Enter your entry price, quantity and leverage. This intraday margin calculator shows the margin you need, the exposure you take and how far a stop-loss eats into your capital.
Intraday Margin Calculator
For equity intraday (MIS). Futures and options need exchange margin files, so they are not covered here.
Margin = trade value ÷ leverage. Leverage varies by stock and broker, so enter the figure your broker shows. Zerodha’s published maximum for equity intraday is 5x, checked 3 October 2026.
Your trade in detail
| Item | Value |
|---|
With ₹50,000 of shares to trade and 5x leverage, just ₹10,000 of margin controls the whole position. A 1% move in the price then changes your profit or loss by ₹500, which is 5% of the margin you put up. An intraday margin calculator turns that into numbers before you place the order.
How do you use this intraday margin calculator in 3 steps?
- Choose buy or sell, then enter the entry price and the quantity.
- Enter the leverage your broker shows for that stock, plus your capital and a stop-loss price if you have one.
- Read the margin required, the exposure, the maximum quantity and the cost of your stop-loss.
Stock Charcha leaves the leverage box editable because it differs by stock and broker. Use Copy result to save a summary, and always confirm the live figure in your broker’s own margin calculator.
How does the intraday margin calculator work out the margin?
The margin is the share of the trade value you must keep in your account. The rest is exposure your broker allows you to take for the day.
Margin = Price × Quantity ÷ Leverage
Maximum quantity = Round down of (Capital × Leverage ÷ Price)
A price move equal to 100 ÷ Leverage per cent would wipe out your whole margin, so at 5x that is a 20% move. Brokers usually square off positions well before that point.
What does a worked example look like?
Buy 100 shares at ₹500 with 5x leverage, ₹50,000 in your account and a stop-loss at ₹495. These figures are illustrative.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Trade value | ₹50,000 |
| Margin required (20%) | ₹10,000 |
| Exposure funded by the broker | ₹40,000 |
| Maximum quantity with ₹50,000 | 500 shares |
| Loss if the stop-loss is hit | ₹500 |
| Stop-loss loss as a share of margin | 5.0% |
A ₹5 stop-loss looks tiny, yet it costs 5% of your margin. That is leverage at work, on the way down as well as the way up.
How much does leverage change the same trade?
Here is a ₹50,000 position, with a 1% price move, at different leverage levels in the intraday margin calculator.
| Leverage | Margin needed | Funded by broker | A 1% move, as a share of margin | Move that equals the margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x | ₹50,000 | ₹0 | 1% | 100.0% |
| 2x | ₹25,000 | ₹25,000 | 2% | 50.0% |
| 3x | ₹16,667 | ₹33,333 | 3% | 33.3% |
| 5x | ₹10,000 | ₹40,000 | 5% | 20.0% |
The trade is identical in every row, but the same 1% move is 1% of your margin at 1x and 5% at 5x. The intraday margin calculator shows how quickly leverage compresses the room for error.
Why does leverage differ from stock to stock?
The exchange collects at least 20% of the traded value, or the stock’s VaR plus ELM margin if that is higher. VaR is value at risk, ELM is extreme loss margin, and riskier stocks carry more of both. Leverage is simply 1 divided by the margin percentage.
| Margin required | Leverage | Margin on a ₹50,000 trade |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | 5x | ₹10,000 |
| 25% | 4x | ₹12,500 |
| 33.3% | 3x | ₹16,667 |
| 50% | 2x | ₹25,000 |
Zerodha publishes a ceiling of 5x for equity intraday, checked on 3 October 2026 on its support page. Many stocks get less, so the figure for your stock may be lower.
What is peak margin and why does it matter?
Since September 2021, brokers cannot offer extra leverage beyond the exchange margin. Margin is also checked through the day, not only at the end, and a shortfall at those checks can attract penalties. Keep the full margin shown by the intraday margin calculator available while a position is open.
Why are futures and options not included?
Futures and options margin comes from exchange risk files that combine SPAN and exposure margin, which a simple calculator cannot reproduce. Use your broker’s margin calculator for those trades.
What does this intraday margin calculator leave out?
It does not include brokerage, STT or other charges, which our brokerage calculator covers. It also ignores ad hoc margin increases, running mark-to-market losses and gaps that jump past your stop-loss.
Brokers square off open intraday positions automatically before the close, so check your broker’s cut-off time and fees. At Stock Charcha we repeat the risk warning because leverage can erase your margin quickly. Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks. Read all related documents carefully before trading.
Where should you go after using the intraday margin calculator?
Work out charges and net profit with the stock profit and loss calculator, and the tax on your gains with the share capital gains tax calculator. Read how to do intraday trading and the top investing mistakes to avoid.
The Intraday Trading section of the Charcha Knowledge Hub has more. Run the intraday margin calculator on every trade before you click, so the risk is a number you chose. Stock Charcha’s other trading calculators use the same charge and tax rates.
Related calculators
- Brokerage calculator
- Stock profit and loss calculator
- Share capital gains tax calculator
- Stock average calculator
Last updated: 3 October 2026. Leverage ceiling checked on 3 October 2026 (Zerodha support pages on margins and leverage). Review whenever SEBI or the exchanges revise margin rules.
Founder of Stock Charcha. Stock market enthusiast, actively investing since November 2022. About the author
Educational content only. Intraday trading with leverage carries a high risk of loss, and nothing here is personalised advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any stock. Please do your own research or speak to a SEBI-registered adviser, and read our disclaimer. Stock Charcha is not affiliated with Zerodha.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my broker’s leverage different from the calculator’s default?
Leverage depends on the stock, because the margin is based on that stock’s own risk. The default of 5x is only a ceiling. Enter the figure your broker’s margin calculator shows for the exact stock before you rely on the result.
Is margin the most I can lose on an intraday trade?
No. Margin is the deposit you keep in the account, not a cap on losses. If the price moves sharply or gaps past your stop-loss, the loss can be larger than the margin, and you are responsible for the difference.
What happens if I do not square off my intraday position?
Your broker closes open intraday positions automatically before the market closes, and may charge a fee for doing so. Check your broker’s exact cut-off time, because the automatic exit may happen at a price you did not choose.
Does the intraday margin calculator include brokerage and other charges?
No. It works out margin, exposure and stop-loss risk only. Brokerage, STT, exchange charges and GST are separate costs, and our brokerage calculator adds them up so you can see the break-even price of the trade.
Can I use the calculator for delivery trades or for F&O?
For delivery, enter 1x, since the full amount is paid. F&O margin needs exchange risk files and cannot be reproduced here, so use your broker’s SPAN margin calculator for futures and options trades.