ROI Calculator
Measure the gain or loss on an investment relative to its cost. Enter what you put in and what you got back to estimate ROI as a percentage.
Calculate ROI
Enter gain and cost to get ROI.
How it works
What this result means
ROI measures how much you gained relative to what you spent. A 50% ROI means you made back your investment plus half again. It does not account for the time taken — a 50% ROI over 10 years is very different from one over 1 year.
Formula:
ROI = ((Gain − Cost) ÷ Cost) × 100
Where:
Gain = final value or total return from the investment
Cost = initial amount invested
ROI % = return expressed as a percentage of cost
- Subtract the initial cost from the final gain to get net profit
- Divide net profit by the original cost
- Multiply by 100 to express as a percentage
- Compare ROI across investments of the same time period for an apples-to-apples view
Example
Cost $1,000, final value $1,350: ROI = ((1,350 − 1,000) ÷ 1,000) × 100 = 35%.
Use this tool for
- Comparing investment or project results
- Reviewing marketing, stock, or property performance
- Checking whether returns justify the original cost
Common questions
- What is a good ROI? It depends on risk and asset class. Stocks historically average around 7"10% per year; higher returns usually imply higher risk. Compare to your cost of capital.
- Can ROI be negative? Yes. If the final value is less than the cost, the gain is negative and ROI is negative, indicating a loss.
- Should I include fees in the cost? For accuracy, include all costs (purchase fees, commissions) in the investment cost and any selling costs as a reduction of proceeds.