Minecraft Enchant Order Calculator
Pick an item and the enchanted books you have: the calculator tries every merge order with the anvil rules of Minecraft Java 26.3 and shows the cheapest one that never hits Too Expensive! (40 levels). A fully enchanted sword costs 44 levels in 6 steps.
- Highest allowed step
- 39 levels40+ is Too Expensive!
- Prior-work penalty
- 0 → 1 → 3 → 7 → 15 → 31doubles + 1 every use
- Books
- Half the fee of items
- God sword
- 44 levels
Calculator
Calculated
Cheapest order
- 1Netherite Sword
Netherite Sword 
BookSweeping Edge IIIBookSweeping Edge III Netherite SwordSweeping Edge IIINetherite SwordSweeping Edge III Enchantment Cost: 6
- 2BookLooting III
BookLooting III BookUnbreaking IIIBookUnbreaking III BookLooting IIIUnbreaking IIIBookLooting III, Unbreaking III Enchantment Cost: 3
- 3Netherite SwordSweeping Edge III
Netherite SwordSweeping Edge III BookLooting IIIUnbreaking IIIBookLooting III, Unbreaking III Netherite SwordSweeping Edge IIILooting IIIUnbreaking IIINetherite SwordSweeping Edge III, Looting III, Unbreaking III Enchantment Cost: 11
- 4BookSharpness V
BookSharpness V BookFire Aspect IIBookFire Aspect II BookSharpness VFire Aspect IIBookSharpness V, Fire Aspect II Enchantment Cost: 4
- 5BookSharpness VFire Aspect II
BookSharpness V, Fire Aspect II BookMending IBookMending I BookSharpness VFire Aspect IIMending IBookSharpness V, Fire Aspect II, Mending I Enchantment Cost: 3
- 6Netherite SwordSweeping Edge IIILooting IIIUnbreaking III
Netherite SwordSweeping Edge III, Looting III, Unbreaking III BookSharpness VFire Aspect IIMending IBookSharpness V, Fire Aspect II, Mending I Netherite SwordSweeping Edge IIILooting IIIUnbreaking IIISharpness VFire Aspect IIMending INetherite SwordSweeping Edge III, Looting III, Unbreaking III, Sharpness V, Fire Aspect II, Mending I Enchantment Cost: 17
Total: 44 levelsMax step: 17 levelsMinimum XP points (each step from exactly its level): 747
Data: Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 game files. How we source this
Never hit Too Expensive! again
Pick an item and the enchanted books you have: the Enchant Planner tries every anvil order with Java Edition’s rules and shows the cheapest one where no step costs 40 levels or more. Save loadouts and keep them one click away while you play.
- Cheapest anvil order, step by step
- Prior work penalty included
- Saved enchant loadouts
How anvil costs work
The rules the calculator uses, straight from the game's anvil code.
- ◆Enchantment cost
Each enchantment on the right-hand item adds its anvil fee × its resulting level. Two equal levels merge into the next level (V + V can't go past the max).
- ◆Prior-work penalty
Both items add their penalty: 0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 31… The result's penalty doubles plus one each time, which is why merging books first and in balanced pairs is cheaper.
- ◆Books are cheaper
An enchantment coming from a book costs half its normal fee (at least 1 level).
- ◆Conflicts
An enchantment that conflicts with one already on the item is dropped and still adds 1 level.
- ◆Too Expensive!
In Survival, any single step costing 40 levels or more is refused. The calculator only shows orders where every step stays at 39 or below.
Example: a sword with Sharpness, Unbreaking, Mending and the rest of the best set costs 44 levels when done in the cheapest order.
Anvil costs depend on the order you combine things, because every use raises an item's prior-work penalty. The calculator searches every order and keeps the cheapest one that never needs 40 levels in one step.
Help us maintain accuracy! If you notice incorrect stats, missing data, or any issues, your feedback directly improves the quality of our data for the entire community.
Enchant order FAQ (Java 26.3)
How does the enchant order calculator work?
It tries every way to pair up your item and books, applying the anvil rules of Minecraft Java 26.3 (enchantment fees, the prior-work penalty and the 40-level limit), and keeps the order with the lowest total XP levels.
Why does my anvil say Too Expensive?
A single anvil step costing 40 levels or more is refused in Survival. It usually happens because the item has been through the anvil many times; combine books with each other first so the item is used as few times as possible.
What is the prior-work penalty?
Every time an item goes through an anvil its penalty becomes double plus one (0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 31), and both items' penalties are added to every later step.
Should you combine books first?
Usually yes: merging books in pairs keeps every item's penalty low, and enchantments from books cost half the normal fee.
How many levels does a fully enchanted sword cost?
The best sword set costs 44 levels in total over 6 steps, with no step above 17 levels.