Position size calculator
How big your position may be, so a stop-out costs exactly the risk you chose.
Short answer
Position size = money at risk ÷ (distance from entry to stop + fees per unit). Money at risk is your account balance times your risk per trade in percent. Example: with $10,000 and 1% risk you may lose $100; with entry at 100 and stop at 98 the distance is $2 per unit, so the position is 50 units ($5,000 notional) before fees – with 0.055% fees per side it is about 47.4 units. Leverage does not change the size – it only changes the margin you need.
The formula
Risk amount = balance × risk %.
Risk per unit = |entry − stop| + fees per unit, where fees per unit = (entry + stop) × fee rate, for opening and closing.
Size = risk amount ÷ risk per unit, rounded down to the exchange’s smallest step.
Notional = size × entry. Margin = notional ÷ leverage.
Why fees belong in the size
A 0.055% taker fee on entry and exit sounds small, but on a tight stop it can add 10% or more to the real loss. Including fees in the size keeps a stop-out at the risk you planned, not slightly above it.
In the Edgetrail app
The position size calculator in Edgetrail also handles the point value of futures, exchange rates into your account currency (ECB reference rates), the exchange’s smallest step and a maximum allowed deviation from your risk – and passes the result straight into the trade form.
Glossary
The terms on this page – position size, position value, leverage, maker and taker fees and R – are defined in the trading metrics glossary.
Updated:
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate position size in crypto?
Divide the money you are willing to lose (balance × risk %) by the distance between entry and stop plus fees per unit. The result is the number of coins or contracts; leverage only changes the margin.
Does leverage change my position size?
No. Leverage changes how much margin the exchange holds, not how much you lose when the stop is hit. The size follows from risk and stop distance.
What risk per trade should I use?
Many traders use 0.5 to 2% of the account per trade. This calculator does not give advice; it shows the size that matches the risk you choose.
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