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Futures position size calculator

Enter your account size, the percentage you'll risk and your stop distance. The calculator gives the contract count that keeps the trade inside that risk.

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Futures position size
Tick 0.25 pts · $1.25 a tick · $5.00 a point
= $500.00 per trade
= 10 points on MES
Position size
10 contracts of MES
Risking $500.00 of your $500.00 budget
Uses 100.0% of the risk budgetEach block is one contract
Risk budget
$500.00
Risk per contract
$50.00
Actual risk at this size
$500.00 · 1.00%
Unused budget
$0.00

Enter the stop in ticks or points (ticks by default). The tool shows the tick size for the contract you pick.

The contract count always rounds down, since rounding up would put you over the risk you entered. "Actual risk at this size" shows what the whole contracts cost you.

Position size formula

Dollars per tick is set by the exchange. The tick value calculator lists it for every major contract.

Formula
risk budget      = account size × risk %
risk per contract = stop in ticks × $ per tick
contracts         = floor(risk budget ÷ risk per contract)

A 50K account risking 1% on a 40-tick stop

The same $500 risk budget buys a different contract count on every product.

ContractPer tickRisk per contractContracts
ES$12.50$5001
MES$1.25$5010
NQ$5.00$2002
MNQ$0.50$2025

Tick values from the futures contract specifications table.

When the calculator says zero contracts

One contract of that product, with that stop, risks more than the percentage you allowed. Zero is the answer, and it is common on small and evaluation accounts.

Drop to the micro
MES, MNQ, MYM, M2K, MCL and MGC are one tenth of their full-size contract.
Tighten the stop
Only if the setup supports it. Sizing off a stop you won't honour gives a number for a trade you won't take.
Or skip the trade
A setup that doesn't fit the budget at one micro is a pass on this account.
Risk adds up per trade
Four losing trades at 1% is a 4% day, the number a prop firm's daily limit measures.

Sizing several accounts off one trade

Each account has a different balance, so each needs a different contract count for the same trade. Working that out live for every account is where mistakes happen.

Set the Leader's size here. In Copy Trader, each follower applies its own multiplier before the order goes out.

  • Whole-number multiplier per follower
  • Exits sized to what each follower holds
How Copy Trader works
Questions

Common questions

Short answers to what traders ask first. Anything else, the Help Center has it.

How do I calculate futures position size?

Multiply your account size by the percentage you'll risk. Multiply your stop distance in ticks by the dollar value of one tick. Divide the first by the second and round down.

What percentage should I risk per trade?

There's no single right number, but 1% or less per trade is a common start. It's per trade, so four losing trades at 1% is a 4% day.

Why does the calculator say zero contracts?

Because one contract of that product, with that stop, would risk more than you allowed. Use the micro contract, tighten the stop if the setup supports it, or skip the trade.

What is the difference between a tick and a point?

A point is one full unit of price; a tick is the smallest increment the contract moves in. ES moves in 0.25-point ticks, so there are four ticks to a point.

Does this work for micro contracts?

Yes. MES, MNQ, MYM, M2K, MCL and MGC are all in the list with their own tick values.

Is my data sent anywhere?

No. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing you type leaves the page.

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