Dollar-Cost Averaging Calculator

Dollar-cost averaging means investing a fixed amount on a fixed schedule regardless of price. This calculator shows what you would invest in total and an illustrative ending value at a constant assumed return. DCA spreads out purchase timing; it does not remove the risk of loss.

Your inputs

$
$
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Results

Total invested

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Illustrative ending value

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Illustrative growth

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Results are illustrative. Calculations run entirely in your browser, nothing you enter is sent anywhere, and no figure here is a forecast, a guarantee or investment advice. Markets can rise or fall.

How the calculation works

The annual return is converted to an equivalent per-period rate, (1 + r)1/periods − 1, and each contribution is added at the end of its period.

Because a constant return is assumed, this tool cannot show DCA's main real-world effect: buying more units when prices are low and fewer when high. It is a savings projection, not a model of market volatility.

Frequently asked questions

Does dollar-cost averaging reduce risk?

It removes the need to pick an entry point and spreads purchases over time. It does not remove market risk or guarantee a gain.

Is lump-sum investing better?

Neither approach wins in every period. The choice often depends on when you have the money and how you would feel about investing it all at once.