Micro Futures at Prop Firms

Micro futures are one tenth the size of the standard contracts that prop firms count in, so a one point move in the S&P 500 is worth $5 on MES against $50 on ES. Many futures prop firms count ten micros as one standard contract towards the contract limit, which lets traders size positions in much finer steps inside a tight drawdown. The trade off is cost: commissions per unit of exposure are higher on micros, which matters most for traders who trade often.

How micros compare with standard contracts

CME Group lists micro versions of its main equity index futures at one tenth the size of their standard counterparts. Two pairs that futures prop firms commonly list compare as follows.

Prop firms usually call the standard contracts minis, and many also offer micros on other markets, such as micro crude oil and micro gold. CME Group added a smaller tier again on 24 August 2026, with nano sized equity index futures at one tenth the size of the micros. They are new, so check whether a firm’s product list includes them before planning around them.

How firms count micros

Futures firms set a maximum position in minis and commonly allow ten micros in place of each one.

• Topstep counts micros and minis at a ten to one ratio in its Trading Combine and Express Funded Account, allowing 5 minis or 50 micros on a 50K account. It states that the ratio is not currently available on its Live Funded Account.
• GOAT Funded Futures allows 5 minis or 50 micros on its EOD 50K challenge.
• DayTraders.com allows 10 minis or 100 micros on its 50K end of day and trailing plans.
• Hola Prime Futures allows 1 mini or 10 micros on 25K and 3 minis or 30 micros on 50K.

Some firms also scale the limit with profit on funded accounts. Funded Futures Family starts a Prime 50K funded account at 3 minis and raises it to 5 minis at $2,000 of profit, and Lucid Trading starts a LucidFlex 50K funded account at 2 minis and raises it to 4 at $2,000. On a scaled account, micros let a trader keep trading at a sensible size while the limit is still low.

A worked example of sizing

The account below is made up. It is a $50,000 evaluation with a $2,000 end of day trailing drawdown, traded on the S&P 500 with a stop 8 points from entry. The trader wants to risk no more than $150 on any trade, which is 7.5% of the drawdown.

With only standard contracts, the smallest possible trade risks $400, so five losses end the account. With micros, the trader can choose 3 MES at $120 and absorb 16 losses before the drawdown is gone. Micros also allow scaling in and out: a trader can take profit on two MES at the first target and hold one for a larger move, which one ES cannot do. Wider stops become possible too, because a 20 point stop on 1 MES risks only $100.

For how the drawdown itself moves, see futures prop firm drawdown rules explained.

What micros cost to trade

Micros cost less per contract but more per unit of exposure, because ten micros carry ten commissions. Named firms publish the following rates.

At The5ers Futures, ten MES round turns cost $25, against $5 for one ES with the same exposure. At DayTraders.com the figures are $10.20 against $3.98. In ticks, a $2.50 round turn on MES equals two full ticks, while a $5.00 round turn on ES is less than half a tick. A scalper aiming for four ticks on MES, or $5 gross per contract, gives up half of each winning trade to commission at The5ers‘ rate. The best futures prop firms for scalping compares firms on this point.

Micros and qualifying days

Small size has a side effect on funded accounts, where payouts often depend on days that clear a minimum profit. Topstep’s Standard payout path needs five winning days of at least $150. DayTraders.com counts a day towards a Pro payout only if it makes at least $200 on a 50K account, and The5ers Futures needs 4% of profit on the initial balance before the first payout.

On a made up day, a trader using 1 MES needs a 30 point gain in the S&P 500 to clear $150, which is a large move for one session. With 3 MES the same $150 needs 10 points, and with 1 ES it needs 3 points. So a trader who sizes very small for safety can find that few days qualify, and payouts are delayed. The answer is not to jump to minis, but to size so that an ordinary good day clears the threshold while an ordinary bad day stays well inside the daily limit. Checking both numbers together before the funded stage avoids a long run of profitable days that do not count.

When micros make sense

• When the drawdown is small relative to a normal stop on a standard contract.
• When scaling in or out of a position is part of the plan.
• When a funded account’s scaling plan still limits the number of minis.
• When trading a volatile contract such as NQ, where one mini can move hundreds of dollars in minutes.

Standard contracts become the cheaper choice once a trader regularly holds the equivalent of ten or more micros, especially with frequent trading.

Common mistakes

• Trading 50 micros because the limit allows it. The limit is a ceiling, not a target, and 50 MES carries the same risk as 5 ES.
• Ignoring commissions on high trade counts. Many small micro trades can cost more than the strategy earns.
• Assuming the ratio applies everywhere. Topstep’s live account does not offer it, and firms can change product lists.
• Using a stop that is too tight to justify the cost. A two tick stop on MES is mostly commission.
• Forgetting the value per point differs by market. MNQ moves $2 a point and MES $5, so the same stop in points is not the same risk.

Checklist

• Confirm how the firm counts micros against the contract limit at each stage.
• Work out risk per trade in dollars for your usual stop, in micros and in minis.
• Check the commission per round turn on both and convert it into ticks.
• Check whether a funded scaling plan starts below the evaluation limit.
• Confirm the micro contracts you want are on the firm’s product list.

Futures firms are compared under futures prop firms. What happens to contract limits after passing is covered in futures performance accounts explained, and platform choice in Rithmic, Tradovate and NinjaTrader for prop accounts. More rule guides sit under prop firm rules.