How to use it
- Choose levels to points, or points to level.
- Enter the start and target level, or your point total.
- Read the result and the points left to the next level.
- Use the table below for the usual levels, like 30 for the best enchanting.
How the experience curve works
Each level needs more points than the last, in three steps. From level 0 to 15 each level needs 2 times the level plus 7 points, so 7 for the first and 37 for the sixteenth. From level 16 to 30 each level needs 5 times the level minus 38. From level 31 it is 9 times the level minus 158. That is why the first 30 levels cost 1,395 points and the next 20 cost another 3,950.
The calculator uses the total form of these formulas. The points between two levels are the total at the target minus the total at the start.
XP per level table
| Level | Total points |
|---|---|
| 5 | 55 |
| 10 | 160 |
| 15 | 315 |
| 20 | 550 |
| 25 | 910 |
| 30 | 1,395 |
| 40 | 2,920 |
| 50 | 5,345 |
| 100 | 30,970 |
Where the points come from
| Source | Points |
|---|---|
| Zombie, skeleton, creeper, spider | 5 |
| Blaze | 10 |
| Wither | 50 |
| Ender Dragon (first / later) | 12,000 / 500 |
| Bottle o' enchanting | 3 to 11 |
| Coal ore | 0 to 2 |
| Lapis lazuli ore | 2 to 5 |
| Diamond or emerald ore | 3 to 7 |
Worked example: planning a level 30 enchant
You are at level 12 and want to be at level 30 before enchanting. The points at level 12 are 216 and at level 30 they are 1,395, so you need 1,179 more points. At 5 points per zombie that is about 236 zombies. With bottles at an average of 7 points it is about 170 bottles. Smelting a stack of 64 iron ore gives about 45 points.
Tips
- The anvil and the table spend levels, so the same 30 levels are worth different points depending on where you start.
- A grindstone gives back experience from the enchantments it removes, which is a cheap source for early levels.
- Experience orbs fly to you, so stand near the farm drop point and not on the far side of a wall.
Related tools
Planning a big anvil job? The enchantment order calculator finds the cheapest order. Mixing up two portals? The nether portal calculator converts coordinates.
Sources and notes
Formulas and mob and ore values are from the Minecraft Wiki page on experience, checked on 27 October 2026. The calculator rounds partial points down. BlockShapes is not affiliated with Mojang or Microsoft.
Frequently asked questions
How much XP do you need for level 30?
You need 1,395 experience points to reach level 30 from 0. Going from level 29 to 30 needs 112 points.
What is the XP formula in Minecraft?
Up to level 16 the total is level squared plus 6 times level. From 17 to 31 it is 2.5 times level squared minus 40.5 times level plus 360. From 32 it is 4.5 times level squared minus 162.5 times level plus 2220.
Is XP the same in Java and Bedrock?
Yes. The level curve is the same in both editions. The amounts that mobs, ores and bottles give are also the same for the sources listed on this page.
Does the level drop when I enchant?
Yes. Enchanting takes levels, not points, so spending 30 levels takes away 30 levels. Because the points per level grow, going from 31 to 1 costs far more points than going from 15 to 1.
What gives the most XP?
The Ender Dragon gives 12,000 points the first time and 500 after that. A Wither gives 50. Mob farms, smelting stacks of ore and bottles o' enchanting are the usual ways to get many levels fast.
What is the max level I can get?
There is no practical cap. The points needed grow with the square of the level, so level 100 already needs 30,970 points and nobody gets much further in normal play.
How much XP is in an experience bottle?
A bottle o' enchanting gives 3 to 11 points. Going from level 20 to level 30 takes 845 points, which is about 120 bottles at the average of 7.