What leverage means
Leverage is the ratio between the size of a position and the money your broker holds as collateral for it. That collateral is called margin. With higher leverage, the same position needs less margin, so you can open a larger position with the same balance.
Leverage does not change the profit or loss per pip. That depends only on position size. But because higher leverage lets you open larger positions, losses can grow faster than your balance can absorb.
Risk warning: leveraged CFD and forex trading can lose money fast. A small price move against a large position can wipe out the margin in your account.
Exness maximum leverage by account type
The account specifications list the same maximum leverage for every account type:
| Account | Maximum leverage | Margin call | Stop out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1:Unlimited | 60% | 0% |
| Standard Cent | 1:Unlimited | 60% | 0% |
| Pro | 1:Unlimited | 30% | 0% |
| Raw Spread | 1:Unlimited | 30% | 0% |
| Zero | 1:Unlimited | 30% | 0% |
The "unlimited" figure in this table is a ceiling, not the default setting. Several rules decide what you can actually use:
- your account equity
- whether you meet the conditions for unlimited leverage
- the instrument you trade
- whether a news release or a market break is near
- the Exness entity your account is registered with
The lowest leverage setting is 1:2, and leverage cannot be switched off. To see how to change the setting on an account, read our account settings page.
Leverage tiers by equity
Equity is your balance plus or minus the floating profit or loss of open positions. Exness links the maximum available leverage to equity. As equity rises past each threshold, the maximum leverage falls.
At the lowest equity tier, unlimited leverage is available only to eligible traders. Other traders at that tier get a lower default maximum, which is the figure often searched as "exness 1:2000 leverage". Higher tiers have progressively lower caps. These tiers have changed before and may change again. Check the current equity table in the Exness Help Center or your Personal Area before you rely on a specific figure.
Conditions for Exness unlimited leverage
Unlimited leverage is not switched on for everyone by default. According to Exness, it is available on real accounts: equity below 5,000 USD and at least 10 closed orders totalling 5 lots or more across real accounts.
Practical points:
- Pending orders do not count towards the required closed orders.
- Cent lots count as well. The source states the volume condition in both standard lots and cent lots.
- If your equity rises above the threshold, the unlimited tier no longer applies, and the equity tiers decide your maximum.
- The cap differs by entity: Exness (KE) 1:400; Exness Limited Jordan 1:100. Unlimited leverage is also not offered through the Exness MENA entity.
You can find which entity holds your account in the Personal Area: it is shown in the Personal Area footer. Our page on entities and regulators explains the differences between them.
Instruments eligible for unlimited leverage
Unlimited leverage applies only to listed instruments: Forex majors and minors, DXY, USDCNH, HKDJPY, USDHKD, USDTHB; all commodities except XAUUSD247; BTCUSD, BTCUSDT, ETHUSD, ETHBTC.
Anything outside this list has its own maximum leverage, set in the instrument's specifications. Examples:
- XAUUSD247 (gold traded every day of the week): gold 7 days a week, fixed leverage 1:200. It is not eligible for unlimited leverage.
- Regular XAUUSD: maximum leverage is 1:Unlimited if eligible.
- Stocks: not on the unlimited list. Stop out on stocks can also be raised during daily break hours. See margin call and stop out.
Fixed and dynamic leverage on indices
Leverage on indices is fixed for most indices except JP225, USTEC, USTEC_x100, US500, US500_x100, US30, US30_x10.
The US indices and JP225 are moving to dynamic leverage: US30, US500, USTEC, JP225 (+x10/x100): from 400 to unlimited, planned for 7 November 2026; rollout dates may change. Exness pages do not all show the same figure yet, so check the current maximum in the instrument specifications before trading indices.
For USTEC, the Nasdaq-100 CFD, the Help Center lists maximum leverage as 1:Unlimited if eligible.
Higher margin requirements around news and breaks
Higher margin requirements (HMR) are periods when the leverage on a position is reduced automatically, so the same position needs more margin. They apply in these cases:
- News: orders opened from 15 minutes before to 90 seconds after high-impact news are subject to HMR.
- Forex during HMR: 1:200 (0.5%).
- Gold (XAUUSD): 1:200 – 1:1000 (0.1%-0.5%).
- US indices and JP225: US30/USTEC/US500/JP225 during HMR: 1:400 (0.25%) at the daily break, 1:50 (2%) over the weekend.
- USTEC: 1:50 – 1:400 (0.25%-2%).
This matters if you trade with high leverage and little free margin. When the margin required for a position rises, your margin level falls. That can trigger a margin call or a stop out even if the price has not moved much. Use the economic calendar and other tools to see when high-impact news is due, and check trading hours for daily and weekend breaks.
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Worked margin example
For a forex or metals CFD, the margin a position needs follows this formula:
Margin = lots × contract size × price ÷ leverage
If the instrument is quoted in a different currency from your account, the result is then converted into your account currency.
Take a position of 0.01 lot on XAUUSD, where the contract size is 100 troy ounces. The position value is the lot size times the contract size times the current gold price. Dividing that value by the leverage gives the margin. The higher the leverage, the smaller the margin, in direct proportion.
| Leverage applied | What happens to margin |
|---|---|
| 1:2 (lowest setting) | A large part of the position value is held as margin |
| 1:200 (0.5%) (forex level during HMR) | Much lower margin than at the lowest setting |
| Gold HMR range: 1:200 – 1:1000 (0.1%-0.5%) | Margin rises compared with normal hours |
| 1:Unlimited (if eligible) | Very small margin for the same position |
To get exact figures for your instrument, lot size and price, use the calculator below:
Fill in the empty fields to see the result.
What the example shows: the position and its profit or loss per pip are the same in every row. Only the margin changes. Lower margin leaves more free margin, which makes it easy to open more or larger positions. A large position on a small balance can reach stop out after a short price move. Higher leverage means losses can grow faster than your balance can absorb. For position sizing, see risk management.
Margin call, stop out and what follows
Margin level is equity divided by used margin, shown as a percentage. The levels by account type are: Standard Cent: margin call 60%, stop out 0%; Standard: margin call 60%, stop out 0%; Pro: margin call 30%, stop out 0%; Raw Spread: margin call 30%, stop out 0%; Zero: margin call 30%, stop out 0%.
- At margin call, you get a warning that your margin is running low.
- At stop out, positions start closing automatically.
A stop out level of zero lets positions stay open longer, but 0% stop out not supported in some countries; may vary. Exness also states that stop out protection is offered on all accounts (not for KE/JO entities; may be unavailable with unlimited leverage). If a stop out would leave a negative balance, the result is balance reset to 0 after stop out. See negative balance protection for the details.
To see the margin level and the prices at which margin call and stop out would happen for your positions, use this calculator:
Fill in the empty fields to see the result.
Margin level = equity / used margin × 100%. Equity falls with the floating loss; the price for a level L solves balance + P/L = L × margin. Margin is taken at the entry price. In a gap the position can close at a worse price.
A note for traders in Pakistan
Leverage rules are only one part of the picture. On residents' purchases, per the SBP, the purchase of offshore forex/margin/CFD products by Pakistani residents violates section 4(1) of FERA 1947. Also, per the SECP, offshore platforms have no Pakistani licence or oversight and offer no legal protection or recourse. Read Is Exness legal in Pakistan before opening a real account.
Frequent questions
What is the maximum leverage at Exness?
The account specifications list 1:Unlimited for all account types. What you can actually use depends on your equity, eligibility, the instrument, HMR periods and your entity.
How do I get unlimited leverage?
It requires the following: on real accounts: equity below 5,000 USD and at least 10 closed orders totalling 5 lots or more across real accounts. It applies only to eligible instruments and is not offered by every entity.
Is the highest fixed cap the default for everyone?
No. Exness describes a lower default cap for the lowest equity tier, which applies to traders who do not meet the unlimited conditions. Check the current equity table in the Help Center or the Personal Area, because the tiers can change.
Does higher leverage increase my profit per pip?
No. Profit and loss per pip depend on position size. Higher leverage only lowers the margin needed, which makes it possible to open larger positions and lose money faster.
Why did my margin jump before a news release?
Orders opened from 15 minutes before to 90 seconds after high-impact news fall under higher margin requirements. For forex, the limit is then 1:200 (0.5%).
Is leverage on gold fixed?
XAUUSD247 has fixed leverage: gold 7 days a week, fixed leverage 1:200. Regular XAUUSD has 1:Unlimited if eligible, with higher margin requirements of 1:200 – 1:1000 (0.1%-0.5%).
Can I turn leverage off?
No. The lowest setting is 1:2, and leverage cannot be disabled.