StackFi Tools
Gold Holding Cost Calculator
Compare the all-in cost of holding gold as physical bullion, a gold ETF, or on-chain gold (XAUT) over your time horizon. Free calculator — adjust storage, expense ratio, and spread assumptions.
Most gold buyers compare the buy price and stop there. But the format you choose — physical bullion, a gold ETF, or on-chain gold like XAUT — changes what holding that gold actually costs every year you own it. Storage and insurance, fund expense ratios, dealer spreads, and network fees all pull in different directions.
This calculator puts the three side by side over your chosen horizon. Enter an amount and a holding period, tweak the assumptions to match your providers, and see which format is cheapest to hold — and by how much.
Adjust cost assumptions
On-chain gold is self-custodial, so it carries no recurring storage/expense fee — only a one-time spread and network gas. Defaults are illustrative; adjust to your providers.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why does on-chain gold show the lowest holding cost?
On-chain gold like XAUT is self-custodial — you hold the token in your own wallet, so there is no recurring storage, insurance, or fund expense ratio. The main cost is a one-time spread when you buy or sell, plus network gas. Physical bullion carries annual storage and insurance; an ETF carries an annual expense ratio. Over multi-year horizons those recurring fees compound while the on-chain cost stays roughly flat.
Are the default fee assumptions accurate?
They are reasonable illustrative defaults — roughly 0.7%/yr for physical storage and insurance, 0.40%/yr for a major gold ETF expense ratio, and a small one-time spread for on-chain gold. Real costs vary by provider, so every assumption is an editable input. Adjust them to your own dealer, fund, and wallet.
Does this include the gold price going up or down?
No. This tool isolates holding cost — the friction of owning gold in each format. Price movement affects all three formats roughly equally, so it is excluded to keep the comparison clean.
Can I embed this calculator on my own site?
Yes. Copy the embed snippet on this page and paste it into your site. It loads the calculator in an iframe with a small attribution link back to StackFi.
Own it on-chain
Hold tokenized gold without a brokerage
Skip dealers, vault programs, and brokerage paperwork. Buy XAUT (tokenized gold) straight from a wallet that logs in with Apple or Google — no seed phrase.
- ✓Self-custodial — you hold the keys
- ✓Audited by SlowMist
- ✓Fiat on-ramp + Binance Connect
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