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Compound Interest Calculator

Enter your principal, interest rate, time period, and compounding frequency to see exactly how compound interest grows your money year by year.

FreeNo sign-upDaily/Monthly/QuarterlyYear-by-year table

Investment Details

$
%
$
8.0%
0.5%25%
10 years
1 yr50 yr
Compounding Frequency
Contribution Frequency

Year-by-Year Growth

YearBalanceContributionsInterest
2026$7,905$7,400$505
2027$11,051$9,800$1,251
2028$14,458$12,200$2,258
2029$18,148$14,600$3,548
2030$22,145$17,000$5,145
2031$26,473$19,400$7,073
2032$31,160$21,800$9,360
2033$36,236$24,200$12,036
2034$41,734$26,600$15,134
2035$47,687$29,000$18,687

Final Amount

$47,687

After 10 years at 8% compounded monthly

Breakdown

Total Contributions$29,000
Interest Earned$18,687

Total Contributions

$29,000

Interest Earned

$18,687

Growth

64.4%

return on contributions

Multiplier

1.64×

What is compound interest?

Compound interest is interest calculated on both your initial principal and the accumulated interest from previous periods. Unlike simple interest (calculated only on the principal), compound interest grows exponentially — which is why Albert Einstein reportedly called it "the eighth wonder of the world."

Daily vs. monthly vs. annual compounding

More frequent compounding yields slightly more growth. Daily compounding is marginally better than monthly, which is slightly better than annual. The difference becomes more significant over long time horizons and at higher interest rates. This calculator lets you compare all frequencies side by side.

The Rule of 72 — a quick compound interest shortcut

A quick mental math shortcut: divide 72 by your annual interest rate to estimate how many years it takes to double your money. At 8% annual return, your money doubles in approximately 72 ÷ 8 = 9 years. At 6%, it doubles in 12 years.