🔄 Dollar-Cost Averaging Simulator
See how DCA performs across different market conditions. Pick a scenario and watch your portfolio grow month by month.
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36 months = 3.0 years
DCA Portfolio Value
$18,569
+$569 (+3.2%)
Total Invested
$18,000
Avg Cost/Share
$81.04
Shares Owned
222.1
DCA Strategy
$18,569
Invested $500/mo over 36 months
Lump Sum (Day 1)
$15,048
Invested $18,000 all at $100.00 on day 1
💡 Key Insight: DCA earned you +28.7% more than if you had invested everything at the peak price ($104.33). Your average cost of $81.04 per share vs peak of $104.33 shows how DCA smooths out volatility.
📊 Price & Portfolio Over Time
1
12
24
36
Below avg cost (good buy) Above avg cost— Avg cost: $81.04
| Month | Price | Shares Bought | Total Shares | Invested | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $100.00 | 5.000 | 5.00 | $500 | $500 |
| 2 | $99.95 | 5.002 | 10.00 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| 3 | $100.69 | 4.966 | 14.97 | $1,500 | $1,507 |
| 4 | $101.75 | 4.914 | 19.88 | $2,000 | $2,023 |
| 5 | $102.10 | 4.897 | 24.78 | $2,500 | $2,530 |
| 6 | $102.62 | 4.872 | 29.65 | $3,000 | $3,043 |
| 7 | $102.87 | 4.860 | 34.51 | $3,500 | $3,550 |
| 10 | $96.24 | 5.196 | 49.49 | $5,000 | $4,763 |
| 13 | $84.57 | 5.912 | 66.56 | $6,500 | $5,629 |
| 16 | $74.97 | 6.669 | 85.70 | $8,000 | $6,425 |
| 19 | $65.31 | 7.656 | 107.66 | $9,500 | $7,032 |
| 22 | $68.22 | 7.329 | 130.04 | $11,000 | $8,871 |
| 25 | $71.55 | 6.988 | 151.23 | $12,500 | $10,821 |
| 28 | $74.87 | 6.679 | 171.62 | $14,000 | $12,848 |
| 31 | $78.11 | 6.401 | 191.09 | $15,500 | $14,927 |
| 34 | $79.71 | 6.272 | 210.01 | $17,000 | $16,741 |
| 35 | $81.70 | 6.120 | 216.13 | $17,500 | $17,657 |
| 36 | $83.60 | 5.981 | 222.11 | $18,000 | $18,569 |
💡 Why DCA Works
Dollar-cost averaging removes emotion from investing. When prices drop, your fixed investment buys more shares. When prices rise, you buy fewer — but your existing shares gain value. Over time, this strategy naturally lowers your average cost per share and reduces the risk of investing a lump sum at the worst possible time.
Read: DCA vs. Lump Sum Investing →