Opens in a new tab
Skip to content
Find my broker

Risk/reward calculator

Compare risk at your stop and reward at your target, before and after costs, in one quote currency.

Net reward-to-risk ratio
2
reward / risk
Risk per unit after costs: USD 5.00
Target payoff per unit after costs: USD 10.00
Gross reward-to-risk ratio
2
Risk per unit before costs
USD 5.00
Reward per unit before costs
USD 10.00
Risk per unit after costs
USD 5.00
Target payoff per unit after costs
USD 10.00
Gross break-even win rate
33.33%
Net break-even win rate
33.33%
Position risk before costs
USD 500.00
Position reward before costs
USD 1,000.00
Position risk after costs
USD 500.00
Position target payoff after costs
USD 1,000.00

Enable JavaScript to calculate your result.

This models only a fixed stop outcome and a fixed target outcome. It does not predict target frequency, convert currency or recommend position size. Actual fills and costs can differ.

Modeled stop and target outcomes
OutcomeRiskRewardNet RiskNet RewardAmount Net RiskAmount Net Reward
StopUSD 5.00—USD 5.00—USD 500.00—
Target—USD 10.00—USD 10.00—USD 1,000.00

How to use the risk/reward calculator

  1. Choose a direction and quote currency. Enter entry, stop and target prices in that currency per unit.
  2. Optionally enter spread, stop slippage and round-trip commission in the same currency per unit. Spread and commission reduce target proceeds; slippage applies only at the stop.
  3. Optionally enter position size in units to see total amounts. Leave it blank for per-unit results.
  4. Compare gross and net reward-to-risk ratios and the share of target outcomes needed to break even under these two modeled outcomes.

Formula

Risk per unit is the absolute entry-to-stop distance. Reward per unit is the absolute entry-to-target distance. Reward/risk divides reward by risk.After costs, risk = risk before costs + spread + stop slippage + round-trip commission per unit. Target payoff = reward before costs − spread − round-trip commission per unit. Slippage is not deducted from the limit-order target.Before costs, break-even win rate = risk ÷ (risk + reward). After costs, use the after-cost risk and target payoff instead. Multiply by 100 to express the fraction as a percentage. The after-cost formula applies only when target payoff is zero or positive.Position amounts multiply each per-unit value by the entered number of units. There is no account-currency conversion.Example: a long position with entry 100, stop 95 and target 110 USD per unit has risk 5 and reward 10 USD per unit, a gross reward-to-risk ratio of 2 and a gross break-even win rate of 33.33%. With spread 1, stop slippage 1 and round-trip commission 0.5 USD per unit, net risk is 7.5 and net reward is 8.5 USD per unit. The net ratio is 1.1333333 and net break-even is 46.88%. At 10 units, net position risk is 75 USD and net position target payoff is 85 USD.

FAQ

How do gross and net ratios differ?

The gross ratio divides the entry-to-target distance by the entry-to-stop distance. The net ratio uses reward and risk after your entered costs. It is unavailable when costs leave zero or negative target payoff.

Does the break-even win rate predict trade accuracy?

This is arithmetic for two fixed outcomes: a target or a stop, with the same costs each time. The win rate is the share of target outcomes needed to break even, not a prediction of how often the target will be reached. Actual fills and costs can differ. This does not calculate risk of ruin.

Which currency and position size should I enter?

Enter an uppercase three-letter quote currency code. Use this currency for every price and cost. The currency labels results without conversion. Optional positive number of units, including fractional units. Enter units, not lots. Leave blank for per-unit results only.

How are trading costs applied?

Spread is a price allowance counted once on each outcome. Enter zero if your prices already include it. Slippage is a price allowance beyond the stop only; the target is treated as a limit order. Commission is the total for opening and closing, in quote currency per unit. Empty costs count as zero.

What happens when costs exceed the target reward?

Costs exceed the target reward. Both target and stop outcomes lose money in this model, so no win rate can break even.

Other tools

Position size calculatorLot size from balance, risk and stop loss, with a gold (XAUUSD) mode.Pip value calculatorWhat one pip is worth on any pair and lot size.Compound interest calculatorHow your account grows when you reinvest returns.Average cost (DCA) calculatorYour average entry price across several buys.Risk of ruin calculatorEstimate the probability of reaching a loss threshold within a chosen number of trades.Forex market hoursWhen the Sydney, Tokyo, London and New York sessions overlap.Trading journalRecord closed trades, costs and initial risk in a workbook.

Put your plan into practice

All reviewed brokers →
How we rate