Trading Tool Hub
Futures Position Size Calculator
Quick Answer
Position sizing determines how many contracts or shares you should trade based on your account size and the amount of dollar risk you are willing to take on a single trade.
Calculate how many futures contracts you can trade based on your account size,
risk amount, contract, and stop-loss distance.
How the position size calculator works
The calculator estimates the dollar risk per contract using the selected
futures contract’s point value, tick value, stop distance, commission,
and slippage.
Risk per contract = stop distance × contract value + costs
Then it divides your allowed trade risk by the risk per contract:
Max contracts = allowed risk ÷ risk per contract
Open the Futures Profit Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
What is position sizing?
Position sizing is the process of deciding how large a trade should be based on account size, risk per trade, entry price, stop-loss distance, and market type. It helps traders control risk before entering a position.
How do I calculate position size?
Decide how much money you are willing to risk, then divide that risk amount by the dollar risk per contract, share, or unit. The result estimates the maximum position size for the trade.
Should I use fixed dollar risk or percentage risk?
Fixed dollar risk keeps the same risk amount on every trade, while percentage risk adjusts as the account grows or shrinks. Percentage risk is often more scalable, but the right choice depends on account size and strategy.
How do commissions and fees affect position sizing?
Commissions and fees reduce net profit and can slightly increase the true cost of each trade. Active traders should include costs when estimating risk and breakeven levels.
What does unused risk buffer mean?
Unused risk buffer is the amount of risk left over after the calculator rounds the position size down. It shows how much of the planned risk was not used because you cannot always trade fractional contracts or shares.