Eightcap Challenges vs Top One Trader - Prop Firm Comparison (March 2026)
Head-to-head comparison of Eightcap Challenges and Top One Trader. Check max funding, profit splits, daily and overall drawdown rules, leverage, tradable assets, payout frequency, payment and payout methods, trading permissions and KYC restrictions before you buy a challenge. Data refreshed March 2026.
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Eightcap Challenges
Eightcap Challenges is a broker-backed simulated trading program operated by Eightcap International Ltd (Seychelles) that offers One Phase and Two Phase CFD challenges on mt4, mt5 and tradelocker with balance-based drawdown limits, a 14-day payout cycle, and 80% profit splits...
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Top One Trader
Top One Trader is a fast-growing prop firm offering simple 1-step and 2-step evaluations plus instant funding and Instant Prime accounts, with low-cost challenges, straightforward rules, EquityShield risk protection and profit splits that can reach 100% while scaling up to...
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| Overview | ||
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.1 | 4.5 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 3,569 | 3,012 |
| Headquarters | Seychelles | United States |
| Age (Years) | 1 | N/A |
| Max Funding | $600,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Profit Split Start | 80% | 60% |
| Profit Split Max | 90% | 100% |
| Platforms | mt4 mt5 tradelocker | MT5 cTrader Match-Trader TradeLocker |
| Assets | FX Commodities Indices Crypto US Stocks (Day Trader only) | FX Metals Indices Commodities Crypto |
| Leverage | ||
| FX Leverage | 100 | 50 |
| Metals Leverage | 20 | 10 |
| Crypto Leverage | 3 | 2 |
| Risk & Drawdown Rules | ||
| Max Daily Loss | Maximum Daily DrawdownEightcap Challenges applies a balance-based daily drawdown rule calculated from the previous day’s account balance snapshot (Previous Day Balance × Limit%). Your account’s intraday equity loss must not exceed this daily limit.One Phase: 4% daily drawdown (Assessment and Payout Stages).Two Phase: 5% daily drawdown (Assessment, Qualification and Payout Stages).Day Trader: No daily drawdown; risk is managed via fixed maximum drawdown thresholds tied to the selected timeframe and multiplier. | Maximum Daily LossDaily loss limits at Top One Trader are simple but strict: 1-Step and 2-Step accounts usually have a 4% daily loss cap, Instant Funding has a 3% daily loss limit and Instant Prime applies an even tighter 2.5% profile tied to the ESS metric.The daily limit is generally calculated on equity and includes both closed and floating losses; if equity falls beyond the allowed percentage in a single day, the account is considered in breach even if the loss is later recovered. |
| Max Total Loss | Maximum DrawdownOverall drawdown is enforced as a fixed percentage of the initial balance for standard challenges and as fixed-dollar thresholds for Day Trader Challenges.One Phase: 8% maximum drawdown (Assessment and Payout Stages).Two Phase: 10% maximum drawdown (Assessment, Qualification and Payout Stages).Day Trader: Maximum drawdown is defined in dollars and varies by timeframe and multiplier (DT-1/DT-2/DT-4/DT-8 with 2x/5x/10x options). | Maximum Overall LossOverall loss caps depend on the program: 1-Step FLASH uses a 7% trailing max drawdown, 2-Step PRO uses an 8% static max loss from the starting balance, Instant Funding runs with a 6% trailing drawdown and Instant Prime typically keeps a 5–6% trailing max loss.For trailing accounts, the max loss tracks the highest equity until a payout is taken, at which point the level locks at the initial balance; breaching the max loss at any time results in losing the account. |
| Drawdown Type | Balance-based (Daily from previous-day balance; Max fixed from initial balance) | Drawdown ModelTop One Trader combines static and trailing drawdown models. 2-Step PRO accounts use a simple static 8% max loss from starting balance, while 1-Step FLASH, Instant Funding and Instant Prime rely on trailing max drawdown that follows peak equity and then locks at the starting balance when a payout is requested (Lock Upon Payout rule).The EquityShield risk engine helps enforce these limits by monitoring symbol-level and overall open risk and automatically closing trades if thresholds are exceeded. |
| Payouts | ||
| Payout Frequency | Payout FrequencyOne Phase & Two Phase: Standard payout eligibility begins 14 days into the Payout Stage (or 7 days with the earlier-payout add-on), provided all payout-stage requirements and KYC are satisfied.Day Trader Challenges: Payout eligibility is immediate upon successful completion of the time-limited challenge. | Payout Frequency1-Step and 2-Step challenge accounts pay out bi-weekly by default, with add-ons available for weekly or instant payouts after the first withdrawal. Instant Funding normally pays monthly, while Instant Prime offers bi-weekly payouts, again with minimum profit of 2% of the initial balance required to request a withdrawal.Profit splits typically start at 80–90% on challenge accounts, 60% on Instant Funding and 80% on Instant Prime, stepping up over successive payouts until they reach as high as 90–100% for long-term, consistent traders. |
| Days to First Payout | 14 | 30 |
| Payout Processing Time | Payout ProcessingPayout requests are reviewed by the risk team for rules compliance and KYC (if required). Approved payouts are typically processed within 24–48 hours of an eligible request, but may take longer if additional review is required. | Payout ProcessingPayouts are requested through the Top One Trader dashboard and are routed via Rise (Riseworks) to bank transfer or cryptocurrency. Approved withdrawals are often processed within about 24 hours, although exact timing can vary with the chosen method, weekends and additional compliance checks. |
| Payout Methods | Crypto International Bank Transfer | Bank Transfer Crypto via Rise (Riseworks) |
| Payments | ||
| Payment Methods | Credit/Debit Card (Visa Mastercard) Crypto (USDT TRC20 USDT ERC20 BTC) | Credit Card Crypto |
| Trading Permissions | ||
| News Trading | Trading during major news events is restricted: you cannot place trades within 10 minutes before or after high-impact events (per FXStreet). Trading inside the window is treated as a soft breach that triggers a warning and removal of any profits made from those trades. | News trading rules depend on the program. Evaluations are typically more flexible, but on funded and instant accounts it is prohibited to open, modify or close positions within 5 minutes before or after designated high-impact news on the affected instrument. Instant Prime provides more flexibility when combined with relevant add-ons, but bracket-style and pure spike-catching news strategies are still not allowed. |
| Weekend Trades | Weekend trading is allowed. The platform supports 24/7 trading, including the ability to manage positions over the weekend. | Overnight and weekend holding is allowed on 1-Step FLASH and 2-Step PRO accounts subject to normal swap charges. Instant Funding accounts require a weekend add-on to hold trades over the close; without it, positions should be closed before markets shut to avoid soft or hard breaches. |
| Copy Trading | Copy trading or mirroring another person’s trades is prohibited and may result in profit removal or account termination. Copying between your own accounts is allowed only if all accounts are registered under the same email address. | Manual copy trading is allowed only between your own challenge accounts on supported platforms, and not on funded or instant funded accounts. Copying between different users, mirroring trades across large groups of accounts or hedging between accounts and firms is prohibited. Violations can lead to profit removal, account resets or termination. |
| EA Allowed | Expert Advisors (EAs) and indicators are permitted, but prohibited strategy types (including martingale, grid, tick trading, arbitrage variants, gap trading and account management) are monitored and can trigger violations—especially during the Payout Stage. | Expert Advisors are allowed on 1-Step FLASH and 2-Step PRO evaluation accounts provided they are customised to the trader, fully disclosed and not commercial grid, martingale, latency or arbitrage systems. EAs are not permitted on funded and instant accounts, where trading is expected to be manual or semi-manual under the firm’s risk rules. |
| KYC & Restrictions | ||
| KYC Required | No | No |
| KYC Stage | Australia, Saint Lucia, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia (and Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk and Sevastopol regions of Ukraine), Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Libya | Top One Trader applies standard KYC and AML checks. Traders must complete identity verification and, where required, provide proof of address or other documents before receiving funded accounts and before withdrawals are processed through Rise and other payment providers. |
| Restricted Countries | Australia Libya Lebanon Pakistan Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan United States Zimbabwe Afghanistan Central African Republic Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Guinea-Bissau Iran Iraq Myanmar North Korea Syria Yemen | Afghanistan Albania Algeria Armenia Azerbaijan Crimea (Region of Ukraine) Cuba Iran Iraq Kazakhstan Kuwait Lebanon Libya Macedonia Morocco Pakistan Russia Somalia Sudan Syria Turkey Ukraine Vietnam |