Margin calculator
See how much margin a trade needs at your leverage, and how much of your balance it ties up. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.
Your numbers
Find out how much of your money a trade ties up while it is open.
Trade size in : 1 standard lot is 100,000 units.
Set by your broker. 1:100 means 1 of your money controls 100. Higher leverage needs less margin but magnifies losses too.
Add it to see how much of your account the trade uses and the biggest trade you could open.
+Exchange rate (already filled in)
The exchange rate is pre-filled from the ECB reference rate for 2026-10-23. It is a daily rate for information only, so your broker's price will differ a little. Replace it with the current one from your platform for an exact result.
Your answer
To open 1 standard lot of EUR/USD with 1:100 leverage, your broker would set aside about $1,119.00 of your money as margin. That is the deposit that backs the trade, not a cost: you get it back when the trade closes. It uses 11.2% of your $10,000.00 balance and leaves $8,881.00 free.
- Full value of the trade
- $111,900.00
- Trade size (units)
- 100,000
- Share of your balance used
- 11.19%
- Left over ()
- $8,881.00
- Biggest trade this balance could open
- 8.93 lots
Free margin here ignores profit and loss on open trades. Margin call and stop-out levels are set by your broker.
+Show the working
- Trade size in units = 1 standard lot × 100,000 = 100,000 units.
- Value of the position = 100,000 units × 1.119 (what 1 EUR is worth in USD) = $111,900.00.
- Margin = value of the position ÷ leverage = $111,900.00 ÷ 100 = $1,119.00.
- Share of your balance = $1,119.00 ÷ $10,000.00 = 11.19%.
- Free margin = balance − margin = $10,000.00 − $1,119.00 = $8,881.00.
EUR/USD live price
Track all markets on TradingView · For reference only; prices can differ from your broker's. Loaded from TradingView, a third party; see our privacy policy.
For information only, not financial advice. Trading carries a high risk of loss. Results depend on the values you enter and on your broker's contract specifications. Risk disclosure
What is margin?
When you open a leveraged position, your broker does not take the full value of the trade from your account. It sets aside a smaller amount called the required margin, which acts as a deposit while the position is open. When you close the trade the margin is released, and your balance is adjusted by the profit or loss.
How margin is calculated
- Position value = position size in units × the value of one base unit in your account currency.
- Required margin = position value ÷ leverage.
For a pair such as EUR/USD the base currency is the euro, so one standard lot is 100,000 euros. If your account is in euros, the position value needs no conversion. If your account is in dollars, the euros are converted at the current exchange rate. Gold is handled the same way, with ounces in place of units and the price of one ounce as the rate.
Worked examples
- EUR/USD, one standard lot, USD account, leverage 1:100, one euro worth $1.08: the position is worth $108,000, so the margin is $1,080.
- USD/JPY, one standard lot, USD account, leverage 1:50: the base currency is already the dollar, so the position is $100,000 and the margin is $2,000.
- Gold, one lot of 100 ounces at $2,000 an ounce, leverage 1:20: the position is worth $200,000, so the margin is $10,000.
Margin for one standard lot of EUR/USD at different leverage
The figures use a euro price of $1.08. The higher the leverage, the smaller the margin for the same position.
| Leverage | Required margin | Position value |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 | $3,600 | $108,000 |
| 1:50 | $2,160 | $108,000 |
| 1:100 | $1,080 | $108,000 |
| 1:200 | $540 | $108,000 |
| 1:500 | $216 | $108,000 |
Margin is not risk
Margin only tells you how much of your balance is tied up. It does not tell you how much you can lose. A position that needs $1,000 of margin can lose more than $1,000 if price moves far enough against it. Higher leverage lowers the margin per trade, which lets you open a larger position with the same balance, and a larger position means larger gains and losses for the same price move.
Limits to keep in mind
- Leverage limits and margin rules depend on your broker, the instrument and the regulations that apply to you. Check your broker's specification for each instrument.
- Metals, indices, crypto and exotic pairs often have different margin requirements from major currency pairs.
- Free margin changes with the profit and loss of open trades. This calculator shows the figure before any open trades move.
- Brokers set their own margin call and stop-out levels, and positions can be closed automatically when free margin runs low.
Frequently asked questions
+What is margin in forex?
Margin is the part of your account balance that your broker sets aside while a position is open. It is not a fee and it is not the amount you can lose. It is returned to your free balance when the position closes.
+How do I calculate the margin for a trade?
Divide the position size by the leverage, then convert the result to your account currency. One standard lot of EUR/USD is 100,000 euros; at 1:100 that is 1,000 euros of margin, or about $1,080 if one euro is worth $1.08.
+What does 1:100 leverage mean?
It means the position can be 100 times the margin you put up. A margin of $1,000 supports a position worth $100,000. Leverage lets you control a larger position with the same balance, but it also makes gains and losses larger in the same proportion.
+Is margin the same as the amount I can lose?
No. Margin only decides how large a position you can open. What you can lose depends on the position size and how far price moves against you, which is why a stop loss and the position size calculator matter. Losses can use up free margin and, on some accounts, exceed the balance.
+What are free margin, margin call and stop-out?
Margin is the balance not tied up as margin, adjusted for open profit and loss. When it falls too low, brokers send a margin call warning and may close positions automatically at a stop-out level. The levels differ between brokers, so check your broker's terms.