There is no single correct lot size for a prop account of any size: lot size = risk amount ÷ (stop distance × value per pip or point per 1.00 lot), so a $100K account risking 0.5% ($500) with a 20-pip EUR/USD stop trades $500 ÷ (20 × $10) = 2.50 lots.
Account size fixes the dollar amount behind each percentage; the firm's daily and maximum loss limits fix how many losses you can absorb. Below are lot sizes for $10K to $200K accounts at 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% risk on EUR/USD, gold, NAS100 and US30, tied to real firm limits and losing streaks. For the formula step by step, with pip-versus-point traps and currency conversion, see the complete guide to calculating forex lot size.
How do you work out lot size for a prop account?
Three inputs, one division:
Risk amount = Account size × Risk %
Loss per 1.00 lot = Stop distance × Value per pip (or point) per 1.00 lot
Lot size = Risk amount ÷ Loss per 1.00 lotThe value per pip comes from the instrument, and it matches what the Fips calculators use:
| Instrument | 1.00 lot | Pip or point | Value per 1.00 lot | Stop used below | Loss per 1.00 lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUR/USD | 100,000 units | 0.0001 | $10 per pip | 20 pips | $200 |
| XAU/USD | 100 oz | 0.10 | $10 per pip ($100 per $1.00 move) | $5.00 (50 pips) | $500 |
| NAS100 CFD | usually 1 × index | 1 index point | usually $1 per point | 50 points | $50 |
| US30 CFD | usually 1 × index | 1 index point | usually $1 per point | 100 points | $100 |
Every lot size below is rounded down to 0.01, so you risk slightly less than the target, never more. Where rounding changed the figure, the table notes the real risk.
A note on indices. NAS100 and US30 contract sizes are broker-dependent: most MT5 brokers use 1 × the index ($1 per point per lot), some 10 × or 0.1 ×. Check it in MT5: Market Watch, right-click the symbol, Specification. If it is 10, divide the lot sizes below by 10. If it is 0.1, multiply them by 10.
How much is 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% risk on each account size?
| Account | 0.25% | 0.5% | 1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10K | $25 | $50 | $100 |
| $25K | $62.50 | $125 | $250 |
| $50K | $125 | $250 | $500 |
| $100K | $250 | $500 | $1,000 |
| $200K | $500 | $1,000 | $2,000 |
What lot size for EUR/USD with a 20-pip stop?
Loss per 1.00 lot: 20 pips × $10 = $200.
| Account | 0.25% | 0.5% | 1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10K | 0.12 (risk $24) | 0.25 | 0.50 |
| $25K | 0.31 (risk $62) | 0.62 (risk $124) | 1.25 |
| $50K | 0.62 (risk $124) | 1.25 | 2.50 |
| $100K | 1.25 | 2.50 | 5.00 |
| $200K | 2.50 | 5.00 | 10.00 |
Worked line, $10K at 0.25%: $25 ÷ $200 = 0.125, rounded down to 0.12 lots ($24 at risk). GBP/USD and other USD-quoted pairs share the $10 pip and this table. For USD/JPY or crosses the pip value moves with the exchange rate; use the lot size calculator, which converts it for you. A 40-pip stop halves every figure before rounding; a 10-pip stop doubles it.
What lot size for XAU/USD gold with a $5.00 stop?
A $5.00 move on gold is 50 pips at a $0.10 pip. Loss per 1.00 lot: 50 × $10 = $500, the same as $5.00 × 100 oz.
| Account | 0.25% | 0.5% | 1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10K | 0.05 | 0.10 | 0.20 |
| $25K | 0.12 (risk $60) | 0.25 | 0.50 |
| $50K | 0.25 | 0.50 | 1.00 |
| $100K | 0.50 | 1.00 | 2.00 |
| $200K | 1.00 | 2.00 | 4.00 |
Worked line, $100K at 0.5%: $500 ÷ $500 = 1.00 lot. If you count a gold "pip" as $0.01 instead of $0.10, a $5.00 stop looks like 500 pips and the size is off by ten; working in dollars of price avoids it. The XAU/USD calculator takes the stop in price and shows the pip value next to it.
What lot size for NAS100 with a 50-point stop?
Assuming a contract size of 1 ($1 per index point per lot), loss per 1.00 lot is 50 × $1 = $50.
| Account | 0.25% | 0.5% | 1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10K | 0.50 | 1.00 | 2.00 |
| $25K | 1.25 | 2.50 | 5.00 |
| $50K | 2.50 | 5.00 | 10.00 |
| $100K | 5.00 | 10.00 | 20.00 |
| $200K | 10.00 | 20.00 | 40.00 |
Worked line, $50K at 1%: $500 ÷ $50 = 10.00 lots; at a contract size of 10, 1.00 lot. Also check the display: an index quoted with one decimal shows 50 index points as 500 MT5 points. The NAS100 calculator uses the common 1 × index contract.
What lot size for US30 with a 100-point stop?
Assuming a contract size of 1, loss per 1.00 lot is 100 × $1 = $100.
| Account | 0.25% | 0.5% | 1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10K | 0.25 | 0.50 | 1.00 |
| $25K | 0.62 (risk $62) | 1.25 | 2.50 |
| $50K | 1.25 | 2.50 | 5.00 |
| $100K | 2.50 | 5.00 | 10.00 |
| $200K | 5.00 | 10.00 | 20.00 |
Worked line, $100K at 0.5%: $500 ÷ $100 = 5.00 lots. Confirm the US30 specification separately on your account's server; do not assume it matches NAS100 or another broker. The US30 calculator lets you edit the contract size if yours differs.
Why is the same lot size a different risk on a $10K and a $100K account?
Because the loss per lot is fixed in dollars and the account is not. Take 2.50 lots of EUR/USD with a 20-pip stop. The loss if the stop is hit is always 2.50 × $200 = $500. As a share of the account:
| Account | $500 loss as % of account |
|---|---|
| $10K | 5% |
| $25K | 2% |
| $50K | 1% |
| $100K | 0.5% |
| $200K | 0.25% |
On a $100K account, 2.50 lots is a measured 0.5% trade. On a $10K account, the same order is 5%, which on an FTMO Challenge 2-Step (Standard) $10K is the entire $500 daily loss allowance in one stop-out, before spread and commission.
Lot size is not portable between accounts; the risk percentage is. Copying a lot size from a video, a signal group or your own larger account is how traders oversize. Recompute it whenever the account size or the stop changes.
How does risk per trade fit inside the daily loss limit?
Divide the daily limit by your risk per trade and you get the number of full losses that reach it. The figures below come from each firm's official rules, checked on 26 September 2026. Rules change, so confirm them on the firm's page; the prop firm rules comparison lists the sources.
| Firm and program | Daily loss | Max loss | Full losses to daily limit at 0.25% / 0.5% / 1% | Full losses to max loss at 0.25% / 0.5% / 1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO Challenge 2-Step (Standard) | 5% | 10%, static | 20 / 10 / 5 | 40 / 20 / 10 |
| FTMO Challenge 1-Step | 3% | 10%, end-of-day trailing | 12 / 6 / 3 | 40 / 20 / 10 |
| FundedNext Stellar 2-Step | 5% | 10%, static | 20 / 10 / 5 | 40 / 20 / 10 |
| FundedNext Stellar 1-Step | 3% | 6%, static | 12 / 6 / 3 | 24 / 12 / 6 |
| The5ers Hyper Growth | 3%, soft | 6%, static | 12 / 6 / 3 | 24 / 12 / 6 |
This is a labelled worked example, not a firm rule: each loss is a full 1R at a fixed dollar risk from the initial balance, on a day that starts at the initial balance. The counts are losses that reach the limit. At the exact count equity sits on the floor, and costs on the last trade push it through, so the safe number is one fewer.
FTMO Challenge 2-Step (Standard), $100K. The daily rule: equity may not fall below the 00:00 CE(S)T balance minus 5% of initial capital, so $5,000. The max loss is 10% static: equity may not fall below $90,000. At 1% ($1,000), five losses in one day put you on the daily floor. At 0.5% ($500) and 2.50 lots of EUR/USD on a 20-pip stop, it takes ten. Max loss at 0.5% takes twenty losses in total.
FTMO Challenge 1-Step. The daily limit is 3%, so at 1% risk three losses reach it. The max loss trails: it is the highest 00:00 balance of any previous day (or initial capital, if higher) minus 10% of initial capital, and it only ratchets up. Once the account has closed a day in profit, the room to the max loss is smaller than the "40 / 20 / 10" in the table, which counts from the initial balance.
FundedNext Stellar 1-Step, $50K. Daily 3% is $1,500 and max loss 6% static is $3,000. At 0.5% ($250, so 1.25 lots of EUR/USD on a 20-pip stop or 2.50 lots of US30 on a 100-point stop) the daily limit takes six losses and the account limit twelve. The FundedNext calculator covers its programs.
The5ers Hyper Growth, $10K. Hyper Growth is offered at $5K, $10K and $20K. The 3% daily limit is based on the higher of balance or equity at 00:00 MT5 server time, and it is soft: hitting it closes trades and disables the account until the next day, but does not fail it. The 6% max loss is static, on equity, and does fail it. On $10K that is $300 a day and $600 in total; at 0.5% ($50) that is six losses a day and twelve overall. A soft daily limit is no reason to size up: the max loss is two daily limits deep. The The5ers calculator covers its programs.
Open positions add up: two trades open at 0.5% each put 1% against the daily limit at once. Firms also anchor the daily floor differently (balance at the reset, or the higher of balance and equity); the guide to prop firm daily drawdown works through each basis. Some programs also cap risk directly: Funding Pips Zero sets a 1% maximum open risk and a risk limit per trade idea of 3% below $50K and 2% from $50K.
For the FTMO account sizes, the FTMO calculator applies the 2-Step and 1-Step limits to the lot size.
How much drawdown does a losing streak cause at each risk percentage?
Losing streaks are normal in any approach. What a streak costs depends on how you size through it.
Fixed dollar risk. You keep risking the same dollar amount, worked out from the initial balance. The drawdown is simple multiplication: ten losses at 1% is 10%.
Compounding (fixed fractional) risk. You recompute the percentage from the current balance after each loss, so each trade is a little smaller than the one before. The account after n losses is (1 − risk)^n of where it started.
| Risk per trade | 5 losses, fixed $ | 5 losses, compounding | 10 losses, fixed $ | 10 losses, compounding | Gain needed to recover 10 compounding losses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25% | 1.25% | 1.24% | 2.50% | 2.47% | 2.53% |
| 0.5% | 2.50% | 2.48% | 5.00% | 4.89% | 5.14% |
| 1% | 5.00% | 4.90% | 10.00% | 9.56% | 10.57% |
Worked line, 1% compounding over ten losses: 0.99^10 = 0.9044, so the account is at 90.44% of its start, a 9.56% drawdown. To get back to 100% from 90.44% takes a gain of 100 ÷ 90.44 − 1 = 10.57%.
On an FTMO Challenge 2-Step (Standard) at a fixed 1%, the tenth loss in a row reaches the 10% max loss. At 1% compounding, ten losses leave you 9.56% down and the eleventh crosses it (10.47%). At 0.5%, compounding stretches twenty losses to the limit into twenty-two.
At 1% risk, an ordinary five-loss run uses the whole 5% daily limit if it lands on one day, and half the 10% maximum loss either way. At 0.25%, ten losses cost 2.50%. Smaller risk does not make a strategy better; it makes its normal bad runs survivable inside the firm's limits.
How do you choose a risk percentage for your account size?
Account size does not choose it: $200K and $10K both lose 10% after ten full losses at 1%, against the same percentage limits. What should drive the choice:
- The tightest limit you trade under. A 3% daily limit (FTMO Challenge 1-Step, FundedNext Stellar 1-Step, The5ers Hyper Growth) leaves room for three full losses a day at 1%. A 5% daily limit leaves five.
- The longest losing streak you have actually had. If your record shows runs of eight losses, size so eight losses stay well short of the max loss.
- Your real loss per trade, not the planned one. Slippage around news and wider spreads at the open can make a 1R loss larger than 1R. A journal of your fills shows whether that happens to you.
Frequently asked questions
What lot size should I use on a $100K FTMO account?
It depends on your stop and risk percentage. At 0.5% risk ($500) with a 20-pip EUR/USD stop, it is 2.50 lots; at 1% ($1,000), 5.00 lots. On gold with a $5.00 stop, 0.5% is 1.00 lot. On the FTMO Challenge 2-Step (Standard), the daily loss limit on $100K is $5,000 (5% of initial capital), so ten full losses at 0.5% reach it. Figures checked against FTMO's official rules on 26 September 2026; confirm them on FTMO's page.
Is 1 lot too much for a $10K account?
Usually, yes. One lot of EUR/USD with a 20-pip stop risks $200, which is 2% of $10K. One lot of gold with a $5.00 stop risks $500, which is 5%: the full daily loss limit on an FTMO Challenge 2-Step (Standard) $10K in a single trade. For 1 lot of EUR/USD to be a 1% risk on $10K, the stop would have to be 10 pips. On NAS100 or US30 with a contract size of 1, 1 lot is much smaller in dollar terms, so the answer depends on the symbol.
What lot size should I use on a $50K prop account?
At 0.5% ($250): 1.25 lots of EUR/USD on a 20-pip stop, 0.50 lots of gold on a $5.00 stop, 5.00 lots of NAS100 on a 50-point stop, or 2.50 lots of US30 on a 100-point stop, the index figures assuming a contract size of 1. Halve the risk and you halve the lots.
What lot size should I use for US30 on FTMO?
Read the US30 contract size in your FTMO MT5 account first (Market Watch, right-click, Specification), since index contracts differ between servers and brokers. With a contract size of 1, a 100-point stop at 0.5% on $100K is $500 ÷ $100 = 5.00 lots. If the specification shows a different contract size, scale the lots by the ratio.
How many lots can I trade on a $100K challenge?
Leverage and margin set a ceiling; your risk sets the useful limit. On a $100K account, 1% risk with a 20-pip EUR/USD stop is 5.00 lots, and five of those losses reach a 5% daily limit. Total open risk counts, so two 2.50-lot trades open at once carry the same risk as one 5.00-lot trade.
Should I size from the initial balance or the current balance?
Both are used. The initial balance keeps the dollar risk fixed, which matches daily limits set as a percentage of initial capital, such as FTMO's. The current balance shrinks positions in a drawdown, buying a few extra trades before the max loss but slowing recovery. Pick one and apply it consistently.
