Trading Break-Even Calculator
Find the exit price at which a trade covers all its costs.
Please note: Trading carries substantial risk of loss. These calculators are planning tools, not trading advice, and no position sizing method prevents losses.
What the Trading Break-Even Calculator does
Break-even is the exit price where profit exactly equals costs. Every trade starts below it because of fees and the spread, which is why very short-term strategies need either exceptional accuracy or exceptionally low costs.
Formula
Cost per unit = Total fees ÷ Quantity + SpreadLong break-even = Entry + Cost per unitShort break-even = Entry − Cost per unit
Inputs explained
| Input | Unit | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direction | one of 2 options | Yes | — |
| Entry price | selected currency | Yes | Accepts more than 0. |
| Quantity | number | Yes | Accepts more than 0. |
| Total fees (both sides) | selected currency | Optional | Accepts 0 or more. |
| Spread per unit | selected currency | Optional | Accepts 0 or more. |
| Currency | one of 10 options | Optional | — |
How to use it
- Choose Direction and Currency.
- Enter Entry price and Quantity.
- Optionally add Total fees (both sides) and Spread per unit.
- Select Calculate.
Worked example
Long 200 units at $75 with $8 of fees and a $0.03 spread.
- Direction
- Long
- Entry
- 75
- Quantity
- 200
- Fees
- 8
- Spread
- 0.03
Cost per unit $0.07, so break-even is $75.07 — a 0.093% move.
Frequently asked questions
Should I move my stop to break-even?
It removes downside risk but also increases the chance of being stopped out by ordinary noise before the trade develops. Test it against your own data rather than assuming it helps.
Method and sources
Method. The price at which the position covers its own costs — entry, exit fees and spread — expressed as a price and as the move required.
Assumptions
- All costs are known at entry and no financing accrues.
Limitations
- Break-even is where the trade stops losing, not where it is worth taking. A trade needing a large move merely to break even needs a much larger one to justify the risk.
- Overnight financing moves break-even further away each day a leveraged position is held.