Cryptocurrency Profit Calculator: Exact PnL, ROI & Breakeven (Spot & Futures)

Cryptocurrency Profit Calculator: The Clear, Practical Guide (Spot & Futures)

A cryptocurrency profit calculator turns your trade idea into hard numbers: PnL, % return, ROI on margin, and breakeven price. Below you’ll find the exact inputs, formulas, and examples you can copy. When you’re ready to test scenarios interactively, open our Free Crypto Profit Calculator.

What is a cryptocurrency profit calculator?

It’s a tool that measures how much a crypto position gains or loses—after trading costs—so you can set realistic targets and manage risk. A robust calculator includes maker/taker fees, perp funding or borrow costs, and calculates both absolute profit (PnL in $) and relative performance (% return or ROI on margin).

Inputs & outputs

Input	Meaning
Entry Price Pentry	Buy (spot/long) or sell (short) price.
Exit Price Pexit	Sell (spot/long) or buy-back (short) price.
Quantity Q	Asset size (e.g., 0.5 BTC).
Fees fopen, fclose	Maker/taker rates as decimals (0.001 = 0.10%).
Fixed Costs C	Funding, borrow, or other costs for the whole position (in currency).
Capital Base	Spot: cost after fees. Perps/margin: initial margin posted.

Outputs: Net PnL ($), % Return (spot) or ROI on margin (derivatives), and breakeven price for validation.

Formulas you’ll actually use

Let fees be decimals. Quantity is Q. Fixed costs are C in currency.

PnL (profit or loss)

Long / Spot: PnL = Q · [ P_exit(1 − f_close) − P_entry(1 + f_open) ] − C

Short: PnL = Q · [ P_entry(1 − f_open) − P_exit(1 + f_close) ] − C

% Return and ROI on margin

Spot % Return: divide by Base = Q · P_entry(1 + f_open) → % Return = PnL ÷ Base

Perps/Margin ROI: divide by initial margin (equity posted).

Breakeven price (sanity check)

Long: P_breakeven = [ P_entry(1 + f_open) + C/Q ] ÷ (1 − f_close)

Short: P_breakeven = [ P_entry(1 − f_open) − C/Q ] ÷ (1 + f_close)

Worked examples

Example A — Spot long (ETH): PnL & % Return

• Inputs: Buy Q=2 ETH at P_entry=2,800, sell at P_exit=3,050, fees 0.10% each side, C=0.
• Cost base: Base = 2 · 2,800 · 1.001 = $5,605.60
• Proceeds: 2 · 3,050 · 0.999 = $6,093.90
• PnL: $6,093.90 − $5,605.60 = $488.30
• % Return: 488.30 ÷ 5,605.60 ≈ 8.71%

Example B — Perp long (BTC): ROI on margin with funding

• Inputs: Long Q=0.5 BTC at 20,000, exit at 20,600, fees 0.05% each side, total funding C=$12, leverage 10×.
• PnL: 0.5 · [ 20,600·(1−0.0005) − 20,000·(1+0.0005) ] − 12 = 0.5·(20,589.7 − 20,010) − 12 ≈ $277.85
• Initial margin: (0.5 · 20,000) / 10 = $1,000
• ROI on margin: 277.85 ÷ 1,000 ≈ 27.79%

Example C — Perp short (LTC): PnL

• Inputs: Short Q=3 LTC at 80, buy back at 74, fees 0.08% each side, C=0.
• PnL: 3 · [ 80·(1−0.0008) − 74·(1+0.0008) ] ≈ 3 · (79.936 − 74.0592) ≈ $17.63

Common mistakes that distort results

• Ignoring fees/funding: Always apply fees on both legs and subtract funding/borrow in C.
• Using the wrong base: Spot uses cost after fees; derivatives use initial margin for ROI.
• Direction errors on shorts: Short formulas flip signs; double-check.
• No slippage buffer: Add a small buffer to avoid overestimating PnL on illiquid pairs.

Open an account & optimize trading costs

Lower fees and better liquidity improve your net PnL and bring breakeven closer. Consider multiple venues:

Related: Home • Free Crypto Profit Calculator

FAQ: Cryptocurrency Profit Calculator

How do I calculate crypto profit accurately?

Use PnL = Q · [ P_exit(1 − f_close) − P_entry(1 + f_open) ] − C for longs (reverse for shorts) and include all fees and funding.

What’s the difference between % Return and ROI on margin?

% Return divides PnL by spot cost after fees. ROI on margin divides PnL by initial margin for leveraged trades.

How do I find my breakeven price?

For longs: P_breakeven = [ P_entry(1 + f_open) + C/Q ] ÷ (1 − f_close). For shorts, use the mirrored formula.

Do I need to model slippage?

Yes, especially on alts. Add a small buffer (e.g., 0.05–0.20%) to your fee assumptions or subtract it in C.

Can I combine DCA with a profit calculator?

Compute your size-weighted average entry, then plug it into the PnL and breakeven formulas. For multi-leg exits, track each leg’s fees.