Ladder Buy (DCA) Calculator
split-buyTurn a buying plan into a table: entry price, quantity and running average for every tranche.
How many tranches?
How should the entry prices be spaced?
How should the money be split?
Switch between the two and compare the final average and P/L.
For crypto and fractional-share accounts. Leave it off for whole shares.
Enter a total budget and a first entry price to build the plan.
A simple calculation — fees and taxes are not included. Actual fills depend on tick size.
Related tools
How each entry price is worked out
There are two ways to set the entry prices: name the drop per step directly, or fix a price for the final tranche and let the steps in between be spread out. The prices fan out differently, so the two do not give the same plan.
The drop-per-step method compounds: each step takes the percentage off the previous price, not off the first one. Starting at 10,000 with 5% over three tranches gives 10,000, then 9,500, then 9,025 rather than a flat 10,000 / 9,500 / 9,000. The gap widens as you add tranches.
The floor-price method divides the range between the first price and the last one into equal steps. It suits you better when you already know the level at which you intend to be fully bought in. Change the number of tranches and the spacing is recalculated for you.
The table is a simple calculation with no fees or taxes in it. Real orders also have to sit on the exchange tick size, so a calculated price may not be one you can actually enter. Treat the figures as a plan and round to the nearest tick when you order.
FAQ
What is a ladder buy?
Instead of buying everything at once, you split the order into several tranches. If the price keeps falling you buy lower and pull your average down; if it rises, the shares you already own gain. It softens the damage of getting the timing wrong.
How many tranches should I use?
There is no single answer, but three to five is the common range. More tranches smooth the average further, yet each order gets smaller — fees weigh more and the plan gets harder to follow to the end.
Equal or pyramid?
Equal weighting puts the same amount into every tranche: simple and predictable. A pyramid puts more in as the price falls, pulling the average down harder — but the loss grows with it if the decline continues. Switch between them and compare.
How is the running average calculated?
It is the weighted average: everything actually spent up to that tranche divided by the total quantity. Whole shares are rounded down, so leftover cash is shown separately. Turn on fractional quantities for crypto or fractional-share accounts.
How is this different from the averaging-down calculator?
The averaging-down calculator answers “if I buy more now, what does my average become?” after you already own shares. This one is for before you buy: where and how much to buy. Plan here, then manage the position there.