TradeDay Drawdown Types Compared: Which Should You Choose?

Picking the right drawdown type at TradeDay isn't just about choosing the cheapest option. It's about understanding how you actually trade and which set of rules will let you execute your strategy without blowing your account on a technicality.

I see traders all the time choosing Intraday Trailing because it's $45 cheaper per month than EOD, then they fail their evaluation because they didn't realize their drawdown resets every single session. Or they go Static because it "sounds easier" and get wrecked by the tight daily loss limits.

Each drawdown type changes the game completely. Different calculation methods, different risk parameters, different monthly costs. And once you pick one, you're stuck with it for that account — you can't switch mid-evaluation.

So let's break down all three drawdown types with real numbers, actual trading scenarios, and a clear framework for choosing the one that matches your style. No corporate PR talk, just what you need to know before you click subscribe.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with TradeDay and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check TradeDay´s website or their faq page.

Understanding TradeDay's Drawdown System

Before we compare the types, you need to understand what a drawdown actually measures at TradeDay.

Your drawdown is how far your account balance has dropped from its highest point (your peak). If you start at $50,000, make $1,000 to get to $51,000, then lose $600, your drawdown is $600 from that $51,000 peak — not from your starting balance.

TradeDay uses this to enforce risk limits. Every account has a maximum drawdown — a line you can't cross without failing the evaluation. Hit that line and your account is done. You'll need to reset and start over.

The three drawdown types differ in when this maximum drawdown is calculated and how it moves as you trade. That's what makes them completely different beasts.

For a full technical breakdown of how the calculations work, check the TradeDay maximum drawdown rule guide.

The Three Drawdown Types: Quick Overview

Here's what you're choosing between:

Intraday Trailing Drawdown calculates your max drawdown based on unrealized profit/loss during the trading session. It resets to your end-of-day balance when the market closes. Cheapest option but most restrictive for intraday traders.

End-of-Day (EOD) Trailing Drawdown calculates drawdown only at market close (4:10 PM CT). What happens during the session doesn't matter — only where you end the day. More expensive but way more flexible.

Static Drawdown gives you fixed dollar limits that never change. No trailing, no resetting. You get a max total drawdown and a max daily loss. Easiest to understand but comes with the tightest daily restrictions.

Let's dig into each one.

Intraday Trailing Drawdown: The Budget Option

This is TradeDay's cheapest drawdown type, but "cheap" doesn't mean "easy."

How It Works

Your maximum drawdown is calculated in real-time throughout the trading session based on your unrealized profit and loss. That means if you're holding a position that's down $300, that $300 counts against your drawdown limit immediately — even if you haven't closed the trade yet.

At 4:10 PM CT when the futures market closes, your drawdown resets to your closed end-of-day balance. So if you ended the day at $51,200 (up $1,200 from your start), tomorrow morning your drawdown calculation starts fresh from that $51,200.

Example:

• Start day at $50,000 with a $2,000 max drawdown (for a $50K static account)
• Make $800 on first trade, now at $50,800
• Take a second trade that goes against you by $500 (unrealized loss)
• Your current balance: $50,800 but your open loss is $500
• Your drawdown: $500 from the $50,800 peak
• If this trade goes against you another $1,500, you hit max drawdown and fail

The key thing: unrealized losses count immediately. You don't get to see if the trade comes back. The second you're down, it's counting against your limit.

Pricing by Account Size

This is the cheapest option across all account sizes:

• $50K account: $75/month
• $100K account: $120/month
• $150K account: $180/month

Compare this to the other drawdown types and you're saving $24-45/month depending on account size. Over a 3-month evaluation, that's $72-135 in savings.

Who This Works For

Intraday trailing makes sense if you:

• Trade super tight stops and rarely see big drawdowns intraday
• Mostly trade during one session (either day or evening, not both)
• Use small position sizing (1-2 micros max)
• Close all positions before end of day anyway
• Are comfortable with real-time risk management

It's also fine if you're testing TradeDay on a tight budget and just want to see if the platform works for you.

Who Should Avoid This

Skip intraday trailing if you:

• Hold positions through multiple sessions
• Trade with wider stops (more than 10-15 points on ES/NQ)
• Scale into positions (add to winners as they move)
• Trade strategies that have temporary drawdown before they work out
• Want flexibility to ride out short-term adverse moves

The intraday calculation will kill you in any of these scenarios. You'll be constantly worried about unrealized losses triggering your max drawdown even when you're executing your strategy correctly.

For a deep dive on this specific drawdown type, check the intraday trailing drawdown guide.

End-of-Day (EOD) Trailing Drawdown: The Balanced Choice

This is what most experienced traders end up using once they understand the differences.

How It Works

Your drawdown is calculated only at market close (4:10 PM CT for futures). What happens during the trading session doesn't matter at all. You could be down $1,500 unrealized at 2 PM, but if you close the day up $200, your drawdown never triggered.

Like intraday, this is a trailing drawdown — it resets to your closed balance every day. So each morning you start fresh from wherever you ended yesterday.

Example:

• Start Monday at $100,000 with $3,000 max drawdown
• Terrible trade in the morning puts you down $2,000 unrealized
• Fight your way back and close the day at $100,400 (up $400)
• Tuesday morning: Your new starting point is $100,400, drawdown calculation resets
• You have $3,000 of room again, calculated from $100,400

The massive advantage here is unrealized losses don't count. You can be deep in the red mid-session and it doesn't matter as long as you end the day above your drawdown limit.

Pricing by Account Size

EOD costs more than intraday but gives way more breathing room:

• $50K account: $99/month (+$24 vs intraday)
• $100K account: $150/month (+$30 vs intraday)
• $150K account: $210/month (+$30 vs intraday)

That extra $24-30/month buys you the ability to actually trade without watching unrealized P&L like a hawk.

Who This Works For

EOD trailing is ideal if you:

• Trade with normal stop losses (15-30 point stops on ES/NQ)
• Sometimes have losing trades intraday before hitting a winner
• Want to scale into positions or add to winners
• Trade both day and overnight sessions
• Need flexibility to let trades develop without constant stress

This is the default choice for most traders who aren't complete beginners. The extra cost is worth it for the mental space it buys you.

Who Should Avoid This

EOD might be overkill if you:

• Only trade tiny size with super tight stops
• Literally never hold positions more than 20-30 minutes
• Are on a very tight budget and need the cheapest option
• Don't care about having overnight positions

But honestly, even in these cases, EOD is probably still worth it. The difference between $75 and $99/month for a $50K account is $24 — less than the cost of one reset fee. If EOD's flexibility helps you avoid one failed evaluation, it pays for itself.

Full details in the EOD trailing drawdown guide.

Static Drawdown: Fixed Limits That Never Move

Static is completely different from the trailing options. It's simpler to understand but comes with its own challenges.

How It Works

You get two fixed limits that never change:

1. Maximum Total Drawdown: The total amount you can lose before you fail
2. Maximum Daily Loss: The most you can lose in a single day

These limits are calculated from your starting balance — not from peaks or unrealized P&L. They're set when your account starts and they stay there forever during the evaluation.

Example ($100K static account):

• Starting balance: $100,000
• Max total drawdown: $3,000 (your account can drop to $97,000)
• Max daily loss: $750 (you can't lose more than this in any single day)

If you make $2,000 profit and you're now at $102,000, your max total drawdown is still $3,000 from your starting $100,000. So your actual bottom line is $97,000, not $99,000.

And your daily loss limit stays at $750 no matter what. You could be up $5,000 for the evaluation, but if you lose $751 in one day, you fail.

Pricing by Account Size

Static is the most expensive option:

• $50K account: $105/month (+$30 vs intraday, +$6 vs EOD)
• $100K account: $165/month (+$45 vs intraday, +$15 vs EOD)
• $150K account: $225/month (+$45 vs intraday, +$15 vs EOD)

You're paying a premium for the simplicity of fixed limits.

Who This Works For

Static drawdown makes sense if you:

• Are brand new to prop trading and want the simplest possible rules
• Trade very conservatively with tiny position sizing
• Never risk more than $200-300 per trade
• Want to know exactly where your limits are at all times
• Don't like the idea of trailing drawdowns that move around

The static limits are easier to track mentally. You always know exactly how much room you have left.

Who Should Avoid This

Skip static if you:

• Take occasional bigger trades (risking $500+ on a $100K account)
• Trade volatile products like oil or gold futures
• Have any chance of a -$800 day on a $100K account
• Want to maximize your flexibility as you build profit

The daily loss limit is what kills most traders on static. You can be up $2,000 for your evaluation, feeling great, then have one bad day where you lose $800 and instantly fail. With EOD trailing, that same $800 day would just be a setback — not an automatic failure.

More details in the static drawdown accounts guide.

Side-by-Side Comparison: All Three Types

Here's everything in one table so you can see exactly what changes between drawdown types.

The key difference is when your risk is measured. Intraday measures every tick. EOD only measures end-of-day. Static measures total drawdown from start and daily loss independently.

Real Trading Scenarios: How Each Type Performs

Let's run through some actual trading scenarios to see how these drawdown types behave differently.

Scenario 1: The Comeback Trade

You're trading a $100K EOD account. Morning session goes terribly — you're down $1,800 unrealized on a position. But you hold through it, the market turns, and you close the day +$300 profit.

Intraday Result: You likely failed. That -$1,800 unrealized probably triggered your $3,000 max drawdown when combined with any earlier losses.

EOD Result: You're fine. Ended the day up $300, so your drawdown never triggered. Tomorrow you reset from a higher balance.

Static Result: You're fine as long as your closed loss for the day stayed under $750. If you closed that position for a -$900 loss before the comeback, you failed on daily limit.

Scenario 2: The Slow Grind Higher

You're trading a $50K account and slowly grinding profits. Day 1: +$200. Day 2: +$150. Day 3: +$300. Day 4: +$180. Day 5: +$220. You've made $1,050 total, but you're still short of your $1,500 target.

All three drawdown types: Identical experience. You're making steady profit with no drawdowns, so the type doesn't matter. You just need more winning days to hit your target.

Scenario 3: The One Big Loser

You're up $2,200 on your evaluation (almost at target). Then you have one brutal day where you lose $850. Closed loss, not unrealized — you actually took the -$850.

Intraday Result: You're fine. Down $850 from your peak, but your max drawdown is $2,000 (or $3,000 for $100K). You reset tomorrow and keep trading. Now you need to make back $850 plus another $1,300 to hit your target.

EOD Result: Same as intraday. That $850 loss hurt, but it's within your total drawdown limit.

Static Result: You failed. The $100K static account has a $750 daily loss limit. Your -$850 day exceeded that, so you're done. Doesn't matter that you were up $2,200 overall.

This is why static is dangerous for anyone who takes even medium-sized risk.

Scenario 4: The Overnight Hold

You go long 2 NQ contracts at 3:50 PM, 10 minutes before close. The position is slightly red at 4:10 PM close (down $120). You hold overnight, and by next morning it's up $600.

Intraday Result: Your drawdown calculated at 4:10 PM close included that -$120 unrealized loss. Next day when you close the trade at +$600, you're up $480 net from where you started the position.

EOD Result: Identical to intraday. EOD calculates at 4:10 PM, so that -$120 counted against your end-of-day balance. But when you close for +$600 the next day, you're in great shape.

Static Result: No difference. The -$120 unrealized at close didn't trigger daily loss limit because you didn't close the trade. When you close for +$600, it's a +$600 day.

In this scenario, all three types work similarly because you held through the close.

Cost vs Flexibility: The Real Trade-Off

Let's be honest about what you're paying for with each option.

Intraday saves you $24-45/month, but forces you to trade with real-time drawdown tracking. If you trade volatile instruments or use wider stops, you'll be constantly stressed about unrealized losses. That stress leads to poor decisions — cutting winners early, not taking valid setups, overtrading to "make up" for paper losses.

EOD costs more but removes that intraday stress completely. You can let trades develop. You can hold through temporary adverse moves. You can actually execute your strategy without second-guessing every tick. For $24-30 extra per month, that's a bargain.

Static costs the most and gives you the tightest daily restrictions. You're paying for simplicity, but that simplicity comes with a dangerous daily loss limit that can wipe you out on one bad day even if your overall evaluation is fine.

Think of it this way: If EOD's extra cost prevents just one failed evaluation, it pays for itself. A reset fee is $99-159 depending on account size. EOD costs an extra $24-30/month. If EOD's flexibility helps you pass one month sooner, you've saved money.

For detailed strategies on passing evaluations under different rule sets, check the proven evaluation strategies guide.

Decision Framework: Choosing Your Drawdown Type

Forget the marketing. Here's how to actually choose:

Choose Intraday Trailing If...

• You trade super tight 5-10 point stops on ES/NQ
• You literally never hold positions more than 20 minutes
• You close all positions before market close every single day
• You're testing TradeDay on a tight budget before committing
• Your strategy has consistently low intraday drawdowns (verified in sim)

Red flag: Don't choose intraday just because it's cheapest. If you trade with normal stops or hold positions through multiple sessions, you're setting yourself up to fail.

Choose EOD Trailing If...

• You use standard 15-30 point stops
• You sometimes hold overnight or through lunch session
• You want to scale into positions or average into entries
• You trade strategies that temporarily go negative before working out
• You want maximum flexibility without daily loss restrictions

This is the default choice for 80% of traders. Unless you have a specific reason to choose one of the others, go with EOD.

Choose Static If...

• You're brand new to prop trading and want the simplest possible rules
• You trade tiny size and never risk more than $200-300 per trade
• You want fixed limits that never change so you always know where you stand
• You can guarantee you'll never have a single day worse than -$500 (on $50K) or -$750 (on $100K)

Warning: Static is the easiest to understand but the easiest to fail on one bad day. The daily loss limit has killed more evaluations than anything else.

For complete evaluation rules across all drawdown types, see the evaluation rules guide.

Common Mistakes When Choosing Drawdown Types

Here are the dumb moves I see all the time:

Mistake #1: Choosing Intraday Because It's Cheapest

You're not saving money if you fail your evaluation twice because the intraday calculation wrecked you. One extra reset fee ($119 for $100K) wipes out 5 months of savings vs EOD. Choose based on your trading style, not your monthly budget.

Mistake #2: Not Understanding How Unrealized Losses Work

I see traders pick intraday, then get shocked when a -$400 unrealized position triggers their drawdown warning. If you don't understand the real-time calculation, you'll make panicked decisions mid-trade that blow your account.

Mistake #3: Picking Static "Because It's Easier" Without Testing

Static is only easier if you trade with zero risk. The daily loss limit is brutal. Go check your last 30 days of trading data — do you have even one day where you lost $600+? If yes, static will eventually kill you.

Mistake #4: Not Considering Overnight Positions

If your strategy involves holding positions through close, intraday vs EOD doesn't matter much — both calculate at 4:10 PM close. But if you trade intraday only and close everything by 4:00 PM, then intraday's real-time tracking becomes a huge factor.

For specific mistakes traders make with trailing drawdowns, see the common drawdown mistakes guide.

My Recommendation for Different Trader Types

Here's what I'd choose based on experience level and style:

New Traders (Less than 6 months prop trading experience):Go with EOD trailing. Yes it costs more, but you need the flexibility while you're still learning. The extra $24/month is worth it to not fail because of a technicality you didn't understand.

Scalpers and Day Traders (Tight stops, in/out fast):Intraday trailing is fine if you truly trade tight stops and close everything by 3:30 PM. But be honest with yourself — do you really never hold a position that goes -$300 against you temporarily? If you do, go EOD.

Swing Traders (Hold overnight positions):EOD trailing is the only option that makes sense. You're holding through close anyway, so EOD's flexibility is essential. Static's daily loss limit will wreck you eventually.

Conservative Traders (Very small size, $100-200 risk per trade):You could probably survive on static, but I'd still recommend EOD for the safety net. The difference between $150 and $165/month ($15) is negligible, and EOD's flexibility is worth it.

For account size considerations alongside drawdown type, check the account sizes comparison guide.

What Happens After You Choose

Once you pick your drawdown type and account size, you're locked in for that evaluation. You can't switch from intraday to EOD mid-eval. If you realize you chose wrong, you need to cancel that subscription and start fresh with the correct type.

After you pass and get funded, your funded account keeps the same drawdown type as your evaluation. A $100K EOD eval becomes a $100K EOD funded account. The rules stay the same — the only difference is you're now trading real money and getting payouts.

But here's the good news: you can have multiple evaluation accounts with different drawdown types running simultaneously. You could have a $50K intraday account and a $100K EOD account both going at the same time. Lots of traders use this to test which drawdown type they prefer without committing fully.

For complete info on all TradeDay rules and requirements, see the main TradeDay review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch drawdown types mid-evaluation?

No. Once you subscribe to an account with a specific drawdown type, you're locked in. If you want to try a different type, you need to cancel that subscription and start a new one.

Do all three drawdown types have the same profit target?

Yes. The profit target is based on account size, not drawdown type. A $100K account requires $2,500 profit whether you choose intraday, EOD, or static.

Which drawdown type has the highest pass rate?

TradeDay doesn't publish pass rate data by drawdown type. Anecdotally, EOD seems to have better pass rates because it gives traders the most flexibility, but that's not official data.

If I'm mostly profitable, does drawdown type even matter?

Yes, because even profitable traders have losing days or trades. The drawdown type determines whether a temporary loss or a single bad day kills your evaluation. EOD is most forgiving for normal trading ups and downs.

Can I have different drawdown types on different funded accounts?

Yes. You could have a $100K EOD funded account and a $50K intraday funded account running at the same time. Each account keeps its own drawdown type.

Is trailing drawdown better than static?

For most traders, yes. Trailing drawdowns (both intraday and EOD) reset daily, giving you fresh room to trade. Static's fixed daily loss limit is unforgiving — one bad day and you're done, regardless of your overall progress.

Does the drawdown type affect my profit split or payout schedule?

No. All three drawdown types have identical profit split structures (80% to 95% tiered) and payout schedules (7-day frequency). Drawdown type only affects your evaluation rules, not your funded account payouts.

Bottom Line: Default to EOD Unless You Have a Good Reason Not To

If you're still not sure which drawdown type to pick, go with EOD trailing. It's the middle-ground option that works for 80% of trading styles.

Intraday is cheaper but restrictive. Static is simple but dangerous. EOD gives you the flexibility to actually trade your strategy without getting killed by technicalities.

The extra $24-30 per month compared to intraday is the best money you'll spend on this evaluation. It's the difference between failing because your unrealized P&L triggered a limit versus actually having the space to execute your plan.

Don't cheap out on $24/month and blow your evaluation. Pay for the flexibility you need.

Your Next Steps

‍👉 Start Trading at TradeDay Today

‍👉 Read My Full TradeDay Review

‍👉 Check out TradeDay´s Payout Rules

‍