Small Business
Break-Even Calculator
Enter fixed costs, variable cost per unit and price to find the sales volume needed to break even.
- Delivery
- Instant download
- Purchase
- One-time payment
- Format
- Google Sheets
- Excel
- Updated
- August 2026
Margin of safety
25.2%
Best scenario
Raise the price
- Contribution per unit$7.80
- Break-even units538/mo
- Profit at 720 units$1,416
- Deep discount scenarioNever breaks even
Sample data preview of the Break-Even Calculator spreadsheet, shown for illustration only.
What this spreadsheet does
Without knowing the break-even point, it's hard to know if a sales target, price change or new cost is actually sustainable.
What you can do with it
- Find how many units must sell to cover costs
- See how much a price cut really raises the volume you need
- Test whether a cheaper supplier beats a price rise
What's included
Sheet tabs
- Instructions
- Break-Even Summary
- What-If Comparison
Features
- Contribution per unit, in currency and as a share of price
- Break-even in units and in revenue
- Profit and margin of safety at the volume you actually sell
- Six what-if scenarios against the same fixed costs
- A price at or below variable cost reported as never breaking even, not as a number
- The best scenario at your current volume named automatically
How it works
- 1Enter fixed costs, variable cost per unit and your selling price
- 2Enter the units you currently sell in the period
- 3Compare price and cost changes on the What-If tab
Who it's for
Small business owners planning pricing, costs or a new product launch.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a fixed cost versus a variable cost?
Fixed costs stay the same regardless of sales volume, like rent. Variable costs scale with each unit sold, like materials.
Why does a small price cut change break-even so much?
Because the cut comes entirely out of contribution. In the sample, cutting the price by 14% raises the units needed by 34% — the What-If tab shows it rather than asserting it.
What if my price is below my variable cost?
Then there is no break-even volume at all and selling more makes the loss bigger. The sheet says "Never" instead of printing a number that would read like a target.
Complete the setup
The rest of the tools this one was built to sit beside.
Small Business Cash Flow Tracker
See money in, money out and projected balance by month.
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- Excel
Pricing & Profit Margin Calculator
Set a price from cost and target margin, or check margin on an existing price.
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- Excel
Inventory Tracker
Track stock levels, reorder points and inventory value.
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- Excel
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