Trading Fees Calculator
Total the commission, spread and slippage costs on a round-trip trade.
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 Fees Calculator does
Every round-trip trade costs commission on both sides, the bid-ask spread, and whatever slippage occurs between your intended and actual fill. Together these set the minimum price move needed just to break even.
Formula
Percentage commission = (Entry value + Exit value) × RateFlat commission = Fee × 2Total cost = Commission + Spread × Qty + Slippage × QtyBreak-even move % = Total cost ÷ Entry value × 100
Inputs explained
| Input | Unit | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | selected currency | Yes | Accepts more than 0. |
| Exit price | selected currency | Yes | Accepts more than 0. |
| Quantity | number | Yes | Accepts more than 0. |
| Commission structure | one of 2 options | Yes | — |
| Commission rate | % | In some modes | Shown Commission structure is Percentage of trade value. |
| Flat fee per side | selected currency | In some modes | Accepts 0 or more. Shown Commission structure is Flat fee per side. |
| Spread per unit | selected currency | Optional | Accepts 0 or more. |
| Slippage per unit | selected currency | Optional | Accepts 0 or more. |
| Currency | one of 10 options | Optional | — |
How to use it
- Choose Commission structure and Currency.
- Enter Entry price, Exit price and Quantity.
- Fill in the remaining inputs the form shows for your choice.
- Optionally add Spread per unit and Slippage per unit.
- Select Calculate.
Worked example
1,000 units bought at $25 and sold at $26, 0.1% commission, $0.02 spread.
- Entry
- 25
- Exit
- 26
- Quantity
- 1000
- Rate
- 0.1
- Spread
- 0.02
Commission $51, spread $20, total $71 against a $1,000 gross profit — 7.1% of the gain.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the spread count as a cost?
You buy at the ask and sell at the bid, so you start every trade slightly underwater. On tight instruments it is negligible; on wide ones it can exceed the commission.
How much do costs matter?
Enormously for frequent trading. A strategy taking 500 trades a year at $71 each needs $35,500 of gross profit before it earns anything.
Method and sources
Method. Total cost of a round trip: commission on entry and exit at the basis entered, plus the spread, expressed against the position and as a share of the move required to break even.
Assumptions
- The fee schedule entered matches the account tier, and the spread is the one actually paid at execution.
Limitations
- Spread widens in exactly the conditions that prompt trading, so the quoted figure understates real cost around news and at session boundaries.
- Slippage, financing on positions held overnight, and currency conversion are separate costs not included here.
- For frequent trading, costs rather than the strategy are frequently the largest determinant of the outcome.