Long vs Short Calculator

Compare a crypto long and a short of the same size over the same price move: what each makes after fees, which comes out ahead and where neither profits.

Your trade

The same amount for the long and the short.

Price per coin when you open.

Price per coin when you close.

Trading fees, optional

Long vs short

Fill in your trade and choose Compare. Both results appear here.

Long Net Result

₹0.00

Buy, then sell

Short Net Result

₹0.00

Sell, then buy back

Fees, Either Side

₹0.00

To open and to close

No-Profit Zone

0%

Exit prices where neither side profits

Better Side

₹0.00

How far ahead it comes out

Before tax, and before funding, borrowing interest or leverage. Fees are charged on the value traded on each side. To plan one side with a stop-loss, use the Long Position Profit Calculator or the Short Position Profit Calculator.

How it is calculated

A long gains what a short loses on the move in price, and both pay the same fees.

  • Coins in the position = position size ÷ entry price
  • Long gross result = coins × (exit price − entry price)
  • Short gross result = coins × (entry price − exit price)
  • Fees, for either side = position size × entry fee, plus coins × exit price × exit fee
  • Net result = gross result − fees, for each side
  • Long break-even = entry price × (1 + entry fee) ÷ (1 − exit fee)
  • Short break-even = entry price × (1 − entry fee) ÷ (1 + exit fee)
  • Gap between the two = long net − short net = 2 × long gross result

Frequently asked questions

Short answers on going long or short and what this calculator compares.

It takes one position size, one entry price and the exit price you expect, and works out what a long and a short would each make or lose after fees. A long buys first and gains when the price rises; a short sells first and gains when it falls. You see both results side by side, which one comes out ahead and by how much, and where neither makes money.

Both hold the same number of coins, so the move in price adds to one exactly what it takes from the other. Take ₹1,00,000 at ₹25,00,000, which is 0.04 BTC, and an exit at ₹26,00,000. The long gains ₹4,000 on the price and the short loses ₹4,000. Fees of 0.1% on each side cost both ₹204, so the long nets ₹3,796 and the short loses ₹4,204. The gap between them, ₹8,000, is twice the move.

Because both sides pay fees, the price has to move some way before either one makes money. In the example the long breaks even at ₹25,05,005.01 and the short at ₹24,95,005.00. If the price ends anywhere between those two, both lose. With 0.1% on each side the zone is about 0.4% wide, so a trade needs a clear move to beat the fees.

A long can lose at most the amount you put in, because a price cannot fall below zero. A short has no such limit: if the price doubles, the short loses the whole position, and it can lose more. That is why a short should always have a stop-loss. To plan one, use the Long Position Profit Calculator or the Short Position Profit Calculator.

It counts the trading fee on each side only. A short is usually opened through futures or margin, which add a funding rate or interest on the borrowed coins, and leverage brings the risk of liquidation. A long in futures has funding too. For those, use the Crypto Futures P&L Calculator.

Profit from crypto is taxed at a flat 30%, or 31.2% with cess, whether it comes from a long or a short, and a loss cannot be set off against other income or other crypto gains. How profit from crypto futures is treated can depend on the exchange and how the contract is settled, so check with a tax professional. This calculator shows figures before tax; for the tax on a sale, use the India Crypto Tax Calculator.

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