⚖ Tool
Position size calculator
Risk a fixed percentage of your account on every trade. Enter your account size, stop-loss distance, and risk tolerance — we'll tell you exactly how many units to buy.
Inputs
Pro tip: most experienced traders risk 0.5–2% per trade.
Where you'll exit if the trade goes against you. Below entry for longs, above for shorts.
Output
Position size (units)
—
Position value
—
Dollar risk
—
Stop distance
—
Account % at risk
—
Worked examples
EXAMPLE 1 · BTC LONG
$10,000 account, 1% risk, BTC at $50,000, stop at $47,500
- Dollar risk: $100
- Stop distance: $2,500 (5%)
- Position: 0.04 BTC ($2,000)
EXAMPLE 2 · ETH LONG
$25,000 account, 2% risk, ETH at $3,000, stop at $2,820
- Dollar risk: $500
- Stop distance: $180 (6%)
- Position: 2.78 ETH ($8,333)
EXAMPLE 3 · SOL LONG
$5,000 account, 0.5% risk, SOL at $150, stop at $138
- Dollar risk: $25
- Stop distance: $12 (8%)
- Position: 2.08 SOL ($313)
FAQ
What's "risk per trade" and why does it matter?
It's the maximum dollar loss you'll accept on any single trade, expressed as a percentage of your account. Risking 1% on each trade means you'd need 100 consecutive losers to wipe out — so a string of 5 or 10 losing trades is survivable. Risk too much per trade and one bad streak takes you out.
How is position size calculated?
Units = (Account × Risk%) ÷ (Entry − Stop). Then position value = Units × Entry. The formula sizes the position so that if your stop is hit, the loss equals your target dollar risk — regardless of asset volatility or price.
Does this work for short positions?
Yes — for a short, your stop is above entry. The calculator uses the absolute difference, so |Entry − Stop| works either way. Just enter the prices and risk; the math is symmetric.
Should I include exchange fees in the position size?
For crypto spot trades fees are usually 0.1% per side, so they're a small fraction of a 1% risk budget. For leverage trading on derivatives, fees compound — subtract estimated fees from your risk budget before sizing.
What's the relationship between stop distance and position size?
Inverse. Tight stop (1% away) → big position. Wide stop (10% away) → small position. The dollar risk stays constant regardless of which you pick — so a tight stop in a volatile asset risks being stopped on noise, while a wide stop limits how much you can buy.