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Quick answer: enter your discount rate, initial investment and yearly cash flows above — the calculator discounts each year and tells you if the investment is worthwhile.
NPV calculator
Short answer: NPV (net present value) is today's value of all future cash flows minus the investment. Positive NPV = worthwhile. Enter your numbers above.
What is net present value?
Short answer: net present value answers "is this investment worth it?" by converting future cash into today's dollars. If NPV > 0, the project beats your discount rate.
Frequently asked questions
What is NPV in finance?
Net present value = the sum of discounted future cash flows minus the initial investment. It accounts for the time value of money — a dollar today is worth more than a dollar next year.
What is the NPV formula?
NPV = Σ CFt / (1 + r)t − initial investment, where CFt is the cash flow in year t and r is the discount rate. The calculator shows each year's present value in the table.
What discount rate should I use?
Typically your cost of capital or required return — 10% is the common default the calculator starts with. Higher rates punish distant cash flows more.
What does a negative NPV mean?
The investment earns less than the discount rate — you'd do better putting the money elsewhere at that rate.
How do I enter the cash flows?
List each year's expected cash inflow separated by commas, starting with year 1. The initial investment goes in its own field (treated as a year-0 outflow).
Is this NPV calculator free?
Yes — unlimited calculations, free forever. No account, no limits. Everything runs in your browser.