How many units must you sell to cover your costs? Free break-even calculator with scenarios and daily sales targets.
Forget revenue goals and vanity metrics for a moment. The single most useful number in any business is the break-even point: exactly how many units you must sell each month before you start making money instead of losing it. Below that line, every sale still helps — but you're not profitable yet. Above it, each extra sale is nearly pure profit. This calculator finds your line, then shows how sensitive it is to price and cost changes.
Below the line, focus on the gap: the verdict tells you the extra units per day needed. At the line, you're surviving but fragile — build a buffer. Above it, think about growth: fixed costs are covered, so volume is now your best friend. And always check the scenarios: a 10% price rise usually moves the break-even point more than months of cost-cutting.
Fixed costs stay the same whatever you sell — rent, salaries, subscriptions. Variable costs grow with each unit — materials, packaging, per-order shipping. Only variable costs affect the contribution per unit; fixed costs set the height of the bar.
Use a weighted average: multiply each product's contribution by its share of sales, add them up, and use that as your contribution per unit. It won't be exact, but it's close enough for planning.
You have three levers: raise the price (fastest), cut the variable cost per unit (renegotiate, simplify), or cut fixed costs (cheaper tools, smaller space). Run each through the scenarios above and pick the smallest change with the biggest effect.
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