Crypto Arbitrage Calculator
A price gap between two exchanges looks like free money — until fees and withdrawal costs eat it. Plug in your numbers and see the real net profit, not the headline spread.
Net profit after fees
-$17.80
-1.78% on your capital
Worked examples
Real outputs from the calculator above — notice how often a “positive spread” still loses.
Typical thin gap
$1,000 · $67,000 → $67,350 · 0.4% fee · $15 withdrawal
0.52% spread
−$17.80
A half-percent gap can't cover two 0.4% fees plus a $15 transfer.
Small trade, flat fee bites
$200 · $67,000 → $67,400 · 0.4% fee · $15 withdrawal
0.60% spread
−$15.41 (−7.7%)
On a small trade the fixed $15 withdrawal alone wrecks it.
Rare wide gap that clears
$5,000 · $3,000 → $3,075 · 0.2% fee · $10 withdrawal
2.50% spread
+$94.52 (+1.9%)
A 2.5% gap does clear costs — but gaps that wide close in seconds.
What this actually tells you
“Buy low on exchange A, sell high on exchange B” sounds simple. The calculator adds the parts that get skipped: a trading fee on both sides, plus the flat network/withdrawal fee to move the coin. At retail size, a spread under ~1% almost never survives all three — which is exactly why casual crypto arbitrage rarely pays. Real arbitrageurs pre-fund both exchanges (so they skip the slow, expensive transfer) and act in seconds before the gap closes.
If you're just trying to buy and hold crypto without overpaying, the bigger win isn't arbitrage — it's using a low-fee exchange correctly. See our honest ratings of the exchanges we rate, or the fee breakdown in Binance.US vs Coinbase fees.
FAQ
Is crypto arbitrage profitable?
Rarely at retail size. The spread has to beat trading fees on both exchanges plus the withdrawal/network fee to move the coin. Small gaps (under ~1%) usually net a loss once you run the real numbers, which this calculator does.
Why does the calculator show a loss on a positive spread?
Because a positive spread isn't profit — it's revenue before costs. Two trading fees plus a flat withdrawal fee can easily exceed a thin spread, especially on smaller trades where the fixed withdrawal cost weighs more.
What fees should I include?
The taker/maker fee on the buy, the same on the sell, and the network or exchange withdrawal fee to move the asset between platforms. Slippage on thin order books is a real extra cost the calculator can't predict — treat your result as a best case.
Estimates only. Real fills depend on live prices, order-book depth, and slippage. Crypto is volatile and not FDIC-insured. Not financial advice.