FloorGuardProp firm drawdown rules compared (13 programs, 9 firms)
Last checked 2026-10-04. Each row links the firm's own rules page. Rules change and many firms let you pick different percentages at checkout: confirm on your dashboard.
"5% daily, 10% max" sounds the same everywhere. It isn't. Firms differ on what the percentage is taken of (initial balance or the day's starting value), what the floor is measured from (balance, or the higher of balance and equity), whether the overall floor is static or trailing, and when the day resets. This table puts the published rules side by side for a fresh $100,000 (or 100K futures) account.
| Firm | Program | Daily loss rule | Day-1 daily floor ($100k) | Max drawdown type | Starting max-loss floor ($100k) | Daily reset | Rule page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO (guide) | FTMO Challenge 2-Step | 5% of initial; reference: day-start balance | $95,000 | Static. | $90,000 | 00:00 CE(S)T (Prague) | source |
| FTMO (guide) | FTMO Challenge 1-Step | 3% of initial; reference: day-start balance | $97,000 | Trailing, end-of-day balance. | $90,000 | 00:00 CE(S)T (Prague) | source |
| FundedNext | Stellar 2-Step (CFD) | 5% of initial; reference: day-start balance | $95,000 | Static. | $90,000 | 00:00 server time (GMT+2, GMT+3 in DST) | source |
| The5ers | High Stakes (2-Step) | 5% of day-start value; reference: day-start higher of balance/equity | $95,000 | Static. | $90,000 | 00:00 MT5 server time (GMT+2 winter, GMT+3 summer) | source |
| E8 Markets (guide) | E8 One (default 4% daily / 6% dynamic) | 4% of initial; reference: day-start balance | $96,000 | Trailing, highest closed balance. Locks at initial. | $94,000 | 00:00 server time (time zone not stated on the page) (unverified: reset time zone) | source |
| FundingPips | 2 Step Standard (5% daily) | 5% of day-start value; reference: day-start higher of balance/equity | $95,000 | Static. | $90,000 | 00:00 platform time (UTC+3) | source |
| FundingPips | 2 Step Standard (3% daily add-on) | 3% of day-start value; reference: day-start higher of balance/equity | $97,000 | Static. | $90,000 | 00:00 platform time (UTC+3) | source |
| Alpha Capital | Alpha Pro 10% | 5% of day-start value; reference: day-start balance | $95,000 | Static. | $90,000 | 00:00 GMT+3 (broker time) | source |
| Alpha Capital | Alpha Pro 8% | 4% of day-start value; reference: day-start balance | $96,000 | Static. | $92,000 | 00:00 GMT+3 (broker time) | source |
| Blue Guardian | 2 Step Standard | 4% of initial; reference: day-start higher of balance/equity | $96,000 | Static. | $92,000 | 5:00 pm EST (New York) | source |
| Topstep (guide) | Trading Combine (futures) | None mandatory | – | Trailing, end-of-day balance. Locks at initial. | $97,000 | End of trading day; Topstep's session is commonly cited as ending 3:10 pm CT / new day 5:00 pm CT (not confirmed on an official page) (unverified: reset time) | source |
| Apex Trader Funding (guide) | EOD Evaluation (futures) | Fixed $ by size; pauses trading (not a breach) | $98,500 | Trailing, end-of-day balance. | $97,000 | Trading day resets 6:00 pm ET | source |
| Apex Trader Funding (guide) | Intraday Trailing Evaluation (futures) | None mandatory | – | Trailing, intraday peak incl. open profit. | $97,000 | Threshold does not reset daily | source |
Floors are for a brand-new account with no open positions. After day 1 they depend on your balance, equity and (for trailing rules) your high-water mark; the calculator works them out for any state. Account sizes and the 100K column are illustrative: not every program sells every size.
How to read it
- "% of initial" vs "% of day-start value": with % of initial you get the same dollar allowance every day; with % of the day-start value, the allowance grows when you're up and shrinks when you're down. Worked example: same 5% daily loss, different math.
- "Higher of balance/equity": open profit at the reset raises today's reference. Give it back after the reset and you've used part of today's allowance without closing a trade.
- Static vs trailing: a static floor never moves; a trailing one follows your high (end-of-day, closed balance, or intraday peak) and sometimes locks. See trailing vs static drawdown.
- "Pauses trading": at Apex (EOD) and Topstep (optional add-on), hitting the daily limit stops you for the session but doesn't fail the account.
Firm-by-firm guides
- FTMO daily loss rule explained (2-Step 5%, 1-Step 3%)
- Topstep Maximum Loss Limit explained (50K / 100K / 150K)
- Apex trailing drawdown: intraday vs EOD
- E8 Markets daily and dynamic drawdown
Get the data
The full dataset behind this table (with every source, last-verified date and unverified-field flag, plus copy-trading and automation policies) is open source under the MIT license: github.com/kburrus64-max/prop-firm-rules. Spotted a rule change? Open an issue there with the firm's official link.