With so many investment options available — EPF, PPF, NPS, gold, silver, mutual funds — how do you know where your money will grow the most?
This free Investment Comparison Calculator puts all six options side by side instantly. Enter your monthly investment amount and time horizon, customize the expected return rate for each instrument, and see exactly how much each one grows your money — along with tax implications, lock-in periods and risk levels for each. Make smarter investment decisions with real numbers, not guesswork.
How to Use the Investment Comparison Calculator
Step 1 — Enter your monthly investment amount Type how much you invest or plan to invest every month. The calculator applies this same amount across all instruments for a fair comparison.
Step 2 — Set your time period Enter how many years you plan to stay invested. For long-term wealth building, 15 to 30 years shows the dramatic difference compounding makes across instruments.
Step 3 — Enter your age Your age is used to calculate how many years remain until typical retirement age and to provide context for lock-in restrictions.
Step 4 — Select instruments to compare Toggle any instrument on or off by clicking its button. You can compare all six or focus on just two or three.
Step 5 — Customize return rates Adjust the expected return rate for each instrument based on current market conditions or your own assumptions.
Step 6 — Read comparison results See total maturity value, returns earned, growth multiple, lock-in period and tax status for each instrument. The best performer gets a Trophy badge. The line chart shows year-by-year wealth growth for all selected instruments.
A Complete Guide to All 6 Investment Options
EPF — Employee Provident Fund
EPF is a mandatory retirement savings scheme for salaried employees in India governed by EPFO (Employees Provident Fund Organisation). Both employer and employee contribute 12% of basic salary each month. Current interest rate is 8.25% per annum for FY 2024-25.
Key features: Completely tax-free on maturity after 5 years of continuous service. EEE status — contribution deductible under 80C, interest tax-free, maturity tax-free. Mandatory for employees earning up to ₹15,000 basic salary. Withdrawal restricted until retirement age 58 (partial withdrawals allowed for specific purposes).
PPF — Public Provident Fund
PPF is a government-backed long-term savings instrument available to all Indian residents — salaried, self-employed and even students. Current interest rate is 7.1% per annum, reviewed quarterly by the government.
Key features: 15-year mandatory lock-in (extendable in 5-year blocks). Completely tax-free — EEE status. Maximum investment ₹1.5 lakh per year. Partial withdrawal allowed from year 7. Loan facility available from year 3. Cannot be attached by court order — ideal asset protection.
NPS — National Pension System
NPS is a market-linked pension scheme regulated by PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority). Returns are not fixed — they depend on market performance and asset allocation chosen (equity, corporate bonds, government bonds).
Key features: Historically 10% to 12% returns for aggressive allocation (75% equity). Lock-in until age 60. At maturity: 60% lump sum tax-free, 40% must be used to buy annuity (taxable as income). Additional ₹50,000 deduction under Section 80CCD(1B) over and above 80C limit. Suitable for disciplined long-term retirement planning.
Gold
Gold has been the traditional Indian investment for generations. Over the last 20 years, gold has delivered approximately 10% to 12% annual returns in Indian rupee terms. Modern ways to invest in gold include Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs), Gold ETFs and Digital Gold — all without the storage risk of physical gold.
Key features: Hedge against inflation and currency depreciation. No fixed returns — price is market-driven. SGBs offer 2.5% additional interest per year over price appreciation. Long-term capital gains taxed at 20% with indexation after 3 years. Highly liquid — can be sold anytime. Culturally significant in India for weddings and ceremonies.
Silver
Silver follows gold as a precious metal investment but with higher volatility. It has dual demand — as an investment commodity and as an industrial metal (solar panels, electronics, medical devices). Historical returns approximately 8% to 10% annually in India over the long term, but with wider swings than gold.
Key features: Higher industrial demand makes it more volatile than gold. Lower entry price — you can buy small quantities. Taxed same as gold — 20% LTCG with indexation. Less liquid than gold but gaining popularity as a portfolio diversifier.
Mutual Funds (Equity)
Equity mutual funds invest in stock markets and have historically delivered the highest long-term returns of all asset classes in India — 12% to 15% over 10+ year periods. There is no capital guarantee and short-term returns can be negative.
Key features: Highest return potential over long periods. No lock-in for most funds (ELSS has 3-year lock-in). Extremely flexible — start, stop, pause, increase anytime. LTCG taxed at 12.5% on gains above ₹1.25 lakh per year. SIP investing reduces volatility through rupee cost averaging. Professional fund management. Regulated by SEBI.
The fundamental rule of investing: higher potential return always comes with higher risk and often lower liquidity.
Why You Should Not Put All Money in One Instrument
Smart investors do not choose just one instrument — they build a diversified portfolio that balances safety, growth and liquidity.
A sample balanced portfolio for a 30-year-old:
InstrumentAllocationPurposeEPF24% (mandatory)Retirement safety netPPF20%Tax-free guaranteed growthEquity Mutual Funds40%Maximum wealth creationGold10%Inflation hedgeNPS6%Additional tax saving
This portfolio gives exposure to guaranteed returns (EPF + PPF), market-linked high returns (Mutual Funds), inflation protection (Gold) and extra tax saving (NPS).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Which investment gives the highest return in India? Over a 15-year or longer period, equity mutual funds have historically delivered the highest returns of 12% to 15% per annum in India. However this comes with market risk — returns are not guaranteed. For guaranteed returns, EPF at 8.25% and PPF at 7.1% are the highest among completely safe options.
Q2. Is PPF better than FD? For long-term investments of 15 years or more, PPF is significantly better than FD for most investors. PPF offers 7.1% completely tax-free while FD interest is fully taxable. In the 30% tax bracket, a 7.25% FD earns an effective post-tax return of only 5.075% — well below PPF. However FD is more flexible with no lock-in while PPF locks money for 15 years.
Q3. Is NPS a good investment? NPS is an excellent retirement planning tool for two reasons — it delivers market-linked returns of 10% to 12% over the long term, and it offers an extra ₹50,000 tax deduction under 80CCD(1B) beyond the ₹1.5 lakh 80C limit. The drawback is the mandatory annuity — you must use 40% of the corpus to buy an annuity at retirement which gives relatively low returns. NPS works best as a supplementary retirement investment alongside EPF and PPF.
Q4. Should I invest in gold? Gold serves as a portfolio diversifier and inflation hedge rather than a primary wealth-building instrument. Financial advisors typically recommend allocating 10% to 15% of your portfolio to gold. Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) are the best way to invest in gold — they offer 2.5% annual interest plus price appreciation, with capital gains tax-exempt at maturity.
Q5. What is the difference between EPF and PPF? EPF is mandatory for employees earning up to ₹15,000 basic salary — both employer and employee contribute. PPF is voluntary, available to everyone, and you can invest up to ₹1.5 lakh per year. EPF offers 8.25% interest while PPF offers 7.1%. Both are completely tax-free. EPF is tied to employment while PPF is independent and continues even if you change jobs or become self-employed.
Q6. Which is better — Gold or Mutual Funds? For wealth creation over 15+ years, equity mutual funds have historically beaten gold. ₹10,000 per month for 20 years at 12% grows to ₹99.9 lakh in mutual funds vs approximately ₹75.2 lakh in gold (at 10%). However gold has lower volatility and is an important portfolio diversifier. The ideal approach is to have both — 10% to 15% in gold and the rest in equity mutual funds.
Q7. What is the minimum investment for PPF, NPS and Mutual Funds? PPF minimum: ₹500 per year. NPS minimum: ₹1,000 per year (₹500 per contribution). Equity Mutual Fund SIP minimum: ₹100 to ₹500 per month depending on the fund. All three are accessible to low and middle income investors.
Q8. Can I invest in all six instruments simultaneously? Yes. There is no rule against investing in multiple instruments simultaneously. A well-diversified portfolio typically includes EPF (mandatory if employed), PPF (tax-free guaranteed component), equity mutual funds (growth), gold (hedge) and NPS (additional tax saving). The key is allocating based on your goals, time horizon and risk tolerance.
Q9. What happens to my EPF if I change jobs? Your EPF account is portable — your UAN (Universal Account Number) stays the same across employers. When you change jobs, your new employer contributes to the same UAN. You can also transfer the balance from your old employer's PF account to the new one online through the EPFO portal.
Q10. Is silver a good investment? Silver has dual demand — as an investment metal and as an industrial metal for solar panels, electric vehicles and electronics. This industrial demand gives it more upside potential than gold in a green energy transition scenario. However it is also more volatile. Silver is suitable as a 5% to 8% allocation within your portfolio for those who already have equity and gold exposure.