Prop Firm Challenge Calculator
Plan the economics of a prop-firm challenge before you pay the fee. Estimate required profit, drawdown room, realistic cost across attempts, the break-even payout and net trader share after the split.
Target and drawdown room are broadly in proportion — a typical evaluation structure. Profit target is 1.00× the maximum drawdown.
A prop-firm evaluation is a purchase as much as a trading task — and the economics decide whether it makes sense before a single trade is placed. This calculator turns a firm's fee, profit target, drawdown limits and payout split into concrete numbers: what the attempt costs, how much profit it requires, the break-even payout that recovers the fee, and the net share you keep after the split. It does not predict whether you will pass and makes no profit promise.
When to use this tool
- Before paying for an evaluation, to see the realistic cost across one or several attempts.
- When comparing two firms whose fees, splits and refund terms differ.
- To work out the break-even payout — the gross profit your split must clear to recover the fee.
How the calculation works
Each rule percentage is converted into a money amount from the account size, then the cost basis and payout economics are derived from the fee, attempts, split and optional refund.
Required profit = account × target % Max drawdown = account × max DD % Cost (N attempts) = fee × attempts Net trader share = gross profit × split % (+ fee refund, if any) Break-even payout = (total cost − refund) ÷ split %
Optional inputs add scenario context: an assumed pass probability scales the budgeted cost into a rough "cost per expected pass", and an expected gross profit produces a net trader share and fee-adjusted ROI. These use your own assumptions — they are not historical pass rates or predictions.
Practical example
On a $100,000 account with a $540 fee, a 10% combined target, 10% max drawdown, 5% daily limit and an 80% split that refunds the fee on first payout: the attempt requires $10,000 profit, allows $10,000 total and $5,000 daily drawdown, and costs $540 for one attempt. To recover the fee, your 80% share needs to clear a break-even payout — here the refund covers it on the first payout, so the break-even is effectively the first payout itself. Budget two attempts and the cost basis becomes $1,080.
Common mistakes
- Reading any output as a prediction of passing — it only describes the economics of the structure you entered.
- Forgetting that fees multiply across attempts, so a low headline fee can still be expensive over several tries.
- Ignoring trailing or scaling drawdown rules, which this model does not capture — always use the firm’s exact terms.
Frequently asked questions
Does this tell me if I will pass a prop firm challenge?
No. It deliberately makes no prediction and no profit promise. It estimates the economics — cost, required profit, break-even payout and net share after the split — so you can judge whether a challenge is worth the fee.
What is the break-even payout?
The gross profit your payout split must clear so your net share recovers the total fees you have paid. If the fee is refunded on the first payout, the break-even is effectively reached with that first payout.
How is the net trader share calculated?
Net share = gross profit in the funded stage × your payout split percentage, plus the evaluation fee if the firm refunds it on the first payout. The gross profit figure is your own planning assumption, not a forecast.
What does the structure label (conservative to high-risk) mean?
It characterises the challenge itself — the ratio of the profit target to the drawdown room you are given, plus how tight the daily limit is. A higher ratio means you must produce more return before a breach. It is a property of the rules, not a statement about your likelihood of success.
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