Drawdown Calculator

What is drawdown?

Drawdown is the drop from a peak in your account to a subsequent low, measured as a percentage. If your account hit $12,000 and fell to $9,000, that's a 25% drawdown. It's the single best measure of how much pain a strategy puts you through, and prop firms set hard drawdown limits you can't breach.

The recovery math is brutal

The most important lesson here: recovering from a drawdown takes a bigger gain than the loss itself. A 25% drawdown needs a 33% gain to get back to even; a 50% drawdown needs a 100% gain. This asymmetry is why protecting capital matters more than chasing returns — the deeper the hole, the disproportionately harder it is to climb out.

FAQ

What's the difference between maximum drawdown and current drawdown?

Maximum drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough drop your account has ever experienced, while current drawdown is how far below your most recent peak you are right now. Prop firms usually cap the maximum, so it's the number that decides whether you breach the rules.

How do I calculate the gain needed to recover?

The recovery gain is loss ÷ (1 − loss), expressed as a percentage. A 20% drawdown needs 20 ÷ 80 = 25% to get back to even, which is why deeper losses require disproportionately larger gains to recover.

Is trailing drawdown different from static drawdown?

Yes. A static drawdown limit is measured from your starting balance and stays fixed, while a trailing drawdown follows your highest balance upward, locking in gains as your floor rises. Many prop firms use trailing limits, so check which one your account uses.

Is this calculator free, and does my data stay private?

Yes — it's free with no sign-up, and every figure is calculated in your browser. Your balance and drawdown numbers are never uploaded or stored anywhere.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes, the calculator is fully responsive and works in any phone or tablet browser, so you can check your drawdown and recovery target on the go.

Educational tool only — not financial advice.