ICC Your drawdown
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How to use the drawdown recovery calculator
- Enter the drawdown in % from the last peak.
- Optionally enter the peak balance to see the money to win back.
- Optionally enter your average gain per winning trade to see how many wins it takes.
- Compare with the table: the deeper the drawdown, the faster the gain needed grows.
The drawdown recovery formula
Gain needed = drawdown ÷ (100% − drawdown)
A loss is taken from a bigger balance than the gain that has to win it back, so the gain needed is always larger than the loss, and the gap grows fast: lose 10% and you need 11.1%, lose 50% and you need 100%.
Drawdown recovery table
| Drawdown | Gain needed to recover | Left of 100 |
|---|---|---|
| −5% | +5.3% | 95 |
| −10% | +11.1% | 90 |
| −15% | +17.6% | 85 |
| −20% | +25.0% | 80 |
| −25% | +33.3% | 75 |
| −30% | +42.9% | 70 |
| −40% | +66.7% | 60 |
| −50% | +100.0% | 50 |
| −60% | +150.0% | 40 |
| −75% | +300.0% | 25 |
| −90% | +900.0% | 10 |
Worked example
- A $100,000 account falls 20% to $80,000. To get back it needs $20,000, which is +25% of $80,000.
- With an average winning trade of +2%, that takes at least 12 wins in a row (1.0212 ≈ 1.27), and many more once the losses in between are counted.
- Keep the drawdown to 10% and the way back is only +11.1%: about 6 wins of 2%.
The prop firm angle
A challenge usually ends at a 10% maximum loss (static or trailing) and a 4-5% daily loss. That makes recovery maths stricter than on a personal account: after a 6% drawdown on a 10% limit only 4% of room is left, and the 6.4% gain needed to get back must come without touching the floor. This is why prop traders cut their size after a losing day instead of trying to win it back. Check today's room with the prop firm drawdown calculator and see how firms count drawdown on the prop firm challenge tracker.
Smaller risk per trade keeps drawdowns shallow: compare sizes with the risk of ruin calculator and the Kelly criterion calculator.
ICC Zillas shows your current and maximum drawdown and, for prop accounts, the room left to each limit, from your MetaTrader sync or imported trades. 30-day free trial, no card needed.
Start free →Questions
How much do I need to gain to recover from a drawdown?
Divide the drawdown by 100% minus the drawdown. A 20% drawdown needs +25%, a 30% drawdown +42.9% and a 50% drawdown +100%.
Why is recovering from a loss harder than losing?
Because the gain is earned on a smaller balance. Losing 50% of $10,000 leaves $5,000, and $5,000 must double to get back.
What is a good maximum drawdown for traders?
Many traders aim to keep it under 10-20%. Prop firm challenges usually stop at 10%, often with a 4-5% daily limit.
How do I reduce drawdowns?
Risk less per trade, set a daily loss limit, and stop after a fixed number of losses in a row.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs in your browser and does not send or store what you type.
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