Margin calculator for MT5.
Enter the symbol, the lots, your balance and the leverage. Get the margin your broker will block, the notional value and the share of your account, with a 1:30 to 1:500 comparison. FX prices come from the ECB table; gold, indices and crypto use your current price.
One standard lot of EURUSD at 1.1172 is $111,720 of notional. At 1:100 the margin is $1,117.20; at 1:30 it is $3,724. Leverage changes the margin, not the risk of the position.
Advanced: contract size and digits
| Leverage | Margin | % of balance |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 | - | - |
| 1:50 | - | - |
| 1:100 | - | - |
| 1:200 | - | - |
| 1:500 | - | - |
Formula: margin = lots × contract size × price / leverage, converted to your account currency. In forex the price can come from the ECB reference table; in gold, indices and crypto you enter the current price. The result is an estimate: your broker's leverage, margin rate and hedged-margin rules are what count.
How margin is calculated
Margin is the collateral your broker blocks while the position is open. It is not a fee and it is not your risk. Four steps:
- Notional = lots × contract size × price. One standard lot of EURUSD at 1.1172 is 100,000 × 1.1172 = $111,720.
- Margin = notional / leverage. At 1:100, $111,720 / 100 = $1,117.20.
- Convert the notional to your account currency when the symbol is quoted in another currency. On GER40 the notional is in euros; on USDJPY it is in yen.
- Compare with your balance. $1,117 of margin on a $10,000 account is 11.17% of it.
Margin for one lot at different leverage
| Position | Notional | 1:30 | 1:100 | 1:500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD 1.00 at 1.1172 | $111,720 | $3,724 | $1,117.20 | $223.44 |
| USDJPY 1.00 at 157.25 | $100,000 | $3,333 | $1,000 | $200 |
| XAUUSD 1.00 at 2,350 | $235,000 | $7,833 | $2,350 | $470 |
| GER40 1.00 at 18,000 | $20,110 | $670 | $201.10 | $40.22 |
ECB reference rates of 3 November 2026. Gold with a 100-ounce contract; GER40 with 1 EUR per index point, converted to USD. Your broker's contract size and margin rate are what count.
Margin, equity and free margin
Balance is closed money. Equity is balance plus floating profit or loss. Free margin is equity minus the margin blocked, and it is what you can use to open another trade. Margin level is equity / margin × 100: the higher it is, the further you are from a margin call.
Does leverage change risk?
No, not by itself. The risk of a position is lots × stop distance, whatever the leverage. What leverage changes is how much margin is blocked and how much room the account has before a margin call. Higher leverage lets you open bigger positions with the same balance; that is where the risk appears. A 1-lot position is the same size at 1:30 and at 1:500, but the margin is 16.7 times smaller at 1:500.
Margin call and stop out
When equity falls close to the margin used, the broker warns you (margin call) and, at a lower level, closes positions (stop out). The thresholds are the broker's, not the platform's: 50% and 20% are common. On a prop-firm account, the daily loss limit usually arrives before the broker's stop out, so size for the firm's rule, not for the margin.
What the calculator does not include
Brokers apply their own leverage per symbol, margin rates, hedged-margin rules and weekend margin. Spread, commission and swap are separate. This tool gives you the arithmetic with the contract size and the price you provide; check the exact figure in MT5 before sending the order.
FAQ
THE MARGIN QUESTIONS THAT COME UP MOST, FROM 1 LOT TO A MARGIN CALL.
How much margin does 1 lot of EURUSD need?
At 1:100, one standard lot of EURUSD (100,000 units) at 1.1172 has a notional of $111,720 and needs $1,117.20 of margin. At 1:30 it is $3,724 and at 1:500 it is $223.44. The exact number depends on your broker's leverage and margin rate.
What is margin in forex?
Margin is the part of your balance your broker blocks while a position is open. It is not a fee and it is not your risk: it is collateral. When you close the trade the margin is released and the profit or loss is settled.
Does higher leverage increase my risk?
Not by itself. The risk of a position is lots x stop distance, not the leverage. What leverage changes is how much margin is blocked and how far your account can move before a margin call. Higher leverage lets you open bigger positions with the same balance, and that is where the risk comes from.
What is a margin call and a stop out?
When equity falls close to the margin used, the broker warns you (margin call) and, at a lower level (stop out), closes positions to protect the account. The thresholds are set by the broker; 50% and 20% are common. More leverage means less margin blocked, so the same loss is a bigger percentage of it.
How do I calculate margin on gold or an index?
Margin = lots x contract size x price / leverage, converted to your account currency. One lot of gold at 2,350 with a 100-ounce contract is $235,000 of notional; at 1:100 the margin is $2,350. Check the contract size in MT5 because brokers differ.
Why is my broker's margin different from this calculator?
Brokers apply their own leverage per symbol, margin rates, hedged-margin rules and weekend margin. The calculator uses the contract size, the price you enter (or the ECB reference for FX) and the leverage you choose. Treat the result as a close estimate, not the broker's exact figure.
Is margin the same as position size?
No. Position size is the volume you trade (lots); margin is the collateral blocked for that volume. A 1-lot position is the same size at 1:30 and 1:500, but the margin is 16.7 times smaller at 1:500.
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SignalForge AI is an order-execution tool. We do not provide investment advice. Trading involves risk of loss. This calculator is for information only; your broker's contract specification, leverage and margin rate are what count.