How to Calculate Order Size

How Order Size is Calculated

In Gridera, you enter a Total Budget — the total capital you want to deploy. The system automatically calculates the order size per grid level by dividing your budget across all levels.

The Formula

Order per Grid = Total Budget / Number of Grids

If you have $1,000 and 10 grid levels:

Order Size = $1,000 / 10 = $100 per level

Each buy order would purchase $100 worth of the asset at its respective grid level.

Adding a Safety Buffer

In practice, you should not allocate 100% of your capital to the grid. A safety buffer accounts for fees, slippage, and potential additional margin requirements (in futures trading). The standard buffer is 20%:

Usable Capital = Total Capital x 0.80
Order Size = Usable Capital / Grid Levels

With $1,000 and 10 levels:

Usable Capital = $1,000 x 0.80 = $800
Order Size = $800 / 10 = $80 per level

The remaining $200 serves as a reserve for fees, unexpected price movements, and margin maintenance.

Calculating Quantity from USD Size

Exchanges typically require orders in asset quantity (e.g., SOL), not USD value. To convert:

Quantity = Order Size (USD) / Grid Level Price

For a $80 order at grid level $125:

Quantity = $80 / $125 = 0.64 SOL

Note that each grid level has a slightly different quantity because the price differs. A $80 order at $120 buys 0.667 SOL, while $80 at $135 buys 0.593 SOL.

Futures Grid: Leverage Adjustment

In futures grid trading, leverage multiplies your effective position size. However, the order size in your configuration should reflect the margin amount, not the leveraged notional:

Margin per Level = Order Size (USD)
Notional per Level = Margin per Level x Leverage

With $80 per level and 5x leverage:

Notional = $80 x 5 = $400 exposure per level

This means each level controls a $400 position with only $80 of your capital. While this amplifies profits, it equally amplifies losses. Crucially, your total margin requirement remains $80 x 10 = $800.

Minimum Order Size

Every exchange has minimum order requirements. Check your exchange’s minimum before configuring:

If the minimum is $10 and your calculated order size is $8, you have two options:

1. Reduce the number of grid levels so each level gets more capital.
2. Increase your total capital.

Equal vs Weighted Sizing

The formulas above assume equal sizing — every level gets the same dollar amount. Some advanced strategies use weighted sizing:

Pyramid weighting: Lower grid levels receive larger orders. This is based on the principle that lower prices represent better value, so you want more exposure there.

Level $120: $120 (1.5x)
Level $125: $100 (1.25x)
Level $130: $80  (1.0x)
Level $135: $60  (0.75x)

Inverse pyramid: Higher levels receive larger orders. This is less common and typically used in short grids.

For beginners, equal sizing is recommended. It is simpler to manage and the performance difference versus weighted approaches is modest in most market conditions.

Quick Reference Calculation

Here is a complete example for a typical setup:

Total Capital:    $2,000
Safety Buffer:    20%
Usable Capital:   $1,600
Grid Levels:      15
Order Size:       $1,600 / 15 = $106.67 per level
Grid Range:       $110 - $150
Average Price:    $130
Avg Quantity:     $106.67 / $130 = 0.82 SOL per level
Leverage:         3x
Notional/Level:   $106.67 x 3 = $320

Summary

• Calculate order size by dividing usable capital (total minus 20% buffer) by the number of grid levels.
• Convert USD order size to asset quantity by dividing by the grid level price, and account for exchange minimum order requirements.
• In futures grids, your configured order size represents the margin amount; the actual position exposure is multiplied by leverage.

Next Step

Explore how the distance between levels affects your strategy in Grid Spacing Types.