Minecraft Enchantment Calculator
This enchantment calculator finds the cheapest anvil order. Choose the gear and the books, and follow the steps, so the anvil never says Too Expensive!
Java 26.3read from the game files · older versions in the picker
Item
Enchantments Click a level to change it
Books to add
Curses (1)
Starting item
Renames and repairs count. Enchanting tables don't.
Repair & Name Java 26.3
Cheapest by
Pick enchantments to see the cheapest order.
Finished item
How to use it
- Pick your edition and version. Use the Java / Bedrock switch at the top, and the version menu in the Item window.
- Choose the item and its material. Only the enchantments that item can really take are listed.
- Pick the books. Click an enchantment for its max level, or a numeral for a lower one. Max enchant fills a full build in one click.
- Follow the anvil steps in order. The first item goes in the left slot, the second in the right. Each step shows the same "Enchantment Cost" the anvil will.
How anvil costs work
Every anvil step charges the prior work penalty of both items plus the enchantments you bring in from the right slot.
cost = penalty(left) + penalty(right) + level × multiplier
The penalty starts at 0 and doubles plus one after each use:
0 → 1 → 3 → 7 → 15 → 31 → 63
Java charges the resulting level of every enchantment the right item brings, and 1 level for each incompatible one. Each enchantment has its own multiplier, halved (never below 1) when it comes from a book.
| Enchantment | From an item | From a book | Max level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mending | ×4 | ×2 | 1 |
| Silk Touch | ×8 | ×4 | 1 |
| Thorns | ×8 | ×4 | 3 |
| Infinity | ×8 | ×4 | 1 |
| Fortune | ×4 | ×2 | 3 |
| Looting | ×4 | ×2 | 3 |
| Unbreaking | ×2 | ×1 | 3 |
| Sharpness | ×1 | ×1 | 5 |
| Protection | ×1 | ×1 | 4 |
| Impaling | ×4 | ×2 | 5 |
In survival, a step of 40 levels or more is refused with Too Expensive!. The calculator finds the cheapest order within that limit when one exists. An item with too much prior work may have no survival-legal order.
Every enchantment
Want the details on one book? The full enchantment list has a page for each of the 43: what every level does, where to find it and what it conflicts with.
Not sure what to put on your gear? Start from a max build: sword, armor, pickaxe, mace, bow and everything else. Already know the build? Jump to a worked anvil order: helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots, sword, axe, spear, mace, trident, bow, crossbow, pickaxe, shovel, hoe, fishing rod, shears.
More tools: enchanting table odds, bookshelf setup, XP calculator and all tools.
Where the numbers come from
Every cost, level and item list comes from the official Minecraft Java 26.3 game files. The calculator is tested against a brute-force search of every possible order. See how the data is checked and the update log for what changed in each version.
Questions
What is the best order to combine enchanted books?
It depends on the item and the books, which is why the calculator tries every order. Two rules explain most results: bring the expensive books (high levels, or a high multiplier like Mending and Silk Touch) in early, and merge books in pairs so no single item goes through the anvil many times in a row.
Why does the anvil say "Too Expensive!"?
In survival, any single anvil step that costs 40 levels or more is refused. The prior work penalty doubles with every use (0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63), so an item that has been on an anvil five or six times hits the limit quickly. A good order keeps every step at 39 or less.
What is the prior work penalty?
After a repair or enchantment combination, the result gets twice the higher input penalty plus 1. Rename-only operations do not increase it. Both input penalties add to the cost. After n uses the penalty is 2ⁿ − 1 levels: 0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, 63.
My item is already enchanted. Can I still use this?
Yes. Set the existing enchantments and prior work count. Rename-only operations do not increase that count.
Is anvil cost different on Bedrock?
Yes. Bedrock only charges for the level an enchantment gains, and nothing for incompatible ones, so upgrades and repairs are often cheaper. Switch to Bedrock at the top of the page for the Bedrock calculator.
Which version does this use?
Java 26.3 by default. Pick an older version in the calculator (back to 1.21): items and enchantments that didn't exist yet disappear, and costs follow that version's game files.
Does renaming an item add to the cost?
Renaming during a book step adds just 1 level. A rename on its own costs 1 level plus the item's whole prior work penalty, so the cheapest time to name an item is during your last book step.
What does "XP points" mean next to the levels?
Levels get more expensive as you go up, so 30 levels spent in one step costs far more experience than three steps of 10. The XP points figure is the experience you need if you level up from zero before each step, which is the cheapest way to pay.