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Startup Cost Calculator
How Much Does It Cost to Launch Your SaaS?

Itemize every cost to launch your startup — development, infrastructure, marketing, legal, and team. Get a complete financial plan with total capital needed.

Used by 1,800+ SaaS founders to plan budgets, pitch investors, and avoid running out of money.

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12 Cost Categories
3 Presets
Quick Start:
Cost Items12 items
MVP Development
Development
Design & UI/UX
Development
Cloud Hosting
Infrastructure
Domain & DNS
Infrastructure
SaaS Tools & APIs
Infrastructure
Paid Ads Budget
Marketing
Content & SEO
Marketing
Branding & Logo
Marketing
Incorporation
Legal & Admin
Accounting & Legal
Legal & Admin
Founder Salary
Team
Contractor / Freelancers
Team
Settings
months
1–36 months
%
Industry standard: 20–30%
Live Summary
One-Time Costs$8.1K
Monthly Burn$5.3K/mo
12mo Recurring$64.2K
20% Buffer$14.4K
Total Capital Needed$86.7K
COST REPORT
Startup Cost Breakdown
Total Capital Needed
$86.7K
Includes 20% buffer
One-Time Costs
$8.1K
Paid upfront
Monthly Burn Rate
$5.3K
Recurring per month
Contingency Buffer
$14.4K
20% safety margin
CUMULATIVE SPEND
MONTHLY COSTS
Month 1 includes one-time costs
Cost by Category
Development$7.0K (9.7%)
Infrastructure$4.3K (5.9%)
Marketing$10.1K (14.0%)
Legal & Admin$2.9K (4.0%)
Team$48.0K (66.4%)
MonthOne-TimeRecurringTotalCumulative
Apr 26$8.1K$5.3K$13.4K$13.4K
May 26—$5.3K$5.3K$18.8K
Jun 26—$5.3K$5.3K$24.1K
Jul 26—$5.3K$5.3K$29.4K
Aug 26—$5.3K$5.3K$34.8K
Sep 26—$5.3K$5.3K$40.1K
INDUSTRY DATA

SaaS Startup Cost Benchmarks

CategorySolo/BootstrapSeed StageSeries A
MVP Development$0–$2K$10K–$50K$50K–$200K
Infrastructure$30–$100/mo$200–$1K/mo$1K–$10K/mo
Marketing$100–$500/mo$2K–$10K/mo$10K–$50K/mo
Legal & Admin$200–$500$2K–$5K$5K–$20K
Team (Monthly)$0 (founder)$10K–$30K/mo$50K–$200K/mo
Total Year 1$5K–$15K$150K–$500K$500K–$2M+
Complete Guide

How Much Does It Really Cost to Start a SaaS?

The cost of launching a SaaS startup varies dramatically depending on your approach. A solo bootstrapper building their own MVP on free-tier cloud services can launch for under $5,000. A venture-backed team hiring an agency to build a polished product with full marketing support might spend $200,000+ before seeing their first customer.

The 5 Categories of Startup Costs

1. Development: This is typically the largest upfront cost. If you code it yourself, your cost is effectively $0 plus your time. Hiring freelancers ranges from $5,000–$30,000 for an MVP. Agencies charge $30,000–$150,000+ depending on complexity.

2. Infrastructure: Modern cloud services have made hosting incredibly affordable at small scale. AWS, Vercel, or Railway can host an early-stage app for $20–$200/month. As you scale, expect this to grow to $500–$5,000/month.

3. Marketing: The cost most founders underestimate. Content marketing and SEO take 4–6 months to show results. Paid acquisition (Google Ads, LinkedIn) requires $500–$5,000/month to validate channels. Branding and design work runs $500–$5,000 one-time.

4. Legal & Admin: Incorporation ($200–$500 for LLC, $1,500+ for C-Corp with Delaware registration). Terms of service, privacy policy, and contracts ($500–$3,000). Monthly accounting ($100–$500).

5. Team: The biggest ongoing cost. Solo founders save here initially but need to account for it as they grow. Early hires typically cost $4,000–$12,000/month for engineers in global markets.

The Buffer Rule

Every experienced founder will tell you: add a 20–30% buffer to your estimates. Things always cost more than planned. Servers scale faster than expected, legal issues arise, contractors take longer, and marketing channels need more budget to validate. Our calculator includes a configurable contingency buffer for exactly this reason.

One-Time vs. Recurring: Why It Matters

Understanding the difference between one-time costs (development, branding, incorporation) and recurring costs (hosting, salaries, marketing) is critical. Your recurring costs determine your monthly burn rate — the amount your bank account shrinks every month. Use our Runway Calculator alongside this tool to see how long your capital will last.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to start a SaaS company?
It depends on your approach. A solo bootstrapper can launch for $2,000–$10,000. A small funded team typically needs $50,000–$200,000. Agency-built products with full marketing launch can cost $200,000–$500,000+. This calculator helps you itemize every cost for your specific situation.
What are the biggest startup costs for SaaS?
For most companies, the top three costs are: (1) Development and engineering (MVP build or hiring developers), (2) Team salaries if you have co-founders or early hires, and (3) Marketing to acquire your first customers. Infrastructure is surprisingly affordable thanks to cloud services.
Should I include a contingency buffer?
Absolutely. Industry best practice is a 20–30% buffer on top of your estimated costs. Most founders underestimate launch costs by 25–40%. The buffer protects you from unexpected expenses like server scaling, legal issues, longer development timelines, or additional marketing spend.
What is the difference between one-time and recurring costs?
One-time costs are paid once at the start (MVP development, incorporation, branding). Recurring costs repeat every month (hosting, salaries, marketing budget). Your recurring costs determine your monthly burn rate — the key input for calculating how long your runway lasts.
How do I reduce my startup costs?
Top strategies: (1) Build the MVP yourself if you can code, (2) Use free-tier cloud services (Vercel, Supabase, Cloudflare), (3) Focus on content marketing over paid ads initially, (4) Use AI tools to reduce design and copywriting costs, (5) Delay hiring until you have product-market fit.
Is my data secure?
Completely. All calculations run in your browser using JavaScript — no data is sent to any server, no cookies stored, nothing saved. Your financial data never leaves your device.
Can I export my cost breakdown?
Yes. Click Export PDF to generate a printable report with all cost items, category breakdowns, and the full monthly projection. It is investor-ready for pitch deck appendices and board presentations.
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