Break-even Calculator
Units to break even.
Units to break even.
How to use Break-even Calculator
- Enter your fixed costs for the period
- Add the price per unit and variable cost per unit
- Read the break-even point in units, revenue, and contribution margin
About Break-even Calculator
The break-even calculator tells you exactly how many units you need to sell before your business starts turning a profit. Enter three numbers — your total fixed costs, the price you charge per unit, and the variable cost of making each unit — and it instantly returns your break-even point in units, the matching break-even sales figure in revenue, and your contribution margin per unit. Change any input and every result updates in real time, so you can test a higher price or a lower supplier cost and watch the break-even point move.
Because it reports the break-even point both ways — as a unit count and as a dollar sales target — you can use it to set a monthly sales goal, price a new product, or check whether an idea covers its costs at all. If your price is at or below your variable cost per unit, it tells you there is no break-even point instead of returning a misleading number, and it rounds the unit figure up to the next whole unit so the target is always enough to fully cover costs rather than fall slightly short.
It is completely free, with no sign-up and no usage limits, and it runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server or saved anywhere, so your pricing and cost numbers stay private on your own device.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate the break-even point?
- Break-even units = fixed costs ÷ (price per unit − variable cost per unit). The difference between price and variable cost is your contribution margin per unit, which is what each sale contributes toward covering fixed costs. Multiply the break-even units by the price per unit to get your break-even point in revenue.
- What is a break-even point?
- The break-even point is the level of sales at which your total revenue exactly equals your total costs, so you make neither a profit nor a loss. Sell one unit past it and you start making money; sell fewer and you are losing money. This calculator finds that point in both units and dollars.
- How do I calculate break-even in sales or revenue instead of units?
- Once you know the break-even point in units, break-even sales are simply those units multiplied by your price per unit. This calculator shows both figures at the same time, so you can set a dollar sales target as easily as a unit target.
- What's the difference between break-even in units and in dollars?
- Break-even units tell you how many items you must sell; break-even sales (or revenue) tell you the total dollar amount those sales add up to. They describe the same point in two ways — units are handy for production planning, while the dollar figure is easier to compare against a monthly sales goal.
- What is contribution margin per unit?
- Contribution margin per unit is the price you charge for a unit minus the variable cost to produce that unit. It's the amount each sale contributes toward paying off your fixed costs, and once fixed costs are covered, toward profit. A bigger contribution margin means a lower break-even point.
- What inputs do I need to find my break-even point?
- Three numbers: your total fixed costs (rent, salaries, and other expenses that don't change with volume), the price you charge per unit, and the variable cost of making each unit (materials, shipping, and per-sale fees). Enter all three and the results appear instantly.
- How can I lower my break-even point?
- Raise your price, cut the variable cost of each unit, or reduce your fixed costs — any of these widens your contribution margin or shrinks the total you need to cover, so fewer units are required to break even. Change any input in the calculator to see the effect immediately.
- Why does it say there is no break-even point?
- If your price per unit is less than or equal to your variable cost per unit, every unit you sell either loses money or contributes nothing toward fixed costs. In that case selling more units never covers your fixed costs, so no break-even point exists. Raise your price or lower your variable cost to fix this.
- Why is the number of units rounded up?
- You can't sell a fraction of a unit and still fully cover your costs, so the calculator rounds the break-even units up to the next whole unit. This guarantees the figure shown is enough to at least break even rather than fall slightly short.
- Does this calculate a Social Security break-even age?
- No. This is a business break-even calculator based on fixed costs, price, and variable cost per unit. A Social Security break-even compares the total lifetime benefits of claiming early versus delaying to find the age at which waiting pays off — a different calculation this tool doesn't perform.
- Is this break-even calculator free?
- Yes, it's 100% free to use with no sign-up, no limits, and no ads interrupting the tool. You can run as many calculations as you want.
- Is my data uploaded or stored anywhere?
- No. All calculations happen locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your fixed costs, prices, and cost figures are never uploaded, logged, or shared, and nothing is saved once you close the page.