Free tool

Risk of ruin calculator

The probability of blowing up your account, simulated.

Risk of ruin (−50%)

92.8 %

Expectancy / trade

-0.01 R

Median return

-33.8 %

Monte-Carlo simulation (5,000 runs, fixed-fractional). Lowering risk per trade is the most powerful lever to cut the risk of ruin.

Risk of ruin is the probability that your account drops by a fatal percentage (often 50%) before it thrives. It depends on your win rate, your reward/risk ratio and, above all, your risk per trade. Two systems with the same expectancy can have very different risks of ruin depending on their sizing. This calculator runs a Monte-Carlo simulation to estimate that probability — the best reminder that risking too much per trade can ruin even a winning strategy.

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These numbers are estimates. On GetBacktest, backtest your strategy tick by tick on real data and get a true robustness verdict.

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Frequently asked questions

What is risk of ruin?

The probability that your capital falls below a critical threshold (ruin drawdown) over a given horizon, despite a sometimes-positive expectancy.

How do I reduce it?

The most powerful lever is lowering the risk per trade. Improving the win rate and reward/risk ratio helps too, but sizing dominates.

Is the calculation reliable?

It's a Monte-Carlo estimate (fixed-fractional). Reality has streaks and shifting volatility: a backtest on real data remains essential.

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