Firms and platforms
Why does Topstep charge for API access when other firms do not?
Topstep runs its own platform, TopstepX, on ProjectX, and sells the API as an add-on. Other firms sit on Tradovate or Rithmic, whose API access reaches you through a licensed vendor at no cost.
Sources last checked
Two different models
- TopstepX: the trader buys API access from ProjectX ($29 per month, $14.50 with code topstep) and generates keys. Topstep states it does not affiliate with or endorse any external vendor, so no app can hold the access on your behalf.
- Tradovate and Rithmic: the vendor applies, is reviewed, and pays or signs on its side. The trader signs in with what they already have.
What that means in practice
If your only accounts are at Topstep, connecting any outside tool to them costs the API subscription, because the key is the only way Topstep issues access. If you also trade at a Tradovate- or Rithmic-backed firm, those accounts connect free once Firmtrack's partner access for that platform is live.
Firmtrack's workspace still works without any connection: the demo personas are seeded, and you can enter trades by hand. Connecting is what makes the numbers yours.