Guide
Trailing drawdown explained: intraday vs end-of-day (EOD)
In short: A trailing drawdown is a loss floor that moves up when your account makes a new high and never moves down. With end-of-day (EOD) trailing, only your balance at the close can raise the floor. Full answer ↓
At a glance
What raises the floor
Intraday counts open profit too
Floor after +$1,000 open, closed flat
50K account, $2,000 drawdown (our example)
Room left after that trade
Can an open loss breach an EOD drawdown?
Yes
monitored in real time
All figures from MyFundedFutures and Topstep official pages, checked 2026-10-17. Sources and full rules below.
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Read the details
The short answer
Both types start $2,000 below a 50K account and only move up. The difference is what moves them: your closing balance (end-of-day) or your best moment during the day, open profit included (intraday).
Key facts:
- Starting floor on a 50K account: $48,000 for both.
- End-of-day: only your balance at the close raises the floor.
- Intraday: your peak equity raises it, even profit you never closed.
- A trade that runs to +$1,000 and is closed flat leaves the floor at $48,000 on end-of-day but $49,000 on intraday (our example).
Watch out:
- End-of-day does not mean you can only fail at the close: open losses count in real time.
- On intraday trailing, giving back open profit costs you room even if you close at breakeven.
- Check which type applies at each stage: MyFundedFutures calculates it intraday at the funded stage.
Full summary
A trailing drawdown is a loss floor that moves up when your account makes a new high and never moves down. With end-of-day (EOD) trailing, only your balance at the close can raise the floor. With intraday trailing, your highest equity during the day raises it, open profit included. Example on a 50K account with a $2,000 drawdown: a trade runs to +$1,000 open profit and you close it flat. Intraday, the floor is now $49,000 and you have $1,000 of room left. End-of-day, it stays at $48,000 and you still have $2,000.
Plain-language terms
End-of-day vs intraday at a glance
| Rule | End-of-day | Intraday | Tag |
|---|---|---|---|
| What raises the floor ⓘ | Your balance at the close | Your highest equity during the day | Differs |
| ⓘ Intraday counts open (unrealized) profit. | |||
| Can the floor move down | No | No | SAME |
| Starting floor on 50K | $48,000 | $48,000 | SAME |
| ⓘ $50,000 − $2,000 in both firms' examples. | |||
| Open loss touching the floor | Breach | Breach | SAME |
| ⓘ Topstep monitors in real time; MyFundedFutures counts open trades. | |||
| Trade runs to +$1,000, closed flat (ours) | Floor stays $48,000 | Floor rises to $49,000 | Differs |
| ⓘ Room left: $2,000 vs $1,000. | |||
| Where it stops rising | Starting balance | Starting balance | SAME |
| Firm example used | Topstep Maximum Loss Limit | MyFundedFutures funded stage | Differs |
What a trailing drawdown is
A trailing drawdown is a loss limit that rises when your account makes a new high and never moves down. In both firms' examples it starts $2,000 below a 50K account: $50,000 − $2,000 = $48,000. Topstep calls it the Maximum Loss Limit; MyFundedFutures calls it the maximum trailing drawdown. On both, the floor stops rising once it reaches the starting balance.
What this means for you: Your loss floor only ever ratchets up, until it reaches your starting balance.
End-of-day (EOD) trailing
Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit rises as your end-of-day balance grows. Its 50K Trading Combine example: start at $50,000 with the floor at $48,000; make $500 on day 1 and the floor trails up to $48,500; lose $500 on day 2 and the floor stays at $48,500. The floor updates at the end of each trading day, but Topstep monitors it in real time, open losses included, so you can still be liquidated mid-session.
What this means for you: Only a winning close raises the floor, but an open loss can still breach you mid-day.
Intraday trailing
MyFundedFutures calculates the trailing drawdown intraday at the funded stage: the floor follows your peak equity during the day, including unrealized gains. Its example: a new equity high of $51,000 moves the floor to $49,000. If your equity then falls, even inside an open trade, the floor stays put, and dropping below it breaches the account.
What this means for you: Every new open-profit high raises the floor for good, even if you close the trade lower.
Same trade, two outcomes (our example)
Take a 50K account with a $2,000 trailing drawdown, starting at $50,000. A trade runs to +$1,000 open profit, then you close it flat at $50,000. Intraday: equity touched $51,000, so the floor is now $49,000 and you have $1,000 of room left. End-of-day: the day closed at $50,000, so the floor stays at $48,000 and you keep $2,000 of room. This applies the two firms' own definitions; it is our example, not a quote from either firm.
What this means for you: Same $1,000 round trip: you keep $2,000 of room on end-of-day, only $1,000 on intraday.
Which one is easier to live with
End-of-day trailing is more forgiving when a winner turns around, because an open high that fades before the close does not raise the floor. Intraday trailing charges you for every bit of open profit you give back. Neither one ignores open losses: on both, touching the floor with a trade still open is a breach.
What this means for you: If your winners often pull back before you exit, end-of-day trailing gives you more room.
FAQ
What is the difference between intraday and end-of-day trailing drawdown?
Intraday trailing follows your peak equity during the day, including unrealized gains, so an open profit raises the floor even if you give it back. End-of-day trailing only rises with your balance at the close. MyFundedFutures' example: a new equity high of $51,000 moves the floor to $49,000.
Does an end-of-day drawdown mean I can only fail at the close?
No. Topstep's Maximum Loss Limit updates at the end of each trading day but is monitored in real time, and both realized and unrealized P&L count. If your balance hits it at any point during the day, the account is liquidated immediately.
Does open profit raise an intraday trailing drawdown?
Yes. MyFundedFutures calculates the funded-stage trailing drawdown intraday from your peak balance, including realized and unrealized gains. If your equity then falls, even during an open trade, the limit stays where it is.
Sources: 2 official help-center pages
Not financial advice. Educational content only. Trading futures, options and crypto involves substantial risk of loss. Full disclaimer.