Free Calculator
Drawdown Recovery Calculator
The math of recovery is asymmetric — losing 50% requires a 100% gain to get back to even, not 50%. Find out exactly how much you need.
Recovery needed
+25.0%
Months at this return
11.3
The asymmetry table
The bigger the drawdown, the disproportionately bigger the gain you need to recover. This is why every serious risk manager prioritises drawdown control over raw return.
| Drawdown | Recovery needed | Months at 2%/mo |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | +11.1% | 5 |
| 20% | +25.0% | 11 |
| 33% | +49.3% | 20 |
| 50% | +100.0% | 35 |
| 75% | +300.0% | 70 |
| 90% | +900.0% | 116 |
Why this kills retail accounts
Most retail traders abandon their system at 30% drawdown — exactly when they shouldn't. The fix isn't iron willpower; it's position sizing that keeps the maximum drawdown low enough to live with. Use our position size calculator with a 1% risk rule.
Know your drawdown before you live-trade
PineForge backtests show your max drawdown so you can pre-empt the recovery math.
Backtest Free