Bitcoin vs S&P 500,
side by side.

Pick a start date and a dollar amount to compare Bitcoin and S&P 500 returns, total and annualized, on the same chart. The comparison uses historical data ×DON'T TRUST, VERIFYClaim: Bitcoin historical prices from CoinMetrics; S&P 500 total return (dividends reinvested) from standard index data.Verify at: CoinGecko BTC history ↗ · Portfolio Visualizer SPY total return ↗ Source 1 in the list belowMonth-end closing values. Verify current data before quoting long-term CAGRs..

The question it answersHow would Bitcoin have performed against the S&P 500 over a given period?

Privacy: runs in your browser. What you enter stays on your device unless you copy a share link, which puts your inputs in the link.

Optional. Adds a recurring monthly buy on top of the lump sum.

Data: month-end closing prices. BTCBitcoin (BTC)The ticker symbol for Bitcoin, used on exchanges and in price quotes.Full definition data through 2026-09-19 snapshot; S&P series through 2026-04. SPY total return (dividends reinvested). Past performance does not predict future results.

BITCOIN
FINAL VALUE
$0
TOTAL RETURN
0%
CAGRCompound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)The steady yearly growth rate that would take an investment from its starting value to its ending value, with gains compounding. Example: $1,000 growing to $2,000 over 10 years is a CAGR of about 7.2%. It hides the ups and downs along the way, which matters for a volatile asset like Bitcoin.
0%
MAX DRAWDOWN
0%
S&P 500 (SPY TR)
FINAL VALUE
$0
TOTAL RETURN
0%
CAGR
0%
MAX DRAWDOWN
0%

Historical, not a forecast. This replays past data. It does not predict what happens next.

Bitcoin's historical returns are extraordinary and are not expected to continue at the same rate. This tool shows historical data only. No investment strategy is guaranteed.

What this tool assumes
  • BTC uses month-end closes generated at every build from the site's CoinMetrics snapshot (data/btc.json): semiannual points before 2017, quarterly after. Data through 2026-09-19.
  • The SPY total-return series (dividends reinvested) is hand-maintained and may end several months before the BTC series; past its last point the tool holds it flat, which slightly understates the S&P side for the most recent months.
  • Dividends for S&P 500 are reinvested; Bitcoin has no dividends.
  • CAGR is computed on total contributed dollars, which is approximate when a monthly DCA is added (not a money-weighted return).

Not financial advice. Historical returns. Your numbers stay in your browser.

HOW THIS IS CALCULATED

This tool runs entirely in your browser: no data is sent to any server. The assumptions and default values behind the result are listed under “What this tool assumes” on this page. Verify the methodology or inspect the source code in your browser's dev tools.

Where to go from here

Read next

Bitcoin Price History

Every Bitcoin price cycle, annotated. Halvings, crashes, bull runs, macro events.

Explore further
  • Bitcoin vs Real EstateAn honest comparison. Leverage, cash flow, tax shelter vs CAGR, zero maintenance, portability.
  • VTI vs VOO vs FSKAXSide-by-side comparison of VTI, FSKAX, SWTSX, SPY, VOO, FXAIX, and VT.
  • Bitcoin DCA CalculatorBacktest a fixed Bitcoin purchase every week or month from any start year since 2015, priced with daily closes, with a lump-sum comparison.
  • Lump Sum vs DCA BacktestBacktests investing a lump sum immediately versus dollar-cost averaging it over 6 to 24 months, using S&P 500 or Bitcoin historical prices from a chosen start year.

Sources

Verify badges in the text link to these sources. Figures, rates and rules change: check each source’s date before acting on it.

  1. CoinGecko, CoinGecko BTC history ↩

Calculators are educational estimates, not financial advice. Disclosures · How pages are reviewed