About this compound interest calculator
Project how a lump sum grows when interest compounds, at whichever frequency applies: daily, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually. Enter the principal, the annual rate and the number of years, pick the frequency, and you get the maturity amount, the interest earned on top of what you put in, a growth chart and a month-by-month schedule you can export. Changing the frequency at the same stated rate changes the answer, though by less than most people expect once you are past monthly — the examples below show by exactly how much.
How the compound interest calculator works
Maturity amount = P × (1 + r ÷ n)^(n × t), where P is the principal, r is the annual rate as a decimal, n is the number of compounding periods a year — 1 for annually, 4 quarterly, 12 monthly, 365 daily — and t is the time in years. Interest earned is the maturity amount minus the principal. The schedule applies that same formula at each point rather than approximating, so the final row matches the headline figure exactly.
Compound Interest Calculator examples
$10,000 at 5% for 10 years, compounded annually
$16,288.95
The same, compounded monthly
$16,470.09 — $181.14 more than annually
The same, compounded daily
$16,486.65 — only $16.56 more than monthly, which is where most of the benefit has already been captured
Any principal at a 0% rate
Returns the principal unchanged, whatever the frequency
Limitations & privacy
A projection from the numbers you enter, at a constant rate, with nothing added or withdrawn along the way. It excludes tax, fees and inflation, so a maturity figure years out buys less than the same number does today. It models a fixed rate, which suits a deposit or a bond but not a market-linked investment, where the return varies every year and no single rate describes it. Daily compounding here uses 365 periods a year; some institutions use 360 or compound continuously, which gives a slightly different figure — check which one yours applies.
Inputs and results stay in this browser. Only tool identifiers are stored for your recently used tools. You can clear that history from the directory.
Compound Interest Calculator: frequently asked questions
How do I calculate daily compound interest?
Set the compounding frequency to Daily and enter the principal, annual rate and term. The formula is P × (1 + r ÷ 365)^(365 × t). On $10,000 at 5% for 10 years that gives $16,486.65 against $16,288.95 compounded annually.
Is daily compounding much better than monthly?
Barely. On $10,000 at 5% for 10 years, annual gives $16,288.95, monthly $16,470.09 and daily $16,486.65 — so going from annual to monthly adds $181 while monthly to daily adds $16.56. The rate and the time matter far more than the frequency once you are past monthly.
Why does compounding frequency matter at all?
Because interest starts earning interest sooner. The same stated annual rate credited more often produces a slightly higher effective rate. The gap widens with higher rates and longer terms, and is negligible at low rates over short ones.
Can I use this for a savings account or CD?
Yes, for a fixed rate. Enter the rate your bank states and the frequency it compounds at — many quote an annual rate but compound daily or monthly. It will not match a variable-rate account, where the rate moves.
Does this account for deposits along the way?
No. This is a single lump sum left to grow. For a regular monthly contribution use the SIP Calculator, which handles a stream of deposits rather than one amount.
Does it account for tax or inflation?
No. Every figure is before tax and in today's money, so a maturity amount a decade out buys less than the same number does now.
Updated October 10, 2026