Margin is the part of your account balance that is locked as a deposit while a leveraged position is open. It is not a fee. You get it back when you close the position, after any profit or loss is added or taken off. This margin calculator for forex, metals, indices and other CFDs shows the margin required before you open a trade.
Fill in the empty fields to see the result.
How to use the margin calculator
The inputs start with neutral sample values. Replace them with your own:
- Instrument. The symbol you want to trade, for example EURUSD, XAUUSD or US100.
- Lot size. The trade volume in lots. A lot is a standard unit of trade size.
- Contract size. The number of units in one lot. It differs between forex pairs, metals, indices and crypto CFDs. Find it in the contract specification in MetaTrader.
- Price. The current price of the instrument.
- Leverage. The leverage set on your account or for this instrument.
- Account currency. The currency your balance is held in. The tool converts the margin into this currency.
The required margin appears next to the inputs and updates as you change any value.
Margin formula
The calculator uses this standard formula:
Required margin = Lots × Contract size × Price / Leverage
The result is in the quote currency of the instrument. For EURUSD, the quote currency is USD. If your account currency is different, the tool converts the result at the current exchange rate:
Margin in account currency = Required margin × Conversion rate
Lots × contract size × price is the notional value, the full market value of the position. Leverage only decides how much of that value you must put up as a deposit. Profit and loss are still based on the full notional value.
Comparing leverage settings side by side
The comparison table runs the same position at several leverage settings. Higher leverage lowers the required margin and leaves more free margin. It does not make the position smaller. A price move against you costs the same amount of money at any leverage. The difference is that with high leverage, your balance can carry a larger position than it can safely absorb losses on.
Some brokers set fixed margin requirements for certain instruments, sessions or times around major news. In those cases, the leverage on your account may not apply. Rules differ by broker and account type. If you trade with Exness, check the current margin conditions in the Exness personal area or on the official site.
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What the result tells you and what it does not
The required margin is the deposit needed to open the position. It is not the amount you can lose. Once the trade is open, a few related terms matter:
- Equity: balance plus or minus the floating profit or loss.
- Free margin: equity minus the margin in use. New positions need free margin.
- Margin level: equity divided by used margin, shown as a percentage.
- Margin call and stop-out: levels of margin level at which the broker warns you or starts closing positions.
To see how far price can move before these levels are reached, use the margin call simulator. To size a trade from your stop-loss and the amount you are willing to risk, use the lot size calculator. To see what each pip is worth, use the pip value calculator.
Risk note
Leveraged forex and CFD trading can lose money fast, including the whole deposit. A low margin requirement makes large positions easy to open. That is the main reason accounts get stopped out. Read risk management before you trade with real money.
A note for readers in Pakistan: per the SECP, offshore platforms have no Pakistani licence or oversight and offer no legal protection or recourse. See regulation and safety for details.
Frequently asked questions
What is a margin requirement calculator?
It calculates the deposit a broker locks when you open a leveraged position. You enter lots, contract size, price and leverage, and it applies the formula shown under the tool.
Is margin the same as my risk on the trade?
No. Margin is a deposit. Your risk depends on position size and how far price moves against you before you close the trade.
Why does the margin change when I don't change anything?
Price moves. Because price is part of the formula, the margin changes with it, and so does the conversion rate to your account currency.
Where do I find the contract size?
In MetaTrader, open the symbol's specification. You can also check the broker's contract specifications on its official site.
Does higher leverage mean higher profit?
No. Leverage changes the deposit needed, not the profit or loss per pip. Those depend on lot size. See the profit/loss calculator.
Can I practise without real money?
Yes. A demo account uses the same margin mechanics with virtual funds.