Margin calculator
Work out how much margin a position ties up before you open or copy it. Enter the lot size, price and leverage; the calculator converts the result into your account currency.
Required margin
$1,085.00
1 lots × 100,000 × 1.085 ÷ 100
- Notional value
- $108,500
- Margin as % of notional
- 1.00%
Margin is the deposit held while the trade is open, not the amount at risk.
Calculated in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored. Results are estimates; check your broker's symbol specification.
The formula
margin = lots × contract size × price ÷ leverage
- The result is in the quote currency, then converted to your account currency.
- For FX pairs this equals lots × contract ÷ leverage in the base currency.
- Many brokers set margin per symbol as a percentage (5% = 1:20). Use the leverage your broker applies to that symbol.
Worked examples
EURUSD at 1:100
- 1.00 lot × 100,000 × 1.1000 ÷ 100 = $1,100.
XAUUSD at 1:20
- 0.50 lot × 100 oz × 2350 ÷ 20 = $5,875.
USDJPY at 1:30, USD account
- 1.00 lot × 100,000 × 150 ÷ 30 = ¥500,000.
- ÷ 150 = $3,333, the same as 100,000 USD ÷ 30.
Margin is not risk
Margin is the deposit the broker holds while a position is open. It says nothing about how much you can lose: that depends on the lot size and the stop. High leverage lowers the margin needed, which makes it easier to open positions that are too large. Size from risk with the lot size calculator, then check the margin here.
Retail leverage is capped in many regions, for example 1:30 on major pairs and 1:2 on crypto for EU retail clients. There is no live price feed on this page. When the instrument's quote currency differs from your account currency, enter today's rate for the linking pair; the default is an example rate.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if my margin level falls too low?
Brokers issue a margin call at one level and start closing positions (stop out) at a lower one, often around 50% margin level for retail accounts. Check your broker's numbers.
Does a copier need extra margin?
Copied trades need the same margin as trades you open yourself. If your account can't cover a copied trade, the broker rejects it and the copier logs the reason.
Copy with risk-based lot sizing, automatically.
The copier sizes, filters and manages every trade for each of your MT4/MT5 accounts, in the cloud.
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More calculators
- Lot size calculatorBalance, risk % and stop loss in, lots out. Forex, gold, indices, oil, crypto.
- Position size calculator (risk amount)Risk a fixed amount between two prices: lots and units, rounded to the step.
- Pip value calculatorWhat one pip is worth for any instrument, lot size and account currency.
Guides
- BasicsPips, points and lots: the units behind every tradePip and point conventions across forex, gold, indices, oil and crypto, what a standard, mini and micro lot are, and how to turn a price move into money in your account currency.
- Sizing and riskHow lot sizing modes work in copy tradingFixed lot, multiplier, balance or equity ratio, and risk percent from the stop: the five ways to size a copied trade, with the arithmetic and when to use each.
- PlatformsMT4 vs MT5: what matters for copying tradesThe platform differences that affect copying (position accounting, order types, partial closes, symbol lists) and how to copy safely in either direction.
Copy trading by market
- Crypto copy tradingCopy BTCUSD and ETHUSD CFD trades between MetaTrader accounts: weekend trading, contract sizes, minimum lots, leverage limits and swaps.
- Indices copy tradingCopy US30, NAS100, SPX500 and GER40 trades between MT4/MT5 accounts. Why index contract sizes differ by broker and how to size copied index trades safely.
- Forex copy tradingCopy forex trades between MT4/MT5 accounts, brokers and Telegram channels. How pips, sessions, suffixes and lot sizing work when you copy currency pairs.
Risk warning. Trading forex, CFDs, metals, indices and crypto on margin carries a high risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Copying trades does not reduce market risk: a copied loss is a real loss. Examples on this page are illustrations, not advice or a forecast. CopyTraderTool is software; it does not give investment advice or manage funds. See the Risk Disclosure.