ROI Calculator — Calculate Return on Investment

Initial Investment ($)Enter a valid investment amount greater than 0.

Final Value ($)Enter a valid final value.

Return on Investment (ROI)

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Net Gain/Loss

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How to Use This Tool

Enter your initial investment amount.
Enter the final value (what it's worth now, or what you sold it for).
Click Calculate for your ROI percentage.

The ROI Formula

ROI (%) = (Final Value − Initial Investment) ÷ Initial Investment × 100

ROI vs. CAGR — Why Time Matters

ROI is a simple, time-independent measure — it doesn't matter whether your gain happened over 1 year or 10 years, the ROI percentage is the same. This makes ROI easy to calculate but less useful for comparing investments held over different time periods. For a time-adjusted (annualized) return, use our CAGR-based Investment Return Calculator instead.

Common Uses

Evaluating a specific investment, business project, or marketing campaign's overall return
Comparing the total return of investments held over similar time periods
Quick back-of-envelope profitability checks

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between ROI and CAGR?

ROI measures total return without accounting for time, while CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) annualizes the return, making it far more useful for comparing investments held over different time periods.

Can ROI be negative?

Yes — a negative ROI means the final value is less than your initial investment, indicating a net loss.

This calculator is provided for general informational and estimation purposes only. Results should not be treated as professional financial, tax, legal, medical, or engineering advice. Always verify critical calculations with a qualified professional or official source before making decisions.