Free Present Value Calculator
Work out what a future amount is worth today, given a discount rate — no signup, nothing sent to a server. Going the other direction? Use the Future Value Calculator, or check a growth rate between two known amounts with the CAGR Calculator.
Present value
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Future value
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Total discount
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How to calculate present value
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1
Enter the future value
The amount you expect to receive at a future date.
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2
Set the discount rate
The annual rate used to bring that future amount back to today's value.
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3
Pick a compounding frequency
Choose how often the rate compounds.
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4
Set the time period
Present value and the total discount update instantly as you type.
Example use cases
Comparing offers paid at different times
See what a payment due in the future is really worth in today's money.
Evaluating an investment payout
Check whether a promised future return is worth the amount invested today.
Loan or settlement comparisons
Bring lump-sum offers due at different future dates onto a like-for-like basis.
Frequently asked questions
How is present value calculated?
Present value = Future value ÷ (1 + r/n)^(n×t), where r is the annual discount rate as a decimal, n is the number of compounding periods per year, and t is the time in years.
What discount rate should I use?
Use a rate that reflects what the money could otherwise earn - a bank deposit rate, expected investment return, or a company's cost of capital, depending on what you're evaluating.
How is this different from the Future Value Calculator?
The Future Value Calculator projects forward from today's amount. This tool works backward from a known future amount to find what it's worth today.
Is my financial information sent to a server?
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser — nothing is transmitted or logged.