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Break-even Calculator

Find exactly how many units you need to sell to cover your costs. Enter your fixed costs, variable cost per unit, and selling price to instantly see your break-even point, contribution margin, and profit at any sales volume.

Your Costs & Pricing
$
$
$
Profit at Volume
Revenue
$25,000
Total Costs
$17,000
Net P/L
$8,000
Break-even Results
Break-even Units
385
Fixed ÷ (Price − VC)
Break-even Revenue
$9,615
Units × Price
Contribution Margin
$13.00
Price − Variable Cost
Contribution Margin %
52.0%
(Price − VC) ÷ Price × 100
Cost vs Contribution — 3 Volume Scenarios
Fixed Costs
Contribution
Industry context: Most service businesses break even in 3–6 months; product businesses typically take 6–18 months. Physical product businesses tend to have higher fixed and variable costs, while service or SaaS businesses often reach break-even faster due to lower marginal costs per customer.
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How to use
  1. Enter your monthly fixed costs (rent, salaries, subscriptions) and the variable cost per unit you sell.
  2. Add your selling price per unit — the break-even units and contribution margin update instantly.
  3. Set a target monthly volume to see resulting revenue, total costs, and net profit or loss.
FAQ

Break-even analysis determines the point at which total revenue equals total costs — meaning you neither make a profit nor incur a loss. It tells you exactly how many units you need to sell before your business starts to profit. It's one of the most fundamental tools in business planning and pricing strategy.

Contribution margin is the amount each unit sold contributes toward covering fixed costs and generating profit. It equals the selling price minus the variable cost per unit. Once total contribution margin equals your fixed costs, you've broken even — every additional unit after that is pure profit.

Three levers: reduce fixed costs (negotiate rent, cancel unused subscriptions), reduce variable costs per unit (cheaper suppliers, automation), or raise your selling price. Even a small price increase can dramatically lower break-even volume when demand allows.