Free Tool Cost vs ROI Calculator. See if a SaaS tool is worth paying for based on time saved and revenue impact.
Free Tool Cost vs ROI Calculator. See if a SaaS tool is worth paying for based on time saved and revenue impact.
Generated: 1/13/2026, 3:22:21 AM | AskSMB.io
Stop wasting money on tools you don't need. Calculate if a SaaS subscription is actually worth paying for based on real value created.
Monthly subscription price of the tool
Estimated time saved by using the tool
Value of one hour of your time or employee time
Additional monthly revenue generated by the tool
Enter a tool cost to calculate ROI
The average small business spends $10,000-$25,000/year on SaaS tools, and 30-40% of that spend is wasted on unused or low-value subscriptions. That's $3,000-$10,000 in annual waste.
Most founders and business owners subscribe emotionally ("this looks cool") or reactively ("we need this now") without calculating if the tool actually pays for itself. The result: subscription creep, bloated expenses, and tools that sit unused after the first month.
This calculator forces you to quantify value before or after subscribing. If the math doesn't work, cancel immediately.
The #1 benefit of productivity tools is time savings. But time savings only equals money if you reinvest that time into revenue-generating activities.
Time Value = Hours Saved × Hourly Value
Example: 10 hours saved × $50/hour = $500/month value
Critical caveat: If you save 10 hours but spend those hours on Netflix, the real value is $0. Be honest about whether you're reinvesting saved time into high-value work (sales, product development, strategy) or low-value work (email, Slack, meetings).
Tools that eliminate soul-crushing busywork (manual data entry, invoice formatting, repetitive emails) have hidden value beyond time savings: they prevent burnout, improve focus, and increase decision quality. Factor this in subjectively.
Some tools directly generate revenue, others save time. Both create value, but revenue-generating tools are easier to justify:
Track revenue attribution directly
Calculate value via time savings
For revenue tools, use conservative estimates. If a tool claims "30% revenue lift," start with 10% and track actual results. For productivity tools, track before/after time spent on specific tasks over 2-4 weeks—don't guess.
This calculator uses a 200% ROI threshold for "Worth It" (tool pays for itself 2x). Why 200%?
Run this audit quarterly to eliminate wasted spend:
Pro tip: Set calendar reminders to review this calculator before every renewal date. Tools that made sense 6 months ago may no longer be worth it.
Let's walk through a real-world example:
Time Value = 10 hours × $50 = $500
Total Monthly Value = $500 + $200 revenue = $700
Net ROI = $700 - $49 = $651
ROI Percentage = ($651 ÷ $49) × 100 = 1328%
🟢 Worth It
This tool creates 1328% ROI, paying for itself 13x over. This is an excellent investment that clearly justifies its cost. Even if your time estimate is 50% off, it's still a 6x return.