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ROI Calculator

Work out the gain and return on investment (ROI) from what you put in and what you got back, plus the annualized return when you know how long you held it.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Runs in your browser
  • Finance
Investment
The final value, including any income received.
Investment length (optional)
Enter the length as
Add a length to see the annualized ROI.

Read the guide How to Calculate ROI and Compare Returns Fairly

How to use the ROI calculator

Enter the amount you invested and the amount you got back. The amount returned is the final value, including any dividends, interest or other income you received. Press Calculate to see the gain or loss, the ROI percentage and the money multiple.

To compare investments held for different lengths of time, add the investment length. Choose Years and months to type a duration, or Dates to pick the start and end dates. The calculator then also shows the annualized ROI.

The details section shows a what-if table: the annualized return you would have earned if the same total ROI had taken 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 years.

The formulas

  • Gain = amount returned − amount invested
  • ROI = gain ÷ amount invested × 100
  • Annualized ROI = (amount returned ÷ amount invested)^(1 ÷ years) − 1

The annualized ROI is also called the compound annual growth rate (CAGR). It is the steady yearly return that would turn the starting amount into the final amount over the same time. When you use dates, the number of days is divided by 365.25 to get years, which averages out leap years.

Worked example

You invest 10,000 and get back 15,000 three years later. The gain is 5,000 and the ROI is 5,000 ÷ 10,000 = 50%. The annualized ROI is 1.5^(1/3) − 1 ≈ 14.47% a year. If the same 50% had taken 10 years, it would be only about 4.14% a year, which shows why time matters when comparing returns.

Good to know

  • Plain ROI ignores time. A 50% return over 3 years and over 10 years look the same until you annualize them.
  • Annualizing a very short holding period can give huge, misleading numbers. A small gain in a few days does not mean you would earn that rate all year.
  • This calculator assumes one amount invested at the start and one amount at the end. Regular deposits or withdrawals need a different method.
  • Fees, taxes and inflation are not included unless you take them out of the amount returned. The results are estimates, not financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good ROI?

It depends on the risk and the time involved. That is why the annualized figure is useful: it lets you compare an investment with others, or with a savings rate, on the same yearly basis.

What is the difference between ROI and annualized ROI?

ROI is the total percentage gain over the whole holding period. Annualized ROI spreads that gain over the years with compounding, giving the equivalent steady return per year.

Can ROI be negative?

Yes. If you get back less than you invested, the gain is negative and so is the ROI. Losing everything gives an ROI of −100%.

Why does the annualized ROI look so large for a short period?

Annualizing assumes the same rate continues and compounds for a full year. A 10% gain in six months becomes 21% a year. For periods of a few days the figure can become unrealistically large, so treat it with care.