Does DCA beat lump-sum investing?

Lump-sum wins more often in uptrending markets because all your money works sooner. DCA reduces the risk of buying before a crash. This tool shows both side-by-side over your chosen period.

Where does the price data come from?

CoinGecko free public API, fetched directly in your browser with no key or login. Prices may be delayed a minute or two on recent data, negligible for a long-term simulation.

Crypto

S complexity

DCA Simulator.

Simulate a dollar-cost-averaging strategy on real historical prices for Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana. Set your amount, frequency, and start date to see exactly what DCA would have returned versus a lump-sum buy, with both growth curves on one chart. No paywall, no login.

Free Runs in your browser Data: CoinGecko (historical prices)

Runs entirely in your browser. Historical prices via CoinGecko (free, no key).

Step 1 of 3DCA Simulator

Your strategy

Asset

Frequency

Amount per buy ($)

Start date

We'll simulate buying $100 of BTC monthly from 2024-06-25 to today, then compare it to investing the same total amount all at once on day one.

Understanding your results.

The simulator runs two strategies over the same period and compares them:

DCA strategy — buys a fixed dollar amount at each interval, accumulating units at varying prices.
Lump sum — invests the entire total on day one at the first available price.

The chart overlays both portfolio-value curves so you can see exactly when each strategy pulled ahead. The "profitable buys" percentage tells you how many of your DCA purchases are in profit at today's price.

How to use this tool.

Choose your asset (BTC, ETH, or SOL) and frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly).
Enter the amount per buy and your start date.
Click calculate and the tool fetches real historical prices from CoinGecko.
Compare your DCA result against a lump-sum buy of the same total amount.

Bybit Auto-Invest

Exchange

Set up recurring auto-invest orders on dozens of tokens. Bybit executes your DCA plan automatically on a schedule you choose.

Start on Bybit

Binance Recurring Buy

Exchange

Schedule automatic purchases with a card or bank transfer. One of the simplest ways to put DCA into practice after seeing the simulation.

Start on Binance

How we choose partners. We may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Privacy & safety.

No data leaves your browser. The fetch goes directly from your browser to CoinGecko's public API. Your investment amount is never sent to us.

The simulation uses daily closing prices without fees or spreads, so real results will differ slightly. Past performance does not guarantee future returns; this is an educational tool, not investment advice.

Frequently asked questions.

What is dollar-cost averaging (DCA)?

Dollar-cost averaging is the strategy of investing a fixed dollar amount into an asset at regular intervals, regardless of the price. You buy more units when the price is low and fewer when it is high, which averages out your cost per unit over time. This simulator shows what that strategy would have returned historically for Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Solana.

How does DCA compare to a lump-sum investment?

Statistically, lump-sum investing beats DCA more often than not in markets that trend upward over time, because your money is working for you sooner. However, DCA reduces the risk of buying right before a crash and is psychologically easier because you never have to time the market. This tool shows both side-by-side over the exact period you choose so you can see the tradeoff for yourself.

Where does the historical price data come from?

From CoinGecko free public API. The tool fetches daily price points for your chosen date range directly in your browser, so there are no API keys or logins. Prices may be delayed by a minute or two on the most recent data, which is negligible for a long-term simulation.

Why does the simulator sometimes show DCA winning and sometimes losing?

It depends entirely on the price path. If the asset rose steadily over your chosen period, lump-sum usually wins because the entire amount benefited from the uptrend. If the price crashed after your start date and recovered, DCA often wins because you kept buying cheaply on the way down. The "profitable buys" stat shows what percentage of your purchases ended up in profit.

Does the simulation include trading fees?

No. This is an idealized simulation using spot prices without exchange fees or spreads. In reality, each recurring buy would incur a small fee (often 0.1-1.5% depending on the exchange), which would slightly reduce your returns. Use the <a href="/tools/swap-fee-comparator/" class="text-brand-teal hover:underline">Swap Fee Comparator</a> to find the lowest-fee provider for your buys.

Is past performance a guarantee of future returns?

No. A strategy that worked historically can fail in the future. Crypto is highly volatile and some assets lose most or all of their value. This tool is for education and curiosity about historical outcomes, not a recommendation to invest or a prediction of what will happen next.

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