Exact financial target
See fractional break-even volume, exact revenue and the minimum practical whole-unit target separately.
FREE INDUSTRY CALCULATOR
E-commerce Break-Even Calculator
Calculate exact break-even orders and revenue after COGS, fulfillment, shipping subsidy, returns, platform fees and paid acquisition.
Use the free calculatorTRY YOUR OWN NUMBERS · USD
Calculate your e-commerce break-even point
Replace the example inputs below. Results update in your browser as you type. Enter monthly totals for overhead, owner pay and target profit; enter direct costs per order separately.
Contribution per order$25.25
Whole orders for your target587
Monthly sales at that volume$50,482.00
At these assumptions, estimated delivery capacity is 1,267 whole orders per month. The estimated capacity covers the required volume. These are planning estimates, not a sales forecast.
INDUSTRY-SPECIFIC UNIT ECONOMICS
What this e-commerce break-even analysis includes
This model calculates contribution per order after COGS, fulfillment labor, shipping subsidy, return allowance, payment or platform fees and customer acquisition cost. It then determines the exact volume and revenue required to cover monthly operating overhead, owner compensation and an optional target profit.
Because a financial target is useful only when the business can deliver it, MyBreakeven also compares required volume with productive team hours and estimates the customer inquiries needed at your conversion rate.
Operational feasibility
Compare required orders with estimated monthly delivery capacity before committing to the plan.
Private and transparent
Inputs stay in your browser, while the formula trace explains how each result was calculated.
Formula, assumptions and rounding
Contribution per order = average price minus direct materials, labor, other variable costs, acquisition cost and percentage payment fees. Required monthly orders = (operating overhead + owner pay + target profit) divided by contribution per order.
For a traditional operating break-even calculation, set owner pay and target profit to zero. Keep owner pay if you want the business to cover your compensation, and add profit only when calculating a profit target. The example values are illustrative USD inputs, not industry averages.
The example contribution is $25.25 per order. The exact target is 586.19 orders; rounding up gives 587 whole orders and $50,482.00 in monthly sales. Costs entered per order must not also be included in monthly overhead.
Capacity uses team members × weekly hours × 52 / 12 × productive utilization ÷ delivery hours per order. Delivery hours mean total team labor hours per order, including preparation and travel where relevant. Whole-unit capacity rounds down, while required sales round up.
Inquiry estimates use your assumed conversion rate, not a prediction of demand. For recurring work, count existing customers separately from new customer acquisition. The full calculator supports other currency labels; it does not convert exchange rates.
Read the e-commerce break-even guide
Read the calculation methodology · Browse business planning guides
QUESTIONS THIS MODEL ANSWERS
E-commerce break-even questions
How many e-commerce orders are needed to break even?
At the example price of $86.00, each order contributes $25.25 after direct costs and fees. Covering $14,800.00 in overhead, owner pay and target profit requires 587 whole orders, or $50,482.00 in practical monthly sales. Replace these sample inputs with your figures.
What revenue covers overhead and advertising?
At the example price of $86.00, each order contributes $25.25 after direct costs and fees. Covering $14,800.00 in overhead, owner pay and target profit requires 587 whole orders, or $50,482.00 in practical monthly sales. Replace these sample inputs with your figures.
How do returns and shipping affect contribution margin?
In this example, each order contributes $25.25 after direct costs and fees. Changing the price or a per-order cost changes that contribution and therefore the number of orders needed. Enter your own assumptions to see the effect.