ROI Calculator – Return on Investment Percentage
Use this free ROI calculator to see how much profit or loss you made on an investment or project. Enter the amount you put in and what you got back to get the absolute return and percentage ROI.
ROI Calculator
Calculate simple return on investment (ROI) as a percentage by comparing the amount you put in with what you got back.
How the ROI formula works
ROI compares what you gained or lost to what you originally invested. If you invest an amount C and later receive or sell for an amount V, then:
ROI (%) = (V − C) ÷ C × 100
A positive ROI means profit; a negative ROI means a loss. Because it does not account for time, ROI should be used alongside CAGR or other time-based measures when you want to compare investments held for different durations.
When to rely on ROI and when to look at CAGR
ROI is great for a quick sense check: did this investment or project beat my expectations, and by how much per rupee invested? It is straightforward and easy to explain, which is why it is common in business cases and marketing.
However, ROI alone can be misleading when comparing investments of different lengths. A 20% ROI over one year is very different from 20% over ten years. In those cases, use the ROI calculator together with the CAGR calculator to see both the total return and the average annual growth rate before making a decision.