DCA vs Lump Sum Calculator
Compare dollar-cost averaging against lump sum investing across any horizon, return rate and assumed market dip, and see which ends ahead.
Winner
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Enter values above
Lump sum final value
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DCA final value
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Difference
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DCA advantage
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Worked example
With the default inputs shown below, this calculator returns the following results:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Total investment amount ($) | $100,000 |
| Time period (years) | 10 |
| Expected annual return (%) | 8% |
| Market dip in year 1 for DCA (%) | -10% |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Winner | Winner: Lump Sum wins by $67,860 |
| Lump sum final value | $215,892 |
| DCA final value | $148,032 |
| Difference | $67,860 |
| DCA advantage | -31.43% |
Values shown are produced by this page in your browser; change any input to update them.
How to use the DCA vs Lump Sum Calculator
- Total investment amount ($) — default $100,000
- Time period (years) — default 10
- Expected annual return (%) — default 8%
- Market dip in year 1 for DCA (%) — default -10%
- Press Calculate to update the results instantly.