Calculator Comparison

ROI Calculator vs Stock Return Calculator

Not sure which calculator to use? Here's a side-by-side comparison of the ROI Calculator and Stock Return Calculator to help you pick the right one for your needs.

ROI Calculator

Investment & Retirement

Calculate the return on investment (ROI) for any investment by comparing your initial cost to the final value or profit.

What you enter

Initial Investment
Final Value
Investment Period

What you get

Total ROI(primary)
Annualized ROI
Total Profit/Loss

Use ROI Calculator

Stock Return Calculator

Investment & Retirement

Calculate your total stock investment return including purchase price, sale price, dividends received, and holding period. See annualized returns and compare against benchmarks.

What you enter

Purchase Price per Share
Number of Shares
Current/Sale Price per Share
Holding Period (Years)

What you get

Total Return(primary)
Total Return Percentage
Annualized Return
Capital Gain/Loss

Includes visual pie chart breakdown

Use Stock Return Calculator

Key Differences

Feature	ROI Calculator	Stock Return Calculator
Category	Investment & Retirement	Investment & Retirement
Inputs	3 required fields	4 required fields
Outputs	3 results	4 results
Chart	No chart	pie chart
FAQs	3 answered	6 answered

Input Comparison

Only in ROI Calculator

Initial Investment
Final Value
Investment Period

Only in Stock Return Calculator

Purchase Price per Share
Number of Shares
Current/Sale Price per Share
Total Dividends Received
Holding Period (Years)

Which Calculator Should You Use?

Use the ROI Calculator if you need to:

Calculate total roi
When you know your initial investment and final value

Use the Stock Return Calculator if you need to:

Calculate total return
When you know your purchase price per share and number of shares
Want a visual pie chart breakdown

Frequently Asked Questions

How is ROI calculated?

ROI = (Final Value - Initial Investment) / Initial Investment x 100. For example, investing $10,000 and getting $15,000 back is a 50% ROI.

What is a good ROI?

A good ROI depends on the investment type. The S&P 500 averages about 10% annually. Real estate averages 8-12%. Anything above the risk-free rate (Treasury bonds) can be considered good.

What is total return on a stock?

Total return is the complete gain or loss from an investment, combining price appreciation and any dividends received. For example, if you buy a stock at $100, it rises to $110, and pays $2 in dividends, your total return is $12 ($110 - $100 + $2), or 12%. Always use total return when comparing investments.

What is annualized return?

Annualized return converts a holding period return to a yearly equivalent, allowing fair comparison between investments held for different lengths of time. A 50% total return over 4 years is not 12.5%/year — it's approximately 10.67%/year (calculated as: (1 + 0.50)^(1/4) - 1). Use annualized returns to compare any two investments.

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Bottom Line

Choose the ROI Calculator if you need to calculate total roi. Use the Stock Return Calculator if you need to calculate total return. Both calculators are free and require no sign-up.

Use ROI Calculator Use Stock Return Calculator

Feature

ROI Calculator

Stock Return Calculator