Bitcoin ETF Fee Calculator
See how an ETF's yearly fee compounds over time and compare two fees side by side. Free, private and free of forecasts.
What could a fee cost you?
Enter an amount, a yearly fee and a time frame. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Illustration only. Each year the balance grows by the return you entered and then the fee is taken from it. This ignores taxes, trading costs, bid-ask spreads and tracking error, and real funds charge the fee continuously. It is not a forecast and not advice.
An ETF’s expense ratio is a yearly fee taken as a percentage of your holdings, so it grows with your balance and compounds over time. On $10,000 held for 10 years with no growth, a 1% fee costs about $956, while a 0.25% fee costs about $247. The calculator above lets you try your own numbers and compare two fees.
A worked example
This table uses $10,000 held for 10 years with an assumed return of 0%, so only the fee changes the result.
| Yearly fee | Balance after 10 years | What the fee cost |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | $10,000 | $0 |
| 0.25% | $9,753 | $247 |
| 0.50% | $9,511 | $489 |
| 1.00% | $9,044 | $956 |
Over 10 years, the gap between a 0.25% fee and a 1% fee is about $709 on $10,000, before any growth. Stretch the same 1% fee to 30 years and it costs about $2,603, which is 26% of the balance.
How the calculator works
Each year the balance grows by the return you enter, and then the fund’s fee is taken from the result. That is the same as multiplying the balance by (1 + return) and then by (1 minus the fee) every year. The “no fee” line applies only the return, and the gap between the lines is what the fee cost you. We suggest leaving the return at 0%, which isolates the fee. Any other return is an assumption you choose, not a forecast.
What the expense ratio does not include
The fee shown by a fund is only part of what owning it can cost:
- Brokerage commissions or account fees charged by the place you hold it.
- The bid-ask spread, the small gap between the buying and selling price of the shares.
- Tracking differences, where a fund’s performance drifts slightly from the price of the bitcoin it holds.
- Taxes on any gains when you sell.
- Fee waivers. A low fee can be a temporary promotion, so check whether it is permanent.
Using it to compare Bitcoin ETFs
Find each fund’s expense ratio in its prospectus or fact sheet, enter one as fee A and the other as fee B, and read the difference. Fees are only one part of the comparison. Custody, structure and how closely a fund tracks the price matter too, as Bitcoin ETFs: What They Are and What They Mean for Investors explains. This site does not rank funds, and fees change, so use each fund’s own documents for current figures.
Related guides
- Can You Buy Bitcoin in an IRA?: how an ETF fits inside a retirement account.
- Bitcoin route finder: find the guides for the route you are curious about.
- Is Bitcoin Regulated in the US?: the tax and regulatory background.
This calculator is an educational illustration, not financial advice. A qualified professional can apply it to your own situation.
Frequently asked questions
What is an ETF expense ratio?
The expense ratio is the annual fee a fund charges, stated as a percentage of the assets it manages. It is taken from the fund's assets, so you pay it indirectly through a slightly lower return rather than as a bill. You can find it in the fund's prospectus or fact sheet.
Does a small fee difference matter?
It can, because the fee compounds. On $10,000 over 10 years with no growth, a 0.25% fee costs about $247 and a 1% fee about $956, a gap of roughly $709. Over longer periods the gap widens. Fees are one factor among several when comparing funds.
Does this calculator predict returns?
No. The return field is an assumption you choose. Leave it at 0% to see only the effect of the fee. The results are illustrations, not forecasts, and they ignore taxes and trading costs.
Are there costs besides the expense ratio?
Yes. Brokerage commissions, the bid-ask spread when you trade, differences between a fund's performance and bitcoin's price, and taxes can all add to the real cost. A low fee can also be a temporary promotion, so check how long it lasts.