How Much Will Your Business Software Really Cost?

How the Software Cost Calculator Works

Tell us your industry, team size, and which software you're considering - either searching a platform we've already researched or entering your own pricing. Add any setup, training, migration, or ongoing admin costs you expect. We calculate your monthly cost, first-year total, and 3-year total, factoring in a reasonable price increase and team growth over time - the same kind of math a CFO would do before signing a contract, done in about two minutes.

What Does Software Really Cost?

Rarely just the number on the pricing page. A $50-per-user platform for a 10-person team isn't $500 a month once you add a setup fee, a few hours of training, and the staff time someone spends managing it every month. None of that is hidden or dishonest - it's just costs that live outside the subscription line, which is exactly why we built this calculator instead of a simple price-times-users multiplier.

What Costs Are Included?

• Recurring subscription cost, based on the pricing model that actually applies (flat fee, per-user, or a split rate for office vs. field staff)
• Monthly add-ons
• One-time setup or implementation
• Data migration
• Training, based on hours and an hourly rate you set
• Integration costs
• Internal administration - the ongoing staff time spent managing the software
• A price increase assumption, compounded each year you calculate for
• Team growth, applied only when the pricing model actually depends on user count

Why Software Pricing Can Be Misleading

Plenty of trade and field-service software doesn't publish real pricing at all - you find out the number after a sales call, once you're already invested in the process. Even published pricing often understates the real cost: a per-seat rate doesn't include implementation, a flat monthly fee doesn't include the training your team actually needs, and almost nothing on a pricing page mentions the renewal increase you'll see in year two. This calculator exists specifically to surface those costs before you're on a call with a salesperson, not after.

How We Calculate Total Software Cost

We separate every cost into recurring and one-time, since they behave differently over time. Recurring costs (subscription, add-ons, internal admin) show up every year and compound with your price-increase and team-growth assumptions. One-time costs (setup, migration, training) only apply in year one. Team growth is applied only to pricing models that actually depend on user count - a flat monthly fee doesn't change if your team grows, so we don't pretend it does.

Frequently Asked Questions