Is it better to invest gradually or all at once?
Type in your investing strategy and see how it would have played out. How much per month, for how long, at what starting and ending price.
The tool runs two scenarios side-by-side: regular monthly contributions vs putting it all in at the start. Shows which one would have earned more given the assumed market volatility.
This is a scenario simulator, not a crystal ball. It helps you understand when regular contributions win (markets dip then recover) and when they lose (the market only goes up).
In India and across South Asia this same strategy is called SIP (Systematic Investment Plan) - identical mechanics, different name. If you came here looking for a SIP calculator, you're in the right place.
How to use it
- Enter the monthly amount (e.g. $500) and number of months (e.g. 60 = 5 years).
- Set the starting price and ending price of the asset: what it costs today vs what you assume at the end.
- Use the market volatility slider to set how much the price swings on the way (0% = flat, 30% = realistic stock swings, 60% = crypto-level).
- Use the cycles slider to set how many full ups-and-downs fit in the period.
- Result: two scenarios side-by-side plus a verdict on which won and by how much.
When this is useful
Five common scenarios:
- Crypto investing. "I buy $200 of BTC each month, does this make sense?". Test how different scenarios (BTC hits new highs / loses 60% / stays flat) would affect your contributions.
- Retirement plan in a fund or ETF. $1,000/month for 20 years. See how much you might have at realistic stock-market volatility (15-25%).
- "I just got a bonus, what now?". Drop it all on the market right away, or split into 12 monthly buys? Statistics say all-at-once wins 67% of the time, but here you can run the numbers for your specific assumptions.
- Education and intuition. Show a kid or coworker that regular buying isn't always better. Or the opposite: at high volatility it really helps you sleep at night.
- "What if" scenario testing. What if the market crashes at the end? What if it rallies? The sliders let you see every version without doing the math by hand.
To compare your results against different investments (stocks, bonds, savings), check the average annual return calculator. If you're planning steady contributions to bonds or a savings account, the savings calculator handles compound interest including tax.