Mini vs Micro Futures Contracts
By Ethan Warmuskerken · 7 min read
Compare mini and micro futures contracts, including exposure, tick values, risk sizing, contract limits, and why funded traders often use micros.
Futures markets offer both mini and micro versions of popular contracts. They track the same market but differ in size, risk, and capital requirements.
Mini Contracts
Mini futures are smaller versions of the original institutional-sized contracts. They offer meaningful dollar-per-point movement and require more margin.
Micro Contracts
Micro futures are one tenth the size of the mini contracts. They provide identical price movement but with far smaller financial impact.
Example: NQ vs MNQ
If NASDAQ moves 50 points:
- NQ (E-mini NASDAQ) moves at $20 per point
- MNQ (Micro NASDAQ) moves at $2 per point
- NQ changes $1,000
- MNQ changes $100
Dollar Per Point Comparison for Popular Futures
| Market | Mini Symbol | $/Point (Mini) | Micro Symbol | $/Point (Micro) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S&P 500 | ES | $50 | MES | $5 |
| NASDAQ | NQ | $20 | MNQ | $2 |
| Dow | YM | $5 | MYM | $0.50 |
| Russell 2000 | RTY | $50 | M2K | $5 |
| Gold | GC | $100 | MGC | $10 |
| Silver | SI | $50 | SIL | $5 |
| Crude Oil | CL | $1000 | MCL | $100 |
Key takeaways
- Micros are usually one tenth of mini exposure.
- Micros make scaling and practice easier.
- Contract limits are often expressed in mini and micro equivalents.
Ready to compare account rules? Review PropEd Capital's current futures funding paths, drawdown rules, contract limits, and payout structure on the plans page.