Margin is the portion of your account equity that your broker holds while a leveraged trade is open. This calculator shows how much margin is required for a trade based on the leverage level, the full value of the position you are controlling, and how much of your account is left free after you open it.
Margin Calculator
The margin a trade needs at your leverage, and its full value.
Exchange rates: ECB reference rates of 28 Oct 2026. Results are estimates for information only, not financial advice. Trading on leverage carries a high risk of losing money.
How To Use The Calculator
- Choose the market. Pick Forex to enter a currency pair and lot size, or Other to enter the position value directly for stocks, indices, commodities, crypto, or another market.
- Set your account currency and leverage. Pick the level of leverage your broker offers for this market.
- Enter the trade. For forex, pick the pair, enter the trade size in lots and check the exchange rate, which is filled in automatically and can be edited. For other markets, enter the position value in your account currency.
- Add your balance (optional). The calculator then shows how much free margin you have left and the largest position you could open.
What Is Margin?
When you trade with leverage, you only put up a fraction of the trade’s value. With leverage of 1:30, a $30,000 position needs $1,000 of margin. The broker sets that money aside while the trade is open, and your profit or loss is still based on the full $30,000.
Leverage makes trading accessible with a smaller account, but it works both ways. A 1% move against a 1:30 position is a 30% loss on the margin you put up. Knowing your margin helps you see how much exposure you really have.
The Formula
Required margin = position value ÷ leverage
For example, 1 lot of EUR/USD at 1.0900 is worth $109,000. At 1:30 leverage, the required margin is $109,000 ÷ 30 = $3,633.
Leverage Limits Where You Live
Many countries cap the leverage that retail traders can use. In the EU, the UK and Australia, the limit is 1:30 on major currency pairs and lower on other markets, such as 1:5 on stocks. In the US, the limit is 1:50 on major currency pairs.
In offshore jurisdictions like Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, it’s not uncommon to find very high leverage of 1:500+, but this significantly increases the chances of substantial losses.
If you choose a higher leverage than retail brokers are usually allowed to offer in your country, the calculator will point this out.
DayTrading.com’s free trading calculators are for education and planning only and are not financial advice. Trading on margin is high risk, and you could lose any money you invest. Trade responsibly.