Tickers to Compare
Up to 10 tickers · ETFs and stocks supported
Parameters
Reinvest Dividends (DRIP)
Automatically reinvest dividends
Add ETFs or stocks and configure parameters,
then run a comparison to see results.
#Compare ETFs and stocks with a real DCA backtest
ETF Stock Calculator is a free tool for comparing how ETFs and individual stocks would have performed under a dollar-cost averaging (DCA) plan. Instead of guessing whether VOO or QQQ was the better hold, or whether reinvesting dividends actually mattered, you can test it against real historical prices and see the answer in dollars.
Every comparison runs a day-by-day simulation: it starts with your initial investment, adds each recurring contribution on schedule, reinvests dividends if you choose, and tracks the portfolio value all the way to today. The result is an apples-to-apples answer to the question that actually matters: “what would my account be worth right now if I had followed this exact plan?”
There is no account to create and nothing to install. It is a research and education tool, not financial advice. Past performance never guarantees future results.
#How to use the calculator
- 1
Pick your tickers
Enter up to 10 ETFs or individual stocks by their ticker symbol, for example VOO, QQQ, SCHD, or AAPL. Autocomplete helps you find the right symbol as you type.
- 2
Set your plan
Choose an initial investment, a recurring contribution amount and schedule (weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, or a one-time lump sum), and how many years back to test.
- 3
Run the backtest
The calculator pulls real historical daily prices and simulates your plan day by day, reinvesting dividends if you leave DRIP on, and charts what each position would be worth today.
- 4
Compare and interpret
See final value, total contributed, total return, and annualized return (IRR) side by side. Hover the chart to see a live breakdown of contributions vs. gains for each ticker. Click any ticker name in the chart legend to open a focused contributions-vs-gains area chart for that position. Optionally get a plain-English AI interpretation of what drove the differences.
#What you can compare
The tool works for any combination of ETFs and US-listed stocks. A few comparisons people run most often:
VOO vs QQQ
S&P 500 vs Nasdaq-100: broad market against tech-heavy growth.
SCHD vs VYM
Two popular dividend ETFs, head to head with DRIP on.
VTI vs VXUS
US total market vs international: the classic diversification debate.
Lump sum vs monthly
Test the same ticker twice: one big deposit vs steady contributions.
NVDA vs the S&P 500
How a single high-growth stock stacks up against the index.
TQQQ over a downturn
See how a leveraged ETF behaves through a bad stretch, not just a good one.
VOO vs 7% fixed
Does the S&P 500 beat a steady 7% annual target? Add a benchmark rate to run the comparison.
VOO vs HYSA yield
Compare broad-market DCA against a ~4.5% high-yield savings account return using the benchmark rate.
#A worked example
Suppose you had invested $10,000 up front and then $500 every month into a broad S&P 500 ETF over the past 10 years, with dividends reinvested. Over that period you would have contributed $10,000 plus 120 monthly deposits of $500, or $70,000 of your own money in total.
The calculator shows what that grew to, how much of the final balance was your contributions versus market growth and reinvested dividends, and the annualized return (IRR) that ties it all together. Change a single input (swap the ticker, turn off DRIP, or stretch the period to 20 years) and rerun to see exactly how much that one decision would have mattered. That side-by-side, “what if” comparison is the whole point of the tool.
#Understanding your results
Total return vs annualized return (IRR)
Total return is the raw percentage gain on everything you put in. Annualized return (IRR) converts that into a per-year rate that correctly accounts for the timing of each contribution, the fairest way to compare a DCA plan across different tickers and time periods.
DRIP: dividend reinvestment
With DRIP on, every dividend automatically buys more shares, which compounds over time. For dividend-heavy ETFs held over many years, leaving DRIP on can make a surprisingly large difference to the final value. Try toggling it to see.
Inception dates
If a ticker did not exist for the full period you requested, the simulation automatically starts from its actual inception and flags it, so a newer fund is never unfairly compared against a longer track record.
Want the full methodology: data source, adjusted close, and the IRR math? Read How It Works →
#Frequently asked questions
What is dollar-cost averaging (DCA)?
Dollar-cost averaging means investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule, say $500 every month, regardless of price. You buy more shares when prices are low and fewer when they're high, which smooths out your average cost and removes the temptation to time the market. This tool backtests exactly that: a fixed contribution invested on a repeating schedule.
Is this a real backtest or just an estimate?
It's a real day-by-day backtest using actual historical daily prices, not a smoothed estimate or a compound-interest formula. Every contribution is invested at that day's adjusted closing price, and dividends are handled explicitly. See How It Works for the full methodology.
Does it account for dividends?
Yes. With DRIP on, dividends buy additional fractional shares on the ex-dividend date, which then earn their own future dividends. With DRIP off, dividends accumulate as cash alongside your position. Either way, dividends are never ignored or double-counted.
Why is the annualized return different from what I expected?
The 'Ann. Return' figure is IRR (internal rate of return), not simple CAGR. For a contribution plan, IRR is more accurate because it accounts for how long each dollar was actually invested: your first contribution compounded for years, your last one for only weeks.