Prop firm

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Prop Firm Position Size Calculator

By Fact-checked by Pauline Blount Published 2 min read

Position sizing is the single biggest factor in passing a prop firm challenge. Enter your account size, how much you want to risk and your stop loss, and this calculator shows the lot size to use and how much of your daily loss limit each trade consumes.

Enter your numbers and press Calculate.

How the calculation works

Lot size = (account size × risk %) ÷ (stop loss in pips × pip value per lot). For pairs quoted in USD, such as EUR/USD, one standard lot is worth about $10 per pip. For other pairs, and for gold or indices, check the pip or point value in your platform.

How much should you risk?

Most funded traders risk 0.25% to 1% per trade. At 0.5% on a 5% daily limit, you’d need about ten consecutive full losses to breach, which leaves room for slippage and floating losses. On one-step challenges with a 3% daily limit, lower risk matters even more.

Worked example

A $50,000 account, risking 0.5% ($250) with a 25-pip stop on EUR/USD ($10 per pip per lot): 250 ÷ (25 × 10) = 1.0 lot. With a 5% daily limit ($2,500), you could take ten full losses before breaching. With a 3% one-step limit ($1,500), only six.

Pip values to know

  • EUR/USD, GBP/USD, AUD/USD: about $10 per pip per standard lot.
  • USD/ZAR, USD/JPY and other USD-base pairs: varies with the exchange rate; check your platform.
  • Gold and indices: use the value per point from your platform’s contract specifications.

Prop firms we recommend

  1. 1

    FTMO Best overall

    Max account
    $200,000 (more via scaling)
    Profit split
    80%, up to 90%
    Fee from
    €89 (≈ $10K account)
    Our rating
    4.6 out of 5
    Visit FTMO Read review
  2. 2

    FundedNext Best for MetaTrader users

    Max account
    $200,000 (up to $4M through scaling)
    Profit split
    80%, up to 95%
    Fee from
    $59.99 USD (confirm at checkout)
    Our rating
    4.4 out of 5
    Visit FundedNext Read review
  3. 3

    Funding Pips Best budget pick

    Max account
    $100,000 per account (scales to $2M)
    Profit split
    60–100% (depends on payout cycle)
    Fee from
    About $29–$36 USD ($5K)
    Our rating
    4.3 out of 5
    Visit Funding Pips Read review

FAQ

Does the calculator work for gold and indices?

Yes, if you enter the correct value per point for one lot in the pip value field. Check your platform’s contract specifications.

Why does my daily limit matter for position size?

Your risk per trade should allow several losing trades before you hit the firm’s daily loss limit, including slippage and floating losses.