DCA Calculator
Compare dollar-cost averaging vs. lump-sum investing using historical price data.
About DCA Calculator
DCA Calculator compares dollar-cost averaging against a single lump-sum investment using historical price data, so you can see which strategy would have come out ahead over a given period. Reach for it when you're deciding whether to invest all at once or spread purchases over time, or to settle the lump-sum-versus-DCA debate with actual numbers. The comparison runs in your browser.
- Category
- finance
- Input
- No file input — params only.
- Output
- Outputs: application/json.
- Cost
- Free, runs in your browser
- Memory
- low
Common uses
- See whether investing $12,000 at once beat spreading it as $1,000 a month over the past year
- Show a hesitant first-time investor how DCA smooths out a volatile entry point
- Compare the average share price you'd have paid under each approach for the same total outlay
- Backtest a monthly contribution plan against a one-time deposit at the start of a market dip
- Build a concrete example for a finance blog post or class showing both strategies on the same data
- Decide how to deploy a bonus or windfall by modeling staged versus immediate investment
Frequently asked questions
Where does the historical price data come from?
The tool runs against historical price data to back-test both strategies; results reflect past performance, which is not a guarantee of future returns.
What's the difference between DCA and lump sum here?
Lump sum invests the full amount on the start date. DCA splits the same total into equal periodic purchases, so your average cost tracks the price over time rather than a single entry point.
Does it account for fees or taxes?
The comparison focuses on share accumulation and ending value from price movement. Trading fees and taxes aren't modeled, so treat the figures as a strategy comparison rather than a net-of-cost forecast.
Is my input private?
Yes. The calculation happens in your browser; the amounts and parameters you enter are not uploaded anywhere.
What format is the result?
JSON with the ending value, total shares, and average cost for each strategy so you can compare them directly.
Keywords
- dca
- dollar cost averaging
- investment
- shares
- finance
- lump sum
- portfolio