Break-Even Calculator 🔒 Your data never leaves your browser.
Find how many units you need to sell to break even.
About this tool
The break-even point is the number of units you need to sell so that total revenue exactly equals total costs — fixed costs plus variable costs. Sell fewer units than that and you're operating at a loss; sell more and every extra unit adds profit. This calculator finds it by dividing your fixed costs by the contribution margin — the amount each unit contributes toward covering fixed costs after its own variable cost is paid (price minus variable cost per unit).
For example, with $10,000 in fixed costs, a $50 price per unit and $30 variable cost per unit, each unit contributes $20 toward fixed costs. Divide $10,000 by $20 and you need 500 units to break even — at that point revenue is $25,000, exactly matching total costs ($10,000 fixed + $15,000 variable). Sell 501 units and you're $20 into profit; sell 499 and you're $20 short. Figures update as you type and stay entirely in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the calculator round up the break-even units?
The raw formula (fixed costs ÷ contribution margin) can land on a fraction, like 499.7 units — but you can't actually sell 0.7 of a physical unit, and selling only 499 whole units would leave you just short of covering your fixed costs. Rounding up to 500 guarantees you've genuinely crossed the break-even line rather than falling just barely short of it.