ROI calculator
FinanceNo. 12 / 24approved
Cost in, final value out, and the percentage that decides whether you brag or quietly delete the spreadsheet. With the annualized return for the patient.
negative ROI is not failure — it's a discounted lesson.
work surface
Math, not advice — results are indicative. Read the disclaimer.
most-used utilities
Startup round
50k into 150k in two years — a 200% that VCs call Tuesday.
Marketing campaign
5k into 15k in a year. The ad worked. Frame it.
Home improvement
20k into 26k over three years. The bathroom outperforms the market.
Stock pick
1k into 1.3k in two years. Beats the sofa. Barely.
Course / education
2.5k into 8k over five years. The best ROI reads like homework.
The honest loss
500 into 200 in a year. A discounted lesson — keep the receipt.
pro tips
ROI doesn't count time — that's what the annualized number is for. 100% in a year beats 100% in five.
Costs love to hide. Count the hours, the tools and the coffee before calling it ROI.
Negative ROI isn't failure; it's a discounted lesson.
what it does
ROI is the classic question: what did I get back for what I put in? Type the cost and the final value and you get the percentage, the net gain and whether your decision deserves a spreadsheet or a shrug.
Add the years and you also get the annualized return — because a 100% gain in one year and a 100% gain in five years are not the same number, financially or emotionally.
Everything updates as you type. Perfect for campaigns, courses, renovations and the quiet moment you realise the bathroom outperformed the stock market.
Use it before you spend and after you see the numbers: a marketing budget, a course fee, a home improvement, or a stock you're too polite to mention. ROI tells you how the decision performed; the annualized number tells you how well it did per year, which is how you compare decisions honestly.
quick answers
What is ROI?
Return on investment: how much you got back compared to what you put in, as a percentage. (Final value − cost) ÷ cost × 100.
What is the annualized return?
The ROI flattened out per year, also called CAGR. It's the honest way to compare a quick win against a long hold.
Does ROI count time?
The basic percentage doesn't — that's why the annualized number exists. 100% in a year beats 100% in five, and the calculator shows you both.
What if my cost is zero?
Then it's not an investment, it's a donation — which is fine, but the maths politely declines to divide by zero.