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True Trading Cost Calculator
Is a raw spread account really cheaper than a standard one? This forex trading cost calculator adds spread, commission and swap for two or three accounts, then shows what you pay per lot, per month and per year, and where they break even.
Example, not any broker’s real numbers
A spread-only account can cost more per lot than a raw account once its commission is added. The calculator does this sum with your numbers.
Step 1. Your trading
Step 2. Your accounts (leave the third empty if you only compare two)
Account A
Account B
Account C (optional)
Numbers are example values until you replace them. Spreads: read the Spread column in your own platform at the hour you trade. Nothing is stored.
Tickmill commissions loaded. Tickmill’s accounts page (read October 20, 2026) shows Classic with zero commission and Raw at $3 per side; we read that as per lot, so confirm it in your account. The page does not say which Tickmill company it applies to. Spreads are not filled in: enter what your platform shows.
Disclosure: this is an affiliate link and we may be paid if you open an account. Check the account type and the company in your Client Agreement first.
01Spread once, commission twice
Spread is paid once, when you open at the ask and later close at the bid. Commission is usually quoted per side, so a round trip pays it twice. That is why a raw account’s “$3.50 per lot” is really $7.00 once you close the trade.
This table turns a per-side commission into the same units as spread. The pips and points figures are our arithmetic for one lot: $10 per pip on EURUSD, and $1 per point on XAUUSD with a 2-digit price.
| Commission per side | Round turn | EURUSD equivalent | XAUUSD equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | $4.00 | 0.4 pips | 4 points |
| $3.00 | $6.00 | 0.6 pips | 6 points |
| $3.50 | $7.00 | 0.7 pips | 7 points |
| $4.00 | $8.00 | 0.8 pips | 8 points |
02When does a raw account pay off?
Take an illustrative standard account at 1.2 pips with no commission. The table shows how much a raw account saves on one EURUSD lot, depending on its spread and its round-turn commission. A minus sign means it costs more.
| Raw spread | Commission $6 | Commission $7 | Commission $8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 pips | $6.00 | $5.00 | $4.00 |
| 0.1 pips | $5.00 | $4.00 | $3.00 |
| 0.2 pips | $4.00 | $3.00 | $2.00 |
| 0.4 pips | $2.00 | $1.00 | $0.00 |
Illustrative numbers only, not any broker’s. Saving per lot equals the standard spread minus the raw spread, times $10 per pip, minus the commission.
The cheaper account on paper is the one with the lower all-in cost at the spreads you actually get, in the hours you actually trade. Spreads vary during the day, so measure rather than copy a headline figure.
03Where to find each number
Spread
In MetaTrader 5, open Market Watch, right-click, choose Columns and tick Spread. The value is in points. For EURUSD with a 5-digit price, divide by 10 to get pips.
Commission
Read it on the broker’s account page and in your platform’s contract specification. Note whether it is per side or per round turn, and whether it is per lot.
Swap
Open the symbol’s Specification in MetaTrader for swap long and swap short. It changes, and Wednesday usually carries triple swap. The swap calculator shows the nights.
Pip value
If you trade another symbol, check what one spread unit is worth with the pip value calculator and use the Other option.
For gold, see the XAUUSD pip, point and tick value calculator. Our own measured gold spreads will appear in the XAUUSD Real Spread Tracker when we publish it.
04What this calculator leaves out
- Slippage, partial fills and requotes. Real fills differ from quoted prices.
- Spread changes during the day. You enter one figure per account.
- Currency conversion on deposits and withdrawals. See the costs of moving money separately.
- Rebates, bonuses and anything an introducing broker may share, which we cannot offer you.
- Your total trading result. Costs are only one part of it, and a low cost does not make a strategy profitable.
05Size the trade before you cost it
Cost per lot depends on lot size, and lot size should come from your risk. Our own utility for MetaTrader, Lot Architect, lets you set risk and drag entry, stop and target on the chart to see lot size, margin and risk to reward. It does not change what your broker charges, and it does not guarantee any result. It is our own product, and we earn money if you buy.
06Ready to open an account?
Compare your numbers first, then check the account type and the company in the Client Agreement. These are affiliate links: we may be paid if you open an account. They are not ranked or recommended, and not available in every country. See the affiliate disclosure.
07Questions
Is a raw spread account always cheaper?
No. It is cheaper when the spread you save is worth more than the round-turn commission. Use the break-even lines in the calculator with your own numbers.
What is the all-in cost of a trade?
Spread plus round-turn commission plus swap for the nights held. Slippage comes on top, and the calculator does not estimate it.
Why are there no broker numbers pre-filled?
Spreads and fees change and differ by account and company. We only pre-fill a figure when we read it on the broker’s own page, with a date. Today that is only Tickmill’s commissions.
Does commission change with the company holding my account?
It can. Different companies in the same brand may have different terms, so read the Client Agreement. The licence and entity checker shows which companies a brand lists.
Do you earn from the accounts you load?
We hold a partner link with Tickmill, which can bias us. The calculator treats every account the same, and the disclosure sits next to the link. See the affiliate disclosure.