Present Value Calculator
Find what a future amount, with or without regular payments, is worth today at a discount rate. It runs in your browser.
Also searched as: pv calculator · discounted value calculator · present value of annuity calculator · discount rate calculator
Updated November 9, 2026
Loading the tool…
How to use it
- 1
Enter the future amount
Type the amount you will receive, and any payment received each period.
- 2
Add the discount rate and years
Enter the yearly rate and how many years away the money is.
- 3
Read the present value
See what the money is worth today.
Questions about present value calculator
What is present value?
The value today of money you will receive later, after discounting for the return you could earn meanwhile.
What discount rate should I use?
Use the yearly return you could earn on a safe alternative, or the rate you expect for the risk involved. A higher rate gives a lower present value.
Can I add regular payments?
Yes. Enter a payment received each period and it is included.
Why money later is worth less
A sum you receive later is worth less than the same sum today, because today you could invest it. At a 6% discount rate, 50,000 received in 10 years is worth 27,919.74 now. The higher the discount rate, the lower the present value, as the table shows.
| Discount rate | Present value of 50,000 in 10 years |
|---|---|
| 3% | 37,204.70 |
| 4% | 33,778.21 |
| 6% | 27,919.74 |
| 8% | 23,159.67 |
| 10% | 19,277.16 |
Valuing a stream of payments
Enter a payment received each period to value a stream, such as an annuity or a settlement paid in instalments. Ten yearly payments of 1,000 at a 5% discount rate are worth 7,721.73 today, which is less than the 10,000 you receive in total. The tool starts on yearly compounding, which fits yearly payments, so choose Monthly for monthly ones.
If each payment arrives at the start of its year instead of the end, the stream is worth 8,107.82, because every payment comes a year sooner. Use the yearly return you could earn on a safe alternative, or the rate that fits the risk you take, as the discount rate.
Choosing between money now and later
Present value lets you compare an offer today with a larger one later. Take 100,000 now or 120,000 in three years. At a 6% discount rate the 120,000 is worth 100,754.31 today, so waiting is slightly better. At 8% it is worth 95,259.87, and taking the money now wins.
The answer depends on the rate, so use the return you could really earn, and think about the risk that the later money does not arrive.