Free trader tool
Position Size Calculator
Size every trade to your exact risk — across forex, indices, gold and crypto. Enter your balance, risk, entry and stop, and get the precise lot size, dollar risk and reward-to-risk in real time.
- Risk amount
- $100.00
- Stop distance
- 50 points
- Direction
- Long ▲
- Position notional
- ≈ $40,000
- Reward : Risk
- 2 : 1
- Potential reward
- $200.00
You've got your size. Now prove the setup actually works.
Backtest it candle by candle on real market history — free, no card.
Backtest it free →How to calculate position size
Position size comes down to a single question: how many lots — or contracts, or coins — can you hold so that if price hits your stop, you lose exactly the amount you chose to risk, and not a dollar more? Three numbers decide it:
- Risk amount — a fixed percentage of your account (most traders use 0.5–2%) or a set dollar figure.
- Stop distance — how far your stop-loss sits from your entry, in price.
- Point value — what a one-point (or one-pip) move is worth, per lot, on your instrument.
The formula is: Position size = Risk amount ÷ (Stop distance × Point value). The calculator above does the point-value part for each instrument type — pips on forex, points on indices, dollars-per-ounce on gold, straight coins on crypto — so you never have to look up contract specs by hand.
Why position sizing matters
Most blown accounts aren't killed by bad setups — they're killed by good setups sized wrong. Risk 10% on a trade and an ordinary five-loss streak (which every strategy has) roughly halves your account. Risk 1% and that same streak barely leaves a mark. Sizing is the line between surviving variance and getting wiped by it.
Fixing your risk per trade also makes your results readable. When every trade risks the same 1%, your P&L is measured in R — clean multiples you can actually compare, review and improve. Size by gut instead and your equity curve tells you nothing about whether your edge is real.
Position sizing by instrument
- Forex — a pip is 0.0001 (0.01 on JPY pairs) and a standard lot is 100,000 units, worth about $10 per pip on USD-quote pairs. USD/JPY's pip value drifts with the exchange rate; the calculator adjusts for it automatically.
- Indices (NAS100, US30, SP500) — quoted in points. Point value is broker-specific: CFDs are commonly $1 per point per lot, while CME E-mini futures are $20 (NQ), $50 (ES) and $5 (YM). Set your broker's value in the point-value field.
- Gold (XAU/USD) — one lot is 100 troy ounces, so a $1 move is worth $100 per lot.
- Crypto (BTC/USD) — sized directly in coins. A $1 move is $1 per coin, so your position is simply risk ÷ stop distance in dollars.
Frequently asked questions
What is a position size calculator?
It tells you exactly how many lots, contracts or units to trade so that if price hits your stop-loss, you lose only the amount you decided to risk. Enter your balance, risk, entry and stop — it returns the size.
How much should I risk per trade?
Most consistent traders risk 0.5–2% of their account per trade. Lower keeps you in the game through losing streaks; higher grows the account faster but sharply raises the odds of a deep drawdown.
Is forex position sizing different from indices, gold or crypto?
The formula is identical — only the point value changes. Forex uses pip value per lot, indices use point value per contract, gold is 100 oz per lot, and crypto is sized directly in coins. This calculator handles each instrument type for you.
Is the calculator free?
Yes — completely free, no signup, no limits. Use it as often as you like.
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<iframe src="https://crtlab.pro/embed/position-size-calculator" width="100%" height="760" style="border:0;max-width:720px" title="Position Size Calculator by CRTLAB" loading="lazy"></iframe>Sizing keeps you alive. An edge makes you money.
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