DCA Calculator

See how dollar-cost averaging into Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana would have performed over 1–5 years using real historical prices.

Pick a cryptocurrency, set how much you invest per period and how often, then choose a time window. The calculator uses CoinGecko historical price data to show your actual total invested, portfolio value, ROI, and average cost basis.

Configure your DCA strategy

Cryptocurrency

Amount per period

Frequency

Time period

Choose your settings above and click Calculate to see your DCA results.

What is dollar-cost averaging?

Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) is an investment strategy where you invest a fixed amount of money at regular intervals — regardless of the asset's price. Instead of trying to time the market, you buy more when prices are low and less when prices are high, automatically smoothing out your average cost basis over time.

For example, investing $100 every week into Bitcoin means you accumulate more coins during bear markets and fewer during bull markets. Over months and years, this tends to produce a lower average purchase price than lump-sum buying at a random moment, and removes the emotional burden of market timing.

Why DCA works for crypto

Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile — Bitcoin has historically experienced drawdowns of 50–80% from peak to trough, followed by new all-time highs. This volatility makes DCA especially effective: sharp price drops that would devastate a lump-sum investor become buying opportunities for a DCA investor who continues purchasing through the dip. The strategy transforms volatility from a threat into an advantage.

Choosing your DCA settings

Frequency — Weekly and bi-weekly intervals are the most popular. Daily DCA captures price swings most granularly but requires more transactions (and potentially more fees). Monthly DCA is simpler and aligns with most pay cycles.
Amount — Only invest what you can afford to leave untouched. DCA works best when you commit to holding through downturns rather than panic-selling.
Time horizon — The longer the period, the more the strategy can work in your favor. Most DCA advocates recommend a minimum of 1–2 years to see the smoothing effect on average cost basis.

How this calculator works

This tool fetches daily closing price data from CoinGecko for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), or Solana (SOL). It then simulates purchases at your chosen interval, accumulating coins at each historical price point. The results show the total amount invested, the portfolio's value at the most recent price, your return on investment (ROI), and your average cost basis per coin. Past performance is not indicative of future results — this calculator is for educational purposes only.