Minecraft Enchantment Order Calculator: Anvil Cost
Find the cheapest order to merge enchanted books on a Minecraft anvil, Java or Bedrock: level cost of each step, total, and the Too Expensive! limit.
In what order should you combine enchanted books on the anvil?
The cost of a merge depends on the books placed in the right anvil slot and on how many times each item has already been through the anvil, which doubles the penalty. The calculator tests every possible merge tree and keeps the cheapest one in levels, never above 39 levels per operation in Survival. For a sword with Sharpness V, Looting III, Sweeping Edge III, Fire Aspect II, Knockback II, Unbreaking III and Mending, the best order costs 49 levels in 7 operations.
The anvil formula
Cost of an operation = for each enchantment on the sacrificed book, level × multiplier, plus the target's penalty and the sacrifice's penalty. A book's multiplier is half an item's, at least 1: ×1 for Sharpness or Protection, ×2 for Mending, ×4 for Thorns or Soul Speed. The penalty is 2ⁿ − 1 levels after n uses (0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 31), and the result keeps the larger n of the two, plus 1.
Worked example: the default sword
- Sword + Looting III: 6 levels
- Sweeping Edge III + Unbreaking III: 3 levels
- Sword + that book: 9 + 1 + 1 = 11 levels
- Sharpness V + Knockback II: 2 levels, then Sword + that book: 7 + 3 + 1 = 11 levels
- Fire Aspect II + Mending: 2 levels, then Sword + that book: 6 + 7 + 1 = 14 levels
Total: 49 levels. On the 7-book boots example from minecraft.wiki, the tool finds the 66 levels of the best method described.
Java and Bedrock
Bedrock only charges the level increase; since each book brings an enchantment the item does not have yet, the result is the same. Differences handled: Impaling ×1 on a book (×2 in Java), no Sweeping Edge, Silk Touch allowed on shears. Above 39 levels the anvil shows Too Expensive! in Survival in both editions.
Minecraft XP calculator: experience points per level
The "XP calculator" box converts levels into experience points and back, with the minecraft.wiki formulas (Java Edition since 1.8): L² + 6L total points up to level 16, 2.5L² − 40.5L + 360 from level 17 to 31, then 4.5L² − 162.5L + 2,220. Going from level L to the next costs 2L + 7 points up to level 15, 5L − 38 from level 16 to 30, then 9L − 158.
| Level | Total points from level 0 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 55 |
| 10 | 160 |
| 15 | 315 |
| 16 | 352 |
| 20 | 550 |
| 25 | 910 |
| 30 | 1,395 |
| 31 | 1,507 |
| 32 | 1,628 |
| 35 | 2,045 |
| 40 | 2,920 |
| 50 | 5,345 |
Example: going from level 0 to level 30 takes 1,395 points, and 112 more points to reach 31. With 1,000 points you are at level 26, with 3 of the 92 points needed for level 27. A level 30 enchantment at the enchanting table removes 3 levels: from 30 to 27, that is 306 points.
Limits and sources
The tool assumes an unenchanted item and one book per enchantment; it ignores repair (+2) and renaming (+1). Java rules come from the 26.3 game data (September 2026); Bedrock and experience formulas from Anvil mechanics, Enchanting and Experience (minecraft.wiki, October 2026). To link your portals, use the Nether portal calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the anvil say Too Expensive!?
In Survival the anvil refuses any operation that costs more than 39 levels, whatever your level. The usual cause is the prior work penalty, which goes 0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 31: after 5 uses an item already costs 31 levels before any enchantment. Merging books together first keeps the item's number of uses low.
How many levels does an enchanted book cost on the anvil?
A book costs its level times the enchantment's multiplier, plus the penalties of both items. Sharpness V costs 5 levels (×1), Mending 2 levels (×2) and Thorns III 12 levels (×4) on a new item. Only the book in the right slot is charged, so keep the most expensive book on the left.
What is the best order for an Efficiency V, Fortune III, Unbreaking III and Mending pickaxe?
The best order costs 23 levels in Java: Pickaxe + Fortune III (6), Unbreaking III + Mending (2), Pickaxe + that book (7), then Pickaxe + Efficiency V (8). The most expensive step costs 8 levels, far below the 39-level limit.
Is the calculation the same in Bedrock?
Almost: Bedrock only charges the level increase, which is the same thing when each book brings a new enchantment. Impaling costs ×1 per level on a book instead of ×2, and Sweeping Edge does not exist. A trident with Impaling V, Loyalty III, Channeling, Unbreaking III and Mending costs 33 levels in Java and 28 in Bedrock.
Which enchantments cannot go together?
The four Protections exclude each other, as do Sharpness, Smite and Bane of Arthropods, Silk Touch and Fortune, Infinity and Mending, Multishot and Piercing, Depth Strider and Frost Walker. Riptide excludes Loyalty and Channeling. The calculator unticks the incompatible enchantment for you.
How many experience points does it take to reach level 30?
1,395 points from level 0. Each level costs more than the last: 2L + 7 points up to level 15, 5L − 38 from level 16 to 30, then 9L − 158. Going from level 30 to 31 takes 112 points, and level 40 needs 2,920 points in total (minecraft.wiki formulas, Java Edition).
What level do 1,000 experience points give?
Level 26, with 3 of the 92 points needed for level 27. Level 26 needs 997 points in total and level 27 needs 1,089.
Is this tool really free?
Yes, all tools on Kristools are 100% free and accessible without registration.
Is my data protected?
Yes. All processing is performed directly and securely inside your browser. No personal data is sent to our servers.