Futures contract calculator
Size a futures trade the professional way — from the loss you'll accept, not the profit you hope for. Pick your contract, enter your risk and stop, and see how many micros or standard contracts fit.
- Micro contracts
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- Standard contracts
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- Risk / micro
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How it works
Every futures contract has a fixed dollar value per point. Your risk on one contract is simply the stop distance × that point value — so the math is:
- · Risk per contract = Stop (points) × $/point.
- · Contracts = Your risk ($) ÷ Risk per contract, rounded down.
Micros are the prop trader's friend. A micro is 1/10th of the standard contract, so it lets you size precisely and keep a losing streak well inside a daily-loss limit — instead of being forced into an all-or-nothing standard contract. On an evaluation, that precision is often the difference between passing and breaching.
Point values reference
| Market | Standard $/pt | Micro $/pt |
|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 (ES / MES) | $50 | $5 |
| Nasdaq 100 (NQ / MNQ) | $20 | $2 |
| Dow (YM / MYM) | $5 | $0.50 |
| Russell 2000 (RTY / M2K) | $50 | $5 |
| Gold (GC / MGC) | $100 | $10 |
| Crude Oil (CL / MCL) | $1,000 | $100 |
Point values are the standard CME contract specs; always confirm the current spec with your broker or the exchange.
Sizing right is step one. Knowing which contract and stop actually make you money is step two — and that only comes from your own numbers. Shibiki auto-journals every fill and reads your edge-health per setup, so you can see whether trading micros with a wider stop beats one standard contract with a tight one, on your data rather than a forum opinion.
FAQ
What's the difference between a micro and a standard (E-mini) contract?
A micro is exactly 1/10th the size — same market, one-tenth the dollar value per point. Ten micros equal one standard, but micros let you fine-tune risk on smaller accounts and tight evaluation limits.
Why size from risk instead of contract count?
Because the same "2 contracts" can be a tiny risk on one instrument and an account-ender on another. Starting from the dollars you're willing to lose keeps every trade the same size in the only unit that matters.
Related: position size · prop-firm drawdown