Free calculator
Crypto trade break-even calculator
A +0.25% move on 0.10% fees can still finish below zero.
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The minimum favorable move after your entered costs
Defaults are a labelled UAE teaching example, not a live quote or anyone's trade: $1,000 filled notional, +0.25% move, 0.10% on each fill, 5% VAT on those fees, a hypothetical 0.04% round-trip spread/slippage allowance and $0 fixed cost. Replace them with your own numbers.
Break-even favorable move 0.250263%, 25.0263 bps. Net result −$0.002625.
Break-even favorable move
0.250263%
= 25.0263 bps. Your 0.25% move does not clear the entered costs: net −$0.002625.
- Gross P&LNotional × move
- $2.50
- Opening feeEntry notional × opening fee
- $1.00
- Closing feeExit notional $1,002.50 × closing fee
- $1.0025
- Tax/VAT on trading feesRate × (opening + closing fee)
- $0.100125
- Spread/slippage allowanceNotional × allowance (hypothetical)
- $0.40
- Fixed costs
- $0.00
- Total included costs
- $2.502625
- Net P&LGross − total included costs
- −$0.002625
Break-even m = [(1 + t)(f_open + f_close) + allowance + fixed ÷ notional] ÷ [1 − (1 + t) × f_close], where t is the fee tax rate. The closing fee sits in the denominator because it is charged on the larger exit notional.
Not included: funding, liquidation, price gaps, tax on gains, different exchange fee-currency mechanics, pair- or account-specific rates, and any cost you did not enter. The default 0.04% allowance is hypothetical, not a measured spread. One trade only; this is not a price feed or an opportunity signal.
After the math · eligibility first
Where to read your real fee rate
Replace the example fees with the rate your own account shows. Check order: Bybit, then Binance, then OKX, limited to the routes that fit where you live. This is not a ranking by cost.
U.S. readers: these global Bybit, Binance and OKX services are restricted for U.S. residents. Do not use them.
Pick where you live to see the eligible routes.
Method and sources
Crypto scalping with $1,000: is it profitable after fees?
The default inputs worked line by line, and what filled notional means.
Crypto position size calculator
Different question: how large a position fits the loss you accept at your stop.
Bybit: Trading fee structure
VIP-0 spot maker/taker 0.1000%; actual rates vary by region and account, use My Fee Rate. Checked 2026-11-04.
Bybit: VAT FAQ
Applicable UAE residents with accounts created on or after 2026-01-19 may pay 5% VAT on trading fees. Checked 2026-11-04.
Binance: How spot fees are calculated
0.1% regular-user teaching example, charged in the asset received. Checked 2026-11-04.
OKX UAE: Trading fee rules FAQ
Spot fee = rate × amount bought or sold; 0.10% taker / 0.08% maker example. Checked 2026-11-04.
VARA register: Bybit Fintech FZE
Active from 2026-10-20 for Exchange Services, retail investors. Checked 2026-11-04.
Bybit: Dubai licence announcement
Dated 2026-10-22; says the Dubai licence covers spot trading. Checked 2026-11-04.
FAQ
How do I calculate the break-even move for a crypto trade after fees?
For a long trade, m = [(1 + t)(f_open + f_close) + allowance + fixed ÷ notional] ÷ [1 − (1 + t) × f_close], where t is tax/VAT on fees. With 0.10% per fill, 5% VAT, a 0.04% allowance and no fixed cost, that is about 0.250263%, or 25.0263 basis points.
Why is the break-even move slightly more than the sum of the costs?
The closing fee is charged on the exit notional. A winning long exits at a higher value, so the closing fee, and any VAT on it, grows with the move you need.
Does leverage lower the break-even move?
No. Fees are charged on filled notional, not on margin. Leverage lets a smaller balance control the same notional, so the fee bill and break-even move stay the same while the risk of liquidation rises.
Should I enter maker or taker fees?
Enter the rate your fill was actually charged. A resting limit order is usually maker; a market order or a limit that fills immediately is taker. Some exchanges also charge the fee in the asset you receive, so read it from the fill.