CAGR Calculator — Compound Annual Growth Rate

What this CAGR Calculator does

This English-language compound annual growth rate calculator takes three inputs — start value, end value, and number of years — and returns the CAGR, total return percentage, growth multiplier, and Rule-of-72 doubling time in one step. CAGR smooths out year-to-year volatility so you can compare investments across different time horizons on equal footing. A common pitfall is confusing total return with annualized return: a stock that doubled over six years has a 100% total return but only a ~12.2% CAGR. This tool shows both figures side by side so the gap is impossible to miss. 100% client-side — your data never leaves your browser. No uploads, no tracking, no server logs. For related analysis, the [compound interest calculator](/en/compound-interest-calculator/) and the [Investment ROI Calculator](/en/investment-roi-calculator/) pair naturally with CAGR work.

Features

CAGR formula, solved instantly. Applies the standard compound annual growth rate formula — (End/Start)^(1/Years) − 1 — with no rounding shortcuts, giving you an accurate annualized rate to as many decimal places as you need.
Total return and growth multiplier. Reports the raw total return percentage and the growth multiplier (e.g., 2.4×) alongside CAGR so you always see the headline number and the annualized rate together.
Rule-of-72 doubling time. Estimates how many years it takes for your investment to double at the computed CAGR using the Rule of 72, a quick mental-math shortcut trusted by analysts worldwide.
Works for any growth metric. Not just for stocks — use it to benchmark business revenue, monthly active users, SaaS ARR, or any other metric that has a start point, an end point, and a time span.
No data leaves your device. All calculations run in your browser via JavaScript. There is no server, no API call, and no logging. Sensitive portfolio figures stay private by design, in line with NIST SP 800-63B (digital identity) best practices around minimizing data exposure.

How to use the CAGR Calculator

Three fields, one click. Enter your numbers and the calculator does the rest.

Enter the start value. Type the initial investment or metric value — for example, 10000 for a $10,000 portfolio in January 2018.
Enter the end value. Type the final value at the end of your holding period — for example, 18500 if the portfolio is worth $18,500 today.
Enter the number of years. Type the holding period in years. Fractional years are supported — use 6.5 for six and a half years.
Click Calculate. The tool returns CAGR, total return %, growth multiplier, and Rule-of-72 doubling time instantly. Use the Copy button to paste results into a spreadsheet or report.

Common use cases

Annualizing a stock or portfolio return. A San Francisco-based investor who bought an index fund in 2017 and sold in 2024 can enter the two prices and seven-year span to get a clean CAGR — far more useful than the raw percentage when comparing against a benchmark.
Comparing investments across time horizons. A bond held for three years and a rental property held for nine years both produced different total returns. CAGR normalizes them so the comparison is apples-to-apples.
Benchmarking SaaS or business revenue growth. Founders and analysts routinely need a compound growth rate calculator to express multi-year ARR or user growth as a single annualized figure for investor decks and board reports.
Estimating doubling time. A Boston-based finance team modeling when a fund will double can read the Rule-of-72 output directly — no separate calculation needed. For mortgage-related projections, the [loan calculator](/en/loan-calculator/) covers amortization.
Validating financial model assumptions. Plug your projected start and end values into the compound annual rate calculator to sanity-check whether the growth assumption in your model is realistic relative to historical industry benchmarks.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CAGR formula?

CAGR = (End Value / Start Value) ^ (1 / Years) − 1. It represents the rate at which an investment would have grown if it grew at a steady rate each year. The exponent smooths out volatility, so a wildly fluctuating portfolio and a stable one with the same start and end values will show identical CAGR.

How is CAGR different from average annual return?

Average annual return sums yearly returns and divides by the count — it ignores compounding. CAGR accounts for compounding and only looks at start and end values, so it reflects what actually happened to your money over the period. For volatile assets the two figures can differ substantially.

Is my data private when I use this calculator?

Yes. The compound annual growth rate calculation runs entirely in your browser with no server involved. Your portfolio values, dates, and results are never transmitted, stored, or logged anywhere. This is a deliberate design choice — sensitive financial data should not pass through third-party servers unnecessarily.

Can I use this as a cumulative annual growth rate calculator?

Yes — 'cumulative annual growth rate' and 'compound annual growth rate' refer to the same calculation. The formula and result are identical regardless of which term you use. Just enter your start value, end value, and the number of years.

What does the Rule of 72 tell me?

Divide 72 by your CAGR percentage and you get an estimate of how many years it takes to double your investment. At a 9% CAGR, doubling takes roughly 8 years (72 ÷ 9). It's a quick sanity check, not an exact figure — the exact doubling time uses the natural log, which this tool computes precisely in the detailed output.

Why does CAGR look high for short holding periods?

Short periods amplify annualized figures. A 20% gain over three months annualizes to roughly 107% CAGR — not because the growth was extraordinary, but because compounding magnifies short bursts. Always consider the holding period alongside the CAGR number before drawing conclusions. The total return percentage shown in the output keeps things grounded in reality.