Same money, two timings. See which one actually won — on real history, no cherry-picking.
Want the head-to-head instead? DCA is about when you buy. To see how WiseBot's curve stacks up against simply holding Bitcoin, Ethereum or the S&P 500 — up to five at once — compare buy & hold.
Compare buy & hold →The eternal question
Lump sum means investing the whole amount on day one. DCA drip-feeds the same total in, a little each month. Studies say lump sum wins about two-thirds of the time — markets rise more often than they fall, so money invested sooner compounds longer.
But "two-thirds of the time" isn't "always," and averages hide the path. Pick an asset and a window above and watch the two lines settle it on real prices — including the brutal stretches where DCA's smoother ride mattered.
On average, lump sum wins roughly two-thirds of the time for diversified assets, because markets trend up and money invested earlier compounds longer. DCA wins in volatile or falling markets and removes timing risk — the chance of investing everything right before a drop.
Two reasons. Most people don't have a lump sum — they invest from each paycheck, which is DCA by definition. And DCA is psychologically easier: it removes regret and the 'is now a good time?' paralysis. A smoother ride you actually stick with beats an optimal one you abandon.
Often yes — in Bitcoin's big bull runs lump sum crushed DCA. But Bitcoin's drawdowns are brutal and DCA softened the worst stretches a lot. Switch the asset to BTC above and compare.
Real monthly historical prices, price-return only (dividends and yield excluded for fairness). Lump sum invests the full amount at the start; DCA invests an equal slice each month. The inflation-adjusted view uses US CPI.