Calculated
Return on Investment Calculator
Sign up to favourite this calculatorEnter what an investment cost and what it returned to see the net gain or loss and the ROI percentage. Four modes cover a basic return, a revenue-and-costs project, recurring savings and annualised returns.
Net gain
ROI
50.00%Investment cost
£10,000.00Return multiple
1.50×Net profit per £1 invested
£0.50After recovering the investment cost.
- Investment cost
- £10,000.00
- Total return generated
- £15,000.00
- Net gain
- £5,000.00
- ROI
- 50.00%
- Return multiple
- 1.50×
- Total return per £1 invested
- £1.50
- Net profit per £1 invested
- £0.50
- Investment duration
- 12 months
- Annualised ROI
- 50.00%
Save to My calculations
Sign in to keep your calculationsSaved · View in My dashboard
Saving…Saved to My dashboardCouldn't save. We'll try again.That saved calculation isn't available.
Share result
Compare scenarios
Keep this calculation as a scenario, change any input above, and the Now column shows how the result moves. Keep up to three, A to C; Open puts one back in the calculator.
Explain my result
Assumptions and limits
- An estimate from the numbers you entered, for guidance only. It is not financial, tax or medical advice.
- Calculator version 1, last updated 25 October 2026.
Was this calculator useful?
Report a problem
Saved to your account. Go to My dashboard to view your calculations.Link copied. Paste it wherever you want to share it.Your link is ready: open Share result and choose Copy link.
How to use this calculator
- Pick your currency at the top of the calculator panel. It sets the formatting only and does not convert the figures.
- Under Calculate ROI from, choose the mode that matches what you know — a basic return, revenue and costs, a savings project, or an annualised return.
- Enter the investment cost — every direct upfront cost, including purchase, setup, delivery, installation and training.
- Fill in the remaining fields for the mode — the return, the revenue and costs, the monthly saving, or the final value and duration.
- Read the net gain or loss and the ROI percentage on the right; the summary tab lists every figure used to get there.
The results update as you type. Switching mode keeps your currency and shows a fresh set of example figures for that mode.
What do I need to enter?
Every money figure is zero or more, up to 1 trillion, and the investment cost must be above zero. The fields depend on the Calculate ROI from mode you pick.
- Basic return — investment cost, total return generated, and an investment duration in months or years (up to 1,200 months or 100 years) used for the annualised ROI.
- Revenue and costs — investment cost, additional revenue generated, direct costs of generating that revenue, and other incremental costs.
- Savings project — upfront investment cost, recurring saving per month, ongoing cost per month and an evaluation period in months (up to 1,200).
- Annualised ROI — initial investment cost, final value received, and the investment duration in years (up to 100).
What do the results show?
- Net gain — the main figure, shown as Net loss when the return has not recovered the cost.
- ROI — the net gain as a percentage of the investment cost. Annualised mode showstotal ROI and annualised ROI together.
- Return multiple and net profit per unit invested — total return divided by cost, and profit for each £1, $1 or other unit put in.
- Operating gain before investment — in Revenue and costs mode, revenue less direct and other costs, before the investment cost is deducted.
- Net saving per month and payback period — in Savings project mode, the monthly saving after ongoing costs, and how many months it takes to repay the upfront cost.
- Summary tab — every figure used, line by line.
How ROI is calculated
Every mode works out a net gain or loss first, then divides it by the investment cost to get the ROI percentage.
Net Gain = Total Return − Investment Cost
ROI % = (Net Gain ÷ Investment Cost) × 100
For a revenue-and-costs project, the direct and incremental costs come out first:
Net Gain = Additional Revenue − Direct Costs − Other Incremental Costs − Investment Cost
For a savings project, the recurring net saving is run over the evaluation period:
Net Gain = (Recurring Saving − Ongoing Cost) × Number of Periods − Upfront Investment Cost
Payback Period = Upfront Investment Cost ÷ Net Saving Per Period
For annualised ROI, the total return is converted to an equivalent yearly rate:
Annualised ROI % = ((Final Value ÷ Initial Investment)^(1 ÷ Years) − 1) × 100
Note: ROI is a planning measure, not a guarantee. Include all relevant setup, delivery and ongoing costs for a more realistic result.
What the ROI percentage means
ROI shows profit or loss relative to the original investment. A 50% ROI means a £10,000 investment created a £5,000 net gain after recovering the £10,000 invested. A 0% ROI is break-even — the return exactly equals the cost. A −100% ROI means the entire investment was lost with nothing returned.
The return multiple says the same thing a different way: a 50% ROI is a 1.50× return, meaning every £1 invested brought back £1.50 in total and 50p of that was profit.
ROI does not automatically account for timing, risk, financing costs or all tax effects. Use consistent time periods and include all relevant costs. To compare investments held for different lengths of time, use the annualised ROI mode.
Which mode to use
| Mode | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Basic return | You know the full investment cost and the total value or return it generated. Example: A £10,000 machine that produced £15,000 of value. |
| Revenue and costs | A project or campaign generates extra sales that carry their own direct and incremental costs. Example: A £5,000 campaign that brought in £20,000 of revenue with £8,000 of costs to deliver it. |
| Savings project | Automation, equipment or a process change that creates a recurring monthly saving. Example: A £12,000 system that saves £1,500 a month against £200 of new monthly cost. |
| Annualised ROI | Comparing investments held for different lengths of time on a like-for-like yearly basis. Example: A £10,000 investment worth £15,000 after three years. |
Common things to measure with ROI
- Machinery, equipment, tools and vehicles
- Marketing campaigns and websites
- Software, automation and AI tools
- Staff training and consultancy
- New products and services
- Process improvements and cost-saving projects
Important information
Important: this calculator is for general business planning and is not financial advice. It uses the figures you enter and standard ROI arithmetic; it does not model tax, financing costs, risk or the time value of money. For a full revenue-to-net-profit breakdown once overheads and tax are in the picture, see the Profit Margin Calculator, or the Break-Even Point Calculator to find the sales needed to cover costs.
Frequently asked questions
What is return on investment (ROI)?
Return on investment is the profit or loss an investment produced, expressed as a percentage of what it cost. ROI % = (Net gain or loss ÷ Investment cost) × 100. A positive ROI means the investment created more value than it cost; a negative ROI means it has not yet recovered its cost.
How do you calculate ROI?
Subtract the investment cost from the total return to get the net gain or loss, then divide that by the investment cost and multiply by 100. For example, a £10,000 investment that returns £15,000 has a £5,000 net gain, and £5,000 ÷ £10,000 × 100 = 50% ROI.
What is a good ROI for a business project?
It depends on the type of project, the risk and how long the money is tied up. A quick marketing campaign might be expected to return several times its cost, while a long-term equipment purchase could be worthwhile at a much lower annual return. Compare the ROI against what the same money could earn elsewhere, and against the risk of the project.
What is annualised ROI and why does it matter?
Annualised ROI restates a total return as an equivalent yearly rate, so investments held for different periods can be compared fairly. A 50% total return over three years is an annualised ROI of about 14.47% a year. Without annualising, a project that took five years to double your money looks the same as one that did it in one year.
What is the payback period in the savings mode?
The payback period is how long the recurring net saving takes to repay the upfront cost: Upfront cost ÷ Net saving per month. A £12,000 system saving a net £1,300 a month pays back in about 9.23 months. If ongoing costs equal or exceed the saving, there is no payback period and the calculator says so.
What costs should I include in the investment cost?
Include every direct upfront cost needed to put the investment in place: the purchase price, delivery, installation, setup, configuration, training and any consultancy. Leaving costs out inflates the ROI and makes the result less realistic.
Does ROI account for tax, financing costs or inflation?
No. This calculator works out ROI from the cash figures you enter. It does not model tax, interest on borrowing, the time value of money or inflation. Treat the result as a planning measure, and use consistent time periods across the figures you compare.
Does changing the currency convert my figures?
No. The currency selector changes the formatting only — the symbol, the grouping and, for the yen, the decimal places. The amounts you enter and every calculated result stay exactly as they are. There is no exchange rate involved.
Last updated 25 October 2026.