Gold Lot Size by Account Size
An interactive table from $100 to $100,000: pick 0.5%, 1% or 2% risk and see the XAUUSD lot size for $5 to $50 stops, and where the 0.01 minimum lot already risks too much.
Gold lot size by account size (1% risk, 100 oz per lot)
| Account | $5 stop | $10 stop | $20 stop | $30 stop | $50 stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100risk $1 | below 0.01min lot = 5.0% | below 0.01min lot = 10.0% | below 0.01min lot = 20.0% | below 0.01min lot = 30.0% | below 0.01min lot = 50.0% |
| $250risk $2.50 | below 0.01min lot = 2.0% | below 0.01min lot = 4.0% | below 0.01min lot = 8.0% | below 0.01min lot = 12.0% | below 0.01min lot = 20.0% |
| $500risk $5 | 0.01risk $5 | below 0.01min lot = 2.0% | below 0.01min lot = 4.0% | below 0.01min lot = 6.0% | below 0.01min lot = 10.0% |
| $1,000risk $10 | 0.02risk $10 | 0.01risk $10 | below 0.01min lot = 2.0% | below 0.01min lot = 3.0% | below 0.01min lot = 5.0% |
| $2,500risk $25 | 0.05risk $25 | 0.02risk $20 | 0.01risk $20 | below 0.01min lot = 1.2% | below 0.01min lot = 2.0% |
| $5,000risk $50 | 0.10risk $50 | 0.05risk $50 | 0.02risk $40 | 0.01risk $30 | 0.01risk $50 |
| $10,000risk $100 | 0.20risk $100 | 0.10risk $100 | 0.05risk $100 | 0.03risk $90 | 0.02risk $100 |
| $25,000risk $250 | 0.50risk $250 | 0.25risk $250 | 0.12risk $240 | 0.08risk $240 | 0.05risk $250 |
| $50,000risk $500 | 1.00risk $500 | 0.50risk $500 | 0.25risk $500 | 0.16risk $480 | 0.10risk $500 |
| $100,000risk $1,000 | 2.00risk $1,000 | 1.00risk $1,000 | 0.50risk $1,000 | 0.33risk $990 | 0.20risk $1,000 |
Each cell = lot size rounded down to the lot step, with the real dollar risk at that size. Red cells: even the minimum lot risks more than your chosen %, shown as the risk the minimum lot really takes.
Smallest account that can trade 0.01 lot (100 oz per lot)
| Risk per trade | $5 stop | $10 stop | $20 stop | $30 stop | $50 stop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5% | $1,000 | $2,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 | $10,000 |
| 1% | $500 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| 2% | $250 | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,500 |
0.01 lot = 1 oz, so a $10 stop always risks $10. To keep that at 1%, the account must be at least $1,000.
What lot size fits your account?
Pick your risk per trade and read across the row for your account size: each column is a stop distance in dollars of gold price. A $1,000 account risking 1% ($10) with a $10 stop trades 0.01 lot; a $5,000 account at 1% with a $20 stop trades 0.02 lot (the formula gives 0.025, rounded down). The red cells are the honest part: below a certain balance, even the smallest lot your broker allows risks more than you intended.
The formula
- Dollar risk = account balance × risk %
- Lot size = dollar risk ÷ (stop distance in $ × ounces per lot), rounded down to the lot step
- Real risk = lot size × ounces per lot × stop distance
- Risk at the minimum lot = 0.01 × 100 × stop ÷ balance. With 1 lot = 100 oz, 0.01 lot is 1 oz, so a $1 move is $1.
Worked example (hypothetical). $10,000 account, 2% risk = $200, stop $30 from entry. $200 ÷ ($30 × 100) = 0.0667, rounded down to 0.06 lot, so the real risk is 0.06 × 100 × $30 = $180, just under the limit.
The 0.01 minimum-lot reality
Most standard accounts cannot trade less than 0.01 lot. That puts a floor under your risk: with a $10 stop, 0.01 lot loses $10, which is 10% of a $100 account and 4% of $250. That is why the small-account rows are mostly red at normal stop distances, and why a $100 account can only respect a 1–2% rule with a stop of a dollar or two, far inside gold's normal hourly range (see what time gold moves the most). The honest choices are a micro or cent-style account with smaller lots (switch the minimum lot above), a bigger balance, or fewer, wider-stop trades at a higher but deliberate risk. Raising the lot size to "make it worth it" is not one of them.
How this differs from the calculator and the lot-size guide
The position size calculator works out one trade from your exact balance, entry and stop. This table shows the whole grid at once, ten account sizes from $100 to $100,000 against five stop distances, so you can see where your account sits and where the minimum lot stops fitting. Our article on the best lot size for gold by account size explains the reasoning, the 0.10-lot-on-$500 trap and which stop column suits which timeframe.
How to use the table
- Choose 0.5%, 1% or 2% risk, or type your own percentage.
- Type your exact balance to add your own row at the top.
- Set the ounces per lot from your broker's contract specification (100 is the most common) and the minimum lot your account allows.
- Pick the stop column that matches your setup. Stops come from the chart or from volatility (the ATR stop-loss calculator helps), never from the lot size you would like to trade.
What traders can do with it
- See which stop distances your account can really afford before choosing a strategy or timeframe.
- Decide whether you need a smaller-lot account or more capital before trading gold live; can I trade gold with $100? covers the options.
- Check what a losing streak costs at your risk with the drawdown recovery calculator, and read the XAUUSD risk management lesson.
Timing and sizing only help if the method itself holds up. Our gold trading strategies, tested and gold indicator settings, tested hubs show how named strategies and indicator settings actually performed on real XAUUSD data with costs, including the losing streaks.
Want to talk this through with other gold traders? The XAUUSD Global community reviews charts and plans live every day: first month free, then $19.99 a month.
Frequently asked questions
What lot size should I use for a $1,000 gold account?
At 1% risk ($10): 0.02 lot with a $5 stop and 0.01 lot with a $10 stop. Stops of $20 or more are below 0.01 lot at 1%, so 0.01 lot would risk 2% or more. At 2% risk ($20): 0.04, 0.02 and 0.01 lot for $5, $10 and $20 stops.
Can I trade gold with $100 at 1% risk?
Not on a standard account with normal stops. 0.01 lot is 1 oz, so a $5 stop risks $5 (5% of $100) and a $10 stop risks 10%. Only a micro or cent-style account with smaller lots, or a much bigger balance, lets $100 respect a 1% rule.
What lot size is 1% risk on a $10,000 account?
$100 of risk: 0.20 lot with a $5 stop, 0.10 with $10, 0.05 with $20, 0.03 with $30 (rounded down from 0.033) and 0.02 with $50.
How much money do I need to trade 0.01 lot of gold at 1% risk?
The stop distance × 100. With a $10 stop you need $1,000, with $20 you need $2,000 and with $50 you need $5,000, because 0.01 lot loses $1 per $1 move.
Should I round the lot size up or down?
Down. Rounding up takes the risk above your limit. If rounding down takes you below the minimum lot, skip the trade or use a smaller-lot account; do not raise the risk.
Is 1 lot of gold always 100 ounces?
On most platforms, yes, so $1 of price movement is $100 per lot. Some brokers use other contract sizes; enter yours in the ounces-per-lot box and the table updates.
Educational tool only. Not financial advice and not a signal. Check your own broker's contract specification, margin rules and costs. Past data does not predict future prices. See our risk disclaimer.