Fee Break-even Move

How to use Fee Break-even Move

Enter entry price and round-trip fee percents (buy + sell). Read how far price must move before you are flat after costs. Fold gas into the fee fields when it matters.

Example: how far must price move to cover 0.1% fees?

You buy at $100 and pay a 0.1% fee on entry and a 0.1% fee on exit.

1. Break-even sell price = $100 × (1 + 0.1%) ÷ (1 − 0.1%) = $100.20
2. Required move = ($100.20 − $100) ÷ $100 = 0.200%

Price must rise about 0.20% just to break even. Fees on both sides compound, so high-frequency trading at 0.1% per side needs a bigger edge than it looks.

Formula & methodology

Approx break-even move % ≈ (1+buyFee)/(1−sellFee) − 1, applied to entry. Exact implementations may use notional fee dollars; check the on-screen formula line.

Find the move needed to beat trading fees

High maker/taker fees and spreads can require a larger move than traders expect just to get back to even. Fee break-even isolates that hurdle before you model full P&L.

Use it when comparing venues or when scalping tight ranges. If break-even exceeds your typical target, the setup may be fee-dominated.

For a complete buy/sell story with quantity, use the profit calculator. For venue shopping, the exchange fee comparison tool lets you stack maker/taker side by side.