Position Size Calculator
Enter your risk and your stop. Get the lot size for forex, gold or silver, in the currency of your own account, rounded down to your broker’s lot step.
Your position size
Estimates only. Spread, slippage and commission are not included. Independent tool. See the methodology and the risk disclaimer. Nothing you type is sent to our servers.
Four trades, with the math written out
Each ledger shows what one lot would lose at the stop, then the division. Examples with another currency or a JPY pair show how the loss is converted first.
Exchange rates in the examples are illustrations, not live prices. Real risk is the lots after rounding times the loss of one lot.
The same risk buys fewer lots as the stop widens
A USD account risking $100.00 on every row. The lot size is the risk divided by the loss of one lot, rounded down to 0.01.
| Stop | Loss of 1.00 lot | Lots for $100.00 | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD, 10 pips | $100.00 | 1.00 | |
| EURUSD, 20 pips | $200.00 | 0.50 | |
| EURUSD, 30 pips | $300.00 | 0.33 | |
| EURUSD, 40 pips | $400.00 | 0.25 | |
| EURUSD, 50 pips | $500.00 | 0.20 | |
| EURUSD, 75 pips | $750.00 | 0.13 | |
| EURUSD, 100 pips | $1,000.00 | 0.10 | |
| XAUUSD, $2.00 stop | $200.00 | 0.50 | |
| XAUUSD, $5.00 stop | $500.00 | 0.20 | |
| XAUUSD, $10.00 stop | $1,000.00 | 0.10 | |
| XAUUSD, $20.00 stop | $2,000.00 | 0.05 |
Gold rows use the common 100 oz contract. Check the Specification of your symbol, because some brokers differ.
How much money is 1% of your account?
The risk amount for common account sizes, in the currency of the account. It is step one of every position size.
| Balance | 0.25% | 0.5% | 1% | 2% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 2.50 | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| 5,000 | 12.50 | 25 | 50 | 100 |
| 10,000 | 25 | 50 | 100 | 200 |
| 25,000 | 62.50 | 125 | 250 | 500 |
| 100,000 | 250 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
A habit that helps
Decide the risk amount before you look at the chart, and write it down. Then the stop comes from the chart, and the lot size comes from the math. The risk stays the same on every trade, even when the stop does not.
That order protects you from the common mistake of picking a lot size first and then placing the stop wherever it happens to fit.
Where the loss of one lot comes from
The calculator uses these defaults. When the quote currency is not your account currency, the loss is converted with the exchange rate you enter.
| Symbols | Stop typed as | Loss per 1.00 lot, in quote currency |
|---|---|---|
| EURUSD, GBPUSD, AUDUSD, NZDUSD | pips (0.0001) | 10 USD per pip |
| USDJPY, EURJPY, GBPJPY, AUDJPY | pips (0.01) | 1,000 JPY per pip |
| USDCHF | pips (0.0001) | 10 CHF per pip |
| USDCAD | pips (0.0001) | 10 CAD per pip |
| EURGBP | pips (0.0001) | 10 GBP per pip |
| EURAUD | pips (0.0001) | 10 AUD per pip |
| XAUUSD (gold) | price move | 100 USD per 1.00 of price (100 oz) |
| XAGUSD (silver) | price move | 5,000 USD per 1.00 of price (5,000 oz) |
| Custom | price move | contract size times the price move |
Want to see what a pip, a point and a tick are worth on gold? Use the XAUUSD Pip / Point / Tick Value Calculator. For gold sizing in depth, see the XAUUSD Lot Size Calculator. To compare what a pip is worth on 18 forex pairs in your account currency, use the Pip Value Calculator.
From the number to the chart
This page gives you the lot size. Lot Architect is my trade panel for MetaTrader that does it where you trade.
- 1Set the risk once, as risk %, risk in USD or fixed lots.
- 2Drag entry, stop-loss and take-profit lines on the chart. Long or short, market, limit or stop orders.
- 3Read size, margin, risk, reward and R:R live. The order button shows the lot it will send. Press H to hide the lines.
Lot Architect is my own product on the MQL5 Market. If you buy it, I earn money. This calculator stays free either way. Lot Architect does not read the rules of a prop firm. If you trade a prop account, try the The5ers Position Size Calculator, which also checks your loss limits.
Position sizing, answered
How do I calculate position size?
Decide how much money you accept to lose on the trade. Measure the distance from your entry to your stop. Work out what that distance costs on 1.00 lot. Then divide: lots = risk amount / loss of one lot. This calculator does it for you and rounds the answer down to your broker’s lot step.
Why does the calculator round down and not to the nearest step?
Rounding up would make you risk more than you chose. Rounding down keeps the real risk at or below your target, and the calculator shows the real risk after rounding so you can see what you gave up.
What if my account is not in dollars?
Pick your account currency. If the pair is quoted in a different currency, the calculator asks for one exchange rate: how many units of the quote currency one unit of your account currency buys. For a USD account trading USDJPY, that is the USDJPY price. I do not pull live rates, so type the rate you see on your platform.
What is the difference between pips and price distance?
For forex pairs you enter the stop in pips. For gold, silver and anything marked Custom, you enter it as a move in price, because the pip is not defined the same way everywhere. The pip value calculator for gold explains why, and the Pip Value Calculator shows what a pip is worth on 18 forex pairs.
My lot comes out below the minimum. What now?
Your stop is too wide for the risk you chose, or the account is small. Tighten the stop if the chart allows it, accept a smaller risk only if a minimum lot still fits your plan, or skip the trade. The calculator shows what the minimum lot would risk.
Should I risk a percentage or a fixed amount?
A percentage scales with the account, so the risk shrinks after losses and grows after gains. A fixed amount keeps the risk constant. Both work. Many traders keep risk at or below 1% to 2% per trade, which is a common guideline and not a rule.
Where do I find the contract size of my symbol?
In MetaTrader, right-click the symbol in Market Watch and open Specification. The defaults here are common ones: 100,000 units for forex pairs, 100 oz for gold and 5,000 oz for silver. If your broker differs, change the contract size in Broker settings.
Does it include spread, slippage and commission?
No. It uses your stop distance as typed. Spread widens the loss when the stop is hit, slippage can widen it further, and commission is a separate cost. Treat the result as a ceiling that real trading can exceed a little.
Does it calculate margin or leverage?
No. This page sizes the trade from risk and stop only. Margin depends on your leverage and the price, so check it in your platform before you place the order.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is a calculator and an independent one. Trading is risky and you can lose money. Read the risk disclaimer before you trade.
Keep going
- XAUUSD Lot Size CalculatorGold lot size from balance and risk.
- Pip Value CalculatorWhat a pip is worth on 18 pairs.
- XAUUSD Pip / Point / Tick ValueWhat a move is worth per lot.
- The5ers Position Size CalculatorSize trades against prop firm loss limits.
More utilities for MetaTrader by TachiTeam: MQL5 seller page (my own products, I earn money if you buy). Trading is risky and this is not financial advice. Read the risk disclaimer.