TradeDay
TradeDay Evaluation Rules: Daily Loss Limit and Trailing Drawdown
TradeDay runs one of the more trader-friendly rule sets in the futures prop space — a straightforward daily loss limit, a trailing drawdown behind it, and no consistency rule. Here's how the two loss limits interact and what a Pine Script needs to respect.
TradeDay's eval structure and what it means for strategy design
TradeDay combines a daily loss limit with a trailing max drawdown. The daily limit is the immediate constraint — hit the floor intraday and the session is over. The trailing drawdown then tracks the account's peak value across sessions, setting a floor that can never be breached.
The winning approach: size risk so a single trade's loss is a fraction of the daily limit, and keep session P&L positive often enough that the trailing drawdown never becomes a real threat. Strategies built around 1-2 clean setups a session, rather than churning trades, do this naturally.
TradeDay 50k eval — key rules
| Account | Profit Target | Max Drawdown (Trailing) | Daily Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50k | $3,000 | $2,000 | $500 |
25k–50k (MES-focused) and 100k+ (ES/NQ) tiers are discussed qualitatively; only the 50k tier has a full published numbers table.
Drawdown type
Trailing
Trailing max drawdown tracks the peak account value across sessions; the source table does not explicitly label it EOD vs. intraday.
Daily loss limit
$500 on the 50k account per the numbers table. The page’s FAQ separately states it "varies by account size — typically around $500 for a 25k account up to $1,500 for a 150k account," which is not fully consistent with the $500-at-50k table figure — flagged for client verification.
Consistency rule
None.
Min trading days
10 days minimum
Payout split
Not published
Automation policy
Permitted during evaluations via TradingView webhook alerts to a broker such as TradersPost.
The 10-day minimum runs longer than Apex or Bulenox, which rewards consistent small wins over one big session. A strategy with a tighter win rate but steady output is a better structural fit here than a high-variance breakout system.
How our scripts handle the daily loss limit
Because the daily limit is hard rather than trailing, a per-session circuit breaker matters. Scripts here include an optional daily loss guard: once accumulated stop-loss values for the session cross a set threshold, no new entries fire. The chart stays live and signals still appear, but the script won't act on them — keeping a bad morning from eating into the trailing drawdown.
Instruments and account sizes
TradeDay supports the major CME futures. For the evaluation, the most common choices:
- MES — best fit for 25k-50k accounts. Tight risk, gradual equity build.
- MNQ — higher volatility per tick. Reaches the profit target faster on a good run, more punishing on a down session.
- ES / NQ — for 100k+ accounts, where the daily loss limit is proportionally larger and a full-size stop is easier to absorb.
Which plan fits TradeDay traders?
The Starter plan ($19/mo) covers 25k-50k accounts on MES or MNQ, risk sized for the lower end of TradeDay's daily-limit range. The Pro plan ($29/mo) targets 100k+ on ES or NQ. The Custom plan ($250 one-time) lets the circuit breaker be calibrated to the exact daily limit on your specific account.