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ATR Position Size Calculator

Set your stop from the Average True Range and size the position so it risks a fixed share of your balance.

Contract specs: 1 lot = 100,000 units, 1 pip = 0.0001

Standard forex lots are 100,000 units of the base currency. Check the contract specification in your broker's platform (MT4/MT5: right-click the symbol → Specification).

USD
Risk as
%

Example: 67 pips. Use the ATR(14) from your chart.

× ATR

1.5 to 2 × ATR is common.

× ATR

Optional, e.g. 3 × ATR.

More options: entry price, direction, lot step
Direction

Optional. Gives stop and target prices.

lots

Your broker's size increment, usually 0.01.

Position size

0.09 lots

Exact: 0.0995 lots

Stop distance

100.5 pips

0.01005 in price

Amount at risk

$90.45

Target: $100.00

Units

9,000

units

Value per pip

$0.90

$10.00 per lot

Uses an example ATR of 0.00670 (67 pips). Enter the ATR(14) from your chart for your own size.

Show the math
  1. Stop distance0.00670 ATR × 1.5 = 0.01005 ÷ 0.0001 = 100.5 pips
  2. Amount at risk$10,000.00 × 1% = $100.00
  3. Position size$100.00 ÷ (100.5 pips × $10.00 per lot) = 0.0995 lots
  4. Rounded down to your lot step0.09 lots

Rates from ECB, gold-api.com, CoinGecko, FX reference 2026-10-14, checked 02:42 UTC. Use your broker's live quote to trade.

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Quick answer

Stop distance in pips = ATR × multiplier ÷ pip size, then lots = amount at risk ÷ (stop pips × pip value per lot). With EUR/USD's ATR at 0.0050 and a 1.5× multiplier the stop is 75 pips, so risking $100 gives $100 ÷ (75 × $10) = 0.133, rounded down to 0.13 lots.

Worked examples: Lot size

What is the ATR Position Size Calculator?

ATR position sizing sets the stop loss as a multiple of the Average True Range — a measure of how far price typically moves per bar — and then sizes the trade so that stop risks a fixed share of your balance. When volatility rises the stop widens and the position shrinks; when it falls the opposite happens, so the money at risk stays the same.

Stop (pips) = ATR × Multiplier ÷ Pip size
Lots = Risk amount ÷ (Stop pips × Pip value per lot)

With EUR/USD's ATR at 0.0050 (50 pips) and a 1.5× multiplier, the stop is 75 pips. Risking 1% of $10,000 = $100 gives $100 ÷ (75 × $10) = 0.133, rounded down to 0.13 lots.

ATR, introduced by J. Welles Wilder in 1978, is usually calculated over 14 bars. Read the ATR from your chart on the timeframe you trade.

How to use this calculator

  1. Instrument and Account currency — a conversion rate field appears when one is needed, with a reference rate filled in.
  2. Account balance and Risk per trade (%).
  3. ATR value (price units) — the ATR reading from your chart as a price distance, e.g. 0.0050 on EUR/USD or 25.00 on gold, not in pips. Until you enter one, an example ATR is used; the hint shows the value in pips.
  4. ATR multiplier — 1.5–2× is a common stop distance.
  5. Lot step — your broker's smallest increment, usually 0.01.

The result shows the position size (rounded down, with the exact figure), the stop distance in pips and in price, the amount at risk at the rounded size, and the size in units. If the exact size is below one lot step, a warning explains that the smallest tradable size would risk more than your limit. Check gold and index contracts under Contract specs; Show the math and Copy link with these numbers are below the result.

Worked example

EUR/USD. Balance $10,000, risk 1% ($100), ATR 0.0050, multiplier 1.5. Stop = 0.0050 × 1.5 ÷ 0.0001 = 75 pips. Size = $100 ÷ (75 × $10) = 0.1333 → 0.13 lots, risking $97.50.

Gold. Same balance and risk, ATR $25.00, multiplier 1.5. Stop = $37.50 = 375 pips of $0.10. Size = $100 ÷ (375 × $10) = 0.0267 → 0.02 lots, risking $75. The wide stop makes the rounding step large relative to the size.

Volatility doubles. If EUR/USD's ATR rises to 0.0100, the stop becomes 150 pips and the size 0.06 lots (0.0667 exact) — still risking no more than $100.

When to use it

  • Trading several instruments — one rule adapts to each market's volatility.
  • Changing conditions — size down automatically when volatility expands.
  • Systematic strategies — consistent stops based on market movement rather than fixed pip counts.

Common mistakes

  • Entering ATR in pips. The field expects a price distance: 0.0050, not 50, for 50 pips on EUR/USD.
  • Using a different timeframe's ATR. A daily ATR is far larger than an hourly one; use the timeframe you trade.
  • Choosing a multiplier that is too small. Below about 1× ATR, normal fluctuation often reaches the stop.
  • Rounding up when the size is tiny. If the result rounds to zero, the risk limit cannot be met at that stop; trade a smaller multiplier, take more risk deliberately, or skip the trade.

Frequently asked questions

What ATR multiplier should I use?

1.5 to 2 times ATR is a common starting point for swing trades; shorter-term traders sometimes use 1 to 1.5. Larger multipliers give the trade more room but require a smaller position for the same risk.

What ATR period should I use?

14 bars, Wilder's original setting, is the default on most platforms. Shorter periods react faster to changes in volatility; longer ones are smoother.

Why does the calculator want ATR in price units?

Charting platforms display ATR as a price distance. The calculator converts it to pips by dividing by the pip size: 0.0050 on EUR/USD is 50 pips, and 25.00 on gold is 250 pips of $0.10.

Does ATR predict where price will go?

No. It measures how much price has been moving, not in which direction. It helps set a stop that fits current conditions.

Should I recalculate every day?

Recalculate for each new trade using the current ATR. Once a trade is open, the stop and size are usually left as they were set.

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