Updated Trading Risk Tool

Position Size Calculator

Calculate ideal position size for forex, stocks, crypto and futures based on account size, risk per trade, entry, stop and leverage. Keep risk consistent and avoid oversizing trades.

Risk Per Trade Control Forex, Stocks, Crypto & Futures Units, Lots & Contracts Margin & Leverage Aware

Multi-Market Position Size & Risk Calculator

Use the tabs to size trades across different markets. Start with the universal tab for simple account-based risk sizing, or switch to forex, stock, crypto or futures modes for market-specific details. All modes use the same core idea: risk per trade = account size × risk percentage.

If greater than zero, this overrides the percentage-based risk.
For stocks or crypto, 1 is usually fine (risk per share = price difference). For some contracts you can enter a different value.

This universal mode works in any market by treating risk per unit as the price difference between entry and stop multiplied by value per unit. Other tabs add market-specific conventions such as pips and tick values.

Used for pip size assumptions (e.g., JPY pairs use 0.01 instead of 0.0001).
If left at 0, the calculator will estimate pips from entry and stop prices.

This mode assumes your account currency matches the quote currency of the pair. For cross-currency pairs, treat results as estimates and confirm pip value and margin on your broker platform.

This mode sizes stock or ETF trades in whole shares based on your account size and risk per trade. Leverage is used only to estimate buying power and margin requirements.

Crypto derivatives platforms often quote contracts in coin or USD terms with their own liquidation and fee rules. Treat these results as a planning guide and always confirm position size and margin inside your exchange.

Typical example: E-mini S&P 500 is $12.50 per tick per contract.
Used only to estimate how many contracts your account and stop allow, given your risk percentage.

Futures and index products have exchange-specific tick sizes, tick values and margin requirements. Always check your broker’s contract specifications to confirm risk and margin before placing orders.

Position Size Calculator – Keep Risk Per Trade Under Control

One of the biggest differences between professional and casual traders is position sizing. Professionals decide how much to risk before they think about potential profit. The Position Size Calculator on MyTimeCalculator helps you do the same by turning your account size, risk per trade, entry and stop into a clear position size for forex, stocks, crypto and futures.

Instead of guessing lot sizes or share counts, you set a risk percentage and the calculator works backward from your stop-loss distance. That way, every trade risks a similar portion of your account, making your results more consistent and your drawdowns easier to manage.

How This Position Size Calculator Works

Every tab in this tool uses the same basic idea:

  • Step 1: Determine how much of your account you are willing to risk on a single trade (for example 1 percent).
  • Step 2: Measure the distance between your entry and stop-loss in price, pips, ticks or points.
  • Step 3: Convert that distance into risk per unit, lot, share or contract.
  • Step 4: Divide risk per trade by risk per unit to get the correct position size.

The universal tab applies this logic generically, while the forex, stock, crypto and futures tabs adapt it to the conventions of each market.

Universal Position Size Mode

The universal tab provides a simple, market-agnostic way to size trades. You enter:

  • Account balance in your base currency
  • Risk per trade as a percentage or fixed amount
  • Entry and stop-loss prices
  • Value per one unit of price movement (1 for shares or coins, another value for contracts)

The calculator determines risk per unit and then calculates how many units you can trade while staying within your risk limit. This works well for straightforward stock or crypto trades and can act as a quick sense check for other markets.

Forex Position Size Mode

Forex traders often think in pips and lots rather than raw price differences. The forex tab wraps the universal logic in forex-friendly terms:

  • Account balance and risk per trade in your account currency
  • Forex pair, entry price and stop-loss price
  • Stop distance in pips (or the tool can estimate pips from entry and stop)
  • Contract size per standard lot (usually 100,000 units)

The calculator approximates pip size for the pair (for example, JPY pairs use a different decimal place) and estimates pip value per standard lot. It then determines how many lots you can trade so that your pip risk times pip value matches your chosen risk per trade.

Stock & ETF Position Size Mode

In stock and ETF trading, position size usually means the number of shares to buy or sell short. This tab takes into account:

  • Your account balance and risk percentage
  • The entry and stop-loss price of the stock or ETF
  • Maximum leverage or margin multiple (such as 2:1)

The tool computes risk per share (entry minus stop), divides risk per trade by that amount to get the maximum number of shares and optionally estimates how much buying power and margin the position requires. Because shares must be whole numbers, results are rounded down.

Crypto Position Size Mode

Crypto trading, especially on derivatives exchanges, often combines volatile prices with high leverage. The crypto tab helps by:

  • Calculating risk per coin from your entry and stop
  • Deriving a position size that fits your account and risk percentage
  • Estimating notional exposure and margin usage at your chosen leverage

This makes it easier to avoid taking oversized positions when volatility is high or when leverage multiplies your exposure. You can quickly see how a tighter or wider stop changes coin size and margin.

Futures & Indices Position Size Mode

Futures and index contracts are quoted in ticks instead of raw price units. Each contract has a defined tick size and tick value. In this tab you enter:

  • Account balance and risk per trade
  • Tick value per contract for the symbol you are trading
  • Stop distance in ticks
  • Approximate margin requirement per contract (optional)

The tool multiplies tick value by stop ticks to find risk per contract and then divides your allowed risk per trade by that amount to get a suggested contract count. If you provide margin per contract, it also estimates total margin for the position.

Why Position Sizing Matters

Even a profitable trading strategy can fail if position sizes are inconsistent. Oversized trades can wipe out weeks or months of gains in a single loss. Thoughtful position sizing helps to:

  • Keep each loss small enough to survive losing streaks
  • Make drawdowns more predictable and tolerable
  • Allow your strategy’s edge to play out over many trades
  • Reduce emotional pressure when trades move against you

How to Use This Calculator Effectively

  • Choose a risk percentage that fits your tolerance and strategy, often between 0.5 and 2 percent per trade.
  • Set your stop-loss level based on price action, not just on the size of the position you want.
  • Use the appropriate tab for your market so pips, ticks or leverage are handled correctly.
  • Round position sizes conservatively (downward) to avoid exceeding your planned risk.
  • Always confirm sizing and margin requirements with your live broker or exchange before trading real money.

This calculator is a planning tool and does not place trades or connect to live markets. Treat the outputs as a starting point for disciplined risk management rather than guarantees of performance.

Related Trading & Finance Tools from MyTimeCalculator

Use these tools alongside the Position Size Calculator to plan your risk and long-term performance:

Position Size Calculator FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About Position Sizing

Clarify how to use position sizing to protect your trading capital across different markets and instruments.

There is no single correct value, but many traders choose 0.5–2 percent of account equity per trade. Smaller risk amounts help you survive losing streaks and keep emotions under control. You can use this calculator to test how different percentages affect position size and drawdown potential.

Ideally, stop-loss placement should come from your trading strategy and the market structure, not from a target position size. You choose the stop based on the chart, then let the calculator tell you how large or small the position can be while respecting your risk rules.

Brokers and exchanges may use different contract specifications, tick values, maintenance margin rules and liquidation algorithms. This calculator uses standard formulas with your inputs, but it cannot account for every platform’s exact implementation. Always treat it as a planning tool and verify final values on your broker’s interface.

Yes. As long as you know your entry, stop-loss and desired risk per trade, the position sizing logic is the same. Very tight stops will lead to smaller price risk per unit and therefore larger position sizes; wide swing-trade stops will do the opposite. Make sure your stop and size still fit your strategy and margin rules.

The calculator works on a per-trade basis. To simulate compounding, you can re-run it with updated account sizes after each batch of trades. Many traders periodically adjust their risk-per-trade calculations to reflect current equity rather than their starting balance.

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