Position Size Calculator
Size a trade by the risk you'll accept, or by the amount you want to put in. Get the units or futures contracts, the profit at your target, the loss at your stop and the risk to reward, with or without leverage.
- Risk budget
- $100.00 (1%)
- Stop distance
- 4 (4.00%)
- Position value
- $2,500
- Capital needed
- $2,500
- Profit at target
- +$300.00 (+3%)
- Risk : reward
- 1 : 3.00
Percentages are of your $10,000 account. Leverage changes the margin you put up, not the dollars you lose at the stop.
How the position size calculator works
Position size comes from two numbers: how much you're willing to lose, and how far away your stop is.
Units = (account × risk %) ÷ |entry − stop|
Contracts = (account × risk %) ÷ (|entry − stop| × value per 1.00)
Example: crypto or stocks
A $10,000 account risking 1% has a $100 budget. Long at 100 with a stop at 96 is a 4.00 stop, so the size is 100 ÷ 4 = 25 units, a $2,500 position. If the stop is hit you lose $100, with or without leverage.
Example: NQ vs MNQ futures
A $50,000 account risking 1% has a $500 budget. A 20-point stop on NQ risks 20 × $20 = $400 per contract, so the size is 1 contract ($400 at risk). The same stop on MNQ risks $40 per contract, so you could trade 12 MNQ ($480 at risk) and get closer to your budget.
Leverage changes margin, not risk
With 10x leverage, a $10,000 position needs $1,000 of margin, but a stop-out still loses the same dollars as an unleveraged position of that size. The real danger is liquidation: at 10x on isolated margin, a move of roughly 9.5% against you closes the position. If that comes before your stop, the stop never gets the chance to work. The calculator warns you when that happens.
Example: amount invested with leverage
Put in $1,000 at 10x and you control a $10,000 position. Long at 60.95, that's 164.07 units. If price reaches 373, the position is worth $61,198; after the $9,000 borrowed, your $1,000 has become $52,198, a profit of $51,198 (+5,120%). That's the documented QNT call with 10x futures leverage.
Where the entry, stop and target come from
A position size is only as good as the stop behind it. WhipAlgo's Whip Channel Pro + S/R marks support and resistance levels from your timeframe and higher ones, so you can place the stop beyond a level the market respects and set targets at the next levels (R1, R2 for a long). Whip Trend Confirmation tells you whether the entry is early (BUY / SELL) or confirmed (CONFIRM BUY / CONFIRM SELL).
- 1Strength · Whip Trend Core
The Trend line climbs out of the ±2 balanced zone with buying columns, and it is not yet saturated.
- 2Timing · Whip Trend Confirmation
CONFIRM BUY prints: the flip on this timeframe and the broader trend agree.
- 3Location · Whip Channel Pro + S/R
Price turns up from S1, a support level two timeframes agree on, with room to R1.
- 4Your plan · You decide
Stop beyond S1, first target at R1. Size the trade so the stop costs what you planned.
Futures contract values
| Symbol | Contract | Value of a 1.00 move |
|---|---|---|
| NQ | E-mini Nasdaq-100 | $20 per point |
| MNQ | Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 | $2 per point |
| ES | E-mini S&P 500 | $50 per point |
| MES | Micro E-mini S&P 500 | $5 per point |
| GC | Gold, 100 oz | $100 per $1.00 |
| MGC | Micro Gold, 10 oz | $10 per $1.00 |
| CL | Crude Oil, 1,000 bbl | $1,000 per $1.00 |
| BTC | CME Bitcoin, 5 BTC | $5 per $1.00 |
| MBT | CME Micro Bitcoin, 0.1 BTC | $0.10 per $1.00 |
CME contract sizes. Check your broker for tick sizes, margin and fees.
Frequently asked questions
What is position sizing?
Position sizing is deciding how much to buy or sell so that, if your stop is hit, you lose a planned amount. You start from the risk (for example 1% of the account) and the stop distance, and the size follows from those two numbers.
How much should I risk per trade?
Many traders risk between 0.5% and 2% of their account per trade, so a losing streak doesn’t do lasting damage. Prop-firm accounts often need less because of daily loss limits. The right number depends on your strategy and rules; it isn’t something a calculator can decide for you.
How many NQ contracts should I trade?
Divide your risk budget by the risk of one contract. NQ moves $20 per point, so a 25-point stop risks $500 per contract. With a $500 budget that’s one NQ, or ten MNQ at $2 per point. If one contract risks more than your budget, use the micro.
Does leverage change how much I can lose?
Leverage changes how much margin you put up, not what you lose at the stop. The dollar loss at the stop is position size times stop distance either way. What leverage does change is the liquidation price: too much leverage can close the position before your stop is reached.
How is the liquidation price estimated?
For isolated margin, a long is liquidated after a fall of about 1 divided by the leverage, minus the maintenance margin, and a short after a similar rise. The calculator assumes a 0.5% maintenance margin. Exchanges use their own tiers, fees and funding, so treat it as an estimate and check your exchange.
This calculator is for planning and education. It doesn't include fees, funding or slippage, and it isn't financial advice. Trading involves risk, including the loss of more than your initial margin on leveraged products.
Get the levels behind the numbers
The Full Suite puts BUY, SELL, CONFIRM BUY and CONFIRM SELL signals and multi-timeframe support and resistance on your own TradingView charts.