Margin Calculator
Estimate required margin based on trade size, leverage and account currency.
Trade Parameters
Market & Instrument
Trade Parameters
Enter trade size in standard lots (1 lot = 100,000 units).
Leverage & Margin Options
View Account Impact (Optional)
Add account equity and existing used margin to estimate how the new position may affect your margin metrics.
Manual Rates (Optional)
ESTIMATED REQUIRED MARGIN
About This Margin Calculator
Estimate the margin required for a forex, crypto or gold position using trade size, reference price, account currency and leverage.
Use a stored reference price or enter a manual price. When currency conversion is required, the calculator can use a stored or manually entered conversion rate. Stored-rate timestamps are displayed for transparency.
Results are educational estimates and may differ from broker or platform requirements.
How Margin Is Calculated
The calculator first determines the position value, converts it into the selected account currency where required, and then applies the selected leverage.
Required Margin
Required Margin = Position Value in Account Currency ÷ LeverageMargin Requirement %
Margin Requirement % = 1 ÷ Leverage × 100At 20:1 leverage, the estimated margin requirement is 5% of the position value.
Market-specific formulas
Forex
- Base Units = Lot Size × 100,000
- Position Value in Quote Currency = Base Units × Instrument Price
Then convert into the selected account currency where required.
Crypto Quantity Mode
- Position Value in Quote Currency = Asset Quantity × Instrument Price
The quote currency depends on the selected pair, such as USD, USDT, BTC or ETH.
Crypto Trade Value Mode
- Position Value in Quote Currency = Entered Trade Value
Do not multiply the entered Trade Value by the instrument price.
Gold
- Gold Quantity = Lot Size × Contract Size
- Position Value in USD = Gold Quantity × Gold Price
Default educational assumption: 1 standard XAU/USD lot = 100 troy ounces
Worked Examples
Example 1: EUR/USD with a USD account
Assume
- Lot size: 0.10
- EUR/USD price: 1.1500
- Account currency: USD
- Leverage: 20:1
Calculation
- Base units: 10,000 EUR
- Position value: USD 11,500
- Required margin: USD 575
- Margin requirement: 5%
Example 2: BTC/USD with a GBP account
Assume
- Trade value: USD 3,000
- Account currency: GBP
- USD-to-GBP rate: 0.7554
- Leverage: 10:1
Calculation
- Position value: GBP 2,266.20
- Required margin: GBP 226.62
- Margin requirement: 10%
Example 3: XAU/USD with a USD account
Assume
- Lot size: 0.10
- Contract size: 100 troy ounces
- Gold price: USD 3,000 per ounce
- Leverage: 20:1
Calculation
- Gold quantity: 10 troy ounces
- Position value: USD 30,000
- Required margin: USD 1,500
- Margin requirement: 5%
Calculator Methodology
Calculation approach
The calculator determines position value, converts it into the selected account currency where necessary, and divides it by the selected leverage.
Market assumptions
- Forex: 100,000 base-currency units per standard lot
- Gold: 100 troy ounces per standard XAU/USD lot by default
- Crypto Quantity mode: quantity multiplied by instrument price
- Crypto Trade Value mode: entered quote-currency value used directly
Rates and conversion
The calculator uses stored reference rates and displays their timestamps. It supports direct, inverse and available cross-currency conversions. Manual prices or conversion rates replace stored values when enabled.
Missing rates are never silently treated as 1, and USDT is not automatically assumed to equal USD.
Account Impact
- Total Used Margin After Trade = Existing Used Margin + New Required Margin
- Estimated Free Margin = Account Equity − Total Used Margin After Trade
- Effective Leverage = Selected Position Value ÷ Account Equity
- Margin Usage % = Total Used Margin After Trade ÷ Account Equity × 100
- Margin Level % = Account Equity ÷ Total Used Margin After Trade × 100
These are general educational metrics. Broker definitions and thresholds may differ.
Assumptions
- One standard forex lot represents 100,000 base-currency units.
- One standard XAU/USD lot represents 100 troy ounces by default.
- Crypto Trade Value uses the selected pair’s quote currency.
- Stored rates are reference values.
- Manual values override stored values.
- USD may be used as a conversion hub when an available path requires it.
- Missing rates are not silently treated as 1.
Not included
- Spread, commission and slippage
- Swap and overnight funding
- Currency-conversion fees
- Maintenance margin and liquidation rules
- Tiered or volatility-based margin
- Hedging, account and jurisdiction-specific restrictions
Limitations
Results are educational estimates. Actual requirements may differ because of broker contract specifications, account type, conversion rates, margin tiers, jurisdiction and market conditions.
The calculator does not reproduce the complete margin system of any broker, exchange or platform. Confirm applicable contract sizes, leverage and margin rules before trading.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is required margin calculated?
Required margin is calculated by dividing the total position value (in your selected account currency) by the chosen leverage. For example, a USD 10,000 position at 20:1 leverage requires an estimated USD 500 margin.
What does 20:1 leverage mean?
A 20:1 leverage means one unit of margin supports 20 units of position value. It corresponds to a 5% margin requirement.
What is margin requirement percentage?
The margin requirement percentage is the share of position value required as margin. The formula is: Margin Requirement % = 1 ÷ Leverage × 100.
Is margin a trading fee?
No. Margin is generally allocated from account equity as collateral to keep a leveraged trade open. Broker treatment may vary, but it is not normally a fee.
What is free margin?
Free margin estimates the amount of equity remaining after margin is allocated. The formula is: Free Margin = Account Equity − Total Used Margin.
What is effective leverage?
Effective leverage is the ratio between your position value and account equity (Effective Leverage = Position Value ÷ Account Equity). In this calculator, it relates to the selected position only.
Why can broker margin differ from this estimate?
Actual margin requirements may vary due to contract size, margin tiers, account type, conversion rates, regional leverage limits, and broker-specific rules. You can use stored reference rates or enter manual instrument and conversion rates when needed.
How is forex margin calculated?
Lot size is converted into base units (1 standard forex lot = 100,000 base-currency units). Base units are multiplied by the instrument price, converted into the account currency, and then leverage is applied.
How is crypto margin calculated?
In Quantity mode, quantity is multiplied by the instrument price. In Trade Value mode, the entered quote-currency value is used directly. The result is converted into the selected account currency before leverage is applied.
How is gold margin calculated?
Lot size is multiplied by contract size to find gold quantity (the default educational assumption is 100 troy ounces per standard XAU/USD lot). Gold quantity is multiplied by gold price to find position value, and leverage is then applied.
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