Pro Futures Calculator for Prop Firms

Select your futures contract (NQ, ES, CL, etc.), enter the number of contracts, and input your entry and exit prices. The calculator instantly shows your profit/loss, margin requirements, and tick value.

Micro vs Mini contracts: Micro contracts (MNQ, MES) are 1/10th the size of their full-size counterparts. MNQ has a $0.50 tick value vs NQ's $5.00. Start with micros if you're new to futures — they let you learn the mechanics with less capital at risk.

For prop firm traders: Always check that the contract you want to trade is allowed by your firm. Most futures prop firms (Apex, Topstep, TPT, Lucid) allow all CME products, but some restrict certain markets during economic events.

Every futures contract has a fixed tick value — the dollar amount you gain or lose per tick of price movement. Here are the most popular contracts for prop trading:

Pro tip: NQ is the most popular contract among prop firm traders because of its high volatility and reasonable tick value. A 10-point move on NQ = $200 per contract.

MNQ/MES for beginners: At $0.50 and $1.25 per tick respectively, micro contracts let you practice with minimal risk. You can trade 5-10 micros while learning, then switch to full-size contracts once you're consistent.

NQ for experienced traders: The Nasdaq E-mini offers the best balance of volatility and tick value for active day traders. Most successful prop traders focus exclusively on NQ.

CL for commodity specialists: Crude Oil moves independently from equities, making it ideal for diversification. However, CL has wider spreads and can gap significantly on news.

Which contracts do prop firms allow? Most futures prop firms allow all CME Group products. Some restrict trading during major economic events (FOMC, NFP). Check your firm's rules — see our complete futures prop firm guide for detailed breakdowns.

Margin is the capital required by your broker to hold a futures position. For NQ, intraday margin is typically $500-$1,000 per contract. This is NOT the same as your prop firm's drawdown limit.

Drawdown is the maximum loss your prop firm allows before terminating your account. A 50K Apex account has $2,500 trailing drawdown. Even though your margin allows 50 NQ contracts, your drawdown only supports 1-2 contracts safely.

The critical calculation: Never size your position based on margin alone. Use the Risk Calculator to determine position size based on your drawdown buffer, not your margin capacity. A common beginner mistake is thinking "I have enough margin" when they don't have enough drawdown room.