ROI vs CAGR: Which Metric Should You Use?

ROI vs CAGR: learn the key differences, when ROI is fine, when CAGR is better, and how to avoid misleading comparisons across timeframes.

ROI is total return. CAGR is time-normalized return. They answer different questions.

Two metric lanes comparing ROI and CAGR.

Use ROI when

  • You need a quick snapshot
  • Timeframes are similar

Use CAGR when

  • You compare different time periods
  • You want an annualized rate

Tools:

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