ROI Calculator

About this tool

Return on Investment (ROI) is the universal yardstick for measuring whether money deployed in a project, asset, or campaign generated a worthwhile return. Expressed as a percentage, ROI is calculated as (Net Gain ÷ Cost) × 100, where net gain equals the final value minus the initial investment. A positive ROI means you came out ahead; a negative ROI means you lost money. Enter your initial investment and the final value, and this calculator instantly shows three figures: the profit (or loss) in money terms, the ROI percentage, and the multiple — final value divided by initial investment, so 1.35x means every unit invested became 1.35. For an advertising campaign, enter ad spend and attributed revenue and the multiple doubles as your ROAS. ROI does not account for how long the money was invested; to compare holding periods, annualise the result separately. Everything runs in your browser.

Why use it

• Simple ROI Percentage: The most widely used investment metric: (Final − Initial) ÷ Initial × 100. Works for stocks, real estate, equipment, or any asset. Positive is a gain, negative is a loss — instantly understandable.

• Profit in Money Terms: Alongside the percentage, the tool shows the absolute profit or loss, so a big percentage on a small stake is not mistaken for a big win.

• Investment Multiple: The multiple (final ÷ initial) is how venture investors and marketers often talk about returns — 2.00x means the money doubled. For ad campaigns it is the same number as ROAS.

• Live Results: Profit, ROI and multiple update with every keystroke, so you can test break-even values quickly.

• No Tracking: Investment amounts and performance data are private. All calculations run entirely in your browser — nothing is sent to a server, stored, or associated with your identity.

How to use

1. Enter the amount you put in under Initial investment
2. Enter what it is worth now, or the total revenue received, under Final value
3. Read the Profit figure — negative means a loss
4. Read the ROI percentage and the Multiple, which update as you type

When it helps

• When checking how much a stock, fund, or property has returned since you bought it
• When evaluating a marketing campaign by comparing revenue generated with total spend
• When assessing whether a piece of equipment or software purchase has paid back its cost
• When preparing an investment proposal or pitch deck that needs to show a return in percentage terms
• When reviewing past investments to see which ones gained or lost money

Examples

Tips

• When holding periods differ, annualise the ROI before comparing — a 5-year return and a 10-year return are not comparable as-is
• Add every fee and transaction cost to the initial investment before entering it — net return is the number that matters
• Use the Multiple as your ROAS for ad campaigns: enter ad spend as the investment and attributed revenue as the final value
• Inflation erodes nominal ROI by roughly 2–4% per year — subtract expected inflation to get a real return figure for long-term planning
• ROI does not measure risk — two investments can have identical ROI while one is far more volatile

Frequently Asked Questions

Glossary

Return on Investment (ROI)

A performance metric expressing the net gain or loss of an investment as a percentage of its initial cost. Calculated as (Final Value − Cost) ÷ Cost × 100. Positive values indicate profit; negative values indicate loss.

CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)

The smoothed annualised rate at which an investment grows from its initial value to its final value over a specified number of years, assuming reinvestment of returns. Formula: (Final ÷ Initial)^(1/years) − 1.

ROAS (Return on Ad Spend)

A marketing-specific metric equal to revenue generated divided by advertising spend, expressed as a ratio. ROAS of 4x means $4 in revenue for every $1 spent on ads. Unlike ROI, it does not account for non-ad costs.

Net Profit

Revenue minus all costs, including cost of goods, operating expenses, fees, and taxes. Net profit is the true economic gain from an activity and the basis for a meaningful net ROI calculation.

Holding Period

The length of time an investment is held before it is sold or valued. CAGR normalises returns across different holding periods, making a 3-year and a 10-year investment directly comparable.

Annualised Return

A return expressed as a yearly equivalent regardless of the actual holding period. Calculated using CAGR for compound growth or simple division for linear returns. Essential for fair cross-investment comparisons.