Breakeven Calculator
Find the exact minimum win rate required to stay profitable after brokerage — for your specific risk-reward ratio, account size, and trade frequency.
Breakeven Calculator
Find the minimum win rate you need to stay profitable — and see exactly how brokerage eats into your edge.
| Winners | 10.0 × ₹9,960 | +₹99,600 |
| Losers | 10.0 × ₹5,040 | -₹50,400 |
| Brokerage | 20 × ₹40 | -₹800 |
| Net Monthly P&L | +₹49,200 | |
| R:R | No Brokerage | With Brokerage |
|---|---|---|
| 1:0.5 | 66.7% | 67.2% |
| 1:1 | 50.0% | 50.4% |
| 1:1.5 | 40.0% | 40.3% |
| 1:2 | 33.3% | 33.6% |
| 1:2.5 | 28.6% | 28.8% |
| 1:3 | 25.0% | 25.2% |
| 1:4 | 20.0% | 20.2% |
| 1:5 | 16.7% | 16.8% |
About Breakeven Calculator
Every trading strategy has a mathematical edge — or doesn't. The Breakeven Calculator makes that visible: given your risk-reward ratio, position size, and brokerage cost, it tells you the exact minimum win rate required to profit from your trading. Strategies that look profitable in backtests often fail live because this number was never computed.
Brokerage and transaction costs have a surprisingly large effect on breakeven win rate. At a 1:2 risk-reward ratio, you break even without brokerage at 33.3% — but with ₹40 per round-trip on a ₹5,000 risk trade, your breakeven win rate climbs to 34.5%. At 50 trades per month, this difference can cost several thousand rupees.
The calculator handles all variables a real trader faces: account size, percentage risk per trade, risk-reward ratio (from 0.5:1 scalps to 5:1 swing trades), brokerage per round trip, your actual win rate, and monthly trade count. The result card instantly shows whether your current setup is profitable or not — in rupees.
Use this tool when building or reviewing a trading strategy. If your backtested win rate is only marginally above the breakeven threshold, the strategy may not survive real-world slippage and brokerage. A margin of at least 5–10% above breakeven is recommended for live trading.
How to Use the Breakeven Calculator
Set your account size using the preset buttons (₹1L, ₹5L, ₹10L, ₹50L) or enter a custom value.
Set your risk per trade percentage (1% is standard professional sizing) and brokerage per round trip in rupees (typically ₹20–100 for Indian brokers).
Select your risk-reward ratio from the chip options — 1:1 for scalping, 1:2 or 1:3 for swing trading.
Drag the win rate slider to match your current or target win rate. The slider colour instantly changes to green (profitable) or red (unprofitable).
Enter your monthly trade count. The P&L breakdown card shows expected monthly winners, losers, brokerage cost, and net P&L.
Pro Tips
A 1:3 R:R strategy breaks even at just 25% win rate (without brokerage). This is why trend-following strategies can be profitable even with only 30% winners — large wins offset small losses.
On a ₹5,000 risk trade with ₹40 brokerage per round trip, brokerage is 0.8% of risk. At 100 trades per month, that's ₹4,000/month before a single losing trade. Use the calculator to see the real impact.
If your breakeven win rate is 40%, aim for a strategy with a verified 50%+ win rate before going live. Slippage, missed entries, and emotional exits will eat into your edge in live markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a breakeven win rate in trading?
The breakeven win rate is the percentage of trades that must be winners for total profits to exactly equal total losses (including brokerage). If your win rate is above this threshold, you profit; below it, you lose money over time.
How is the breakeven win rate calculated?
Without brokerage: BE% = 1 / (1 + R:R) × 100. With brokerage: BE% = net loss per trade / (net win + net loss) × 100, where net win = (risk × R:R) – brokerage and net loss = risk + brokerage.
What is a good risk-reward ratio for Indian markets?
For intraday trading, 1:1.5 to 1:2 is standard. For swing and positional trades, 1:2.5 to 1:3 is common. Lower R:R ratios require higher win rates to be profitable, which is harder to sustain in volatile markets.
How much brokerage should I enter for Indian brokers?
Most discount brokers (Zerodha, Groww, Upstox) charge ₹20 flat per executed order. A round trip (entry + exit) costs ₹40. Add STT and exchange charges for a more precise number — typically ₹60–80 total for small intraday positions.
Can this calculator be used for options trading?
Yes, with adjustments. For options, your risk is the premium paid (for buyers) or the margin deployed (for sellers). Set the account size to your margin capital and risk per trade to the typical premium or P&L risk per lot. The brokerage should include STT on option exercise.
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