# Limit Order vs Market Order for ETFs > As of Oct 22, 2026, a $10,000 order cost about $0.50 in spread each way in BIL, and about $32 in TINY. A round trip costs twice that. Not advice. Data as of Oct 22, 2026. Rebuilt every trading night. Figures as of Oct 22, 2026. ## Limit orders vs market orders for ETFs As of Oct 22, 2026, a $10,000 order cost about $0.50 in spread each way in BIL, and about $32 in TINY. A round trip costs twice that. A market order says fill me now, at the price on offer. A limit order says fill me at this price or better, or not at all. Every quote has two sides. The bid is what buyers offer. The ask is what sellers accept. The gap between them is the spread. A market buy pays the ask. A market sell takes the bid. Each side costs about half the spread, against the midpoint. A round trip, a buy and a later sell, costs the whole spread. ### The fair limit The midpoint is halfway between the bid and the ask in your broker’s quote. The fair limit is midpoint + X¢ to buy, midpoint − X¢ to sell. X is half the fund’s typical spread in cents, rounded up, and never less than 1¢. Each fund’s trading page prints its own X. If an order does not fill, move the limit 1¢ at a time. ### Two real funds BIL had a 30-day median spread of 0.01% to Oct 22, 2026. Its fair limit is midpoint + 1¢ to buy, midpoint − 1¢ to sell. At the Oct 22, 2026 close of $91.60, that was $91.61 to buy and $91.59 to sell. TINY had a 30-day median spread of 0.64%. Its fair limit is midpoint + 22¢ to buy, midpoint − 22¢ to sell. On $10,000, that is about $0.50 a side in BIL and $1.00 for a round trip. In TINY it is $32 a side and $64 for a round trip. ### When a market order costs little In a fund that scores Liquid or better, in the middle of the day, the spread is often 1¢. A market order then costs about the same as a limit. ### When a limit matters A fund that scores Thin or Hard to trade. A fund whose holdings trade in a market that is closed. A new fund, or the first minutes after the open. A sell-off, when spreads widen. A stop order becomes a market order once it triggers. The stop orders guide explains why that matters. Two real funds · Oct 22, 2026 $32 against $0.50 One side of a $10,000 order, at each fund’s 30-day median spread: TINY against BIL. A round trip is twice that. BIL spread, 30-day median 0.01% BIL fair limit midpoint + 1¢ / midpoint − 1¢ BIL round trip, $10,000 $1.00 TINY spread, 30-day median 0.64% TINY fair limit midpoint + 22¢ / midpoint − 22¢ TINY round trip, $10,000 $64 BIL IQ Liquidity Score 97 · Trades like a giant TINY IQ Liquidity Score 23 · Hard to trade Spreads from each issuer, 30 days to Oct 22, 2026 · ETFIQ ### Related funds ### Related rankings ### Questions people ask What is a market order vs a limit order? A market order fills at once, at the price on offer. A limit order fills only at your price or better, and may not fill at all. What price should I use on my buy limit order for an ETF? Midpoint + X¢, where X is half the fund’s typical spread in cents, rounded up and at least 1¢. To sell, use midpoint − X¢. When should I use a market order vs a limit order? A market order costs little in a fund that scores Liquid or better, mid-session. A limit sets your price in a thin fund, near the open or in a sell-off. How do I buy an ETF with a limit order? Choose a limit order in your broker’s order ticket. Enter the shares and your limit price. It fills only at that price or better. ### Where to next A guide to trading conditions, not advice. ETFIQ makes no recommendations. Standards and sources --- Source: ETFIQ, independent ETF data. Recomputed nightly from public filings and prices. Cite: ETFIQ, Limit orders vs market orders for ETFs, data as of Oct 22, 2026. https://etfiq.com/trading/limit-orders/ Licence: https://etfiq.com/license/ Figures ETFIQ computes are free to use with attribution: ETFIQ (etfiq.com). Issuer data stays under its owner's terms. HTML: https://etfiq.com/trading/limit-orders/