TC TradeCaliper

Futures Position Size Calculator

Size a futures trade in contracts from your account risk and stop — tick values built in.

Instrument
Direction
Position size
1 contracts
Risk at stop
$200.00
Position value
$9,500.00
% of account
38.00%
Per-contract risk $4.00 · target risk $250.00

No signup · Your numbers stay in your browser · 100% free

How to use it

The tool opens in futures mode. Pick your contract, enter your account size and the risk you’ll take (as a percentage or a dollar amount), then your entry and stop prices. It returns the exact number of contracts that risks your chosen amount if the stop is hit, along with the dollar risk and notional value.

The math

contracts = risk amount ÷ (stop distance ÷ tick size × tick value), rounded down. On the ES, a $500 risk budget with a 5-point stop (20 ticks × $12.50 = $250 per contract) sizes to 2 contracts. The calculator stores tick specs for ES, MES, NQ, MNQ, CL, and GC.

Stop first, size second

Choose your stop from the chart — the level that proves the trade wrong — then let the risk budget decide the contract count. Sizing first and then stretching the stop to fit is how accounts get into trouble.

TradeCaliper is a planning and education tool, not financial advice.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you size a futures position?

Decide how many dollars you’ll risk (a fixed amount or a percentage of your account), then divide by the dollar risk per contract. The risk per contract is the distance from entry to stop converted to ticks, times the tick value. The result, rounded down, is how many contracts keep your risk within your limit.

Why convert the stop distance to ticks?

Because a futures contract’s risk isn’t the raw price distance — it’s that distance measured in ticks and multiplied by the dollar value of each tick. A 5-point stop on the E-mini S&P (ES) is 20 ticks, and at $12.50 per tick that’s $250 of risk per contract.

Does it round contracts down?

Yes. You can only trade whole contracts, and the calculator always rounds down so your actual risk stays at or below your target — never above it.

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