ROI Calculator
Calculate return on investment as a percentage and net profit.
Result
Results are estimates for general information only and are not professional advice.
What return on investment measures
ROI expresses profit as a percentage of what the investment cost, which is what makes it comparable across things that otherwise have nothing in common — a rental property, a marketing campaign, a piece of equipment, a course of study. Absolute profit tells you how much you made; ROI tells you how hard your money worked to make it.
The formula behind it
The calculation is (return − cost) ÷ cost × 100. Put in 8,000 and get back 10,400 and the profit is 2,400, giving an ROI of 30%. A negative result simply means you received less than you put in. Note that the denominator is the cost, not the return — dividing by the wrong one is the most common error and inflates the figure.
How to use this calculator
Enter the total amount invested and the total amount returned. The result shows the net profit and the ROI percentage. Include every cost in the first figure — fees, taxes, shipping, the hours you had to buy — because an ROI calculated on a partial cost is not a real one.
Its blind spot
ROI has no sense of time. Earning 30% over four months and 30% over four years are identical to it, though the first is vastly better. For anything spanning more than a year, convert to an annualised figure with a CAGR calculation before comparing. ROI also ignores risk: a 12% return on government bonds and a 12% return on a speculative venture are not the same result, and no single percentage will tell you that.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ROI Calculator?
Calculate return on investment as a percentage and net profit. It runs instantly in your browser and is completely free to use.
What do I need to enter to use the ROI Calculator?
The ROI Calculator asks for the following values (2): Amount invested, Amount returned. Fill them in and the result appears immediately — the calculation runs on your own device, so nothing you type is sent to a server.
How accurate is the ROI Calculator?
The ROI Calculator uses standard, widely-accepted formulas, so its figures are reliable estimates for everyday planning. They are not a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.
Is the ROI Calculator free, and do I need an account?
Yes. The ROI Calculator — and every other calculator on Calculatis — is completely free, with no registration, no download and no limit on how often you use it.