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End-of-Day vs Intraday Drawdown
The drawdown rule is the single most important number on your evaluation. Understand the two types before you pay for either.
What drawdown measures
A drawdown limit is the maximum loss your account can reach before the firm closes it. It is not a fee. It is not a suggestion. If your balance drops below the drawdown threshold, the account is done. This is true in evaluations and in funded accounts.
End-of-day drawdown
End-of-day drawdown (EOD) is calculated once at the close of each trading day. You can dip below the threshold intraday as long as you close above it. This gives you room to recover from a bad hour without losing the account. Many traders prefer EOD because it matches how discretionary and swing trading actually works.
Intraday drawdown
Intraday drawdown, also called trailing or real-time drawdown, is checked continuously. If your account balance touches the threshold at any moment, you fail. There is no recovery. This is stricter and rewards tighter risk management. Scalpers and high-frequency traders often face this type.
How to compare
Open the Compare tool on this site and add at least two accounts with different drawdown types. Look at the Drawdown column side by side. A larger number with EOD is not automatically safer than a smaller number with intraday. The rule type changes how the number is applied. Read the firm's official drawdown policy linked from its firm page before you commit.