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ROI Calculator

Calculate return on investment and annualized ROI from the amount invested, the amount returned, and either dates or a holding period in years.

Investment length from a start date to an end date.

ExampleSample values — edit any field to see your result.

$
$

Results update as you type.

Investment Gain

$1,000.00

Estimated result

ROI
100.00%
Annualized ROI
17.45%
Investment Length
4.310years

Invested vs return

Invested 50%, Profit 50%
  • Invested50%
  • Profit50%
Investment Gain$1,000.00

Measure an investment's total return and the equivalent yearly rate. Enter the amount invested and the amount returned, then either pick start and end dates or type the holding period in years.

Formula

Gain is the difference between what came back and what went in. ROI is that gain as a fraction of cost. Annualized ROI compounds that total return over the holding period:

gain            = R − C
ROI             = (R − C) / C
annualized ROI  = (1 + ROI)^(1 / years) − 1

On the Dates tab, years is whole calendar years from the start date plus leftover days ÷ 365 (so a leap-year anniversary is exactly 1.000 years). On the Length tab, years is the number you enter.

Compare two investments on annualized ROI, not raw ROI, whenever the holding periods differ. A 100% return in 2.5 years (~32% per year) beats the same 100% stretched over four-plus years (~17% per year).

Dates vs length

TabYou provideLength used
DatesFrom and Tocalendar years + leftover days / 365
LengthInvestment length in yearsthe number you typed

Examples

$1,000 to $2,000 from 2026-09-09 to 2030-12-31

The gain is $1,000.00, ROI is 100.00%, the span is 4.310 years, and annualized ROI is 17.45%.

Same amounts over 2.5 years

The gain and ROI are unchanged ($1,000, 100%), but annualized ROI rises to 31.95% because the same doubling happened in less time. Length displays as 2.500 years.

A 50% loss over 4 years

$1,000 returned as $500 is an Investment Loss of $500.00, ROI of -50.00%, and annualized ROI of -15.91%.

Frequently asked questions

How is ROI calculated?
ROI is the investment gain divided by the amount invested: (amount returned − amount invested) / amount invested. A $1,000 stake that grows to $2,000 has a $1,000 gain and a 100% ROI, no matter how long it took.
What is annualized ROI?
Annualized ROI is the compound yearly rate that would produce the same total ROI over the holding period: (1 + ROI)^(1 / years) − 1. It lets you compare investments that ran for different lengths of time. A 100% total return over 2.5 years is about 31.95% annualized; the same 100% over 4.310 years is about 17.45% annualized.
Should I enter dates or a length in years?
Use Dates when you know the start and end of the investment — the calculator counts whole calendar years from the start date, then leftover days divided by 365. Use Length when you already know the holding period in years (including fractions such as 2.5) and do not need calendar dates.
Why is a high ROI not always better?
ROI ignores time. A 1,000% return over 50 years is a much weaker result than a 50% return over a few months. Compare annualized ROI when the holding periods differ, and remember that ROI also ignores risk, taxes, and cash flows in the middle of the investment.
What counts as the cost and the return?
That is up to you, and it is the main source of disagreement between ROI figures. Some people include taxes, fees, and carrying costs in the amount invested; others use only the purchase price. Use the same definitions when you compare two opportunities.

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