DCA vs lump sum calculator
Compare how dollar-cost averaging would have performed against investing a lump sum, using historical price data
Track your investments in one place
Get Pro and track all your holdings across stocks, ETFs, crypto, and metals with automated price updates.
- Unlimited transactions
- Multiple portfolios
- All your holdings in one place
- Financial year tax reports
- Short-term vs long-term breakdown
- Dividend income tracking
How it works
Enter a symbol, your total investment, and a start date to see how lump sum and DCA strategies would have compared using real historical prices.
1. Pick a symbol
Enter any stock, ETF, crypto, or metal ticker and select the market.
2. Choose a start date
Select when you would have started investing. The calculator runs from that date to today.
3. Set your amount
Enter the total amount to invest. For DCA, this is split evenly across weekly or monthly installments.
4. Compare results
See the final value, total return, and CAGR for both strategies, plus an interactive chart and purchase log.
What you get
Historical data
Calculations based on actual closing prices, not estimates or projections.
Multiple markets
Supports US stocks, Australian stocks, cryptocurrencies, and metals.
Free to use
No account required. Use the calculator as many times as you like, completely free.
Common questions
What is dollar-cost averaging (DCA)?
DCA means investing a fixed amount at regular intervals (weekly or monthly) instead of investing everything at once. This spreads your purchases over time, so you buy more shares when prices are low and fewer when prices are high.
Which strategy usually wins?
Historically, lump sum investing tends to outperform DCA about two-thirds of the time because markets generally trend upward. However, DCA can reduce risk and may perform better during volatile or declining markets.
Does this include dividends or fees?
No. The calculator uses closing prices only and does not factor in dividends, brokerage fees, taxes, or inflation. Actual returns would differ based on these factors.
How far back can I go?
You can select a start date up to 30 years in the past. Available historical data depends on when the asset started trading. If data is unavailable for your chosen date, the calculator will start from the earliest available price.