What the crypto break-even calculator shows
When you buy, the fee and the spread reduce the value of the coins you receive.
When you sell, the fee and the spread reduce the euros you receive.
The crypto break-even calculator multiplies these effects together and shows the price rise needed for the euros you get back to equal the euros you paid.
Crypto break-even calculator examples
| Costs (example) | Buying fee | Selling fee | Spread | Rise needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order book, maker orders | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | About 0.3% |
| Exchange instant buy and sell | 1% | 1% | 1% | About 3.1% |
| Broker app with wide spread | 0% | 0% | 3% | About 3.1% |
| Card purchase, then sale | 3% | 1% | 1% | About 5.2% |
Illustrative examples calculated with the crypto break-even calculator above; not the prices of any named platform.
A few percent may not sound like much, but it is the hurdle every trade has to clear before it makes any money.
Why the break-even rise is more than the sum of fees
Each cost is taken from a smaller amount than the one before, so the costs multiply rather than simply add up.
The effect is small for low fees, but it grows with higher costs, and the crypto break-even calculator uses the exact formula rather than a rough sum.
Using the crypto break-even calculator before you trade
- Find the buying cost: the fee and any spread on the screen you will use.
- Find the selling cost: often the same as buying, but check the fee schedule.
- Enter your buying price: the calculator shows the price at which you are back to zero.
- Compare with your plan: if you expect a small move, costs may take most of it.
The fee calculator adds deposit and withdrawal costs, which also count if you move money in and out.
Break-even and short-term trading
For a long-term holder, a 1% or 3% break-even rise is a small part of the picture.
For a short-term trader hoping to profit from small moves, it can decide whether a strategy can work at all.
The annual cost calculator shows how break-even costs add up over a year of frequent trading.
Break-even after a price fall
The crypto break-even calculator assumes the price moves only up from your purchase.
If the price first falls, the rise needed to get back to your purchase price is much larger, because a fall of x% needs a rise of more than x% to recover.
A fall of 50% needs a rise of 100%, which the drawdown recovery calculator shows for any loss.
Taxes are not included
The crypto break-even calculator covers trading costs only.
In many countries, selling crypto at a gain can create a tax liability, which lowers the euros you keep.
Tax rules differ by country, so check the guidance of your national tax authority, and see the guide to DAC8 crypto reporting for what exchanges report.
Lower your break-even point
- Use limit orders that qualify for maker fees.
- Avoid card purchases and instant-buy screens.
- Check the spread in broker apps before buying.
- Trade less often, so that costs are paid fewer times.
Crypto break-even calculator with published fees
Using fees that providers publish shows how much the break-even point depends on where and how you trade.
| Scenario (fees from providers' pages) | Buy | Sell | Rise needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gate EU spot, VIP 0 | 0.1% | 0.1% | About 0.2% |
| Kraken Pro, taker both ways | 0.8% | 0.8% | About 1.6% |
| eToro, standard tier | 1% | 1% | About 2.0% |
| Coinmotion, starting fee | 2% | 2% | About 4.1% |
Fees from each provider's fee page, checked 24 October 2026; spreads not included, and the sale uses the same fee as the purchase for illustration.
The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive route is about four percentage points, which is the price rise a buyer must wait for before making anything at all.
Break-even and holding period
For someone holding for years, a break-even rise of a few percent is small compared with normal price swings.
For someone trading weekly, the same few percent is paid again and again, and the annual cost calculator shows how quickly it adds up.
The shorter your holding period, the more the break-even point should influence where and how you trade.
Break-even when buying in several steps
If you buy in several purchases, each at a different price, your break-even price is based on your average cost including all fees.
- Add up the euros spent, fees included.
- Add up the coins received.
- Divide euros by coins to get your average cost per coin.
- Apply the selling fee in the break-even calculator to that average.
The DCA calculator shows the average cost for regular purchases.
Break-even after a price fall
If the price has fallen since you bought, the break-even calculator's answer is no longer the whole story.
A 30% fall needs a rise of about 42.9% to get back to the purchase price, before fees, and the selling fee then adds a little more.
The drawdown recovery calculator shows the maths for any fall.
Break-even and emotions
Many people refuse to sell below their break-even price and hold on in the hope of "getting back to even".
The price you paid has no influence on future prices, so a decision to hold or sell is better based on your plan and your finances than on your purchase price.
The investor behaviour quiz looks at this habit and others.
Break-even checklist before a trade
- Which screen will I use, and what fee applies there?
- Is there a spread, and how large is it?
- What will selling cost?
- Will I withdraw coins or euros, and at what cost?
- Is the move I expect clearly larger than the break-even rise?
Crypto break-even calculator: a step-by-step example
Example: you buy €1,000 of a coin at €50 with a 1% fee, and selling will also cost 1%.
- After the buying fee: €990 buys 19.8 coins.
- Target after selling: you want €1,000 back after the 1% selling fee, so the coins must be worth €1,000 ÷ 0.99 ≈ €1,010.10.
- Break-even price: €1,010.10 ÷ 19.8 ≈ €51.02 per coin.
- Required rise: from €50 to €51.02, about 2.03%.
Example fees; enter your provider's fees and any spread in the calculator.
Crypto break-even calculator and spreads
On broker apps, the price you buy at is higher than the price you can sell at.
A 1% spread on each side works like an extra 2% that the market price must rise before you break even, on top of any fee.
The crypto spread calculator helps estimate the spread if the provider does not show it.
Crypto break-even calculator for frequent traders
Each round trip of buying and selling has its own break-even hurdle.
Example: with 2% total costs per round trip, ten round trips in a year cost about 20% of the money traded, which the trades must earn before any profit.
The crypto annual cost calculator shows this effect for your own trading habits.
Crypto break-even calculator: questions readers ask
Why is break-even more than the fee percentages added together? Because the selling fee is taken from a larger amount than the original purchase.
Does break-even include tax? No; tax depends on your country and is calculated on the gain, so check national rules.
Can I lower my break-even price after buying? Only by buying more at a lower price, which also adds risk and should follow a plan, not a reaction.
Crypto break-even calculator: a quick reference
| Total cost per side | Rise needed to break even |
|---|---|
| 0.25% | About 0.5% |
| 0.5% | About 1.0% |
| 1% | About 2.0% |
| 2% | About 4.1% |
Same percentage cost on buying and selling; formula 1 ÷ (1 − cost)² − 1.
Use the reference table for a quick check, and the crypto break-even calculator above when fees on the two sides differ.
A spread counts as part of the cost per side, so add it to the fee before reading the table.
Knowing the break-even price before you buy helps you judge whether a short-term trade is realistic at all, or whether costs would take most of the expected move.
Frequently asked questions
What does break-even mean in crypto?
It is the price at which selling returns exactly the euros you paid, after all buying and selling costs.
Why does the crypto break-even calculator need both buying and selling fees?
Because you pay costs on both trades. A profit only exists after the second set of costs has been paid.
Does the crypto break-even calculator use live prices?
No. You enter your own buying price, and the calculator shows the price needed to break even.
What is a typical break-even rise?
It ranges from a fraction of a percent on low-fee order books to several percent for card purchases and wide spreads.
Are taxes included in the crypto break-even calculator?
No. Tax depends on your country and your situation.
Is my data saved when I use the crypto break-even calculator?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is stored or sent.
Every figure on this page is checked against the ESMA register, the exchange's own terms and fee pages or another primary source, and the sources are listed above. Editorial policy · How we rate