→ Free tool
Startup Cost Calculator
Estimate what it really costs to start your business. Add your one-time costs to open and your monthly operating costs, choose how many months of runway you want to fund, and see the total startup capital you need — the number a lender or investor will ask for first.
Start from a template
Import your costs (CSV or paste)
Paste or upload your cost list — one per line as: item, amount. We'll sort items into categories; anything we can't match goes to “Other”. Imported items are treated as one-time costs.
→ What it costs to launch
Plan to raise or hold about $93,200
That's $26,000 to open plus 6 months of operating cash. Lenders and investors like to see at least 3–6 months of runway — many prefer 6–12.
Compare scenarios
Save the current inputs as a scenario, then compare best, base, and worst side by side. Saved in this browser.
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<iframe src="https://planypals.com/embed/startup-cost-calculator" title="Startup Cost Calculator" width="100%" height="760" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #ddd3bf;max-width:760px"></iframe> <p style="font:13px/1.5 sans-serif">Free <a href="https://planypals.com/tools/startup-cost-calculator">Startup Cost Calculator by Planypals</a></p>
Download these results as a PDF report
Get a clean PDF of your full startup cost breakdown — ready to drop into a business plan or loan application.
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Calculations run entirely in your browser. Figures are estimates for planning, not financial advice.
How startup costs are calculated
Your total startup cost is the sum of two very different things: the one-time costs to open the doors, and enough cash to cover your monthly operating costs until revenue can carry them. Founders who only budget for the first number — the equipment, the deposit, the build-out — are the ones who run out of money three months in. The second number, your operating runway, is what keeps the lights on while you ramp.
The formula the calculator uses is:
- One-time costs = registration + equipment + inventory + build-out + branding + permits + other
- Operating runway = monthly operating costs × months of runway
- Total startup capital = one-time costs + operating runway
A worked example
Say your one-time costs add up to $26,000 and your monthly operating costs are $11,200. If you want six months of runway, you need 6 × $11,200 = $67,200 in operating cash on top of the one-time costs — a total of about $93,200 to start with confidence. Cut the runway to three months and the number drops, but so does your margin for error if sales start slowly.
How much does it cost to start a business?
It varies enormously by model. A home-based service or consulting business can open for a few thousand dollars. A typical e-commerce brand runs $10,000–$50,000 once inventory, a website, and launch marketing are covered. Brick-and-mortar retail and restaurants commonly reach well into six figures, driven by build-out, equipment, and deposits. Rather than trust an average, list your own line items above — the point of this calculator is a number specific to your business, not a benchmark that ignores your rent and your industry.
What founders forget to budget
The costs that sink new businesses are rarely the obvious ones. Working capital to cover the gap before revenue arrives is the biggest omission. Others: licenses and permits, insurance, professional fees for legal and accounting, payment-processing and software subscriptions, a contingency buffer of 10–20% for overruns, and your own living expenses while the business ramps. A plan that budgets only for equipment and a deposit is the plan that runs out of cash.
How much runway should you fund?
Fund enough months of operating costs to reach the point where revenue can carry them. Three months is a bare minimum; six is a common, defensible target; and lenders or investors often like to see six to twelve, especially for a business with a slow ramp. The right number depends on how quickly you expect to reach break-even — the slower the ramp, the more runway you need. Change the months of runway above to see how each additional month raises the total you must raise.
Once you know the capital you need, the next questions are when it turns into profit and how long your cash lasts. Pressure-test the first with our break-even calculator, and the second by reading how to build credible financial projections for a startup.
→ Beyond the calculator
Turn your startup costs into a fundable business plan
A cost estimate is the starting point. When you are raising money or applying for a loan, lenders and investors want those numbers inside a full plan — a use of funds, three to five years of financials, and the market research that makes them credible. We write that plan, with your startup costs built into the model.
Frequently asked questions
- Add up your one-time costs to open — registration and legal, equipment, initial inventory, build-out, branding, and permits — then add enough cash to cover several months of monthly operating costs before revenue ramps. The total is the capital you need to start. The formula is: one-time costs + (monthly operating costs × months of runway).
- One-time costs are paid once to open the doors: incorporation, equipment, deposits, a website, licenses. Monthly costs recur as you operate: rent, payroll, marketing, software, utilities, and insurance. Funding only the one-time costs is the most common reason new businesses run out of cash — you also need a runway buffer for the monthly costs.
- Three to six months is a common starting point, and many lenders and investors like to see six to twelve. The right number depends on how quickly you expect revenue to cover your monthly costs. The calculator lets you change the months of runway to see how much extra cash each month adds to the total you need to raise.
- It varies widely — a home-based service business might start for a few thousand dollars, while a restaurant or a retail store can run well into six figures once build-out, equipment, and inventory are included. Rather than rely on an average, list your own one-time and monthly costs in the calculator to get a number specific to your business.
- Yes. It runs entirely in your browser, nothing is sent or stored, and there is no sign-up to use it. If you want the results as a PDF, you can opt in to have it emailed. When you need these figures built into a fundable plan, that is what our business plan writing service does.