Free tool Growth rate calculator and growth rate formula
Enter where a metric started, where it ended and how many periods passed. Get the steady growth rate per period that connects the two, the total growth, and the simple average for comparison.
- Compound rate per period
- Months, weeks, quarters or years
- Runs locally
Work out growth per period
Periods can be days, weeks, months, quarters or years. Count the intervals between start and end: January to July is 6 months, not 7.
The value at the beginning. Must be above 0.
The value at the end. Can be lower than the start, or 0.
Intervals between start and end. Decimals are fine, such as 2.5 years.
Compound growth per period
+8.1%
(End ÷ start)^(1 ÷ periods) − 1.
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https://tapcub.com/tools/growth-rate-calculator
Version v1.0Updated Update history
Three rates, three different questions
All three describe the same start and end. They differ in how the growth is spread across the periods.
Compound growth per period
The constant rate that, applied every period, turns the start value into the end value. 10,000 growing 8.1% a month reaches 16,000 after six months.
Total growth
The change over the whole span, the same figure the percentage change calculator gives. 10,000 to 16,000 is +60%.
Simple average
Total growth divided by the number of periods: 60% ÷ 6 = 10%. Applying 10% a month for six months would overshoot to about 17,700.
Which one to quote
Use the compound rate for forecasts and targets, because growth builds on itself. Use the simple average only when the change really adds the same amount each period.
The compound rate describes the path as if growth were smooth. It says nothing about the months in between; a flat five months and one big jump give the same answer.
Three common uses
The same formula covers month-over-month targets, quarterly reviews and forecasts.
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1
Average monthly growth
First month’s value as start, latest month as end, months between them as periods.
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2
Single-period growth
Set periods to 1 for month-over-month or year-over-year growth: the three outputs then match.
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3
Check a target
To hit a goal in N periods, enter today’s value, the goal and N. The result is the growth you need every period.
Growth per period = (end ÷ start)^(1 ÷ periods) − 1
The compound rate is the geometric mean of the period-by-period growth factors. It is the only constant rate that reproduces both the start and the end values.
- Single period: growth rate = (end − start) ÷ start
- Total growth = end ÷ start − 1
- Simple average = total growth ÷ periods, which is never below the compound rate when there is more than one period
- With years as periods, the same formula is the compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
Compound growth per period
g = (end ÷ start)^(1 ÷ n) − 1
(16,000 ÷ 10,000)^(1 ÷ 6) − 1 = +8.1%
Total growth
total = end ÷ start − 1
16,000 ÷ 10,000 − 1 = +60.0%
Simple average
simple = total ÷ n
60.0% ÷ 6 = +10.0%
Two paths from 10,000 to 16,000
Six months, same start and end. One path grows at a steady 8.1% a month; the other adds a steady 1,000 a month. The last column shows why the second path is not “10% growth”.
| Month | Compound path (+8.1% a month) | Linear path (+1,000 a month) | Linear path, month-over-month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 10,000 | 10,000 | — |
| 1 | 10,815 | 11,000 | +10.0% |
| 2 | 11,696 | 12,000 | +9.1% |
| 3 | 12,649 | 13,000 | +8.3% |
| 4 | 13,680 | 14,000 | +7.7% |
| 5 | 14,794 | 15,000 | +7.1% |
| 6 | 16,000 | 16,000 | +6.7% |
Adding the same amount each month means the growth rate falls every month, from 10.0% to 6.7%. Both paths have a compound rate of 8.1% a month, because only the start and end enter the formula. Compound path rounded to whole numbers. Sample figures.
Where growth rates go wrong
Most errors come from the period count or from averaging percentages.
Counting data points
Seven monthly values span six intervals. Using 7 as the period count understates the rate.
Averaging monthly rates
+50% then −50% averages to 0%, but 100 → 150 → 75 is a loss. Use start and end values instead.
Ignoring the path
The compound rate hides volatility. A flat half-year and one spike give the same result; look at the series as well.
Extrapolating too far
A high early growth rate compounded for years produces numbers no market can supply. Growth slows as the base grows.
Growth broken down into its parts
A growth rate tells you how fast a total moved. TapCub shows where it came from: which channels brought the new users, how many came back, and how many paid.
Growth rate questions
Still have a question?
Chat with the team behind TapCub — we usually reply within a few hours on business days.
What is the growth rate formula?
Growth rate = (end − start) ÷ start × 100 for one period: the percentage change relative to where the value started. Over several periods, use the compound formula (end ÷ start)^(1 ÷ periods) − 1, which gives the steady rate per period that connects the start and the end.
How do I calculate growth rate?
For one period: (end − start) ÷ start × 100. Users going from 10,000 to 10,800 in a month is a growth rate of 8%.
How do I calculate the average growth rate over several periods?
Use the compound formula: (end ÷ start)^(1 ÷ periods) − 1. From 10,000 to 16,000 in six months is (1.6)^(1/6) − 1 ≈ 8.1% a month. Do not average the monthly rates.
What is the difference between compound and simple average growth?
The simple average divides total growth evenly (60% ÷ 6 = 10%) and ignores that each period grows on a larger base. The compound rate accounts for it (8.1%). Applying the simple average forward overshoots the end value.
How many periods should I enter?
The number of intervals, not the number of data points. From the end of January to the end of July is 6 months. From Q1 to Q4 of the same year is 3 quarters.
How is this different from CAGR?
It is the same formula. CAGR is the name used when the periods are years; this calculator accepts any period length. For multi-year figures, the CAGR calculator also gives the doubling time.
Can the growth rate be negative?
Yes. If the end value is lower than the start, all three outputs are negative. An end value of 0 gives −100%. The start value must be above 0.
Update history
New features, fixes and data refreshes for this tool, newest first.
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· v1.0
LaunchedFirst release.
Missing something or found an error? Tell us — requests that come up often go into the next update. All tool updates
Find out what is driving the growth
A rate summarises a trend. Connect your site or app to see which channels, cohorts and steps are behind it.