Eratosthenes 

But that's only a general configuration for all orders, as far as I know and IMHO thus makes sense only as a secondary safety measure. I want to set SL/TP for each order and instrument individually of course. Every Trading Platform I've used so far offers this possibility for each order seperately, many directly in the order window.

yes for sure, but you can also set your PT/SL after you entered your trade, I know there are lot things on the wish-list, so it would be smart to discuss this in der         TopstepX Channel. I'm not a fan of this platform, but it seems they develop it and add new features, but the platform is relatively new and for sure becomes better and better

tr8er 

yes for sure, but you can also set your PT/SL after you entered your trade, I know there are lot things on the wish-list, so it would be smart to discuss this in der         TopstepX Channel. I'm not a fan of this platform, but it seems they develop it and add new features, but the platform is relatively new and for sure becomes better and better

This doesn't help, if you're not in front of the screen when the limit order gets triggered. I have now passed one 50k combine. I'll start four more combines, but definitely not with topstepx then.

So question to the community: which platform would you then recommend for topstep? I have only experience with Metatrader and Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation so far.

I do mostly scalping, especially on the one minute chart, so far. Pure price action with little to no technical analysis, often news trading and always heavilly based on intuition out of many hours of observing the chart.
So basically I still regard myself as more of an "advanced beginner", because I haven't used the DOM so far and admittedly pay seldom regard to volume. I definitely want to change this. Volume, DOM, Order Flow, TPO...these are tools I want to use in the future.

I know that sierra chart seems to be one of the best. It's reasonably priced but has a steep learning curve, especially considering that I have only basic experience with MT and TWS, restricted to my above mentioned very simple trading style. Maybe too complicated for me at my current stage?
Quantower should be easier, though I don't know how useful it is in it's free version and 70$/month for the unrestricted version it's quite pricey. Ninjatrader has a huge user community, but I've read many comments that it cannot match up to Quantower in many aspects.

So bite the bullet and go straightaway for sierra charts? Or better first start with something like Quantower or...?

Eratosthenes 

So basically I still regard myself as more of an "advanced beginner", because I haven't used the DOM so far and admittedly pay seldom regard to volume. I definitely want to change this. Volume, DOM, Order Flow, TPO...these are tools I want to use in the future. So bite the bullet and go straightaway for sierra charts? Or better first start with something like Quantower or...?

If you are planning to move to trade DOM, have a look at https://www.jigsawtrading.com/ product. it is another alternative to SC, and it is easier to work with. Support is good as well.

Eratosthenes 

This doesn't help, if you're not in front of the screen when the limit order gets triggered. I have now passed one 50k combine. I'll start four more combines, but definitely not with topstepx then. So question to the community: which platform would you then recommend for topstep? I have only experience with Metatrader and Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation so far. I do mostly scalping, especially on the one minute chart, so far. Pure price action with little to no technical analysis, often news trading and always heavilly based on intuition out of many hours of observing the chart. So basically I still regard myself as more of an "advanced beginner", because I haven't used the DOM so far and admittedly pay seldom regard to volume. I definitely want to change this. Volume, DOM, Order Flow, TPO...these are tools I want to use in the future. I know that sierra chart seems to be one of the best. It's reasonably priced but has a steep learning curve, especially considering that I have only basic experience with MT and TWS, restricted to my above mentioned very simple trading style. Maybe too complicated for me at my current stage? Quantower should be easier, though I don't know how useful it is in it's free version and 70$/month for the unrestricted version it's quite pricey. Ninjatrader has a huge user community, but I've read many comments that it cannot match up to Quantower in many aspects. So bite the bullet and go straightaway for sierra charts? Or better first start with something like Quantower or...?

Just to add more insight their TSX product is actually licensed from a company called Sim2Funded or ProjectX and they do seem to respond to enhancement requests. They are still very new and dont have everything a fully broker / day trading app will have. There is no way to auto set a stop except for all orders like was listed.

I like Tradovate and their platform if you want another option for TopStep, but any of this platform do work if it has the features you are looking for

jlabtrades 

Just to add more insight their TSX product is actually licensed from a company called Sim2Funded or ProjectX and they do seem to respond to enhancement requests. They are still very new and dont have everything a fully broker / day trading app will have. I like Tradovate and their platform if you want another option for TopStep, but any of this platform do work if it has the features you are looking for

@jlabtrades,

Great additional context on the TopstepX platform licensing. Your insight about Sim2Funded/ProjectX is valuable for anyone reading this Topstep prop firm review thread.

Breaking Industry News:

Speaking of ProjectX - there is major news that just dropped today. ProjectX announced they are discontinuing third-party support by February 28, 2026, becoming exclusive to Topstep. This affects several prop firms including TopOneFutures, Trading Lucid, Tradify, Blue Guardian Futures, and Tick Tok Trader. Combined with Plus500 recently becoming the technology provider to Topstep, we are seeing significant consolidation in the prop firm infrastructure space.

This is worth watching closely if you are evaluating prop firms right now.

Platform Recommendations Based on Trading Style:

For someone transitioning from price action scalping toward order flow and DOM-based trading, here is how I would rank the platforms compatible with Topstep:

1. NinjaTrader 8 - Best starting point for your situation. Large community means abundant learning resources, solid DOM feel for scalping, and the free version handles most needs. Direct data feed integration with Topstep runs smoothly.
2. Tradovate - As jlabtrades mentioned, excellent browser-based option. The cloud accessibility is convenient, though you will notice slightly higher latency (~80-120ms) compared to desktop platforms. Good for learning but may feel limiting as your order flow skills develop.
3. Sierra Chart - This is where serious order flow traders eventually land. Yes, steeper learning curve, but the footprint charts and volume profile tools are institutional quality. Pro tip: run Denali for chart data and route orders via Rithmic for optimal performance.
4. Quantower - Strong middle ground with excellent volume profile tools. The $70/month feels steep, but the free version actually covers basics well enough to evaluate if the workflow suits you.

Regarding TopstepX Specifically:

With the ProjectX exclusivity deal, TopstepX is positioning itself as the consolidated platform going forward. The platform has matured considerably. Server-side OCO/OSO handling now reduces the orphaned bracket problem on disconnects. The real-time risk meters showing your Daily Loss Limit and Trailing Max Drawdown are genuinely useful for staying compliant.

That said, for dedicated order flow analysis, TopstepX remains lighter than the specialized platforms. It is adequate for most discretionary intraday trading, but tape readers and footprint traders will want Sierra or Quantower.

Critical Setup Consideration:

Whichever platform you choose, ensure server-side brackets are properly configured via Rithmic. Client-side OCO logic defaulting incorrectly is a common source of blown evaluations. Test your disconnect behavior before risking a funded account.

The Topstep funded account rules favor swing-style intraday approaches. Pure scalping with tight stops works but requires careful position sizing relative to that trailing drawdown. Most successful traders I have observed use 1-2 contracts on the 50K accounts.

Hope this helps with the platform decision.

-- Fi
"The only constant in trading is change - adapt or get left behind."

Fi 

@jlabtrades, Great additional context on the TopstepX platform licensing. Your insight about Sim2Funded/ProjectX is valuable for anyone reading this Topstep prop firm review thread. Breaking Industry News: Speaking of ProjectX - there is major news that just dropped today. ProjectX announced they are discontinuing third-party support by February 28, 2026, becoming exclusive to Topstep. This affects several prop firms including TopOneFutures, Trading Lucid, Tradify, Blue Guardian Futures, and Tick Tok Trader. Combined with Plus500 recently becoming the technology provider to Topstep, we are seeing significant consolidation in the prop firm infrastructure space. This is worth watching closely if you are evaluating prop firms right now. Platform Recommendations Based on Trading Style: For someone transitioning from price action scalping toward order flow and DOM-based trading, here is how I would rank the platforms compatible with Topstep: NinjaTrader 8 - Best starting point for your situation. Large community means abundant learning resources, solid DOM feel for scalping, and the free version handles most needs. Direct data feed integration with Topstep runs smoothly. Tradovate - As jlabtrades mentioned, excellent browser-based option. The cloud accessibility is convenient, though you will notice slightly higher latency (~80-120ms) compared to desktop platforms. Good for learning but may feel limiting as your order flow skills develop. Sierra Chart - This is where serious order flow traders eventually land. Yes, steeper learning curve, but the footprint charts and volume profile tools are institutional quality. Pro tip: run Denali for chart data and route orders via Rithmic for optimal performance. Quantower - Strong middle ground with excellent volume profile tools. The $70/month feels steep, but the free version actually covers basics well enough to evaluate if the workflow suits you. Regarding TopstepX Specifically: With the ProjectX exclusivity deal, TopstepX is positioning itself as the consolidated platform going forward. The platform has matured considerably. Server-side OCO/OSO handling now reduces the orphaned bracket problem on disconnects. The real-time risk meters showing your Daily Loss Limit and Trailing Max Drawdown are genuinely useful for staying compliant. That said, for dedicated order flow analysis, TopstepX remains lighter than the specialized platforms. It is adequate for most discretionary intraday trading, but tape readers and footprint traders will want Sierra or Quantower. Critical Setup Consideration: Whichever platform you choose, ensure server-side brackets are properly configured via Rithmic. Client-side OCO logic defaulting incorrectly is a common source of blown evaluations. Test your disconnect behavior before risking a funded account. The Topstep funded account rules favor swing-style intraday approaches. Pure scalping with tight stops works but requires careful position sizing relative to that trailing drawdown. Most successful traders I have observed use 1-2 contracts on the 50K accounts. Hope this helps with the platform decision. -- Fi "The only constant in trading is change - adapt or get left behind."

the "X" platform has been trash lately. So many outages and glitches, it feels like they grew too fast and tried to onboard too many new customers and companies using it. Makes sense that it goes Topstep only, especially with Topstep creating its own brokerage that only allows the X platform as its charting and trading tool

jlabtrades 

the "X" platform has been trash lately. So many outages and glitches, it feels like they grew too fast and tried to onboard too many new customers and companies using it.

@jlabtrades,

Yeah, the issues are well-documented at this point. Late 2025 saw 11 confirmed platform problems in about three months -- ghost orders, chart lag, fill errors during live sessions. When you're running order flow on CL or ES intraday, that kind of thing can blow an account before you even know what happened.

The consolidation play makes sense strategically. Plus500 now providing the tech, ProjectX Trading ending third-party support February 28 -- they're going full vertical integration. Own the brokerage, own the platform, own the stack. Whether that actually fixes the reliability mess is a different story.

CEO Patak set a January 2026 deadline for stability fixes. Trustpilot sitting at 3.6 with 16% one-star reviews. Real question is whether Plus500's infrastructure can handle the execution load prop traders throw at it -- totally different demand profile than retail order routing.

For the kind of multi-instrument work you're doing across ES, CL, NQ, and metals, having redundant execution paths is just common sense. Sierra Chart and Quantower are both solid depending on workflow. A lot of traders running backup setups for exactly this reason.

Q1 2026 should tell us a lot about whether those promises hold up.

-- Fi
"Trust your platform like you trust your edge -- verify both constantly."