Drawdown Calculator
See exactly how close you are to busting a prop-firm drawdown rule. Set the limits your firm uses. Real-time buffer, daily loss headroom, and safe risk per trade.
Input
Enter to see how much of today's daily drawdown you've used.
Result
Drawdown Status
Safe ZoneDaily drawdown
0.0%
$0 lost today of $2,500 allowed (5%)
Total drawdown
0.0%
$0 lost overall of $5,000 allowed (10%)
Daily Max Loss
$2,500
Total Max Loss
$5,000
Drawdown Floor
$45,000
Remaining Buffer
$5,000
Profit Target Progress
0.0%
$5,000 remaining to $55,000
Max Risk to Survive Consecutive Losses
What Is Drawdown on a Prop Firm Account?
Drawdown is how far an account has fallen from a reference point, and on an evaluation account it is the rule that ends the attempt. Two limits run at once: a daily loss limit measured against the balance you started the day with, and a total loss limit measured against the balance you started the account with. Breaching either ends the account, regardless of how profitable it was beforehand.
How the Two Limits Are Measured
A prop firm evaluation account is a simulated trading account with a maximum daily loss and a maximum total loss, and how they are measured differs by firm. Some firms fix both against the starting balance, so profits do not raise the floor; others trail the total limit against peak equity, so profits tighten it. Many firms check the limits against account equity, which means unrealised losses on an open position count while the trade is still running. The time the daily counter resets also differs by firm, so confirm the rules that apply to your own account.
Why Equity, Not Balance, Is What Gets Measured
Balance only changes when a position closes. Equity moves with every tick while a trade is open. Because the limits are checked against equity, a position that moves against you and recovers can still breach the threshold at the moment it passes through, even though the closed balance never records the loss. A spike is enough. This is the single most common way an otherwise sound account ends.
Reading the Buffer
The number that matters intraday is not the limit itself but the distance left to it. The tool above shows both as a currency amount and a percentage. Sizing a position against the remaining buffer rather than the full limit is what stops a normal losing sequence from becoming a breach, because the buffer shrinks as the day goes on while the limit does not move.
This section is educational information about how loss limits are measured on a simulated evaluation account. It is not financial advice and not a recommendation to trade or avoid any position.
Drawdown Calculator FAQ
What is the maximum drawdown on a prop firm account?
It depends on the firm and the account type. Evaluation accounts typically set a maximum daily loss and a maximum total loss as percentages of a reference balance, and the figures differ between firms. Confirm the limits that apply to your own account before trading to them.
Is prop firm drawdown trailing or static?
It depends on the firm. A static limit is fixed against the starting balance, so the loss allowance you start with is the one you keep. A trailing limit rises with your highest equity, so profits tighten it. Check which type your firm uses before sizing positions.
Does an open position count toward drawdown?
Yes. The limits are checked against account equity, so unrealised losses on a position that is still running count while it is open. A trade does not have to close for a breach to register, and price recovering afterwards does not undo one.
When does the daily drawdown reset?
It depends on the firm. Each firm sets its own reset time, which is a fixed clock time rather than a point in your own trading day, so it can fall inside a session you are trading. Knowing where it sits relative to your routine matters more than the number itself.
What happens if I breach the drawdown limit?
The account ends. That applies to either limit independently, and it applies regardless of how far into profit the account was beforehand. This is why the remaining buffer, rather than the headline limit, is the number worth sizing against.
How do I calculate how much I can lose today?
Apply your firm's daily loss percentage to the balance you started the day with to get the daily allowance, then subtract what the account is already down today. The remainder is the buffer. The tool above does this and also checks it against the total loss limit, since on a losing run the total limit can bind before the daily one does.
How much do I need to make back after a loss?
More than you lost, in percentage terms, because the gain is calculated on a smaller balance. A 10% loss needs roughly 11.1% to recover; a 20% loss needs 25%. The tool shows this figure, and the asymmetry is the reason loss limits bind faster than intuition suggests.
Is this drawdown calculator free?
Yes. It is free and does not require an account. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere; the calculation runs entirely in your browser.
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