Financial

Net Present Value Calculator

NPV for cash flow analysis. Free online Net Present Value Calculator. Calculate net present value online — fast, accurate, mobile-friendly, no signup needed.

Enter cash flows for years 1-5

NPV
-$21.04

Derivation

  1. ├── 01Givenc0 = -1000, c1 = 300, c2 = 400, c3 = 500, r = 10
  2. ├── 02Formulat+a / (1+o / 100)^(1)+n / (1+o / 100)^(2)+r / (1+o / 100)^(3)
  3. ├── 03Substitutet+a / (1+o / 100)^(1)+n / (1+o / 100)^(2)+10 / (1+o / 100)^(3)
  4. └── 04Compute NPV-$21.04
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§01What is

Understanding the Net Present Value Calculator

The Net Present Value Calculator computes NPV from 5 inputs: initial outlay ($), year 1, year 2, year 3, discount rate (%). NPV for cash flow analysis.

Quick calculators for the math that shouldn’t need a notepad — instant, accurate, private to your browser. The Net Present Value Calculator sits in that toolkit — it NPV for cash flow analysis. Enter your numbers above and the result updates instantly; every step of the math is shown in the Derivation panel so you can see exactly how the answer was reached.

§02The Formula

How it’s calculated

t+a / (1+o / 100)^(1)+n / (1+o / 100)^(2)+r / (1+o / 100)^(3)

Where

c0
Initial outlay ($)
c1
Year 1
c2
Year 2
c3
Year 3
r
Discount rate (%)
§03Practical Example

Step-by-step walkthrough

Scenario

Apply the formula to a realistic set of inputs: Initial outlay ($) = -1000, Year 1 = 300, Year 2 = 400, Year 3 = 500, Discount rate (%) = 10.

  1. 01Start by noting the input — Initial outlay ($): -1000.
  2. 02Start by noting the input — Year 1: 300.
  3. 03Start by noting the input — Year 2: 400.
  4. 04Start by noting the input — Year 3: 500.
  5. 05Start by noting the input — Discount rate (%): 10.
  6. 06Substitute these values into the formula: t+a / (1+o / 100)^(1)+n / (1+o / 100)^(2)+r / (1+o / 100)^(3)
  7. 07Compute NPV: the calculator returns -21.0368.
  8. 08Cross-check the answer by opening the Derivation panel above — every line of math is shown so you can follow the computation end-to-end.
§04Variants

Common Net Present Value Problems

The formula gets rearranged depending on which variable you need. Here are the patterns you’ll run into in the real world — find the one that matches your problem and follow the worked steps.

01 · PATTERN

Initial outlay ($) halved

c0 = -500 (from -1000)

Keep every other input at its default and halve the initial outlay ($). See how npv responds.

  1. 01New Initial outlay ($): -500
  2. 02Baseline NPV: -21.0368
  3. 03New NPV: 478.963
  4. 04NPV increases by 2376.8% → use this sensitivity to plan for real-world variation.
02 · PATTERN

Initial outlay ($) doubled

c0 = -2000 (from -1000)

Keep every other input at its default and double the initial outlay ($). See how npv responds.

  1. 01New Initial outlay ($): -2000
  2. 02Baseline NPV: -21.0368
  3. 03New NPV: -1021.04
  4. 04NPV decreases by 4753.6% → use this sensitivity to plan for real-world variation.
03 · PATTERN

Year 1 halved

c1 = 150 (from 300)

Keep every other input at its default and halve the year 1. See how npv responds.

  1. 01New Year 1: 150
  2. 02Baseline NPV: -21.0368
  3. 03New NPV: -157.4
  4. 04NPV decreases by 648.2% → use this sensitivity to plan for real-world variation.
04 · PATTERN

Year 1 doubled

c1 = 600 (from 300)

Keep every other input at its default and double the year 1. See how npv responds.

  1. 01New Year 1: 600
  2. 02Baseline NPV: -21.0368
  3. 03New NPV: 251.69
  4. 04NPV increases by 1296.4% → use this sensitivity to plan for real-world variation.
§05FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Yes. The calculator implements the standard formula as documented and returns exact floating-point results. No approximations are used unless noted in the formula.
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