Cross vs Isolated Margin: the Same Trade in Both Modes

Cross and isolated are the two ways a futures account can stand behind a position. Isolated gives each position its own margin; cross lets positions share the balance. The choice moves the liquidation price and decides how much of the account a single trade can take.

By CoinPop Market Desk · OKX, Bybit and MEXC help pages read 2026-11-14 · Editorial policy · Information only; this page does not recommend either mode.

Isolated: the most a position can lose is the margin assigned to it. It liquidates sooner.
Cross: the free balance backs the position, so liquidation is further away, and the whole balance can be lost.
Same 8x long, 3,000 USDT account: liquidation near 0.7479 isolated, near 0.2137 cross (OKX formula, calculated).
Exchanges apply the setting differently. On Bybit's Unified Trading Account it covers the whole account and cross is the default; OKX and MEXC set it per pair.

What cross margin and isolated margin mean

Isolated margin

Each position has its own margin, which you choose when you open it and can add to later. If the price reaches the position's liquidation price, that position is closed and the loss stops at its margin. Other positions and the rest of the balance are not touched. MEXC: "Liquidation of one position does not affect other positions."

Cross margin

Positions share the balance in the same margin asset. A profit on one position can cover a loss on another, and the free balance keeps a losing position open longer. If the account as a whole runs out of margin, positions are reduced or closed and the loss can reach the whole balance. OKX: maximum loss "is capped at the balance of all margins under the same asset."

Both modes measure risk with the mark price, not the last traded price, and both liquidate in stages: open orders are cancelled, the position may be reduced, then closed (OKX, Bybit, MEXC).

One trade, two modes

account 3,000 USDT · long 4,000 USDT at 0.8500 · 8x · maintenance margin 0.5% · calculated 2026-11-14

Isolated, 500 USDT margin

Liquidation 0.7479

-12.0% from entry. Largest possible loss on this trade: 500 USDT plus fees. The other 2,500 USDT stays out of it.

Cross, 3,000 USDT behind it

Liquidation 0.2137

-74.9% from entry. Largest possible loss: close to the whole 3,000 USDT. The position survives moves that would close the isolated one.

If the price falls to	Isolated	Cross
0.8300 (-2.4%)	Open; unrealised -94 USDT; account 2,906 USDT	Open; unrealised -94 USDT; account 2,906 USDT
0.7700 (-9.4%)	Open; unrealised -376 USDT; account 2,624 USDT	Open; unrealised -376 USDT; account 2,624 USDT
0.7000 (-17.6%)	Liquidated near 0.7479; account left with about 2,500 USDT	Open; unrealised -706 USDT; account 2,294 USDT
0.4000 (-52.9%)	Liquidated near 0.7479; account left with about 2,500 USDT	Open; unrealised -2,118 USDT; account 882 USDT
0.2000 (-76.5%)	Liquidated near 0.7479; account left with about 2,500 USDT	Liquidated near 0.2137; account close to 0

Liquidation prices use OKX's isolated-margin formula (OKX help) with taker fee 0.05%; the cross figure treats the free 2,500 USDT as extra margin for this one position, which is an estimate. With the same inputs Bybit's formula gives 0.7475 / 0.2133 and MEXC's 0.7480 / 0.2167. Account figures leave out fees and funding. With other open positions, cross liquidation depends on the whole account, and Bybit states that the cross liquidation price shown is an estimate because the trigger is the account maintenance margin rate.

Work out your own: liquidation price calculator with added margin

How OKX, Bybit and MEXC handle the two modes

from each exchange's help page · read 2026-11-14

Rule	OKX	Bybit (Unified Trading Account)	MEXC
Where the setting applies	Chosen per trading pair in the margin mode pop-up; a settings screen changes several pairs at once (OKX help)	The whole Unified Trading Account; you cannot set different modes per pair (Bybit help)	Chosen per futures pair in the order panel; "apply to all futures" skips pairs with open orders or positions (MEXC help)
Default	Not stated on the help page	Cross margin	Not stated on the 2026-09-29 help page
Switching an open position	Not possible: "opened positions can't be switched" between the modes	Possible only when the listed conditions are met, for example no options positions, no borrowings, enough assets for each isolated position	Pairs with open orders or positions must be changed separately
What triggers liquidation in cross	Margin level, measured with the mark price, at or below 100%	Account maintenance margin rate reaching 100%; the liquidation price shown is an estimate	Uses all available balance as margin; the help page does not give a separate trigger
What triggers liquidation in isolated	The position's own margin level at or below 100%	Mark price reaching the position's liquidation price	The position's own margin; one liquidation does not affect other positions
Profit of one position covers loss of another	Yes in cross, under the same margin asset	Yes in cross, no in isolated	Not stated; cross draws on the whole available balance
Adding margin to a single position	Isolated margin can be allocated per position	Isolated supports auto margin replenishment; cross does not	Isolated margin can be added manually

Sources: OKX, cross and isolated modes (updated 2 Sep 2026), Bybit, margin modes under the Unified Trading Account, MEXC, how to trade futures on web (2026-09-29). Bybit also offers Portfolio Margin, which is not covered here. Menus and conditions can change; the exchange's own screen is the reference.

Which one fits which situation

You want a fixed maximum loss on one trade. Isolated makes it explicit: the margin you assign is the most the position can lose. Size the position from that amount with the position size calculator.
You hold positions that offset each other. Cross lets a profit on one cover a loss on the other, so neither is liquidated by a move that the pair as a whole can absorb.
You trade on Bybit's Unified Trading Account. The mode applies to the whole account and starts as cross. Check it before the first order rather than after.
You plan to keep most of the balance as a reserve. In cross, that reserve is already backing every open position. If it is meant to stay untouched, isolated or a separate account keeps it apart.
You use high leverage. At 50x a long liquidates about 1.4% below entry in isolated. Cross moves the price further away only by putting the rest of the balance at stake. See distances by leverage in how to avoid liquidation.

These are differences in how the modes work, not a recommendation. Leveraged futures can lose the whole margin in either mode.

Frequently asked questions

What is cross margin?

A margin mode in which positions share one balance. In OKX's words, cross positions under the same margin asset share a unified margin balance, so the whole balance stands behind each position and a profit on one can offset a loss on another. The maximum loss is that whole balance.

What is isolated margin?

A margin mode in which each position has its own margin. If the position is liquidated, the loss is limited to the margin assigned to it, and the rest of the account is not used to keep it open.

Which is safer, cross or isolated?

Neither in general. Isolated caps the loss per position but liquidates sooner: in the example on this page, near 0.7479 instead of near 0.2137. Cross keeps a position open through a larger move but can take the whole balance. Which one fits depends on whether you would rather lose a fixed amount or keep the position open longer.

Is the liquidation price lower with cross margin?

For a long, yes, because the free balance acts as extra margin. With a 3,000 USDT account and an 8x long of 4,000 USDT at 0.8500, OKX's formula gives about 0.7479 isolated and about 0.2137 if the remaining 2,500 USDT backs the same position in cross (calculated, single position). Bybit notes that in cross the displayed liquidation price is an estimate, because the trigger is the account's maintenance margin rate.

Can I switch from cross to isolated with a position open?

On OKX, no: opened positions cannot be switched between the two modes. Bybit allows a switch only when its listed conditions are met, such as having enough assets to give each position its own margin without triggering liquidation. MEXC applies a change to pairs with open orders or positions only when you change those pairs one by one.

Does cross margin use my whole account?

It uses the balance in the same margin asset (OKX) or the whole account (Bybit's Unified Trading Account, where the mode is account-wide; MEXC describes cross as using all available balance). Funds you keep in a separate account, such as a funding or spot wallet that is not used as collateral, are not part of it.

Which mode should a beginner use?

This page does not recommend one. A way to decide is to write down the amount you accept to lose on the trade. If that amount is smaller than your account, isolated margin with that amount as margin, or a stop-loss well before the liquidation price, makes the limit explicit. The position size calculator works out the size from that amount.

Sources and limits

OKX: How do I trade using Cross and Isolated Modes? (updated 2 Sep 2026) and liquidation price help. Bybit: Differences Between the Margin Modes Under the Unified Trading Account and Liquidation Process (UTA). MEXC: How to Trade Futures on MEXC Web (2026-09-29) and Futures Liquidation FAQ. Read 2026-11-14. Worked figures are calculated with a 0.5% maintenance margin rate (smallest position tier) and treat one position only; the exchange's order screen is the reference for a real position. This page is information, not investment advice.