Unit Economics Calculator

Calculate key unit economics metrics for your business. Understand your customer acquisition costs, lifetime value, and profitability per customer to make better strategic decisions.

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CAC Calculation

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LTV Calculation

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Time Period

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For NPV-adjusted LTV

Your Unit Economics

CAC
$2,500
Target: <$3,000
LTV
$8,000
Target: >$9,000
LTV:CAC
3.2:1
Target: >3:1
Payback
6.3 mo
Target: <12 mo

Payback Timeline

How long it takes to recover the cost of acquiring a customer. Shorter is better—ideally under 12 months.

Months to recover CAC: 6.3
6.3 months
0 mo12 mo24 mo

LTV:CAC Benchmark

The ratio of customer lifetime value to acquisition cost. A ratio of 3:1 or higher means you're earning $3 for every $1 spent on acquisition.

Your ratio: 3.2:1
PoorOKGoodGreat
3.2:1
1:13:15:110:1

Scenario Comparison

Understand Your Business Profitability

Unit economics helps you understand if your business model actually works. Know how much you spend to get each customer and how much money they bring in—so you can grow profitably.

Know If You're Making Money

See exactly how much it costs to get a customer and how much revenue they'll bring in over time. Know if each customer is profitable.

Find Ways to Improve

Test different scenarios to see how reducing costs or keeping customers longer impacts your bottom line. Make smarter growth decisions.

Impress Investors

Calculate the metrics investors want to see—like how long it takes to earn back what you spend on getting customers.

Make Better Decisions

  • Set the right prices by knowing how much customers are worth over time
  • Decide when to spend more on growth and when to focus on keeping costs down
  • Know exactly how much you can afford to spend on marketing and sales

Grow the Right Way

  • Avoid spending too much to get customers who don't bring in enough revenue
  • Show investors you have a healthy, profitable business model
  • Scale your business confidently knowing the numbers work

Common Questions & Terms

Understanding the key metrics and concepts behind unit economics.

What is CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)?

CAC is how much you spend on sales and marketing to get one new customer. It's calculated by dividing your total sales and marketing costs by the number of new customers you gained in that period.

What is LTV (Lifetime Value)?

LTV is the total revenue you expect to earn from a customer over their entire relationship with your business. It helps you understand how much a customer is worth to your company.

What's a good LTV:CAC ratio?

A ratio of 3:1 or higher is considered healthy—meaning you earn $3 for every $1 you spend acquiring a customer. Ratios above 5:1 are excellent and indicate very strong unit economics.

What is payback period?

Payback period is how long it takes to earn back the money you spent acquiring a customer. A payback period under 12 months is good, and under 6 months is excellent for most businesses.

What is ARPA?

ARPA (Average Revenue Per Account) is the average amount of money each customer pays you per month. It's calculated by dividing your total monthly revenue by your number of customers.

What is churn rate?

Churn rate is the percentage of customers who cancel or stop using your service each month. Lower is better—a 5% monthly churn rate means you lose 5 out of every 100 customers each month.

What is gross margin?

Gross margin is the percentage of revenue left after paying the direct costs of delivering your product or service. For example, an 80% gross margin means you keep $80 of profit for every $100 in revenue.

Why does unit economics matter?

Unit economics shows whether your business model is profitable at the customer level. It helps you avoid growing unprofitably and ensures each new customer actually makes you money in the long run.