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Compound Interest Calculator: Growth, Schedule and APY

Enter an amount, a rate and a term, add deposits if you like, and see the balance, a yearly schedule and the formula. It also converts APR to APY.

Future balance–
Starting amount–
Total deposits–
Total interest–
Effective yield (APY)–

Each deposit is made at the

More options: inflation, goal, currency

Growth chart

Year-by-year schedule

Period Deposits Interest Balance
What if the rate were different?

Same amount, deposits and term at rates 2 points lower to 2 points higher. Tap a rate to use it.

Rate Balance Interest Change
Show the formula with your numbers

Private by design. Everything runs in your browser and is never uploaded. Results are estimates.

The basics

What is compound interest?

Compound interest is interest paid on your original amount and on the interest already added to it. The formula is A = P(1 + r/n)nt, where P is the starting amount, r the yearly rate as a decimal, n the compounding periods a year and t the years. For example, 10,000 at 5% compounded monthly for 10 years becomes 16,470.09.

Because the interest from each period joins the balance, the next period earns interest on a larger amount. This compound interest calculator adds regular deposits at the start or end of each period, supports nine compounding schedules from daily to continuous, shows a yearly or monthly schedule and a chart, and converts between APR and APY. Results update as you type. For other everyday sums, see the free online calculators, or use the percentage calculator to turn a rate into a percent change.

Worked examples (balance and interest, in any currency)
Example Balance Interest
10,000 at 5%, monthly, 10 years 16,470.09 6,470.09
1,000 at 6%, yearly, 2 years 1,123.60 123.60
1,000 at 6%, daily, 2 years 1,127.49 127.49
10,000 at 5%, monthly, plus 200 a month at month end, 10 years 47,526.55 13,526.55
Same, with each deposit at month start 47,655.95 13,655.95
1,000 at 5%, continuous, 10 years 1,648.72 648.72
How it works

How to use the compound interest calculator

The first answer is already on screen. Change any number and everything updates at once, with no Calculate button.

01

Enter the basics

Type the starting amount, the yearly interest rate and the term in years and months. Commas for thousands are fine, and 5,5 is read as 5.5.

02

Pick the compounding

Choose how often interest is added, from daily to yearly, or continuously. The effective yield (APY) of your rate is shown under the result.

03

Add regular deposits

Enter a deposit, how often it is made, and whether it lands at the start or the end of each period. Leave it empty for a one-off amount.

04

Read and share

See the balance, the chart, the schedule and the formula with your numbers. Copy the result, download the schedule as CSV, or share a link that opens with the same inputs.

The maths

How do you calculate compound interest by hand?

Divide the yearly rate by the number of compounding periods, add 1, raise the result to the power of periods per year times years, and multiply by the starting amount. For 10,000 at 5% compounded monthly for 10 years, 0.05 / 12 = 0.0041667, 1.0041667 to the power 120 is 1.6470095, and 10,000 × 1.6470095 = 16,470.09. Interest is the final amount minus the starting amount.

Regular deposits add a second term. First find the growth rate for one deposit period, i, then multiply the deposit by ((1 + i)N − 1) / i, where N is the number of deposits. Deposits at the start of a period are multiplied by one more (1 + i), because each earns an extra period of interest. The tool shows both terms with your numbers under Show the formula with your numbers.

Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, halves up, only when they are shown. The calculation itself runs unrounded in double-precision arithmetic and was checked against 506 high-precision reference calculations with no differences. To see how rounding rules work in general, try the rounding calculator.

Compound interest formulas
Value Formula
Final amount A = P(1 + r/n)nt
Continuous compounding A = P ert
Interest earned A − P
Growth per deposit period i = (1 + r/n)n/m − 1, with m deposits a year
Deposits at the end of each period C × ((1 + i)N − 1) / i
Deposits at the start C × (1 + i) × ((1 + i)N − 1) / i
APY from a nominal rate (1 + r/n)n − 1, or er − 1
Nominal rate from APY n × ((1 + APY)1/n − 1), or ln(1 + APY)
Time to double ln 2 / (n × ln(1 + r/n)), roughly 72 / rate
Value after inflation A / (1 + inflation)t
Reference

Compound interest tables

Two tables you can check by hand. Figures are rounded to the cent and work for any currency.

10,000 at 5% for 10 years, by compounding frequency
Compounded Final balance Interest Effective yield (APY)
Annually 16,288.95 6,288.95 5.00%
Semi-annually 16,386.16 6,386.16 5.063%
Quarterly 16,436.19 6,436.19 5.095%
Monthly 16,470.09 6,470.09 5.116%
Weekly 16,483.25 6,483.25 5.125%
Daily 16,486.65 6,486.65 5.127%
Continuously 16,487.21 6,487.21 5.127%
10,000 compounded monthly, by rate and number of years
Rate 5 years 10 years 20 years 30 years
2% 11,050.79 12,211.99 14,913.28 18,212.09
4% 12,209.97 14,908.33 22,225.82 33,134.98
6% 13,488.50 18,193.97 33,102.04 60,225.75
8% 14,898.46 22,196.40 49,268.03 109,357.30
10% 16,453.09 27,070.41 73,280.74 198,373.99
Comparison

How this calculator differs from a basic one

Many compound interest calculators ask for an amount, a rate and a number of years and stop there. These are the details that change the answer.

Features compared
Feature Basic calculator This calculator
Results Often needs a Calculate button Updates as you type, with an answer on first load
Compounding choices Often four or five, sometimes tied to the deposit schedule Nine, from daily to continuous, chosen separately from the deposit schedule
Deposits Often monthly only, timing not stated Eight frequencies, at the start or the end of each period
Term Whole years Years and months, up to 100 years
Schedule Yearly table, if any Yearly or monthly table with a CSV download
Formula Shown as a general formula Worked with your numbers, step by step
APR and APY A separate page Built in, in both directions, at nine frequencies
Extras Rarely Rate what-if table, goal date, inflation, share link
Rounding rule Usually not stated Stated: nearest cent, halves up, every row adds up
Use cases

When a compound interest calculator helps

Savings accounts and CDs

Enter the quoted rate and the compounding schedule to see the balance at the end of the term, and the APY that results.

Comparing two offers

One offer quotes a rate compounded monthly and another quotes a yield. Convert both to APY in the converter and compare like with like.

Seeing what interest on interest does

See how a few points of rate change the balance in the what-if table, and use the reference tables on this page to compare 5, 10, 20 and 30 years.

Debt that compounds

The same maths applies to a balance that is left unpaid and charged interest. Check your own statement for the real rate and how it is compounded.

Time to a target

Enter a goal balance under More options to see the month in which it is first reached with your deposits.

Homework and checking

The formula is worked out with your numbers, so you can follow each step and check an answer. Paste results into the online notepad to keep them.

Good to know

What affects the result

This page does not tell you how to invest or save. It does the arithmetic, and these points help you read the answer.

  • The rate and the years matter most

    Moving from monthly to daily compounding adds about 16.56 to 10,000 at 5% over 10 years. Moving the rate from 5% to 6% adds far more.

  • APR is not APY

    A 6% rate compounded monthly is 6.16778% APY. When two offers quote different compounding, compare their APY.

  • Timing of deposits

    A deposit at the start of a period earns one extra period of interest. In the 200 a month example that is about 129.40 more over 10 years.

  • Rates are not promises

    The calculator assumes one fixed rate for the whole term. Real accounts and investments change, so treat every result as an estimate.

  • Fees, taxes and inflation

    None are included unless you enter inflation. Fees and taxes lower what you keep, and inflation lowers what the balance buys.

  • Private and works offline

    Nothing you type leaves your browser. After the page loads, the calculator keeps working without a connection.

Limits

What this calculator does not do

One fixed rate, fixed deposits

The rate and the deposit stay the same for the whole term. There are no withdrawals, no deposit increases and no rate changes. Run several scenarios for those.

No tax, fee or investment advice

It shows what the formula gives, not what an account will pay. Past or typical returns are not a forecast, and nothing here is a recommendation.

Real accounts differ

Banks set their own crediting schedule and day count. For how deposit accounts must calculate APY in the US, see Appendix A to Regulation DD. A loan APR can also include fees, so it is not the same as the nominal rate here.

Sources

Where the facts come from

The calculations are the standard formulas below, checked against the worked examples on this page and 506 reference calculations done separately in high-precision arithmetic. Definitions and formulas come from these references.

FAQ

Compound interest calculator FAQ

Short answers to common questions about compounding, deposits and APY.

What is the compound interest formula?

The formula is A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt). A is the final amount, P the starting amount, r the yearly rate as a decimal, n the number of times interest is compounded each year and t the number of years. For 10,000 at 5% compounded monthly for 10 years, A = 10,000 × (1 + 0.05/12)^120 = 16,470.09.

How do regular deposits change the result?

Each deposit starts earning interest from the day it is added, so earlier deposits grow the most. Adding 200 at the end of every month to 10,000 at 5% compounded monthly gives 47,526.55 after 10 years, of which 34,000.00 is money you put in and 13,526.55 is interest.

Does daily compounding earn much more than monthly?

Not much. On 10,000 at 5% for 10 years, daily compounding gives 16,486.65 and monthly gives 16,470.09, a difference of 16.56. The rate and the number of years matter far more than how often the interest is added.

What is the difference between APR and APY?

APR here means the nominal yearly rate before compounding, and APY is the effective yearly rate after compounding. A 6% rate compounded monthly is 6.16778% APY, which US deposit rules show as 6.17%. Banks often quote APY for savings because it is the higher number.

How do I convert APR to APY?

Use APY = (1 + r/n)^n − 1. For 5% compounded monthly, (1 + 0.05/12)^12 − 1 = 0.0511619, or 5.11619%. Switch the calculator to APR / APY mode to convert in either direction, or to see the same yield at every compounding frequency.

Should deposits be counted at the start or the end of the period?

That depends on when your money actually lands, so the calculator lets you choose. Deposits at the start of each month earn one extra month of interest each. In the 200 a month example above the start option ends at 47,655.95, which is 129.40 more than the end option.

What is continuous compounding?

It is the limit of compounding more and more often, and the formula becomes A = Pe^(rt). 1,000 at 5% compounded continuously for 10 years grows to 1,648.72, only slightly above daily compounding. It is a mathematical upper bound and rarely used by real accounts.

How long does it take money to double?

The exact time is ln 2 divided by (n × ln(1 + r/n)) years. The rule of 72 estimates it as 72 divided by the percentage rate, so about 12 years at 6%, where the exact answer is about 11.9 years. The calculator shows both for your rate.

How is compound interest different from simple interest?

Simple interest is paid only on the starting amount, while compound interest is also paid on interest already earned. 10,000 at 5% for 10 years earns 5,000.00 of simple interest, but 6,470.09 of interest when compounded monthly.

Does the calculator include taxes, fees or inflation?

Taxes and fees are not included, so real results can be lower. You can enter an inflation rate under More options to see what the final balance is worth in today money. All results are estimates, not predictions or guaranteed returns.

Why does my bank show a slightly different balance?

Banks can credit interest on their own schedule, count days in the year differently, round every period, or change the rate over time. This calculator assumes one fixed rate and applies the compounding formula directly, so small differences are normal.

Is anything I enter saved or uploaded?

No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. Your numbers appear in the page address only if you use Share link, and your currency choice is remembered on your own device.