Equal-Amount vs Equal-Share DCA Calculator
For the same set of periodic buy prices, compare equal-amount versus equal-share DCA in total invested, units and average cost.
Results
Fill in the inputs and click Calculate.
- Equal-Amount Invested
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- Equal-Amount Units
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- Equal-Amount Avg Cost
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- Equal-Share Invested
- Equal-Share Units
- Equal-Share Avg Cost
- Avg Gap (Amount−Share)
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- Avg Gap %
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Risk disclaimer
Deterministic math comparison only — no return forecast and no investment advice.
How do the two methods differ?
Equal-amount: the same money each period, buying more when prices fall — the average cost hugs the lows (true dollar-cost averaging).
Equal-share: the same quantity each period, so the average cost is the arithmetic mean of prices. Quantity here = amount ÷ first price, giving identical first outlays for a fair comparison.
How to use
- Enter the per-period amount (both methods share the same first outlay).
- Enter the buy price of each period (up to six, no gaps in between).
- Click Calculate to compare total invested, units, average cost and the gap.
Formula
- Equal-amount: invested = amount × periods; average = invested ÷ Σ(amount ÷ price)
- Equal-share: per-period units = amount ÷ first price; average = mean of prices
- Average gap = equal-amount avg − equal-share avg (negative means equal-amount is cheaper)
Example
Assume 1,000 per period across prices 100/90/80: equal-amount average ≈ 89.26 with ≈ 33.61 units; equal-share average 90 with 30 units.
The wider the swings, the bigger the average-cost gap between the two methods.
FAQ
Which is better?
This is math, not advice; equal-amount is usually cheaper in choppy markets, but the two methods invest different totals.
Fees included?
No. Fold fees into the amount or prices if you want them reflected.
Can these calculations be executed automatically?
Yes. Work out the parameters and risk limits here first, then hand the same rules to a quant system such as CubeQuants so you don't have to place orders manually. Fills still depend on your exchange, so verify with a small size first.