DCA Planner and Recurring Buy Guide

Plan a dollar-cost-averaging schedule: see how much you will invest, how many buys that is, what fees take out, and the exact purchase dates — then download calendar reminders or set up the same schedule as a recurring buy on your exchange. We don’t execute trades.

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Your plan

Fee assumptions

Example values, not any specific exchange. Replace them with your platform’s fee and spread.

Hypothetical annual return (optional)

Not a forecast. Leave at 0% to see only what you put in.

What this plan looks like

Choose a first-buy date to see your plan.

Fee drag on small buys

A flat fee hurts small purchases most. With your assumptions (0.6% plus $0.99 per buy), this is what each purchase size really costs:

Buy sizeFee per buyEffective cost
$10$1.0510.50%
$25$1.144.56%
$50$1.292.58%
$100$1.591.59%
$250$2.491.00%
$500$3.990.80%

If the effective cost of your buy size looks high, buy less often with a larger amount, pay by bank transfer instead of card, or use a platform with lower fees on recurring buys. Compare costs with the fee calculator.

How to automate recurring buys on your exchange

Most large US platforms let you schedule a recurring buy, so the purchase happens without you logging in. The steps are similar everywhere:

  1. Pick a platform that offers recurring buys. Choose a regulated exchange or app that lists a recurring-buy or auto-invest feature for the coin you want, and read its fee page.
  2. Verify your account and link a payment method. Recurring buys usually need a verified account and a bank account (ACH) or debit card; check which payment methods are eligible and what each costs.
  3. Choose the coin, amount and frequency. Open the buy screen, switch from one-time to recurring, then enter the amount and pick daily, weekly, every two weeks or monthly.
  4. Review fees before confirming. Look at the total cost of each buy, including spread and any flat fee. Small, frequent buys can cost a much higher percentage.
  5. Confirm and note how to pause or cancel. Confirm the schedule, then find where the platform lists recurring orders so you can pause, edit or cancel them later.
  6. Move long-term holdings to storage you control (optional). If you plan to hold for years, consider periodically withdrawing to a wallet you control, weighing the withdrawal fee against exchange risk.

Platforms with a recurring-buy feature (US)

PlatformSchedules offeredNotes
CoinbaseDaily, weekly, monthlyThe first buy runs immediately when you create the schedule. To change amount or frequency you cancel and recreate it. Not every payment method is eligible.
KrakenDaily, weekly, every 2 weeks, monthlyAvailable in the Kraken app and website for verified accounts, not on Kraken Pro. Orders can be edited or paused.
GeminiDaily, weekly, twice monthly, monthlySet from the Market page on web or app. Not available on the ActiveTrader interface.
RobinhoodDaily, weekly, every 2 weeks, monthlyRecurring crypto investments from $1. Robinhood Crypto does not charge a commission, but prices include a spread.
Cash AppDaily, weekly, every 2 weeksAuto Invest is bitcoin-only. Cash App says Auto Invest buys have no fee and no spread; check its fee page for current terms.

Checked against each platform’s help pages on:

Listing is not an endorsement, and availability varies by state. Features and fees change; confirm on the platform before you set up a schedule. Compare platforms on our exchange comparison.

What DCA does and doesn’t do

DCA spreads your purchases over time, so one bad entry price matters less and you are not tempted to time the market. It does not make a falling asset profitable: if the price ends lower than your average cost, you lose money. It also tends to underperform investing a lump sum all at once in markets that mostly rise — the trade-off is lower regret and a habit that is easier to keep.

Want to see how DCA actually performed?

The historical DCA calculator backtests a schedule against real past prices. Past performance does not predict future results. Read more in our DCA strategies guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is dollar-cost averaging (DCA) in crypto?

DCA means buying a fixed dollar amount on a fixed schedule, for example $50 of bitcoin every week, regardless of price. You buy more coins when the price is low and fewer when it is high, and you avoid trying to time the market. It does not guarantee a profit or protect against losses.

Does Bitcoinvestments buy crypto for me?

No. We do not execute trades or hold funds. This planner shows what a schedule looks like and can export calendar reminders. To automate the buys themselves, use the recurring-buy feature of an exchange you already use.

Is daily, weekly or monthly DCA better?

Over long periods the difference between daily, weekly and monthly buying is usually small. Fees matter more: if your platform charges a flat fee per purchase, many small buys can cost far more than fewer larger ones. Pick a frequency you can sustain and whose fees you understand.

Why does the planner default to a 0% return?

Because nobody knows future returns. The hypothetical return field lets you try scenarios such as −50% or +20% a year, but the result is arithmetic on your assumption, not a forecast. For what DCA would actually have returned in the past, use the historical DCA calculator.

How do the calendar reminders work?

The Download button creates an .ics file in your browser with one reminder per scheduled buy (or one repeating event). Import it into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook. Nothing is sent to our servers. Email reminders need an account — coming soon.