What this Pokémon GO DPS calculator does
This tool estimates damage per second (DPS) for both individual moves and a full fast-move/charged-move cycle. If you raid, battle Team GO Rocket, or compare attacker builds, DPS helps you quickly identify which moveset hits harder over time.
Unlike a basic “power divided by time” tool, this calculator includes battle modifiers like STAB, weather boost, shadow attack bonus, and type effectiveness. It also uses the in-game style damage formula with floor rounding and +1 base damage.
How DPS is calculated
1) Damage per hit
Pokémon GO damage is approximated using:
Damage = floor(0.5 × Power × (Attack / Defense) × Modifiers) + 1
Modifiers can include:
- STAB: 1.2× if the move type matches the attacker type
- Type effectiveness: super effective, neutral, resisted, etc.
- Weather boost: 1.2× for weather-boosted moves
- Shadow bonus: 1.2× attack multiplier for shadow attackers
- Any custom multiplier you want to test
2) Move DPS
Move DPS is simply damage per use ÷ move duration. This is useful when comparing two fast moves or two charged moves in isolation.
3) Cycle DPS
Real raid performance depends on cycling fast moves to build enough energy for a charged move:
- Fast moves needed = ceil(charged energy cost ÷ fast move energy gain)
- Total cycle damage = (fast damage × fast uses) + charged damage
- Total cycle time = (fast duration × fast uses) + charged duration
- Cycle DPS = total cycle damage ÷ total cycle time
How to use this calculator effectively
Set realistic battle stats
Use your attacker’s effective attack and your target’s defense if you have them from a battle simulator. If not, use approximate values to compare movesets under the same conditions.
Choose your scenario modifiers
For raid planning, enable STAB and weather when relevant. Toggle shadow bonus only for shadow Pokémon. Type effectiveness matters the most, so select the correct matchup multiplier.
Compare more than one setup
The best way to rank attackers is to run this calculator several times:
- Same Pokémon, different charged moves
- Normal vs shadow version
- Weather-boosted vs non-boosted scenarios
- Neutral matchup vs super-effective matchup
Interpreting your results
Fast DPS
Good for judging quick pressure and energy building speed. Fast moves with high damage and short duration can dramatically improve cycle output.
Charged DPS
High charged DPS can look amazing on paper, but expensive charged moves may lower practical cycle DPS if fast energy gain is weak.
Cycle DPS (most important)
This is usually the most useful headline number for PvE damage racing. It reflects how your full moveset performs over repeated actions, not just one move press.
Common DPS mistakes trainers make
- Comparing move power without considering move duration
- Ignoring energy generation when evaluating charged move impact
- Forgetting STAB or type effectiveness multipliers
- Assuming highest cycle DPS always means best total performance
DPS vs total battle value
DPS is critical, but not the whole story. In longer fights, survivability (bulk), relobby frequency, and total damage output also matter. A glass-cannon attacker may lead in DPS but lose practical value if it faints too quickly.
Use this DPS calculator as a strong first filter, then combine with battle context:
- How many faints are expected?
- Will dodging be used?
- Is raid timer pressure high?
- How easy is the Pokémon to build and power up?
Final thoughts
If you want a clean way to compare Pokémon GO raid attackers, this calculator gives you a fast, transparent framework. Start with cycle DPS, test realistic modifiers, and run multiple scenarios before investing Stardust and XL Candy.