Three ways to measure maximum loss
Every prop firm sets a maximum loss, but the floor behind it moves in different ways. A static floor sits at the starting balance minus the maximum loss and never moves. An intraday trailing floor follows the highest equity reached during the day, open profit included. An end-of-day (EOD) trailing floor follows the highest closing balance and moves only after each daily close.
QATS uses EOD trailing that stops at the starting balance. On a $50K Crypto account with a $3,000 maximum loss the floor starts at $47,000, rises with each new closing high, and locks at $50,000 once a close reaches $53,000.
How the calculator works
Enter the account size, the maximum loss percentage and a closing P&L for each day. The optional intraday peak is the most the day was up at any moment before the close — the open profit an intraday trail reacts to. Leave it blank and the calculator assumes the day never traded above the higher of its open and close.
Each model then replays the days. A model breaches on the first close at or below its floor, and its line ends on the chart. The cards show the breach day, the smallest cushion between balance and floor, and where the floor finished. Both trailing models stop at the starting balance, as most firms’ trailing rules do; a trail that never stops would only be stricter.
Reading the result
Intraday trailing usually breaches first because a large open profit that is given back still raises the floor. EOD trailing is kinder to traders who let winners run and scale out, but profit kept at the close still tightens it. Static drawdown gives the most room early, though few firms offer it alongside a low price.
Assumptions
Real accounts are checked continuously on equity, so a deep dip during a day can breach an account even when the close recovers; this calculator only checks closing balances. Fees, funding and payouts are not modelled. Use it to compare rule designs and size your risk, not to predict a specific outcome.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between static and trailing drawdown?
A static floor sits a fixed amount below the starting balance and never moves. A trailing floor follows the account up as it makes new highs, so profit raises the level you must stay above.
Why is intraday trailing drawdown stricter than end-of-day?
An intraday trail follows the highest equity during the day, including open profit you later give back. An end-of-day trail only moves on the closing balance, so a winning trade that reverses before the close does not raise the floor.
How does the QATS maximum loss work?
QATS uses an end-of-day trailing maximum loss of 6% on Crypto. The floor moves up with the closing balance and stops trailing once it reaches the starting balance; from then on it stays there.
Does the calculator check the daily loss limit?
It focuses on the maximum loss. It flags days that would also reach the QATS Crypto daily loss limit of 4%, which ends a Crypto evaluation on its own.