Crypto Futures PnL Calculator
Calculate the profit or loss of a crypto futures position given entry price, exit price, quantity, and leverage.
How to use this tool
- Enter your entry and exit prices.
- Specify the position quantity in units or contracts.
- Select Long or Short and enter your leverage.
- Read PnL in dollars, as a percentage of notional, and as return on your margin (ROE).
Calculate your futures profit or loss before and after closing a position. Not financial advice.
⚠ This tool provides general estimates for education only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures may not reflect your situation — verify with a qualified professional.
Formula
Price diff = Exit − Entry (negated for short positions)
PnL ($) = Price diff × Quantity
PnL (%) = Price diff ÷ Entry × 100
Return on Equity (%) = PnL (%) × Leverage
How it works
This calculator computes the realised profit or loss of a crypto futures position by multiplying the price movement per unit by the number of contracts or units held. For short positions the sign of the price difference is reversed, so falling prices produce a profit.
Return on Equity amplifies PnL (%) by the leverage factor to show the gain or loss relative to the actual margin deposited. The calculation excludes trading fees and funding rates, so real-world results will be slightly lower.
Worked example
Worked example: long 0.1 BTC from $50,000 to $55,000
- Entry = $50,000; exit = $55,000; quantity = 0.1; direction = long; leverage = 1x.
- Price diff = $55,000 − $50,000 = $5,000.
- PnL ($) = $5,000 × 0.1 = $500.
- PnL (%) = $5,000 ÷ $50,000 × 100 = 10%.
- Return on Equity = 10% × 1 = 10%.
PnL: $500 (10%); Return on Equity: 10%.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Forgetting that PnL in futures is in the quote currency, not in the crypto asset itself -- a $500 profit on a BTC/USDT futures trade is $500 USDT, not $500 worth of BTC; confusing the denomination inflates perceived gains when BTC price is high.
- Ignoring funding rates on perpetual futures contracts -- a long position held for days in a high-funding-rate environment can pay 0.1-0.3% per 8 hours, which significantly erodes PnL on leveraged positions held overnight.
- Treating Return on Equity (%) as equivalent to spot profit % -- a 5% price move at 20x leverage shows 100% ROE, which can obscure how close the position was to liquidation the entire time.
Key terms
- PnL
- Profit and Loss — the dollar gain or loss from a trade, calculated as price change × position size.
- Return on Equity (ROE)
- PnL expressed as a percentage of the margin (equity) deposited, magnified by leverage.
- Long position
- A trade that profits when the asset price rises.
- Short position
- A trade that profits when the asset price falls; the calculator flips the sign of the price difference.
- Contracts / units
- The quantity of the asset or derivative held in the position; PnL scales linearly with this number.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between PnL% and ROE%?
- PnL% is the gain as a fraction of the notional position value. ROE (Return on Equity) scales PnL% by leverage, showing the return on the margin you actually put up.
- Are fees included?
- No — this calculator shows gross PnL before trading fees. Subtract exchange fees (typically 0.02–0.1% per side) for net profit.