Forex Profit Calculator
Work out the profit or loss on a trade before you place it, in dollars and in pips, for the major pairs and gold.
Rayner6 min read24 September 2026This forex profit calculator answers the question every trade starts with: if this works, what does it actually pay, and if it fails, what does it cost? Both numbers come from the same three inputs, and both are worth knowing before the order goes in rather than after.
The tool below covers the major pairs, the yen crosses and gold. Under it you will find the formula it uses, a worked example, the costs it deliberately leaves out, and the reason profit should always be checked against risk rather than on its own.
A forex profit calculator turns a price move into money. Enter the instrument, the direction, your entry and exit prices and the position size, and it returns the profit or loss in US dollars. The arithmetic is the move in pips multiplied by the pip value per lot multiplied by the number of lots.
The calculator
Change the instrument, direction, prices and lot size, and the figures update as you type. Pairs where the dollar is the base currency ask for a conversion price, because the pip value has to be converted into dollars.
The formula
| Step | Calculation |
|---|---|
| 1. Move in pips | Exit minus entry, divided by the pip size, with the sign flipped for a sell |
| 2. Pip value per lot | Pip size multiplied by contract size, converted into dollars if needed |
| 3. Profit | Pips multiplied by pip value per lot multiplied by lots |
Pip size is 0.0001 for most pairs and 0.01 for yen pairs. Gold is quoted with a 0.01 pip on a 100 ounce contract, so a one dollar move is 100 dollars per lot.
A worked example
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Instrument | EURUSD |
| Direction | Buy |
| Entry | 1.1000 |
| Exit | 1.1050 |
| Position size | 1 lot, 100,000 euros |
| Move | 50 pips |
| Pip value | 10 dollars per lot |
| Profit | 500 dollars |
The same 50 pips on 0.10 lots is 50 dollars, and on 0.01 lots it is 5 dollars. Nothing about the analysis changes, only the size.
Reading the result properly
The profit figure is a projection, not a promise. It assumes the exit happens at the price entered, which is true for a limit order at a target and often not true at a stop, where the fill can be worse in a fast market.
| Exit type | How close the result usually is |
|---|---|
| Take profit order | Very close, the order fills at the price or better |
| Manual close in a calm market | Close, within the spread |
| Stop loss in normal conditions | Close, within a pip or two |
| Stop loss during a news release | Can be noticeably worse than the level set |
Pip values by instrument
| Instrument | Contract size | Pip value per lot |
|---|---|---|
| EURUSD, GBPUSD, AUDUSD, NZDUSD | 100,000 base units | 10 dollars, fixed |
| USDJPY, USDCHF, USDCAD | 100,000 dollars | Varies with the price |
| EURJPY, GBPJPY | 100,000 base units | Varies with USDJPY |
| Gold, XAUUSD | 100 ounces | 1 dollar per 0.01 move |
The detail behind those numbers is in our pip value calculator, which works the value out for any size.
What the calculator leaves out
- The spread, paid on entry and built into the price you get
- Commission, on accounts that charge it separately
- Swap or financing, charged each night a position is held
- Slippage, when the fill is worse than the price requested
- Currency conversion, if the account is not in US dollars
On a short term trade the spread is usually the largest of these. On a position held for weeks, swap can be, which is what our swap calculator is for.
Profit means nothing without the risk
A calculator that only shows the upside encourages the wrong habit. Run the same trade twice, once to the target and once to the stop, and compare the two numbers.
| Scenario | Result at 1 lot |
|---|---|
| Target hit, 50 pips | Plus 500 dollars |
| Stop hit, 30 pips | Minus 300 dollars |
| Ratio | 1 to 1.67 |
That ratio, and the win rate it needs, is what our risk reward calculator works out. The size itself should come from the stop, using the lot size calculator.
Keep reading
- Lot size calculator size a trade from the stop
- Pip value calculator what a pip is worth
- Risk reward calculator judge a trade before taking it
- Trading tools every calculator on the site
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate forex profit?
Multiply the move in pips by the pip value per lot, then by the number of lots. A 50 pip gain on one EURUSD lot at 10 dollars a pip is 500 dollars.
What is a pip worth?
Ten dollars per standard lot on pairs quoted in US dollars, such as EURUSD. On pairs where the dollar is the base currency, the value changes with the price.
Does the calculator include spread and commission?
No. It shows the raw price move. Spread, commission, swap and slippage all reduce the result, and the spread is usually the largest on short trades.
How much is one pip on gold?
Gold is quoted with a 0.01 pip on a 100 ounce contract, so one pip is one dollar per lot and a full dollar move is 100 dollars per lot.
What lot size should I use?
The size that keeps the loss at your stop within the amount you are willing to risk. Work it out from the stop distance, not from the leverage available.
Why is my broker figure slightly different?
Contract sizes, conversion rates and the exact fill price all vary. Treat the calculator as a close estimate, and the platform as the record.
Can I use it for a short trade?
Yes. Choose sell, and the calculator flips the sign so a fall in price shows as a profit.
