Margin Calculator (Forex, Gold & CFDs)

Work out the margin required to open a leveraged trade: choose the instrument, enter the lot size, price and your leverage. Add your account equity to see your margin level and free margin. Looking for a business profit margin? Use the profit margin calculator.

Your numbers
Result
Required margin
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Position value
—
Margin %
—
Margin level
—
Free margin
—

How required margin is calculated

Position value = Lots × Contract size × Price
Required margin = Position value ÷ Leverage

Example: 1 standard lot of EUR/USD (100,000 euros) at 1.0850 is worth $108,500. At 1:30 leverage the margin is 108,500 ÷ 30 = $3,616.67 for a USD account. In a EUR account it’s 100,000 ÷ 30 = €3,333.33.

Leverage and margin % are two ways of saying the same thing: 1:30 leverage means a 3.33% margin requirement, 1:100 means 1%, 1:500 means 0.2%.

Margin level and free margin

Contract sizes vary

A standard forex lot is 100,000 units of the base currency. For gold, silver, indices and other CFDs, contract sizes differ between brokers (100 oz per lot for gold is common, but not universal), and some brokers set different margin rates per instrument. Check your broker’s contract specifications and use Custom if yours differs.

Margin vs risk

Margin is the deposit to open a trade, not the amount you can lose; losses can exceed it. To size a trade by how much you’re willing to lose, use the position size calculator; for crypto futures and liquidation prices, the crypto leverage calculator. More background in what is leverage.

ChartWatch is independent and not affiliated with TradingView, any broker or exchange. This calculator uses only the numbers you enter and runs in your browser. Results are estimates before taxes and any costs you leave out. It is a calculation tool, not financial advice.

FAQ

How is forex margin calculated?
Multiply the lot size by the contract size and the price to get the position value, then divide by the leverage. One standard lot of EUR/USD at 1.0850 with 1:30 leverage needs about $3,617 of margin in a USD account.
How much margin do I need for 1 lot of gold?
With a common contract size of 100 oz, 1 lot at a gold price of $3,000 is worth $300,000. At 1:20 leverage that's $15,000 of margin. Check your broker's contract size and margin rate.
What is a margin level?
Equity divided by used margin, times 100. Brokers use it to trigger margin calls and stop-outs, at levels that vary by broker.
What is the difference between margin and leverage?
They describe the same thing: 1:50 leverage means you put up 2% of the position value as margin.

More free TradingView tools

What Is Leverage?Leverage, margin and margin calls with examples. Position Size CalculatorLot size from your account, risk and stop loss, plus risk:reward. Crypto Leverage CalculatorCrypto position size, margin, liquidation estimate and max leverage. Profit Margin CalculatorGross margin, markup and selling price.
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ChartWatch is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to TradingView, Inc. “TradingView” is a trademark of its respective owner. Exchange, broker and platform names are trademarks of their respective owners.