Minecraft Enchantment Calculator
Choose the item and the books you want on it. The calculator tests every combining order and gives you the cheapest one, step by step, with the level cost of each anvil use.
Books
Greyed-out books conflict with one you’ve picked.
Cheapest order
Pick at least one book.
Why the order changes the price
Every time something goes through an anvil its prior-work penalty doubles and adds one. The penalty of both inputs is added to every step, on top of the enchantments being transferred. Step through it:
Item has been on the anvil 0 times
Penalty now: 0 levels. Adding a 6-level book costs 6.
Stacking books onto the item one at a time means the item’s penalty climbs every step: by the fifth book you pay 15 extra levels just for its history. Merging books into pairs first spreads that growth across smaller pieces, so the item only visits the anvil two or three times. That’s the whole trick the calculator automates. Book costs use each enchantment’s book multiplier; for example Mending costs 2 per level and Silk Touch 4.
Not sure which books are worth it? The enchantment list covers every one, and the best-loadout pages (like best sword enchantments) pick them for you.
Questions players ask
Why does Minecraft say “Too Expensive!”?
In survival Java Edition, any single anvil step costing 40 levels or more is refused. Costs climb because every anvil use doubles the item’s prior-work penalty (0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 31 levels). Merging books with each other first keeps that penalty low on the final item.
What order should I combine enchanted books in?
Pair books up so every branch of the merge tree is about the same depth, and let the most expensive books be targets rather than sacrifices when possible. This calculator tries every possible tree and shows the cheapest one.
Does renaming an item affect the cost?
Renaming adds 1 level to that step, and renaming alone counts as an anvil use, so it raises the prior-work penalty. Rename in the same step as your last book to avoid the extra penalty.
Is this accurate for Bedrock?
The calculator uses Java Edition rules. Bedrock uses the same prior-work doubling but charges slightly differently for some enchantments and has no 40-level cap in the same way, so totals can differ by a few levels.