3D Print Cost Calculator
Work out what a 3D print really costs: filament, electricity, machine wear, maintenance and failed prints, plus labour and a selling price if you sell your prints. Type the numbers from your slicer, or open the G-code file to fill them in.
- 1Filament and time
- 2Your prices
- 3Read the cost
1The print
Density only matters when you enter metres. Typical values fill in per material; your spool's data sheet may differ slightly.
If the plate holds several copies, enter how many. The filament and time above are for the whole plate.
2Your prices
Prices filled in are examples, change them to yours.
3Cost of this print
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| Cost | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total per print | ||
- Cost per part
- –
- Suggested selling price, whole print
- –
- Suggested selling price, per part
- –
- Profit on the print
- –
Runs in your browser. Your numbers and G-code files never leave your device; inputs are remembered on this device only.
How the cost is calculated
The calculator adds six parts. Every price in it is yours to set.
- Material = grams used × spool price ÷ spool weight in grams.
- Grams from length = π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × metres × density. For 1.75 mm PLA at 1.24 g/cm³ that is about 2.98 g per metre.
- Electricity = average watts ÷ 1000 × print hours × price per kWh.
- Machine wear = printer cost ÷ expected lifetime hours × print hours.
- Maintenance = maintenance per hour × print hours.
- Failure allowance = (material + electricity + machine wear + maintenance) × failure rate %.
- Labour = hands-on minutes ÷ 60 × hourly rate (only if you sell prints).
- Total per print = the sum of the above. Per part = total ÷ parts on the plate.
- Selling price = total × (1 + markup %).
The failure allowance is a simple percentage on top. If one print in ten fails, a rate of 10% roughly covers the wasted filament and machine time. Labour isn't included in it, because a failed print rarely costs the full hands-on time again.
Typical costs, worked examples
These are not market prices. They are what this calculator gives for the inputs shown, so you can see how the parts add up. Shared example inputs: US dollars, a $20 spool of 1000 g, $0.15 per kWh, a $600 printer over 5000 hours, $0.05 per hour maintenance, 5% failure rate, no labour or markup.
| Example print | Material | Electricity | Machine + maint. | Failures | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KeychainPLA, 8 g, 35 min, 110 W | $0.16 | $0.01 | $0.10 | $0.01 | $0.28 |
| Phone standPETG, 45 g, 2 h 40 min, 110 W | $0.90 | $0.04 | $0.45 | $0.07 | $1.47 |
| Enclosure partABS, 200 g, 9 h, 200 W | $4.00 | $0.27 | $1.53 | $0.29 | $6.09 |
| Large cosplay piecePLA, 650 g, 28 h, 110 W | $13.00 | $0.46 | $4.76 | $0.91 | $19.13 |
The pattern: filament is usually the biggest single cost, machine wear grows with print time, and electricity stays small unless your power is expensive or the print runs for days.
Read filament and time from G-code
Slicers write the filament used and the estimated print time as comments in the G-code. Choose Import G-code (or drop the file on the first card) and the calculator reads those comments in your browser. It understands PrusaSlicer and SuperSlicer (; filament used [g], ; estimated printing time), OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio (; total filament weight [g], ; total estimated time) and Cura (;Filament used: in metres, ;TIME: in seconds). Cura gives length only, so check the material and diameter after importing. Binary G-code (.bgcode) and .3mf project files can't be read; export plain G-code instead.
FAQ
How do you calculate the cost of a 3D print?
Multiply the grams of filament by your spool's price per gram, then add electricity (watts × hours × price per kWh), a share of the printer's cost for the hours used, maintenance, and an allowance for failed prints. If you sell the print, add your hands-on time and a markup. The calculator above does each step and shows the breakdown.
How much does it cost to 3D print something?
It depends mostly on how much filament the part uses and how long it prints. With the example inputs on this page, a small 8 g keychain comes to about $0.28 and a 650 g, 28-hour cosplay piece to about $19. Put in your own spool price, electricity price and printer to get your number.
How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
Energy is average power × time. A printer averaging 110 W for 10 hours uses 1.1 kWh; at 0.15 per kWh that is 0.165 in your currency. The heated bed is the biggest draw, so averages vary with bed size, temperature and whether the printer is enclosed. A plug-in power meter gives your actual average.
How do I find how much filament a print uses?
Your slicer shows it after slicing, usually in grams and metres in the preview or print summary. You can also import the exported G-code here: PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer, Bambu Studio and Cura all write the amount in comments that the calculator reads.
How much should I charge for 3D printing?
Start from the full cost, not just filament: include machine wear, failures and your hands-on time at an hourly rate you're happy with. Then add a markup for profit, overheads like packaging and platform fees, and risk. Tick "I sell prints" above to see a suggested price per print and per part.
Why include machine wear and failed prints?
Printers wear out and parts need replacing, so every print hour uses up a little of the printer's value. Failed prints waste filament and time that the successful prints have to pay for. Leaving them out makes prints look cheaper than they are, which matters most when you sell them.