The same money — flexible or fixed, compounded or not, held for how long — can earn meaningfully different amounts. This little tool helps you do the math first. It calculates the result assuming the APY never changes, which makes it handy for side-by-side comparison; it is not a promise that you'll actually get this number. APY moves every day, and what you really pocket is usually a bit less than the ideal.
Note: compounding frequency means how often the interest you've already earned is reinvested to earn more. Most exchange flexible-savings products accrue interest daily and roll it in automatically (close to daily compounding), while fixed-term products often pay out once at maturity. Always follow the rules on the product page you choose.
Reading these numbers: compounding, simple interest, APY and why APY isn't what you pocket
This calculator does just one thing: it turns principal × APY × time into a single ending figure based on the compounding option you pick. Behind it are two formulas — with no compounding it uses simple interest, principal × (1 + rate × years); with compounding it uses principal × (1 + rate ÷ periods)^(periods × years). It looks complicated, but it boils down to one sentence: the more often you compound, the higher the APY, and the longer the time, the bigger compounding's edge over simple interest.
Simple vs compound: it comes down to whether interest earns interest
Simple interest always pays on the original principal alone, with the interest just sitting there. Compounding rolls each period's interest back into the principal, so the next period the interest earns interest too. With a small principal, a short time and a low APY, the two barely differ. But with a large principal, a high APY and a few years, compounding pulls steadily ahead. For short-term, small-amount earn products, don't agonize over compounding frequency — it's pennies. What really decides the outcome is the APY and how long you're willing to leave it in.
APY already has compounding baked in
What you see on an exchange product page is usually APY (the annual yield, including compounding), not APR (the nominal annual rate, without compounding). For the same underlying rate, APY is usually slightly higher than APR, because it assumes the interest gets reinvested. If a product shows both numbers, don't compare one product's APY against another's APR — that isn't a fair comparison. We cover the difference between the two terms in more detail in this article.
Why APY isn't what you're guaranteed to get
This is the most important thing to remember. The APY on a product page is almost always floating — a reference figure calculated from current market conditions, not a contractual rate. Flexible-savings APY changes daily or even hourly; staking APY moves with network block rewards and the total amount staked; for things like Dual Investment and Launchpool, the headline high APY is just an annualized figure for one window of time, and can't be read as 'leave it a year and you'll get this much.' So treat the figure this tool gives you as a ceiling under ideal conditions — what you actually pocket is usually lower.
Costs the calculator doesn't include
It only computes interest. It doesn't account for: subscription or redemption fees and timing gaps (many products don't pay interest on the day you deposit); the partial return you may forfeit by redeeming a fixed term early or unstaking; or the price swings in Dual Investment and Launchpool, where your principal may end up converted into another coin, or the reward coin you receive may then drop. In other words, it helps you compare which 'APY and term' is more worthwhile, but it does not assess risk for you.
Risk note: this is a reference, not a promise
Crypto asset prices swing wildly, and earn, staking and Dual Investment products are not principal-protected. In extreme conditions the platform, smart contracts and the coin price can all cost you part or even all of your principal. Like everything on this site, this calculator is for educational reference only and is not investment advice. Only test with a small amount you can afford to lose, and follow the laws and regulations where you live.
Once you've run the numbers and know roughly what to expect, want to give it a try? Binance Simple Earn and OKX Earn both let you start from a few USDT — put in a little first and watch how the interest accrues. Enter code BNB2628 at Binance or OK2628 at OKX for a fee discount — go to Binance / go to OKX.