Crypto DCA vs Lump Sum Calculator

Invest the same total two ways, all at once or in equal buys, and see which one is worth more today.

Your money

The same total for both.

Price per unit today.

Price at each DCA buy

Enter the price per unit at each buy, oldest first. The lump sum goes in at the Buy 1 price. Empty boxes are ignored.

DCA vs lump sum

Fill in your money and prices, then choose Compare. Your figures appear here.

Lump Sum Value

₹0.00

All of it bought at the first price

DCA Value

₹0.00

Equal buys at each price

Amount per DCA Buy

₹0.00

Total to invest ÷ number of buys

DCA Average Price

₹0.00

Total to invest ÷ DCA units

Difference

₹0.00

DCA value − lump sum value

Before tax and fees. Cash waiting to be invested is assumed to earn nothing. Past prices do not show which approach will do better next time. To look at one DCA plan on its own, use the Crypto DCA Calculator.

How it is calculated

The same total is invested both ways, so the one that buys more units is ahead.

  • Lump sum units = total to invest ÷ first price
  • Amount per DCA buy = total to invest ÷ number of buys
  • DCA units = amount per buy ÷ price at each buy, added together
  • DCA average price = total to invest ÷ DCA units
  • Value now = units × current price, for each strategy
  • Difference = DCA value − lump sum value

Frequently asked questions

Short answers on how the two strategies differ and on how this calculator compares them.

A lump sum puts all your money in at once, at one price. Dollar-cost averaging, or DCA, splits the same money into equal buys spread over time, so you buy at several prices. In India this is often called rupee-cost averaging.

It invests the same total both ways. The lump sum buys everything at the first price you enter. DCA splits the total equally across every price you enter. Take ₹40,000 and four prices of ₹30,00,000, ₹20,00,000, ₹25,00,000 and ₹40,00,000. The lump sum buys 0.01333333 units. DCA buys 0.01483333 units at an average of ₹26,96,629.21. At a current price of ₹35,00,000 the lump sum is worth ₹46,666.67 and DCA is worth ₹51,916.67, so DCA is ahead by ₹5,250.00.

It depends on what the price does after the first buy. If it mostly rises, the lump sum wins, because all the money was in at the lowest price. If it falls or swings below the first price, DCA wins, because later buys were cheaper. Neither approach guarantees a profit, and nobody knows in advance which path the price will take.

No. Both strategies are valued at the same current price, so the one holding more units is always ahead. DCA wins whenever its average buy price is below the first price. The current price only changes the size of the gap and whether you are in profit.

With DCA, part of your money sits in cash until its turn comes. This calculator assumes that cash earns nothing. If it earns interest in a bank account while it waits, the DCA result would be slightly better than shown.

No. Both results are before tax and exchange fees. In India, profit on a sale is taxed at a flat 30%, plus cess, whichever way you bought. DCA means more purchases, so it can cost more in fees. To look at one DCA plan on its own, use the Crypto DCA Calculator, and for the tax on a sale use the India Crypto Tax Calculator.

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