Tools · Lump Sum vs DCA

Lump sum vs
dollar-cost averaging.

If you have a large amount to invest, should you deploy it all at once or spread it across months? Vanguard research (2012) found lump sum beats DCA about two-thirds of the time historically. This tool backtests a specific scenario using real S&P 500 closes.

LUMP SUM (ALL AT START)
$0
Return: 0%
DCA (SPREAD)
$0
Return: 0%
DIFFERENCE
$0
Winner: --
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Pick a start year and hit the button.
What this tool assumes
  • S&P 500 backtest uses approximate monthly total-return closes (price + dividends reinvested).
  • Bitcoin backtest uses approximate monthly closes; no dividends.
  • DCA schedule divides the lump sum equally across the selected months, starting at the start-year date.
  • Endpoint is late 2025 / early 2026 depending on data availability.
  • No transaction fees, taxes, or rebalancing are modeled.
  • This is a single historical path. For probabilistic rollouts, see the Vanguard 2012 paper linked below.

Historical S&P and BTC monthly closes are approximate. Educational only; not financial advice.

Related

→ Lump sum vs DCA guide → Dollar-cost averaging explained → Bitcoin DCA calculator
HOW THIS IS CALCULATED

This tool runs entirely in your browser — no data is sent to any server. All formulas use standard financial math. Verify the methodology or inspect the source code in your browser's dev tools.