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Profit margin calculator

Profit margin is the share of your selling price that is profit. Enter a cost and a price to see margin, markup and profit, or enter a cost and the margin you want to get the price to charge. It runs in your browser with no sign-up, and you can save the result as a PDF.

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What do you want to work out?

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Results

Enter a cost and a selling price to see your results.

Editable spreadsheet

Pro gives you this calculation as an Excel file with live formulas, so you can change a number and watch every result update. It opens in Excel and Google Sheets.

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These figures are estimates for planning. They are not financial, tax or investment advice. Working out a result is free and never counted. Saving the PDF counts as one of your free uses; Pro has no limit.

The formulas in words

  • Profit = selling price minus cost.
  • Margin = profit divided by selling price.
  • Markup = profit divided by cost.
  • Price for a target margin = cost divided by (1 minus the margin).

What is the difference between margin and markup?

Margin is profit as a share of the selling price. Markup is profit as a share of the cost. The same sale gives two different percentages: a $60 item sold for $100 has a 40% margin and a 66.7% markup. Markup is always the larger number when there is a profit.

How do I find the price for a target profit margin?

Divide your cost by one minus the margin you want, written as a decimal. For a $60 cost and a 40% margin, divide $60 by 0.6 to get $100. Adding 40% to the cost gives only $84, which is a 28.6% margin. The target-margin option above does the sum for you.

How do I turn a margin into a markup?

Divide the margin by one minus the margin. A 40% margin becomes 0.4 divided by 0.6, a markup of 66.7%. To go the other way, divide the markup by one plus the markup. A 66.7% markup becomes 0.667 divided by 1.667, a margin of 40%.

What is a good profit margin?

It depends on the business, the product and the costs you count, so there is no single answer. A fair check is to compare your margin with your own earlier numbers and with the costs you still have to cover, such as rent, tools and time. This page does not give financial advice.

Put the numbers on paper

Key facts

  • Privacy: We don't sell your data. This tool runs in your browser, so your files stay on your device and are never uploaded.
  • Ads: none. No third-party ads and no ad cookies.
  • Limits: working out a result is free, needs no account and is never counted. Saving the result as a PDF counts as one of your free uses. Emailing it to yourself is optional. Pro has no limit on uses with Pro.
  • Price: free to start. The editable Excel version with live formulas is part of Pro, $2.99 a month or $24 a year. Pro cancels in one click.
  • Results are estimates for planning, not financial, tax or investment advice.

Last updated:

By the PDFinish editorial team · Reviewed

Common questions

Is the profit margin calculator free?

Yes. Working out a result is free, needs no account and is never counted. Saving the result as a PDF counts like any other PDFinish file under the free allowance shown on this page. The editable Excel version is part of Pro.

Are my numbers uploaded?

No. The maths runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent to our servers. If you choose Email it to me, only the finished PDF is sent, to the address you give, and we delete it after 7 days.

What does the Excel download include?

Pro members can download a spreadsheet with your inputs in cells and live formulas for profit, margin, markup and totals, plus the quantity table. Change a number in Excel or Google Sheets and every result updates.

Does it work in any currency?

Yes. The maths is the same in any currency. The amounts show a dollar sign, but you can read them as euros, pounds or any other unit, since margin and markup are percentages.

Is this financial advice?

No. The results are estimates for planning. They are not financial, tax or investment advice, and they leave out costs you do not enter, such as taxes, fees and your own time.