Free freelance break-even & runway calculator

The two numbers most freelancers can't name

Ask a freelancer how much they need to bill this month to not go backwards, and most can only guess. Ask how long they could survive without a new client, and the answer is usually a nervous shrug. Both numbers are simple arithmetic — you just have to do it once. This calculator does it for you, and it builds in the thing employees never think about: the tax you have to set aside yourself.

In break-even mode, enter your monthly business expenses, your living costs and your tax set-aside, and it shows the revenue you must bill to cover them all — plus, if you add a day rate, how many billable days a month that takes. In runway mode, enter your savings, your monthly spending and any reliable income, and it shows how many months your cash would last and roughly when it would run out.

What it works out

How to find your break-even in 3 steps

1. Add your monthly costs — business expenses plus living costs.
2. Set your tax set-aside % so the target already covers the tax you owe.
3. Read your number — the monthly billing that breaks even, and the days it takes at your rate.

Turn the number into a plan

Break-even tells you the floor; the rest of the toolkit helps you clear it. Set a rate that beats it with the rate calculator, smooth out income with a retainer, track what you actually earn and spend in the expense & tax tracker, and put the right tax aside with the tax estimator. All offline, one-time purchases, no subscription. Get the core five in the $39 Freelance Tools Suite · also on Payhip.

Frequently asked questions

Is this break-even calculator free?

Yes, completely. It runs in your browser with no account and nothing uploaded. There is no paid version of the calculator itself.

How do I calculate my break-even point?

Add your monthly business expenses and living costs, then divide by one minus your tax set-aside rate. $3,400 of costs at a 25% set-aside means billing about $4,533 a month.

What is freelance runway?

How long your savings last if work stops — savings divided by net monthly burn (spending minus reliable income). $12,000 against $3,400/month is about 3.5 months.

How many months of runway should I have?

Many freelancers aim for three to six months of expenses as a buffer. The steadier your work, the less you need — treat it as a guideline, not a rule.

Is my data private?

Completely. Zero network requests — your figures stay on your computer.

More free tools for freelancers

Part of a set of offline, no-subscription tools that cover the whole freelance workflow: