Professional 3D Printing Cost Calculator
Upload a G-code file or enter data manually to get an accurate quote for your project including material, energy, depreciation, and time.
Upload G-Code File / STL
Upload a G-code file or 3D model in STL format
3D Model (STL)
Dimensions: - mm
Volume: - cm³
Weight (solid): - g
Pricing Parameters
Marketplace & E-commerce
Cost Summary
How This Calculator Actually Prices a Print
Most free calculators stop at filament price per gram. That number is real, but it's rarely what decides whether a print job is worth your time. 3D Costify breaks the final price into six components, so you can see exactly where your money — and your margin — actually goes.
1. Material
The obvious one: spool or resin bottle price divided by weight or volume, multiplied by what the job actually consumes — including supports, rafts, and purge waste, not just the visible part.
2. Electricity
Average printer wattage × print time gives you kWh, multiplied by your local electricity rate. Small per print, but it compounds fast if you're running several machines around the clock.
3. Your Time
Slicing, bed prep, and post-processing take real minutes that most hobbyists never bill for. Set an hourly rate for yourself and the calculator adds it automatically.
4. Printer Wear
Nozzles, belts, fans, and LCD screens have a finite lifespan. Depreciation spreads your printer's purchase price across its estimated operating hours, so every print quietly repays part of the machine that made it.
5. Failure Buffer
Beds lose adhesion, filament tangles, prints fail. A 10-15% buffer on top of your other costs means the print that succeeds also covers the one that didn't.
6. Profit Margin
Added last, on top of everything above — this is what actually funds the next printer, the slow months, and makes the whole thing worth doing.
Your files never leave your browser
STL and G-code uploads are parsed entirely client-side using Three.js and the browser's File API. Nothing is uploaded to a server — your models and print settings stay on your device.
Whether you're pricing a favor for a friend, quoting a client, or running an Etsy shop or a small print farm, the goal is the same: a number that actually covers what the job costs. For the full formulas and worked examples, read our guide on how to price 3D prints for profit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How does the calculator calculate electricity cost?
The calculator takes the average power consumption of your 3D printer in Watts (W), multiplies it by the print time in hours to get kilowatt-hours (kWh), and then multiplies that by your electricity rate per kWh (e.g. USD/kWh). Country presets make it easy to start quickly with average rates.
Are my G-code and STL project files uploaded to a server?
No. All G-code and STL analysis is done 100% locally in your web browser. We use secure HTML5 APIs (FileReader) and the Three.js library. No files or 3D geometry are uploaded to any server, keeping your designs fully secure and private.
How should I account for failed prints in the pricing?
The 'Failure Rate (%)' field allows you to allocate budget for unexpected print failures. For example, if set to 10%, the calculator automatically adds a 10% markup to the total material and energy costs. This ensures your successful prints subsidize failed ones without cutting into your profit margin.
What are the differences between FDM and SLA cost calculations?
FDM pricing is based on filament weight and hardware wear. SLA resin printing is more complex and requires consumables like the resin bottle, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) for cleaning, the FEP sheet (which has a limited lifespan), and curing lamp power/time. The calculator automatically adjusts input fields based on your selected tab.
Is 3D Costify really free to use?
Yes. The calculator, G-code/STL parser, PDF export, and printer profiles are free with no account required. The site is supported by advertising, not subscriptions.
How is printer depreciation calculated?
Enter your printer's purchase price and its estimated lifespan in hours (a common default is 5,000 hours). The calculator divides the two to get a cost-per-hour figure, then multiplies it by the print time to spread the machine's wear across every job it produces.
Can I use this to price prints for Etsy or Shopify?
Yes. Select your platform under 'Marketplace & E-commerce' and the calculator reverse-engineers the price so that, after the platform's commission and transaction fees are deducted, your target profit margin is still preserved.
How much does it cost to print 100 grams of PLA?
With a $20/kg spool, 100 g of PLA costs about $2.00 in material. Add roughly $0.15–$0.40 for electricity (a 5–8 hour print at 100–150 W average draw and $0.15/kWh) and a small depreciation share, and the real production cost lands around $2.50–$3.50 — before labor and margin. Enter your own rates in the calculator above to get an exact number instead of an estimate.
How accurate are the estimates read from my G-code file?
Very accurate for material weight — the slicer computes it directly from the toolpaths. Print time is usually within 5–10% of reality, because slicers assume ideal acceleration; older printers tend to run slightly slower than estimated. STL-based estimates are rougher, since actual weight depends on your infill, wall count, and supports — treat them as a starting point and refine with a sliced G-code file.
What profit margin should I set for 3D printed parts?
Most small print businesses work with 30–50% margin on top of full production cost (material, energy, labor, depreciation, failure buffer). Simple decorative prints in competitive niches may only bear 20–30%, while custom functional parts, prototypes, and rush jobs routinely support 50–100%+. The key is margin on true cost — if you skip labor and depreciation, a '50% margin' can still lose money.