Free tool · For makers selling online

Will this machine pay for itself?

Enter what one product earns and costs, and how many you expect to sell. The calculator shows how many sales and months it takes to earn back your setup, and what your time is really worth.

1. Your investmentTotal setup cost

Machine plus everything needed to run it. Don't know yet? Use the laser setup cost calculator.

Currency

2. One product

Sale price per itemMaterial cost per itemPackaging per itemOther cost per itemShipping you absorb, ads, finishing supplies

3. Marketplace fees

Fees differ by country and change over time, so we do not prefill them. Look up your current rates in Etsy's fees and payments policy ↗ and add listing, transaction and payment-processing fees together.

Fees as % of sale priceFixed fees per item

4. Time

Machine minutes per itemRunning cost per machine hourElectricity, filters, lenses, cutting toolsYour hands-on minutes per itemDesign, setup, finishing, packing, messagesMachine hours available per month

5. SalesItems you expect to sell per month

How the calculation works

Four lines of arithmetic.

Profit per item = sale price − materials − packaging − other costs − (price × fee %) − fixed fees − (machine minutes ÷ 60 × running cost per hour).
Items to break even = total setup cost ÷ profit per item, rounded up.
Months to break even = items to break even ÷ items sold per month.
Earnings per hands-on hour = profit per item ÷ (hands-on minutes ÷ 60). If this is below what you would accept as a wage, raise the price or cut the hands-on time.

Want to grow a product line? Read the guide for makers selling online or compare machines in the machine finder.