Instruments for prop accounts
Which instrument a funded account can actually carry is arithmetic before it is strategy: tick value times stop distance times contracts, against the drawdown buffer. Six instruments, every account size, and the firms that offer each.
Every instrument, side by side
| Instrument | Market | Tick value | Point value | Contracts on 50K | On 100K | Prop firms | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MNQ | Micro Nasdaq | $0.50 | $2.00 | 2–4 | 4–8 | All futures firms | Default for systematic strategies — finest granularity |
| MGC | Micro Gold | $1.00 | $10.00 | 1–3 | 2–4 | All except Apex (metals suspended 2026) | Needs range; trends then gaps on macro |
| MES | Micro S&P | $1.25 | $5.00 | 2–5 | 4–10 | All futures firms | Narrowest range — most forgiving on small accounts |
| NQ | Mini Nasdaq | $5.00 | $20.00 | not practical | 1 | All futures firms | One stop can consume a 50K buffer entirely |
| NAS100 | Nasdaq CFD | lot-based | ~$1 at 0.1 lot | 0.2–0.5 lot | 0.5–1.0 lot | FTMO, FundingPips, The5ers, E8 | Static floor — roughly 3× the room of futures |
| XAUUSD | Gold CFD | lot-based | ~$1 per cent at 0.1 lot | 0.1–0.3 lot | 0.3–0.6 lot | FTMO, FundingPips, The5ers, E8 | Static floor absorbs macro gaps |
The rule that decides everything
Tick value times stop distance times contracts has to fit inside the drawdown buffer with room for a normal losing streak. That single line eliminates most instruments on most accounts before strategy ever enters the conversation. One NQ contract moves $20 per point, so a routine 100-point stop costs $2,000 — the entire buffer on a 50K futures account. Ten MNQ contracts carry identical exposure at $2 per point each, and allow partial exits the single mini cannot.
Futures or CFD?
The deeper split is not the instrument but the drawdown model behind it. Futures prop firms use trailing floors that follow the account balance upward; forex firms use static floors that never move. A 100K FTMO account carries $10,000 of static room against roughly $3,000–$3,500 of trailing room on a 100K futures account. For the same nominal exposure the CFD side gives around three times the buffer — paid for in spread, overnight financing and a rulebook that usually restricts news.
What is not here, and why
ES at $50 per point and GC at $100 per point are not listed because no drawdown buffer under 150K supports a single contract at a normal stop. Apex suspended all metals — gold, silver, copper and their micros — in early 2026 with no return date, so MGC is not an option there regardless of account size.
FAQ
What is the best instrument for a 50K prop account?
MNQ at two to four contracts for tight-stop strategies, MGC at one to three for strategies that need range, MES at two to five as the most forgiving on volatility-based sizing. NQ is not practical — one contract consumes the buffer on a normal stop.
Why can't I trade ES or GC on a prop account?
You can, but the arithmetic rarely works. ES pays $50 per point and GC $100; a single contract with a normal stop exceeds the drawdown buffer on any account under 150K.
Do all prop firms offer the same instruments?
No. All major futures firms offer the micro suite, but Apex suspended metals entirely in early 2026. CFD instruments like NAS100 and XAUUSD exist only at forex firms such as FTMO and FundingPips.
Contract specifications verified September 2026 against CME Group and current futures trackers. Firm availability cross-checked against the rules cards.