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CFD trading calculator

Use the Capital.com CFD trading calculator to estimate profit and loss (P&L) and margin from historical prices, trade size and leverage.

What is a CFD calculator?

A CFD calculator shows how a hypothetical trade would have performed using historical prices.

Calculator settings might include:

Market
Direction (long or short)
Trade size (or ‘traded quantity’)
Leverage
Duration

It shows how historical price moves and trade size affected P&L, and how leverage changes margin requirements.

CFD trading calculator

To use the trading calculator below, choose a market, leverage and trade size, then calculate P&L over a selected period.

Note: the Capital.com CFD trading calculator doesn’t include spreads, overnight funding or other applicable charges. These costs can reduce profits or increase losses. It also doesn’t calculate the equity-to-margin ratio, which you would need to monitor if you decide to trade CFDs.

Learn more on our fees page.

Choose options

Market

Traded quantity

Leverage

Your potential P&L

Open

Deal size

Margin required

P&L

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

The calculator does not account for any overnight funding or spread costs applied to positions. Traders should consider the effect of such costs on potential profits. Visit our Charges and fees page for more information.

The CFD calculator is intended for trading demonstration purposes only. Pricing is based on historical data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Contracts for difference (CFDs) are traded on margin. Leverage amplifies both profits and losses.

How to use the Capital.com CFD calculator

The Capital.com CFD trading calculator shows the results of hypothetical trades using historical market data from the previous 30 days.

Follow these steps to use the CFD calculator:

Step 1. Choose a market Select the market for your trade.
Step 2. Set traded quantity and leverage Use the sliders to adjust the trade size and leverage ratio.
Step 3. Go long or short Set the position direction to long or short.
Step 4. Select your dates Change the trade duration using the sliders on the left and right of the chart.
Step 5. Review the calculation You’ll see the deal size, required margin and P&L below the chart.

Bear in mind that the Capital.com CFD trading calculator doesn’t include spreads, overnight funding or other charges applied to positions.

What each calculator setting means

Market

Determines which CFD market you use in the calculation.
For example, gold, EUR/USD, the US 500 or Apple shares.

The Capital.com CFD calculator includes forex pairs, indices, commodities, shares and ETFs.

Traded quantity

Adjusts the trade size, measured in units of the selected market.

A larger quantity increases the deal size, which means the same price move can result in a larger hypothetical profit or loss, depending on its direction.

Leverage

Sets the leverage ratio used to calculate the required margin.
For example, at 10:1 leverage, the margin is 10% of the deal size.

Maximum leverage varies by market and can differ by country or region.

Short or long

Establishes the hypothetical position’s direction.
For a long position, a closing price above the opening price results in a profit, while a lower closing price results in a loss.
For a short position, a closing price below the opening price results in a profit, while a higher closing price results in a loss.

Open and close

Applies the selected date range and corresponding historical prices.

The opening and closing dates must both fall within the previous 30 days.

What the calculator shows you

The calculator shows three results: deal size, margin required and P&L.

Leverage changes the margin required, but not the P&L for a given trade size.
P&L is calculated on the full deal size, so even a relatively small price move can have a larger effect compared with the margin committed.

Deal size formula

Deal size = traded quantity × price

Margin required formula

Margin required = deal size ÷ leverage

P&L formula

P&L (long) = (closing price − opening price) × traded quantity P&L (short) = (opening price − closing price) × traded quantity

Potential benefits of using a CFD calculator

A CFD calculator shows how trade size, leverage and direction affect P&L and margin.

You can use it to:

Calculate P&L

View P&L for the selected period without working through the formulas manually. Trading charges are not included.

Assess trade size and leverage

See how different trade size settings can affect P&L. Adjust leverage to see how it changes the required margin.

Compare long and short results

Explore how the same price move affects long and short positions differently.

How to start trading

If you decide to trade CFDs, you can access 5,500+ markets, 100+ technical indicators and 24/7 support from our team through Capital.com’s user-friendly, award-winning* platform.

Here’s how to get started:

Step 1. Create your account Sign up with your details and answer a few questions about your trading knowledge and experience. Depending on your location, you may also need to complete an appropriateness test to assess your understanding of the risks of trading on margin.
Step 2. Verify your identity Send us the documents needed to verify your account.
Step 3. Make a deposit Once your account is approved, you can make your first deposit.
Step 4. Research your market Review the market and the factors that could move its price higher or lower.
Step 5. Access the platform Once your account is funded, access the platform on web or mobile.

More about Capital.com

User-friendly platform

Navigate easily between 5,500+ CFD markets, personalised watchlists, 100+ technical indicators and five chart formats on web and mobile.

Comprehensive, award-winning education

Build your knowledge with content rated Best in Class for Education at the ForexBrokers.com 2024 Annual Awards.*

Knowledgeable and friendly support, round the clock

Whether it’s about payments, platform features or the markets we offer, we’re on hand to assist whenever you need it.

*Capital.com was named Best CFD Broker at the BrokerChooser Awards 2026 and Best in Class for Commissions & Fees, Ease of Use, Crypto Trading and TradingView Broker at the ForexBrokers.com 2025 Annual Awards. Figures presented relate to Capital Com Group.

Create an account Open a demo account

FAQ

How does a CFD calculator work?

A CFD calculator uses historical prices and your chosen market, trade size, leverage, direction and dates to calculate hypothetical P&L and margin. The Capital.com calculator uses market data from the previous 30 days.

Why use a CFD calculator?

A CFD calculator can help illustrate how trade size, leverage and direction affect hypothetical P&L and margin using historical prices. It’s a demonstration tool and doesn’t indicate how a future trade will perform.

Can I use a CFD calculator for both long and short positions?

Yes. The calculator can show results for long and short positions using the same historical prices. For a long position, a higher closing price results in a profit and a lower closing price results in a loss. For a short position, a lower closing price results in a profit and a higher closing price results in a loss.

How accurate is a CFD calculator?

The Capital.com CFD calculator applies its formulas to your inputs and historical market data. The result is hypothetical and excludes spreads, overnight funding and other applicable charges, so it may differ from the result of a live trade. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

How do you calculate CFD profit and loss?

CFD P&L depends on the difference between the opening and closing price and the traded quantity.

For a long position:

P&L = (closing price − opening price) × traded quantity

For a short position:

P&L = (opening price − closing price) × traded quantity

This is before spreads, overnight funding and other applicable charges.

What does ‘margin’ mean in CFD trading?

Margin is the amount required to open a leveraged position. The calculator works it out by dividing the deal size by the leverage ratio. For example, a $1,000 deal size at 5:1 leverage requires $200 in margin. The calculator does not show the equity-to-margin ratio, which needs to be monitored separately while positions are open.

How does leverage affect my CFD calculation?

Leverage changes the margin required for a given trade size, but not its P&L. P&L is calculated on the full deal size. For example, increasing the leverage on the same hypothetical position reduces the margin required, while the calculated P&L remains unchanged.

Does the CFD calculator include trading costs?

No. The calculator shows hypothetical P&L before spreads, overnight funding and other applicable charges. These costs can reduce profits or increase losses. See our fees page for more information.

Which markets can I use the CFD calculator for?

The Capital.com CFD calculator includes a selection of forex pairs, indices, commodities, shares and ETFs. Examples include EUR/USD, the US 500, gold and Apple shares.

Do I need an account to use the CFD calculator?

No. You can use the CFD calculator on this page without a Capital.com account.

If you want to practise trading with virtual funds, you can open a demo account.