ROI Calculator

What ROI Tells You

Return on investment (ROI) answers a simple question: for the money you put in, how much did you get back? It compares your gain (or loss) to what it cost, as a percent - so a 500 gain on a 1,000 investment is a 50% return, the same rate as a 50 gain on 100.

Putting it as a percent lets you compare very different investments fairly. The bar under the calculator shows your cost (blue) and the gain stacked on top (green) - or, if it lost money, the part that was lost (orange). ROI ignores how long it took; for a per-year rate, use CAGR.

ROI Formula

$$\text{ROI} = \frac{\text{final} - \text{cost}}{\text{cost}} \times 100$$

How to Use It

1. Enter the initial investment and the final value.
2. Read the ROI percentage and the net gain or loss.

Worked Examples

Initial	Final	ROI	Net
1000	1500	50%	500 gain
200	260	30%	60 gain
5000	4000	−20%	1000 loss

FAQ

How do you calculate ROI?

Subtract the cost from the final value, divide by the cost, and multiply by 100. For 1000 → 1500: $\frac{500}{1000} \times 100 = 50\%$.

Can ROI be negative?

Yes. If the final value is below the initial cost, the ROI is negative — a loss.

Does ROI account for time?

No. ROI is the total return regardless of how long it took. For an annualized rate, use the CAGR calculator.