How this is calculated
The calculator answers two separate questions: how much money a trade made, and how efficient that trade was.
Profit is the actual money that changed hands, measured in the currency you used for both prices.
profit = (sell price − buy price) × units held
Return is that profit expressed as a percentage of what you put in, so you can compare a trade across different position sizes.
return = (sell price − buy price) ÷ buy price
Both prices must be in the same currency and must describe the same token. Compare one stablecoin to another, or one bitcoin price to another bitcoin price, and the result is meaningful. Compare dollars to bitcoin, and the profit is meaningless.
Worked example
You buy 0.5 bitcoin at $30,000.00 and sell at $45,000.00.
profit = (45,000 − 30,000) × 0.5 = 15,000 × 0.5 = $7,500.00
return = (45,000 − 30,000) ÷ 30,000 = 15,000 ÷ 30,000 = 0.50 = 50%
So a $15,000 position becomes $22,500, and the return is 50%.
Important assumptions
This is a plain spot estimate. It does not include exchange fees, spreads, network fees, taxes, staking or DeFi rewards, or any cost-basis adjustment. If your platform charges a spread or a flat fee, your real profit will be lower than the estimate.
Where the number can quietly go wrong
- Zero buy price. Return divides by the buy price, so a 0 buy price returns 0% rather than a division error.
- Negative sell price. A negative sell price gives a negative return and is not meaningful for spot trading; enter figures that reflect a real trade.
- Units held. The units do not need to be a whole number. Trading 0.15 of a coin gives a proportionally smaller result than one full coin at the same price.
Keep the estimate honest
The result is a starting point, not a promise. Crypto prices move in minutes, and the platform's sign-fee, a withdrawn order, or a funded order can change the real outcome. Use this to compare strategies and to decide how much risk to take, not to guarantee a result. For any amount you cannot afford to lose, or any trade you cannot afford to hold through a drawdown, get a second opinion before you commit.