allowed: YES (with your own master account)  
• Max Daily Drawdown: -5%  
• Max Overall Drawdown: -10%  
• Hard Breach → Account closed  
• Soft Breach → Position closed, account continues  

Let us look at the detailed Top One Trader review of the rules account-wise. They offer four account types:

• 1-Step Challenge
• 2-Step Challenge
• Instant Funding
• Instant PRIME

Top One Trader 1-Step Challenge Rules (2025)

• Although traders can enjoy a Top One Trader Challenge profit split of up to 90%, they need to meet a profit target of 10%.
• They must be within the Daily loss limit of 4%.
• They must be within the Maximum Drawdown (Trailing) of 7%.
• They can benefit from the 10:1 leverage and unlimited time to pass the challenge.
• The 1-step challenge rule says that they can hold trades over the weekend holdings and use Expert Advisors (EAs), which is a major shift and a definite advantage over the other challenges. Most of the challenges in the prop trading space do not allow the use of EAs, although some allow weekend holdings.
• Traders must note that the standard profit split is 80% but they can enjoy up to a 90% profit split with checkout addons.

Top One Trader 2-Step Challenge Rules (2025)

• Here also the traders can also enjoy a profit split of up to 90%. Traders must note that the standard profit split is 80% but they can enjoy up to a 90% profit split only in the challenge phase with checkout addons.
• Here, the difference between the Top One Trader 1-step and 2-step is that, because it is 2-step, it has two separate profit targets that the traders must meet to get funded. Phase 1 has a profit target of 8% and Phase 2 has a profit target of 5%.
• While the Daily loss limit remains at 4%, the Maximum Drawdown (static) is 8%.
• In the two-step Top One Trader Challenge, there is an additional consistency rule that the traders must comply with. The target is a consistency of 50%.
• The leverage has gone up to 30:1 in the Top One Trader 2-step Challenge, while the time is unlimited to pass the challenge.
• As in the 1-step challenge, the 2-step Top One Trader rule says that both weekend holdings and Expert Advisors (EAs) are allowed. It is a good thing for traders because they can use this freedom to strategize to benefit from profitable setups.

Top One Trader Instant Funding Rules

• Although traders can enjoy a profit split of up to 90%, the same as in the challenge phases, but with an added Top One Trader rule. The profit split starts at 60% and it increases by 10% per payout, up to 90%.
• The best part of Instant Funding is that it has no profit target. Thraders enjoy this freedom from profit targets because they can target profits more aggressively with proven strategies without being tied to the idea of achieving and maintaining the profit target. No profit target increases the risk-taking appetite of the traders.
• They must be within the Daily loss limit, which is reduced to 3%.
• They must be within the Maximum Drawdown (Trailing,) which is reduced ot 6%.
• A larger leverage of 50:1 is used to ensure a higher account and position size. The time limit, as always, is unlimited.
• There is an additional consistency rule that the traders must comply with. The target is a consistency of 15%.
• Weekend holding is only available with an add-on at the time of checkout, not otherwise, as in the case of the TOP One Trader Challenge. They do not allow Expert Advisors (EAs).
• Traders must note that the standard profit split is 80% but they can enjoy up to a 90% profit split with checkout addons.

Top One Trader Instant Prime Rules

• This is the best and the top-selling instant funded program of Top One Trader, with fewer rules and more freedom and power in the hands of the traders. And, we will tell you why. It has everything that a trader wants.
• The first reason is that it is one of the cheapest Top One Trader Funded Accounts, starting at $19 only for a $5K account, that has no profit targets.
• Traders can enjoy a profit split of up to 100%. The only rule that a trader needs to know about the profit split is that the program starts with a profit split of 80% and increases by 10% per payout up to 100%.
• They can benefit from the 50:1 leverage, but there is no unlimited time rule mentioned.
• The weekend holdings and use of news trading are allowed. It is a major benefit for traders to position within 2 minutes before and after a major news break that affects the market prices. Most of the funded programs in the prop trading space do not allow the use of news trading. 

How does drawdown work in Top One Trader?

The Daily loss limit has plummeted to only 2.5% while the Maximum Drawdown (Trailing) has come down to 5%.
 

These Top One Trader rules are available as an add-on at checkout.

Top One Trader Hard Breach vs Soft Breach

Top One Trader rules are further categorized as Soft Breach and Hard Breach rules.
 

1. Soft Breach: A soft breach is a minor violation. When this happens, Top One Trader closes out the trade(s) that violated the rule, but you can step back in and keep trading, whether it's your challenge account or a simulated funded account. There is no limit on the allowed soft breaches for 1-step and or 2-step-pro accounts. Instant Funding accounts have a soft breach limit of 10 soft breaches before it turns into a hard breach.

Example:
If your $100,000 account drops to $94,999 at any time, you hit the -5% daily drawdown and the account is breached immediately.

2. Hard Breach: This is a more serious type and can lead to account closure. If a hard breach happens during a challenge or in your funded stage, Top One Trader will terminate your account and any gains forfeited.

Top One Trader Trading Rules 2025 (Full Breakdown)

Below are the prohibited strategies you need to know about to ensure you do not violate any Top One Trader trading rules for 2025.

1. High Frequency Trading (HFT) or Tick Scalping
2. Latency Trading / Latency Arbitrage / Arbitrage Trading
3. Copy Trading / Group Trading
4. Hedging or Group Hedging Across Multiple Accounts
5. News Trading on Funded Accounts
6. Grid Trading
7. Martingale Strategy
8. 3rd Party Trading or "Pass Your Challenge" Programs
9. Masking of Expert Advisors (EAs)
10. Gambling, Over-Leveraging, YOLO Trading
11. IP Address Restrictions
12. Rolling/Churning of Accounts

You can learn more about the prohibited strategies by visiting the Top One Trader Prohibited Strategies FAQs.
 

Final Thoughts

As a trader joining the challenge or funded account with Top One Trader, first you must learn the rules, especially around the strategies, such as EAs, news, copy trading, and stop loss. It is critical because any soft or hard breach, even if unintentional or unknowingly, can lead to account termination and lost earnings and profit. The best way to deal with Top One Trader Rules is to respect them and maintain them under any condition. You will pass the challenge or maintain a funded account only if you keep up with the Top One Trader rules. For this, you must build good habits, discipline, and a stronger mindset to succeed, but more importantly, to take the first step, sign up on Top One Trader.