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Lot Size Calculator — Trade the Right Size, Every Time
Lot size is the missing number between “I’ll risk 1%” and actually opening the trade. Enter your account balance, risk percentage and stop distance for NQ, ES, forex pairs, gold or crypto, and get the exact lots or contracts that keep every loss inside your prop firm drawdown limit.
How do I calculate my lot size for a prop firm account?
Lot size = (account balance × risk %) ÷ (stop distance × value per unit). On a $100,000 account risking 1% with a 20-pip EUR/USD stop worth $10 per pip, you trade $1,000 ÷ (20 × 10) = 5 standard lots. On NQ at a 50-point stop worth $20 per point, that same $1,000 buys exactly one contract.
Your risk
NQ contract specs
Nasdaq 100 pays $20 per point per contracts.
Position size in contracts
- Dollar risk
- $1,000
- Risk per point
- $3,000
- Position size
- 0.333
- contracts
Max contracts at 1% risk on a $100k account
| Market | Value per unit | Stop | Risk $ | Max size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NQ | $20 per point | 150 points | $3,000 | <1 contracts |
| MNQ | $2 per point | 150 points | $300 | 3 contracts |
| BTC | $1 per $1 | 2,000 dollars | $2,000 | <1 coins |
| ETH | $1 per $1 | 100 dollars | $100 | 10 coins |
| XAU/USD | $100 per $1 | 20 dollars | $2,000 | <1 lots |
| EUR/USD | $10 per pip | 0.005 pips | $0.05 | 20,000 lots |
| ES | $50 per point | 50 points | $2,500 | <1 contracts |
| US30 | $5 per point | 200 points | $1,000 | 1 contracts |
Max size = $1,000 ÷ cash risk per contract. On NQ a 150-point stop costs $3,000 per contract, so a $100k account at 1% can only trade micros or wait for a tighter setup.
Lots, contracts and coins — the same math
Whatever market you trade, position size comes from one formula: size = (account balance × risk%) ÷ (stop distance × value per unit). For forex that result is standard lots, for futures it is contracts, and for crypto it is coins. The position sizing guide explains the logic behind each step, and the pip value calculator covers the per-pip numbers for every forex pair.
Lot size at 1% risk across markets
Using each instrument's real contract specs, this shows the cash risk of one lot or contract at a typical stop, and how many units a $100,000 account at 1% risk can afford.
| Market | Value per unit | Example stop | Risk / unit | Max units @1% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NQ | $20 per point | 150 points | $3,000 / contract | <1 contracts |
| ES | $50 per point | 50 points | $2,500 / contract | <1 contracts |
| US30 | $5 per point | 200 points | $1,000 / contract | 1 contracts |
| BTC | $1 per $1 | 2,000 dollars | $2,000 / coins | <1 coins |
| ETH | $1 per $1 | 100 dollars | $100 / coins | 10 coins |
| XAU/USD | $100 per $1 | 20 dollars | $2,000 / lot | <1 lots |
| EUR/USD | $10 per pip | 0.005 pips | $0.05 / lot | 20,000 lots |
Example: a 150-point stop on one NQ contract costs $3,000, so at 1% of a $100,000 account you can only trade micros at that distance. Tighten the stop or size down — the calculator above does both instantly.
Per-market calculators
Nasdaq 100 Position Size Calculator
Calculate your exact NQ (Nasdaq 100 E-mini) position size in contracts based on account balance, risk % and stop-loss. Built for prop firm and SMC/ICT traders.
Sized in contracts
Micro Nasdaq 100 Position Size Calculator
Calculate your exact MNQ (Micro Nasdaq 100) position size in contracts by account balance, risk % and stop-loss. Ideal for small prop firm accounts.
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Bitcoin Position Size Calculator
Calculate your exact Bitcoin position size in BTC based on account balance, risk % and stop-loss. Built for prop firm and SMC crypto traders.
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Ethereum Position Size Calculator
Calculate your exact Ethereum position size in ETH based on account balance, risk % and stop-loss. Built for SMC and prop firm crypto traders.
Sized in coins
Gold Position Size Calculator
Calculate your exact Gold (XAU/USD) position size in lots based on account balance, risk % and stop-loss. Perfect for prop firm and SMC traders.
Sized in lots
EUR/USD Position Size Calculator
Calculate your exact EUR/USD position size in lots based on account balance, risk % and stop-loss in pips. Built for prop firm forex traders.
Sized in lots
S&P 500 Position Size Calculator
Calculate your exact ES (E-mini S&P 500) position size in contracts from account balance, risk % and stop-loss. Built for prop firm traders.
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Dow Jones (US30) Position Size Calculator
Calculate your exact US30 (Dow Jones) position size in contracts based on account balance, risk % and stop-loss. Built for prop firm traders.
Sized in contracts
Lot size FAQ
How do I calculate my lot size?
Divide your dollar risk (account balance × risk %) by the cash value of your stop distance per lot or contract. Dollar risk = stop distance × value per unit. For example on EUR/USD with $1,000 risk and a 20-pip stop: 1,000 ÷ (20 × $10) = 5 standard lots.
What is the difference between lot size and position size?
Lot size is the unit of quantity for a position. One standard forex lot = 100,000 units of base currency ($10 per pip on EUR/USD), one mini lot = 10,000 ($1 per pip), one micro lot = 1,000 ($0.10 per pip). Position size is that same quantity expressed as lots, contracts or coins for the instrument you trade.
How big should my lot size be for prop firm trading?
Size so that your stop-loss cash risk stays between 0.5% and 1% of the account — the same range most prop firms use for their daily drawdown cap. Never size to a fixed dollar per pip; always derive size backwards from a fixed percentage risk.
What lot size can I trade with $1,000 risk?
It depends on the stop distance. On EUR/USD a 20-pip stop with $1,000 at risk allows 5 standard lots (50 mini lots). On NQ a 150-point stop costs $3,000 per contract, so $1,000 of risk cannot trade a full contract at that distance — you would need a tighter stop or a micro contract.
Why does lot size matter more than stop distance?
Because it converts your stop into real money. A 10-point stop on NQ costs $200 per contract; on ES it costs $500. The same stop distance changes your cash risk based purely on the instrument's value per point — lot size is the lever that keeps that cash risk inside your prop firm limit.
What is the difference between lot size and contract size?
Lot size is the forex quantity unit — one standard lot = 100,000 units ($10 per pip on EUR/USD), one mini = 10,000 ($1 per pip), one micro = 1,000 ($0.10 per pip). Contract size is the equivalent fixed quantity for futures, like one NQ contract = $20 per point or one ES = $50 per point. In both cases the number converts price distance into dollar risk — lot size is just the name forex uses and contract size the name futures uses.
How many contracts can I trade on NQ, ES or MNQ with $1,000 risk?
Divide $1,000 by the stop's cash value per contract. At a 50-point stop, NQ costs $1,000 per contract (50 × $20) so you get one contract, ES costs $2,500 (50 × $50) so you get less than one — a micro — and MNQ costs $100 (50 × $2) so you can trade ten. Know the contract multiplier before sizing any futures trade.