Break-Even Calculator
See when your business starts making a profit. Find out how many sales cover your costs.
Make something useful.
Enter the details, review your result, then copy or export. No account and no AI required.
See a real task before you start
Model R10,000 fixed costs and R100 contribution per sale: 100 sales to break even.
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Keep this work for next time
Guests can keep using this tool. Members can save and resume drafts across devices, with no AI required.
Save or export a complete editable draft, including repeated line items. Files and passwords are never included. JSON backups stay on your device unless you choose to share them.
Your result
See the output and use its export controls when ready.
Complete the form to get started.
Quality checkpoint
- Separate fixed from variable costs
- Stress-test low-sales and rising-cost scenarios
The calculator, builder or download above works independently. AI Assist is an optional explanation and writing helper, never required to complete the core task.
Work out how many sales cover your expenses
Break-even is the point where contribution from sales covers fixed costs. It helps you evaluate pricing, monthly targets and the impact of rising expenses before committing to them. The useful number is not simply revenue: it is the revenue left after paying costs that vary with each sale.
Before you start
Break-even depends on contribution per sale. Contribution is the amount left after variable costs, which must then cover fixed costs. Changing either price or fulfilment cost can change the required sales volume significantly.
How to use this tool
- Enter fixed costs such as rent and predictable monthly overheads.
- Add your selling price and variable cost per unit.
- Review the break-even units and estimated result at your expected sales volume.
A real-world example
With R10,000 fixed costs, a R250 selling price and R150 variable cost, each sale contributes R100. You need 100 sales to break even.
If the variable cost meets or exceeds the selling price, more sales cannot cover your fixed costs at that price.
Check this before you finish
- Use costs and sales from the same period.
- Exclude one-off capital purchases unless appropriately allocated.
- Test an optimistic, expected and pessimistic sales volume.
What to avoid
Reaching break-even does not necessarily mean cash is available; delayed payments can still create a cash shortage.
WHAT THIS TOOL ACTUALLY DOESSee break-even units and projected operating result under stated assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
Should I include my salary?
Include owner pay if it is a cost the business needs to cover. Keep the treatment consistent with your financial plan.
Why round sales units up?
You generally cannot sell part of a whole item. The first full unit above the mathematical threshold covers the gap.
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Use the next tool when you're ready, without rethinking the whole workflow.
