Every trade costs money before you even make a move. Spread, commission, swap — these fees are the difference between a profitable strategy and a losing one. Here's how to calculate exactly what you're paying.
The forex.mobile Fee Calculator shows total round-trip trading costs (spread + commission) for any trade size across all major brokers side by side.
Forex trading costs come in three forms, and understanding each is essential for calculating your true cost per trade:
The spread is the difference between the bid price (where you sell) and the ask price (where you buy). It's expressed in pips and is the most visible trading cost. On EUR/USD with a 0.1 pip spread at a standard lot (100,000 units), the spread cost is $1.00 per trade.
Spreads come in two types:
ECN brokers often charge a separate commission per lot rather than building profit into the spread. This is typically expressed as a dollar amount per standard lot (100,000 units). Common rates: $3–$7 per side (so $6–$14 round trip).
Zero-spread accounts with commissions are often cheaper for active traders than wide-spread accounts with no commission — but you need to do the math. IC Markets raw account: 0.0 pip + $6 commission = $6 total cost for EUR/USD at 1 lot. An XM standard account: 1.6 pip spread = $16 total cost at 1 lot. The commission account is 62% cheaper.
If you hold a forex position overnight, you pay or receive a swap rate (also called a rollover or overnight financing charge). This reflects the interest rate differential between the two currencies in the pair.
If you're long a higher-yielding currency vs. a lower-yielding one, you typically receive a positive swap — you earn interest for holding. If you're long a lower-yielding currency, you pay swap. Example: long USD/JPY in an environment where US rates are 5.25% and Japanese rates are 0.1% — you receive positive swap because you hold the higher-yielding currency.
Important: On Wednesdays, brokers charge triple swap to cover the weekend. Holding a position through Wednesday night costs 3× the daily rate.
Let's work through a real example: You trade 1 standard lot of EUR/USD with IC Markets Raw account (0.0 pip spread, $6 commission each way). You hold for 2 days (no Wednesday crossing).
Compare this to an XM standard account (1.6 pip spread, no commission), same trade:
If you make 50 trades per month at 1 lot each, a $4 difference in per-trade cost adds up to $200/month — $2,400/year. On a $10,000 account, that's 24% of your capital going to avoidable fees annually.
This is why broker selection is a strategic decision, not just a convenience one. Scalpers especially need the lowest-cost environment — even 0.2 pip differences compound to thousands of dollars over a year of active trading.
The forex.mobile Fee Calculator makes broker cost comparison instant — enter your trade size and see the total spread + commission cost ranked from cheapest to most expensive across 14 major brokers. Do this calculation before opening a new account and you could save thousands in fees annually.
Compare spread + commission costs across 14 major brokers. Find the cheapest option for your trading style.