How to use
- For each investment, enter a name, the amount invested and the amount returned — what you sold it for, or what it is worth now.
- Enter the holding period in years, or switch to By dates and pick a start and end date, to get an annualized ROI as well.
- Fill in two or more investments to see a comparison table and which one grew fastest per year. Leave the third row empty if you only need two.
Formulas
| Item | Formula |
|---|---|
| Gain or loss | amount returned − amount invested |
| ROI | (amount returned − amount invested) ÷ amount invested × 100 |
| Annualized ROI | (amount returned ÷ amount invested)^(1 ÷ years) − 1 |
| Period from dates | whole years + remaining days ÷ the actual number of days in the following year (leap years count) |
Annualized ROI is the steady yearly rate that turns the investment into the final amount — the same idea as CAGR. Use it to compare investments held for different lengths of time.
Example
| Investment | Invested | Returned | ROI | Held | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stocks | 10,000 | 13,500 | 35% | 3 years | about 10.52% |
| Fund | 10,000 | 12,000 | 20% | 1.5 years | about 12.92% |
On ROI alone the stocks win, but the fund earned its 20% in half the time and grew faster per year. The same 13,500 reached in one year would be 35% a year; reached in five years, only about 6.19% a year.
Things to keep in mind
- Results are for reference only. Fold trading fees, taxes and any dividends or interest you received into the amount returned.
- If you added or withdrew money during the holding period, simple ROI does not reflect your real performance. A money-weighted measure such as IRR accounts for the timing of each cash flow.
- Annualizing a period shorter than a year assumes the same pace for a full year, which can greatly exaggerate the result.
- To project a future value from a growth rate, use the CAGR calculator; for a simple change between two numbers, the percent change calculator is quicker.
FAQ
What counts as a good ROI?
It depends on the risk and the time involved, which is why the annualized figure matters: 20% over ten years is under 2% a year.
How is a loss shown?
If the amount returned is less than the amount invested, ROI and annualized ROI are negative. Losing everything is −100%.
Is anything I enter saved or sent anywhere?
No. All calculations run in your browser.