How to Use This DCA Calculator
This calculator backtests dollar-cost averaging (DCA) into Bitcoin or Ethereum using real historical prices from CoinGecko. Choose an asset, an amount, a frequency, and a date range, and it simulates every purchase to show your total invested, coins accumulated, average cost basis, and current value — then compares that against investing the same total as a single lump sum on day one.
What Dollar-Cost Averaging Is
Dollar-cost averaging means investing a fixed dollar amount on a regular schedule regardless of price — say $100 every month — instead of trying to time the market. When the price is low your fixed amount buys more coins; when it is high it buys fewer. Over time this smooths out your average purchase price and removes the emotional pressure of deciding when to buy, which is why it is the most common strategy for volatile assets like crypto.
How the Backtest Works
Coins bought each interval = Amount / Price on that date Total coins = sum of every interval Average cost basis = Total invested / Total coins Current value = Total coins × Latest price
The calculator pulls the actual daily price for your chosen asset over the date range, then simulates a purchase on each scheduled date at that day's real price. It adds up the coins, works out your blended cost basis, and values the stack at the most recent price in the range.
DCA vs Lump Sum
The tool also shows what would have happened if you had invested your entire total on the first day instead of spreading it out. Historically, lump-sum investing beats DCA about two-thirds of the time because markets trend upward and earlier money compounds longer. DCA tends to win in flat or falling markets and always reduces the risk of putting everything in right before a crash. Seeing both side by side for your specific window makes the trade-off concrete rather than theoretical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does dollar-cost averaging beat lump-sum investing?
Historically, lump-sum wins roughly two-thirds of the time because markets trend up, so money invested earlier has longer to grow. DCA wins in choppy or falling markets and, more importantly, removes the risk of buying everything at a peak — this calculator shows exactly which came out ahead over your chosen window.
How does this DCA calculator get its prices?
It pulls real historical daily prices for Bitcoin and Ethereum from CoinGecko's free public API and simulates buying your fixed amount on each scheduled date. If CoinGecko is temporarily rate-limited, the tool shows your total invested and asks you to retry rather than showing made-up numbers.
Is $100 a month into Bitcoin a good strategy?
A fixed monthly buy is the most common DCA approach because it is automatic and emotion-free. Whether it worked depends entirely on the period — enter your dates to see the actual accumulated coins, average cost basis, and current value versus a one-time lump sum of the same total.