Total return and CAGR answer different questions
Total return measures the complete percentage change from the initial cash paid to the ending value after the sale fee, including cash income. It answers “How much did this investment gain or lose overall?”
CAGR, or compound annual growth rate, converts that total change into a constant annual rate over the exact holding period. If the net ending value is V, initial cash is P, and elapsed years are t, CAGR is (V ÷ P)1/t − 1. It is useful when two investments were held for different lengths of time.
The calculator first removes the purchase fee from the initial cash, divides the remainder by the buy price to estimate units acquired, values those units at the current or sale price, removes the sale fee, and then adds cash income. Taxes, exchange rates, bid-ask spread and reinvestment of income are excluded.
Why the chart is not a price chart
Only the start and end prices are known. The intermediate line and table therefore show the smooth compounded path implied by the calculated CAGR. They must not be used to infer volatility, drawdown, timing, or what the asset was worth in between those dates.
Using it for Bitcoin, stocks or gold
Enter the historical purchase price and a current or sale price from a data source you trust. The asset selector is only a label; it does not fetch prices or assume a return. This avoids presenting unlicensed or stale market data as authoritative.