ROI Calculator

Work out return on investment, profit and annualised growth

Enter the amount invested

Enter the final value

Enter extra costs (or 0)

yr

Enter years held (0 to skip)

Return on Investment
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Net Profit
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Money Multiple
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Annualised Return (CAGR)
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Total Cost
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ROI Calculator — Complete Guide

Return on investment answers a single blunt question: for every unit of money I put in, how much came back? It is the most widely used performance measure in business and investing precisely because it is so simple.

What this calculator does

Enter the amount invested, what the investment is worth now, any extra costs, and optionally how long you held it. It returns the ROI percentage, the net profit, the money multiple and — if you gave a holding period — the annualised return.

The formula

ROI = (final value − total cost) ÷ total cost × 100
CAGR = (final value ÷ total cost)1/n − 1

Total cost means the amount invested plus any fees. Ignoring fees quietly overstates every result, so enter them when you have them.

A worked example

Invest $10,000, pay $200 in fees, and sell for $13,000 after three years. Total cost is $10,200, profit is $2,800, and ROI is 2,800 ÷ 10,200 = 27.45%. Annualised, that is (13,000 ÷ 10,200)1/3 − 1 = 8.43% a year.

InvestedFinalYearsROICAGR
$10,000$13,000330.0%9.1%
$10,000$20,00010100.0%7.2%
$50,000$48,0002−4.0%−2.0%

Where ROI misleads

Used with a holding period and honest costs, ROI is still the fastest way to sanity-check whether a deal is worth doing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good ROI?

It depends on risk. Broad stock market indices have historically returned about 7-10% a year before inflation. A safe savings account might pay 3-4%. Anything far above those figures usually carries proportionally higher risk.

How is ROI different from CAGR?

ROI measures the total gain over the whole holding period; CAGR restates it as a smooth annual rate. Doubling your money in 10 years is a 100% ROI but only a 7.2% CAGR — the second number is what you compare across investments.

Does ROI include costs?

Only if you put them in. Fees, commissions, taxes and maintenance should be added to the Extra Costs field, because they reduce the money that actually comes back to you.

Last reviewed: October 5, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources: SEC investor bulletins, CFA Institute