Stock Options Vesting Schedule Calculator

Model a standard cliff-plus-monthly equity vesting schedule and see how much has vested and its value at several stock prices.

Inputs

Total shares or options in the grant.

Total length of the vesting schedule.

Nothing vests until the cliff; then that portion vests at once.

How long since the vesting start date.

Current price per share (or fair value).

Exercise price for options; 0 for RSUs (full value).

Result

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How to use this calculator

  • Enter the total grant size, vesting period, and cliff length.
  • Enter how many months have elapsed since the vesting start.
  • Enter the current share price; set strike to 0 for RSUs or the exercise price for options.
  • Read vested shares, the percentage vested, and the value at several prices.

About this calculator

Equity grants — stock options or RSUs — almost always vest over time rather than all at once, so you earn ownership gradually as you stay with the company. The most common arrangement is a four-year schedule with a one-year cliff: nothing vests for the first year, then 25% vests on the cliff date, and the rest vests monthly over the remaining three years. This calculator models that cliff-plus-monthly pattern for any grant size, vesting period, and cliff length, telling you how many shares have vested at a given number of months and what they are worth. For stock options it values each vested share as the price minus the strike (the gain from exercising); for RSUs, set the strike to zero to use the full share price. It also projects the full grant’s value at the current price and at 2× and 3×, to illustrate the upside.

How it works — the formula

Monthly vesting = Total shares ÷ (years × 12) Vested = 0 (before cliff); Total × elapsed/period (after cliff); capped at Total Value/share = max(0, price − strike)

Vesting accrues linearly after the cliff; options are valued at intrinsic value (price minus strike), RSUs at full price.

Source: Investopedia — Vesting

Worked examples

Example 1
4,800 sh, 4 yr, 12-mo cliff, 18 mo elapsed, $20
Inputs:
shares=4800, years=4, cliff=12, elapsed=18, price=20, strike=0
Output:
1,800 vested (37.5%), $36,000
Example 2
Same grant at 6 months (pre-cliff)
Inputs:
shares=4800, years=4, cliff=12, elapsed=6
Output:
0 vested (before cliff)
Example 3
Options strike $10, price $20, fully vested
Inputs:
shares=4800, years=4, cliff=12, elapsed=48, price=20, strike=10
Output:
4,800 vested, value $48,000

Limitations

  • Assumes linear monthly vesting after the cliff.
  • Pre-tax; ignores option time value and exercise windows.
  • Does not model performance-based or accelerated vesting.

Illustrative model; refer to your grant agreement and a tax advisor.

Frequently asked

What is a vesting cliff?+
A cliff is an initial period during which nothing vests; if you leave before it, you get nothing. On the common one-year cliff, you vest 25% of a four-year grant all at once on your first anniversary, then continue vesting monthly. Cliffs encourage staying at least through the first year.
How does monthly vesting work after the cliff?+
After the cliff, the remaining shares vest in equal monthly increments until the schedule completes. For a 4,800-share, 4-year grant, that is 4,800 ÷ 48 = 100 shares per month, with the first 12 months’ worth (1,200 shares) vesting together at the one-year cliff.
How are stock options valued versus RSUs?+
A stock option lets you buy a share at the strike price, so each vested option is worth the current price minus the strike (zero if underwater). An RSU is a share itself, worth the full price — set the strike to 0 in this tool to value RSUs.
What happens to unvested shares if I leave?+
You forfeit unvested shares when you leave. Vested options usually must be exercised within a window after departure (often 90 days), or they expire. Vested RSUs you already own are yours, subject to any company-specific rules.
Does this account for taxes?+
No. RSUs are taxed as ordinary income when they vest; options have their own tax treatment (NSO vs ISO) at exercise and sale. The values shown are pre-tax. Consult a tax advisor for your situation.
Are all vesting schedules four-year with a one-year cliff?+
It is the startup norm but not universal. Some grants vest quarterly, use back-loaded schedules, have no cliff, or add performance conditions. This calculator handles any period and cliff length, but assumes time-based linear vesting after the cliff.

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