📈 Trading & Investing
Break-even Trade Calculator
Estimate the price needed to cover fees and commissions.
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Estimate the price needed to cover fees and commissions. This dedicated page is built for fast, clean calculations and search visibility.
Enter your values, click calculate, and see the result instantly. The page uses a simple, focused layout to improve usability on mobile and desktop.
How to use this calculator
- Open the break-even trade calculator page.
- Enter the required values in the form fields.
- Click Calculate to see the result and breakdown.
- Use the related links to explore similar tools.
Results are estimates. For lending, taxes, trading, nutrition, or medical decisions, verify with a qualified professional.
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Breakeven analysis in trading
A trade's breakeven point is the price at which you exit with zero profit or loss after accounting for all costs — brokerage, exchange fees, STT, and taxes. Many trades that appear profitable are actually marginal or loss-making once costs are factored in, especially for short-duration or small-size trades.
For Indian equity markets, a typical buy-side cost structure for intraday includes brokerage (flat ₹20 or 0.03%), STT (0.025% on sell side), exchange transaction charges (~0.00345%), and GST on brokerage. Round-trip costs on a ₹50,000 intraday trade are approximately ₹60–80, requiring a 0.12–0.16% move just to break even.
Accurate cost components for Indian traders
- Brokerage (Zerodha/Upstox flat rate): ₹20 × 2 = ₹40 per round trip
- STT intraday: 0.025% on sell side = ₹25 per ₹1 lakh
- Exchange charges: ~₹3.45 per ₹1 lakh
- GST on charges: ~₹11.47 per ₹1 lakh
- Stamp duty + SEBI: ~₹1.60 per ₹1 lakh
Total round trip cost: approximately ₹81 per ₹1 lakh of trade value. Your target must exceed this breakeven before the trade is profitable. Small trades (₹10,000–₹20,000) have a proportionally higher cost burden — the ₹40 flat brokerage alone is 0.2–0.4% of trade value.
Frequently asked questions
What costs are included in the breakeven calculation?â–¼
A complete breakeven calculation for Indian equity trades includes: brokerage (flat fee or percentage), STT (Securities Transaction Tax), exchange transaction charges (NSE/BSE), SEBI turnover fee, GST on brokerage and charges, and stamp duty. For delivery trades, add applicable STCG (20%) or LTCG (12.5% above ₹1.25 lakh) taxes on the profit side.
How do breakeven points differ between intraday and delivery?â–¼
Intraday trades have STT charged only on the sell side (0.025%) with no stamp duty on the buy side. Delivery trades have STT on both sides totaling 0.1%. However, delivery trades avoid intraday-specific surcharges. For small trades, intraday costs are usually lower; for large positional trades, costs are comparable.
Why do frequent small trades erode profitability?â–¼
Each trade carries fixed costs (flat brokerage, exchange minimums) regardless of size. On a ₹5,000 trade, ₹40 flat brokerage is 0.8% just for brokerage — before other charges. Your win rate and average gain must overcome this hurdle rate on every single trade. High-frequency small-size trading is very difficult to make profitable for retail traders.
Does the breakeven change for options trades?â–¼
Yes, significantly. For options, STT is charged only when options expire in-the-money (0.125% on intrinsic value) or when sold before expiry. Brokerage is usually flat per lot. A ₹5 premium option needs to reach at least ₹5.08–5.10 just to break even after costs, which affects the minimum viable premium move you need.