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Position size calculator

Balance, the share of it you accept to lose on one trade, and the distance to your stop: the lot size that keeps the loss to that share.

Inputs

What the trading account holds now

USD

Share of the balance you accept to lose if the stop is hit

% of balance

From your entry to your stop loss, in pips

pips

Money value of one pip on one standard lot; the pip calculator shows how to get it

USD

Trade this size

ExampleYour numbersNot calculated

0.08lots

Worked out when the page was built, with example numbers. Change any field and the browser recalculates.Recalculated in this browser with your numbers. Nothing is saved or sent.Fix the marked field; the answer appears then.

Money at risk
20.00USD
One pip at this size
0.80USD
Loss if the stop is hit, at the rounded size
20.00USD
That loss as a share of the balance
1.00%

How it is calculated

Lots = money at risk ÷ (stop in pips × value of one pip on one lot). The result is rounded down to a hundredth of a lot, so the loss never goes past the share you set.

2,000.00 × 1.0% = 20.00 USD at risk20.00 ÷ (25 × 10.00) = 0.080 → 0.08 lots

Worked cases, no calculator needed
Three worked cases
InputsResult
Balance 2,000 · Risk 1.0% · Stop 25 · Pip value 10.000.08 lots
Balance 1,000 · Risk 2.0% · Stop 30 · Pip value 10.000.06 lots
Balance 5,000 · Risk 0.5% · Stop 40 · Pip value 10.000.06 lots

What to do next

Set the stop in the platform first, then send the order at exactly this size.

If you would move the stop to make the size bigger, the stop is in the wrong place. Size follows the stop, never the other way round.

This page explains the inputs and output of a position size calculator. It helps you plan a trade before you enter it.

What each input means

Your balance is the money in your trading account. You can find it on the platform's account summary screen. Risk is the part of your balance you accept losing on this trade. It is your choice, not a platform setting.

The stop is the price where you would exit a losing trade. You set it on the chart before you enter. The entry price is where you plan to open the trade. The platform shows current prices on the chart and order ticket.

How to read the result

The result is a suggested trade size in lots or units. It is based only on the inputs you typed. It does not include fees, spreads, or funding costs. Those costs reduce your real risk and return.

The result does not account for price gaps or slippage. Markets can move past your stop. The result also assumes your stop stays fixed. If you move the stop, the size is no longer valid.

A common mistake

A common mistake is to type a risk amount that is too large for your balance. This makes the suggested size too big for a beginner.