Futures Break-Even Calculator — Ticks Needed to Cover Commission and Fees

For ES with a typical all-in commission of $4.74 round trip (2 sides × $2.37 at TD Ameritrade rates including exchange fees): Break-even = $4.74 ÷ $12.50 = 0.38 ticks — less than 1 tick. At Interactive Brokers ($2.94 round trip): $2.94 ÷ $12.50 = 0.24 ticks. ES has such high tick value that commission is a small fraction of one tick, making it commission-friendly for scalpers.

For NQ at $2.94 round trip (IB all-in): Break-even = $2.94 ÷ $5.00 = 0.59 ticks — still under 1 tick. For MNQ at $2.94 round trip: $2.94 ÷ $0.50 = 5.88 ticks. This is why micro contracts have a much higher commission-to-tick-value ratio — MNQ traders need nearly 6 ticks just to cover commissions versus less than 1 tick for NQ traders.

Scalpers target 4–10 ticks per trade. If commissions consume 2 ticks, a 4-tick scalp only nets 2 ticks — cutting profitability in half. A high break-even erodes your edge on small wins. Scalpers should choose brokers with the lowest all-in rates and avoid micro contracts unless position sizing forces it. Always calculate your break-even before sizing your strategy.

Slippage (the difference between your intended fill price and actual fill price) adds to your effective break-even. A 1-tick slippage on entry and exit adds 2 ticks to your real break-even. For ES market orders during fast markets, 1–2 ticks of slippage is common. Limit orders eliminate slippage but risk missing fills. Always include slippage in your real break-even analysis: True Break-Even = Commission Ticks + Expected Slippage Ticks.

Three ways: (1) Lower commissions — switch to a discount broker or negotiate a volume rate. (2) Trade larger contracts — full ES vs MES has the same dollar commission but 10x the tick value, meaning 10x lower break-even in ticks. (3) Use limit orders — avoid slippage on entries. Even saving $0.50/side (1 tick of break-even on MNQ) compounds significantly over hundreds of monthly trades.