Sizing · 6 min read

Best instrument by prop account size

The question “what should I trade on a 50K account” has an arithmetic answer before it has a strategy answer. Tick value, stop distance and the drawdown buffer decide which instruments fit; below 25K they decide almost entirely.

The account chooses the instrument

A strategy is a set of entry and exit rules; the account is a buffer and a cap. The instrument is where they meet: tick value times stop distance has to fit inside the buffer with room for a normal losing streak, and the position count has to stay under the funded-stage cap. Below a certain account size that arithmetic removes most of the choice.

Instrument by account size

Account	Instrument and size	Why	Note
5K – 10K	MGC (micro gold) or MES (micro S&P), 1 contract	MNQ moves $2 per point; a 50-point adverse move is $100, a fifth of a $500 buffer. MGC at $1 per tick and MES at $1.25 leave room for a normal stop.	The account decides the instrument, not the strategy
25K	MNQ or MGC, 1–2 contracts	$1,000–$1,500 drawdown fits one or two micros of either. MNQ suits tight stops; MGC suits strategies that need range.	First size where a real choice exists
50K	MNQ 2–4 / MGC 1–3	$2,000–$2,500 drawdown. Four MNQ is $8 per point; a 100-point stop is $800, a third of the buffer. Three MGC carries similar risk with different behaviour.	Most common evaluation size; see the MNQ vs MGC comparison
100K	MNQ 4–8 / MGC 2–4, or one mini	$3,000–$3,500 drawdown. One mini (NQ $20/pt, GC $100/pt) fits but removes the ability to scale out; micros keep it.	Micros for scale-out strategies, one mini only for single-exit strategies
150K	MNQ 8–14 / MGC 3–4, or 1–2 minis	$4,500–$5,000 drawdown. Caps of 15 minis / 150 micros are far above what the buffer supports; the cap is not the target.	Scaling plans often halve the funded cap; check the scaling plan first

The forex prop version

On a forex CFD account the same logic runs through lot size rather than contract count. NAS100 and XAUUSD are the equivalents of MNQ and MGC; a 100K swing account carries a 10% drawdown that accommodates either, and the binding constraint becomes the daily loss limit. The gold on a prop firm guide covers XAU.

How to run the numbers

Tick value, stop in ticks, contracts — multiplied, divided into the buffer, compared against the longest losing streak the win rate implies. The DLL sizing checker does this per firm; the consistency and streak calculator supplies the streak length.

Contract specifications for each instrument — tick value, point value, and how many contracts fit a 25K, 50K, 100K or 150K buffer — are on the reference pages: MNQ, MES, NQ, MGC, NAS100 and XAUUSD, with the side-by-side table on the instruments index.

FAQ

What should I trade on a 5K or 10K prop account?

Micro gold (MGC) or micro S&P (MES), one contract. MNQ at $2 per point makes a normal stop a fifth of the buffer on accounts that size.

MNQ or MGC on a 50K account?

Both fit at 2–4 contracts of MNQ or 1–3 of MGC. MNQ suits tight-stop strategies; MGC suits strategies that need range. The full comparison is in the MNQ vs MGC guide.

Should I trade a mini contract on a 100K account?

Only for single-exit strategies. One NQ or GC mini removes the ability to scale out; micros keep it. The buffer supports either; the strategy structure decides.

Does the contract cap tell me how much to trade?

No. Caps of 15 minis or 150 micros on a 150K account are far above what the buffer supports. The cap is a ceiling; the buffer sets the size.

Firm rules verified September 2026. Prop firm rules change frequently; confirm on the firm's site before purchasing an evaluation.

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