A prop firm rule calculator takes your challenge parameters - account size, daily loss limit, maximum total drawdown, and profit target - and shows exactly how much you can lose per day, your current status against each rule, and how many profitable days you need to pass. This removes the guesswork from managing a prop firm challenge within its constraints.
This calculator is for educational purposes only. Results are estimates. Not financial advice.
Enter your values above and click Calculate. Adjust any input to instantly see updated results. All calculations run client-side in your browser - no data is sent to any server.
This tool is built for South African traders using ZAR-denominated accounts or trading international instruments through FSCA-regulated brokers. Values are rounded for readability; full precision is used internally.
It is the maximum amount - typically 4-5% of the starting account balance - that you are allowed to lose in a single trading day. Breaching it immediately fails the challenge regardless of overall P&L.
Static drawdown is measured from your starting balance only. Trailing drawdown follows your highest equity reached - so a new equity peak means your floor rises too, reducing future room to lose.
Yes. Most international prop firms (FTMO, MyForexFunds, The5ers, Funded Trader) accept South African applicants. Challenge fees are typically charged in USD and can be paid via card or crypto.
Most prop firms require 5-10 minimum trading days. This prevents traders from hitting the profit target in a single high-risk day.
No. Prop firm payouts are typically in USD, EUR, or crypto. You receive the amount and then convert it to ZAR through your bank, which counts toward your SARB single discretionary allowance.
Most prop firm traders use 0.5-1% risk per trade to give themselves enough room to absorb a losing streak without approaching the daily or total drawdown limit.
Yes. Trading funded accounts through prop firms is legal. Any profits received constitute foreign income that must be declared to SARS on your annual ITR12.
No, rules vary meaningfully between firms and even between different account types offered by the same firm, always verify the specific numbers directly from your chosen firm's current published rules rather than assuming standard figures.
This typically results in immediate failure of the evaluation or funded account, regardless of your overall profit target progress, which is exactly why understanding and respecting this specific limit matters more than overall profitability.
This varies by firm, some measure drawdown from the initial starting balance (static), others from your highest equity point reached (trailing), the trailing method is generally considered stricter, verify which type applies to your account.
Your normal approach may need adjustment specifically around the firm's daily and overall loss limits, since breaching these fails the evaluation regardless of your longer-term strategy's genuine viability.
A larger required profit target relative to your permitted drawdown can pressure more aggressive trading to reach it within any time limit, worth calculating whether the target is genuinely achievable within your normal risk approach.