Free cost calculator for indie founders

Know what your business will actually cost before you start.

Pick your vertical. Move the sliders. See real margin, real break-even, and exactly where every dollar goes, no spreadsheets, no signup.

10Verticals modeled
160+Real-world inputs
45Side-by-side compares
$0Forever, no signup
How it works

Three steps to real numbers

We did the research on margins, fees, materials, and labor for every vertical. You bring your own assumptions and we do the math.

  1. 1

    Pick your vertical

    Slime brand. Food truck. Cleaning service. Each one has its own quirks built into the model.

  2. 2

    Move the sliders

    Drop in your real numbers, units sold, materials cost, hourly rate. Every input has a tooltip with industry context.

  3. 3

    See the truth

    Net profit, margin, cost breakdown, growth trajectory, and a written insight on what to fix first.

The story

Started as a slime-brand spreadsheet at our kitchen table

My wife was getting into slimes and wanted to know if a brand of her own would actually pencil out. So she built a calculator for it. I looked at what she’d made and realized the same approach would work for any DIY business someone was considering. Ten verticals later, here we are , built so other DIY founders can see what their idea really costs to start.

Read the full story →
How it works

A living calculator, not a frozen spreadsheet

The math under every vertical isn’t hardcoded , defaults live in a database and evolve as marketplace fees, materials, and channel economics shift. When Etsy bumps its fee or shipping rates change, the calculators update. The living pathways are the backbone. The sliders are just the surface.

See the methodology →
LIVE DATA

The calculator updates as the markets do

A few of the most recent updates. The full trail is on the pulse page.

  1. June 25, 2026
    Data refresh30-day default-value audit, five updates landed
  2. June 24, 2026
    New verticalPower Washing vertical shipped
  3. May 26, 2026
    New featureLive time-since-update counter on /pulse
See the full changelog →
Choose your business

Ten verticals, with more on the way

Hover to pause. Click any tile to start modeling that business.

What you get

Built for indie reality, not VC pitch decks

Channel-aware revenue

Etsy, TikTok Shop, your own site, each one has different fees and conversion. We model the split.

Cost breakdown that adds up

Materials, packaging, labor, platform fees, ads, every line item with its dollar amount and percent of revenue.

Growth trajectory, not vibes

Launch, traction, scale phases, each with projected profit so you know if it's worth the grind.

A written take, not just charts

One paragraph telling you what's wrong, what's working, and what to do next. The opinion you'd get from a friend who's done it.

FAQ

Common questions

Is it really free?

Yes. No credit card, no trial. We're building this as a tool for the indie community, not a SaaS subscription. Sign in if you want to save plans across devices, but it's optional.

Where do the numbers come from?

Each vertical's model is hand-tuned from public marketplace data (Etsy, TikTok Shop fee structures, etc.), industry reports, and a careful audit of how operators in each space actually structure their costs. Assumptions get updated as the landscape shifts.

Can I save my plans?

Yes, sign in with Google or email and your plans persist across devices. Free accounts can save up to 3 plans across 3 verticals; that limit goes up over time.

What if my vertical isn't here?

We're adding verticals every couple weeks. Email us with what you'd want modeled and we'll prioritize the most-requested.