In-depth guides and resources to help you make the most of the ROI Calculator and master the underlying financial concepts.
Open ROI CalculatorReturn on Investment (ROI) is the universal language of financial decision-making, but calculating it correctly requires more precision than "did I make money?" The basic formula (gain minus cost, divided by cost) ignores time, a 20% return over 10 years is far worse than a 20% return over 1 year. These guides explain when to use simple ROI, annualized ROI (CAGR), internal rate of return (IRR), and net present value (NPV) depending on whether you are evaluating an investment, business project, real estate acquisition, or marketing spend.
The guides cover real estate ROI calculations (cap rate, cash-on-cash return, gross vs. net rental yield) and how leveraged returns differ from unleveraged, why CAGR is the right metric for comparing investment performance across different time periods, and how opportunity cost (the return you could have earned in a broad index fund instead) should be factored into every ROI analysis. All examples include inflation adjustment to distinguish nominal from real (inflation-adjusted) returns.
Master Return on Investment calculations. Learn to compare stocks, real estate, business investments, and more using ROI and annualized return metrics.
Historical returns for US stocks and real estate compared honestly: raw appreciation, leveraged returns, income, costs, and risk, with the framework for deciding which belongs in your portfolio in 2026.