Break-Even Calculator
Find how many units you must sell to cover fixed costs, and the revenue that represents.
Processing: This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your input and any file you open stay on your device — nothing is uploaded to a server.
How to use the break-even calculator
- Fill in the fields — they start with a worked example.
- Read the answer, and the arithmetic shown beneath it.
- Copy the results, or adjust the inputs to compare scenarios.
About this tool
Break-even is where contribution covers fixed costs. Contribution is what each sale leaves after its own variable cost — price minus variable cost — and fixed costs divided by that figure gives the number of units.
The contribution margin is the number worth watching. A thin margin means the break-even point moves violently when price or cost shifts slightly, which is what makes low-margin businesses fragile rather than merely less profitable.
Common uses
- Checking whether a product can cover its overheads.
- Seeing how a price change moves the break-even point.
- Sanity-checking a business plan.
Frequently asked questions
- What counts as a fixed cost?
- Anything you pay regardless of volume: rent, salaries, software, insurance. Variable costs scale with each unit — materials, packaging, payment fees.
- Why is my break-even point impossible?
- If the variable cost is at or above the price, each sale loses money and no volume ever covers fixed costs. The tool says so rather than returning a number.
Related tools
Profit Margin Calculator
Calculate gross profit, margin and markup from cost and selling price.
Markup Calculator
Apply a markup to a cost to get the selling price and resulting margin.
ROI Calculator
Calculate return on investment as a percentage, plus annualised return over a holding period.
Loan & EMI Calculator
Calculate the monthly repayment, total interest and total cost of a loan from amount, rate and term.