End-of-day vs intraday trailing: track the plan and phase, not the logo
Do not ask, “What drawdown does this firm use?” Ask, “What drawdown does this plan use in this phase?” The logo can stay the same while the risk envelope changes after the pass.
The short answer
Start here
Intraday trailing can tighten from a live peak. End-of-day trailing generally ratchets from a settled daily close. Static drawdown does not move. Exact balance, equity, floor and lock behavior still belongs to the plan’s live terms.
What matters
- Drawdown distance is the operating envelope, not the account-size label.
- A phase switch can change the rule immediately after passing.
- Never model a plan-specific variation from one flat firm badge.
01
The three mechanics
Intraday trailing follows a defined live high-water mark and can tighten before the session closes. End-of-day trailing normally updates after a higher daily close, so an intraday spike may not move the threshold. Static drawdown holds the original loss line.
The words “normally” and “defined” matter. Some firms use balance, some include open equity, some stop trailing at a floor, and some sell multiple rule families. The exact plan language controls.
02
Drawdown is not a suggested risk budget
A $50K account with a $2,000 maximum loss does not give the trader $50,000 of risk capital. It gives a published loss envelope of $2,000 before buffers, daily rules, prior losses and trailing movement are considered.
The firm’s maximum is also not a sensible amount to spend on one idea. Per-trade risk is a member decision that must sit inside every active account rule and the trader’s total copied exposure.
03
The common mistake
Do not copy the evaluation rule into the funded account because the account name looks similar. Confirm the funded phase, the plan family and the condition that stops the trail. If any of those are unresolved, leave the model unresolved.
Worked example
Assumptions, not a forecastSame session, different hypothetical trail
- Starting balance: $50,000.
- Published trailing distance: $2,000.
- Live session peak: $51,000; later equity: $49,200; no higher daily close has settled yet.
If an intraday rule follows that live peak, the hypothetical threshold becomes $49,000, leaving $200. If an end-of-day rule has not ratcheted yet, the prior $48,000 threshold may still leave $1,200.
This example isolates timing only. Real plans differ on equity versus balance, floor locks, liquidation and daily rules. Enter the exact plan terms.
Published-term reference
Standard-plan drawdown snapshot by phase
Alphabetical reference, not a firm ranking. Plan-family variations remain called out instead of being flattened.
-
Alpha Futures
AdvancedStandard-plan record: evaluation End-of-day trailing; funded End-of-day trailing.
-
Apex Trader Funding
EvaluationStandard-plan record: evaluation End-of-day trailing; funded End-of-day trailing. Apex sells two families: a real-time intraday-trailing model and this end-of-day model. Figures here model the end-of-day family, so check which one you bought.
-
FundedNext
LegacyStandard-plan record: evaluation End-of-day trailing; funded End-of-day trailing.
-
Lucid Trading
LucidProStandard-plan record: evaluation End-of-day trailing; funded End-of-day trailing.
-
MyFundedFutures
ProStandard-plan record: evaluation End-of-day trailing; funded End-of-day trailing. MyFundedFutures runs three plans: Builder and Pro use end-of-day trailing throughout, while Rapid is end-of-day during the evaluation and switches to the harsher real-time intraday trailing once sim-funded. Figures here model the end-of-day plans, so check which one you bought.
-
Take Profit Trader
TestStandard-plan record: evaluation End-of-day trailing; funded Intraday trailing. The Test evaluation is end-of-day trailing; the funded PRO account switches to harsher real-time intraday trailing (PRO+ returns to end-of-day). Figures here model the funded intraday phase.
-
Topstep
Trading CombineStandard-plan record: evaluation End-of-day trailing; funded End-of-day trailing.
-
Tradeify
GrowthStandard-plan record: evaluation End-of-day trailing; funded End-of-day trailing.
Reference data comes from firms’ published terms. Structured rule sheet checked 2026-06-23. Terms change. Confirm the current plan and phase at the firm.
Tool tutorial
Stress-test the exact account rule
- 01
Choose evaluation or funded in Simulator.
- 02
Select the firm and standard plan only if it matches the account you bought.
- 03
Confirm the profit target, drawdown amount and drawdown type against the live terms.
- 04
Run the model and read it as scenario arithmetic, not a real pass-rate forecast.
Model the rule you actually bought
Simulator runs modeled paths from your inputs and the selected published drawdown mechanics while keeping the fields editable.
Free account required. A simulation is not a real pass rate, forecast or payout-eligibility model.
Evidence boundary
What NANO can and cannot know
NANO models the inputs you confirm. It cannot know future P&L, fill quality, discretionary firm action or a plan variation that is not structured in the source data.
Common questions
- Is end-of-day trailing always easier?
- It is generally more tolerant of intraday peaks because the threshold updates at the close, but the distance, floor, daily loss rule and liquidation method can still make a plan restrictive.
- Can the drawdown change after I pass?
- Yes. Some products use one model in the evaluation and another when funded. Confirm the funded plan rather than carrying the evaluation assumption forward.