In the full app
- Filament and resin warehouse with stock and write-offs
- Client database, orders and a production kanban board
- Quotes and delivery notes generated from orders
Drop a 3MF/G-code from your slicer, or an STL
or click to choose a file (up to 100 MB)
The file is never uploaded — it is parsed right in your browser.
What else drives the price
Demo: simplified formula. Inside the app — warehouse, packaging, marketplaces, shipping, printable documents and much more.
How 3D printing cost is calculated
The full app uses the same formulas. Every cost is its own line, so you can see where you earn and where you lose.
- Material = weight (g) × price per gram (spool price per kg ÷ 1000)
- Electricity = printer power (kW) × print time (h) × tariff per kWh
- Printer wear = printer price ÷ lifetime (h) × print time (h)
- Failures = (material + printer wear) × failure rate
- Labor = hours (setup, removal, post-processing) × hourly rate
- Consumables and packaging — fixed amounts
- Price = cost × (1 + markup). Tax, marketplace fee and card fees are added to the base before the markup
Worked example
A PLA part: 120 g at $20/kg, 6 h on a 150 W printer, electricity at $0.15/kWh. Printer costs $400 with a 4,000 h lifetime, 5% failure allowance, 0.5 h of labor, 40% markup.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1Material | 120 g × $20/kg ÷ 1000 | $2.40 |
| 2Electricity | 0.15 kW × 6 h × $0.15/kWh | $0.13 |
| 3Printer wear | $400 ÷ 4,000 h × 6 h | $0.60 |
| 4Failure allowance | (1 + 3) × 5 % | $0.15 |
| 5Labor | 0.5 h × $8/h | $4.00 |
| 6Packaging | $0.50 | |
| 7Cost | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 | $7.78 |
| 8Markup | 7 × 40 % | $3.11 |
| 9Customer price | 7 + 8 | $10.89 |
Total $10.89 per part: that is $0.09 per gram and $1.82 per print hour (about $0.03 per minute). Profit before tax is $3.11. Plug your own numbers into the calculator above.
Cost vs. price
Cost is what the part costs you: material, electricity, wear, labor. Price is what you charge. The difference is your profit before tax and fees. A 30% markup is not 30% profit: profit is about 23% of the price. If you sell through a marketplace or pay tax, build those into the price too, or they eat your margin.
How much does 3D printing cost per gram and per hour
These are rough guides, not a price list: real figures depend on region, printer, material and part complexity. Service prices sit above bare cost: they also cover setup, modeling, rent and failure risk.
- PLA/PETG filament: roughly $15–30/kg, i.e. $0.015–0.03 per gram of material. Photopolymer resin: $25–60/L.
- Printer hour without material and labor (electricity + wear): usually $0.1–0.5/h.
- Print service prices: often $0.15–0.50 per gram of FDM or $5–15 per hour for simple parts; complex models, resin and rush jobs cost more.
3D printing cost: frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the cost of 3D printing?
Add material (grams × price per gram), electricity (kW × hours × tariff), printer wear (printer price ÷ lifetime hours × print time), labor and packaging, then add your markup. The calculator above does it automatically.
How can I get a price from an STL file?
Drop the STL into the box above the calculator: it estimates weight from the model volume, material density and infill. Print time can't be read from an STL because it depends on slicer settings, so enter it by hand or load a 3MF/G-code from your slicer, which has exact grams and hours. The file is parsed in your browser and is not uploaded.
How much does 3D printing cost per gram and per hour?
Material is roughly $0.015–0.03 per gram, while print services often charge $0.15–0.50/g or $5–15/h. These are rough guides: complexity, supports, material and urgency all move the price.
What is the difference between cost and price?
Cost is what the part costs you; price is what the customer pays. The difference is profit before tax, marketplace fees and card fees.
What markup should I add to 3D printing?
One-off jobs often carry 30–100% over cost, small parts more, batches less. Check that the profit you need is left after tax and fees: the calculator shows it separately.
How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
An FDM printer typically draws 100–250 W while printing, i.e. 0.1–0.25 kWh per hour. For accuracy, measure with a plug-in power meter or load your G-code into the analyzer.
Is the calculator free? Do I need an account?
It is free and needs no sign-up. You only register if you want to save calculations and manage orders, clients and materials.
Related tools
- 3D printing electricity cost calculator
- G-code analyzer: weight, time and usage from a file
- Spool calculator: how much filament is left
Running orders and stock? The full app adds clients, a kanban order board, filament inventory with auto write-off and quotes.
Register your workshop for free →