Compound Growth Calculator
See how a steady return compounds into a growing balance over months, years or trades. It is an illustration of the arithmetic, not a prediction of what markets will do.
Compound Growth
Advanced options
Added at the end of every period. Use a negative number for regular withdrawals.
Balance after 24 months
$16,084
At 2% per month, $10,000 becomes $16,084 — a gain of $6,084, or 1.61× what was put in.
Illustration only — not a prediction of future returns. Real returns are uneven, never guaranteed, and can be negative for long stretches.
- Compounded
- Same rate, no compounding
How was this calculated?
- Each month: Balance × (1 + 0.02)
- After 24 months: $10,000.00 × (1 + 0.02)^24 = $16,084.37
- Time to double = ln(2) ÷ ln(1 + 0.02) = 35 months
What does this mean?
Compounding means each period’s return is earned on the balance including earlier returns. Growth starts slowly and accelerates, which is why the compounded line curves away from the straight “no compounding” line on the chart.
The maths cuts both ways: a run of losses compounds too. And real trading returns are never a smooth percentage every period, so treat this as a way to understand the shape of growth, not a forecast.
The formula
Final balance = Start × (1 + r)^n
With deposits: Balance(n) = Balance(n − 1) × (1 + r) + Deposit
Time to double = ln(2) ÷ ln(1 + r)
Worked example
$10,000 growing at 2% a month for 24 months becomes 10,000 × 1.0224 ≈ $16,084, a gain of about $6,084. Without compounding, the same 2% a month would only add $200 a month, ending at $14,800. The difference is the interest earned on interest.
Frequently asked questions
How is compound growth calculated?
Multiply your starting balance by (1 + the return per period) raised to the number of periods. This calculator does that and also plots each period so you can see the curve.
Is this a prediction of trading returns?
No. It shows what a constant return would produce mathematically. Actual results vary from period to period, can be negative, and are never guaranteed.
What does “per trade” mean?
If you risk a fixed percentage and average a certain return per trade, you can treat each trade as a period. Be conservative: a small average return per trade compounds over many trades, but so does a small average loss.
Learn more
This tool is for education and general information only and is not financial advice. Results are estimates that exclude spreads, commissions, swaps and slippage. Trading carries a risk of loss. Preferences you choose, such as your account currency, are remembered only in your own browser.