> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.iotools.cloud/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging) Calculator > Simulate a dollar-cost averaging investment strategy — periodic contributions at a chosen frequency compounding over time — and compare the result against investing the same total amount as a single lump sum. [Try DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging) Calculator in your browser →](https://iotools.cloud/tool/dca-calculator/) ## OpenAPI ````yaml https://api.iotools.cloud/v1/openapi post /v1/tool/dca-calculator openapi: 3.1.0 info: title: iotools.cloud API version: 1.0.0 description: >- Run any iotools.cloud tool over HTTP. Authenticate with `Authorization: Bearer iot_live_…`. **Only `POST /v1/tool/{slug}` costs credits.** Every GET here — the catalog, a tool's schema, your balance — is free. A tool call is charged its own weight or your plan's per-call minimum, whichever is larger; `x-iotools-credit-cost` on each operation is quoted at the free-tier minimum, and `GET /v1/tools/list` returns the exact figure for your key. `GET /v1/me/credits` reports what you have left, and `GET /v1/me/usage` reports what it went on. Failures are RFC 9457 problem documents — branch on `code`. servers: - url: https://api.iotools.cloud description: Production security: - bearerAuth: [] tags: - name: Catalog description: Find a tool and read its contract. Free. - name: Converters description: >- Convert between formats, encodings, and units — Base64, CSV and JSON, timestamps, and more. Fast, free, and processed right in your browser. - name: Formatters description: >- Format, beautify, minify, and validate code and data — JSON, HTML, CSS, SQL, and regex. Clean up messy input in one click, with nothing to upload. - name: Generators description: >- Generate exactly what you need and on demand — passwords, UUIDs, QR codes, hashes, random numbers, and more. Secure, instant, and free. - name: Calculators description: >- Crunch the numbers fast — from everyday math to specialized conversions and unit work. Free online calculators that run entirely in your browser. - name: Editors description: >- Edit and transform text, code, and images with quick, focused editors that run entirely in your browser — nothing to install, and no sign-up needed. - name: Utilities description: >- Everyday developer and web utilities — DNS and IP lookups, redirect and certificate checkers, and other quick diagnostics. Free and privacy-friendly. - name: Account description: Your key's allowance, limits and usage history. paths: /v1/tool/dca-calculator: post: tags: - Calculators summary: DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging) Calculator description: >- Simulate a dollar-cost averaging investment strategy — periodic contributions at a chosen frequency compounding over time — and compare the result against investing the same total amount as a single lump sum. [Try DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging) Calculator in your browser →](https://iotools.cloud/tool/dca-calculator/) operationId: run_dca_calculator requestBody: required: true content: application/json: schema: type: object properties: contribution: type: number description: Periodic Investment ($) minimum: 0 frequency: enum: - '52' - '26' - '12' - '4' - '1' description: Investment Frequency years: type: number description: Investment Duration (Years) minimum: 1 maximum: 60 returnRate: type: number description: Expected Annual Return (%) minimum: -50 maximum: 100 initial: type: number description: Initial Lump Sum ($) minimum: 0 required: - contribution - years - returnRate examples: 500_mo_for_20_years_at_8: summary: $500/mo for 20 years at 8% value: contribution: '500' frequency: '12' years: '20' returnRate: '8' initial: '0' responses: '200': description: Tool output content: application/json: examples: 500_mo_for_20_years_at_8: summary: $500/mo for 20 years at 8% value: tool: dca-calculator tool_version: 1.0.1 outputs: summary: - metric: Final DCA Value value: $296,473.61 - metric: Total Invested value: $120,000.00 - metric: Total Gain value: $176,473.61 - metric: Total Gain % value: +147.06% - metric: Lump Sum Equivalent (same total, invested upfront) value: $559,314.86 - metric: Investment Frequency value: Monthly schedule: - year: '1' total-invested: $6,000.00 dca-value: $6,266.46 lump-sum-equivalent: $6,480.00 dca-gain: $266.46 - year: '2' total-invested: $12,000.00 dca-value: $13,053.04 lump-sum-equivalent: $13,996.80 dca-gain: $1,053.04 - year: '3' total-invested: $18,000.00 dca-value: $20,402.90 lump-sum-equivalent: $22,674.82 dca-gain: $2,402.90 - year: '4' total-invested: $24,000.00 dca-value: $28,362.79 lump-sum-equivalent: $32,651.74 dca-gain: $4,362.79 - year: '5' total-invested: $30,000.00 dca-value: $36,983.35 lump-sum-equivalent: $44,079.84 dca-gain: $6,983.35 - year: '6' total-invested: $36,000.00 dca-value: $46,319.41 lump-sum-equivalent: $57,127.48 dca-gain: $10,319.41 - year: '7' total-invested: $42,000.00 dca-value: $56,430.36 lump-sum-equivalent: $71,980.62 dca-gain: $14,430.36 - year: '8' total-invested: $48,000.00 dca-value: $67,380.52 lump-sum-equivalent: $88,844.65 dca-gain: $19,380.52 - year: '9' total-invested: $54,000.00 dca-value: $79,239.53 lump-sum-equivalent: $107,946.25 dca-gain: $25,239.53 - year: '10' total-invested: $60,000.00 dca-value: $92,082.84 lump-sum-equivalent: $129,535.50 dca-gain: $32,082.84 - year: '11' total-invested: $66,000.00 dca-value: $105,992.13 lump-sum-equivalent: $153,888.17 dca-gain: $39,992.13 - year: '12' total-invested: $72,000.00 dca-value: $121,055.89 lump-sum-equivalent: $181,308.25 dca-gain: $49,055.89 - year: '13' total-invested: $78,000.00 dca-value: $137,369.93 lump-sum-equivalent: $212,130.65 dca-gain: $59,369.93 - year: '14' total-invested: $84,000.00 dca-value: $155,038.03 lump-sum-equivalent: $246,724.26 dca-gain: $71,038.03 - year: '15' total-invested: $90,000.00 dca-value: $174,172.57 lump-sum-equivalent: $285,495.22 dca-gain: $84,172.57 - year: '16' total-invested: $96,000.00 dca-value: $194,895.27 lump-sum-equivalent: $328,890.49 dca-gain: $98,895.27 - year: '17' total-invested: $102,000.00 dca-value: $217,337.95 lump-sum-equivalent: $377,401.84 dca-gain: $115,337.95 - year: '18' total-invested: $108,000.00 dca-value: $241,643.35 lump-sum-equivalent: $431,570.11 dca-gain: $133,643.35 - year: '19' total-invested: $114,000.00 dca-value: $267,966.09 lump-sum-equivalent: $491,989.92 dca-gain: $153,966.09 - year: '20' total-invested: $120,000.00 dca-value: $296,473.61 lump-sum-equivalent: $559,314.86 dca-gain: $176,473.61 credits_used: 3 credits_remaining: null schema: type: object required: - tool - tool_version - outputs - credits_used - credits_remaining properties: outputs: type: object properties: summary: type: array description: Summary items: type: object properties: metric: type: string description: Metric value: type: string description: Value x-iotools-columns: - metric - value schedule: type: array description: Year-by-Year Comparison items: type: object properties: year: type: string description: Year total-invested: type: string description: Total Invested dca-value: type: string description: DCA Value lump-sum-equivalent: type: string description: Lump Sum Equivalent dca-gain: type: string description: DCA Gain x-iotools-columns: - year - total-invested - dca-value - lump-sum-equivalent - dca-gain tool: type: string description: The tool's slug, echoing the {slug} in the request path. tool_version: type: string description: Output-contract version for this tool. credits_used: type: integer description: >- Credits this call consumed, after any settlement refund. 0 when metering is disabled. credits_remaining: type: - integer - 'null' description: >- Credits left in the current monthly allowance, or null when metering is disabled. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. '400': $ref: '#/components/responses/ValidationError' '401': $ref: '#/components/responses/Unauthorized' '402': $ref: '#/components/responses/InsufficientCredits' '403': $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolNotAllowed' '404': $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolNotFound' '413': $ref: '#/components/responses/PayloadTooLarge' '429': $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited' '500': $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolFailed' '503': $ref: '#/components/responses/ToolDisabled' security: - bearerAuth: [] components: responses: ValidationError: description: Invalid request. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/validation_error title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Invalid request status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - validation_error detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. fields: type: - object - string additionalProperties: type: string description: >- What failed: a map of field name → message. Absent when the body itself is malformed; a single string when the failure isn't tied to one field. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/validation_error title: Invalid request status: 400 code: validation_error detail: One or more inputs are invalid — see `fields`. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 fields: inputString: Required Unauthorized: description: Missing or invalid API key. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/invalid_api_key title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Invalid API key status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - invalid_api_key detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/invalid_api_key title: Invalid API key status: 401 code: invalid_api_key detail: 'Provide ''Authorization: Bearer ''.' request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 InsufficientCredits: description: Monthly credit allowance exhausted. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/insufficient_credits title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Insufficient credits status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - insufficient_credits detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. credits_used: type: integer description: Always 0 — a refused call charges nothing. credits_remaining: type: integer description: Credits left in the allowance — fewer than this call costs. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/insufficient_credits title: Insufficient credits status: 402 code: insufficient_credits detail: This call costs 1 credit and 0 remain in this month's allowance. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 credits_used: 0 credits_remaining: 0 ToolNotAllowed: description: Tool exists but has no API surface. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_allowed title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Tool not available over the API status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - tool_not_allowed detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_allowed title: Tool not available over the API status: 403 code: tool_not_allowed detail: >- "Background Remover" is available on iotools.cloud but has no API endpoint. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 ToolNotFound: description: No such tool. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_found title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Tool not found status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - tool_not_found detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_not_found title: Tool not found status: 404 code: tool_not_found detail: No tool with that slug. See GET /v1/tools/list. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 PayloadTooLarge: description: Body too large. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/payload_too_large title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Payload too large status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - payload_too_large detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/payload_too_large title: Payload too large status: 413 code: payload_too_large detail: Request body exceeds this tool's size limit. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 RateLimited: description: Per-minute rate limit exceeded. headers: Retry-After: description: Seconds to wait before retrying (RFC 9110 delta-seconds). schema: type: integer content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/rate_limited title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Rate limit exceeded status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - rate_limited detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. retry_after: type: integer description: >- Seconds until the window resets — the same value as the `Retry-After` header. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/rate_limited title: Rate limit exceeded status: 429 code: rate_limited detail: Too many requests. Retry in 30s. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 retry_after: 30 ToolFailed: description: Tool failed to run. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/processing_error - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/internal_error title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Tool failed to run - Internal error status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - processing_error - internal_error detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. credits_used: type: integer description: >- Always 0 on `processing_error` — a failed run is refunded, floor included. credits_remaining: type: integer description: >- Credits left after the refund. Absent when metering is disabled. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/processing_error title: Tool failed to run status: 500 code: processing_error detail: The tool failed to run. Please try again. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 credits_used: 0 ToolDisabled: description: Tool temporarily disabled. content: application/problem+json: schema: type: object description: >- RFC 9457 problem document, served as application/problem+json. Branch on `code`; `title` is human prose and may be reworded without notice. Some failures add extension members — `fields` on validation errors, `retry_after` on 429s, `credits_used`/`credits_remaining` on billing-adjacent failures — documented on the responses that carry them. required: - type - title - status - code properties: type: type: string format: uri description: Stable documentation URI for this failure. examples: - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_disabled - https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/api_unconfigured title: type: string description: Short human-readable summary of the failure. examples: - Tool temporarily disabled - API not configured status: type: integer description: HTTP status code, matching the response's own status. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable error code — branch on this, not `title`. enum: - tool_disabled - api_unconfigured detail: type: string description: Human explanation of this occurrence. request_id: type: string description: Correlation id, also sent as x-request-id. example: type: https://iotools.cloud/docs/errors/tool_disabled title: Tool temporarily disabled status: 503 code: tool_disabled detail: This tool is temporarily unavailable. Try again shortly. request_id: e4042b29-8f1e-4c7a-9b52-6f0d1a3c7e11 securitySchemes: bearerAuth: type: http scheme: bearer bearerFormat: iot_live_… ````