Basics

Limit Price

By Ryan Silk & Lawrence Polatchek · Reviewed April 2026 · Options Trading Glossary

Maximum buy or minimum sell price

What is Limit Price?

Limit Price The specific price set on a limit order as the maximum you will pay (when buying) or minimum you will accept (when selling). In options trading, always use limit orders rather than market orders to avoid getting filled at unfavorable prices, especially in illiquid options.

Complete Definition

The specific price set on a limit order as the maximum you will pay (when buying) or minimum you will accept (when selling). In options trading, always use limit orders rather than market orders to avoid getting filled at unfavorable prices, especially in illiquid options.

Example

You want to buy a call option with a bid of $2.50 and ask of $2.70. You place a limit order at $2.60 (the mid-price).

Related Terms

Limit Order Bid Ask Spread Fill

Written by

ApexVol Research Team

Quantitative options research

All calculations use live ORATS institutional data — the same source used by professional volatility desks.

Technical reviewer

Ryan Silk, ApexVol Founder

Reviewed for technical accuracy

10+ years trading options. Built ApexVol's pricing engine, Greeks model, and IV-rank methodology.

This guide is updated as market conditions and ORATS data change. Last revised 2026-05-12. How we research →

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