Free tool
Runway and burn rate calculator
Enter what the build and launch cost, the money you have, any early revenue and your monthly running costs. See how many months your money lasts, your monthly burn and your lowest cash point. Free, no sign-up, saved in this browser.
These numbers are shared with your MVP brief: anything you enter here appears in the MVP builder’s Budget and runway step, and the other way round.
Common build and launch costs. Add the ones that apply, then enter your own figure for each.
Common running costs. Add the ones that apply, then enter your own figure for each.
Timing
Usually the month the build starts. The forecast runs for 12 months from here.
Cash and card sales are paid at once; invoices are often paid a month or two later.
Build and launch costs
One-off costs to get the first version live: design, development, testing, launch marketing, company set-up, legal fees and anything paid up front.
| Item | Cost | Remove |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing added yet. | ||
Total build and launch costs: £0
Funding
Where the money comes from: your savings, a loan, a grant or investment such as an SEIS round. All of it arrives in month 1 in the forecast.
| Source | Type | Amount | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nothing added yet. | |||
Funding £0 against build and launch costs of £0: £0 left as working capital
Early revenue
For each paid plan or product: the price, the direct cost of each sale (payment fees, per-user hosting or AI costs) and how many you expect to sell each month. Start lower than you hope. Leave it empty if the first version will not charge.
Add each paid plan or product, or leave this empty if the first version is free to use.
Running costs
Costs you pay every month: hosting, software, AI and API usage, support and maintenance, marketing, salaries or contractors, insurance, accountant.
| Cost | Per month | Remove |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing added yet. | ||
What you take out to live on, if you are not on the payroll above.
Running costs: £0 a month
Your budget and runway
Add your costs, funding and any revenue above, and your budget and runway appear here.
How the calculator works
- Your funding arrives and the build and launch costs are paid in month 1. Loan repayments, if any, start in month 2.
- Revenue is each plan’s price times the number of paying users each month. Leave it empty if the first version is free.
- Running costs are the same every month. Founder’s drawings are what you take out to live on, if you are not on the payroll.
- Runway counts the whole months before cash goes below zero. If it is still positive at month 12 but falling, the count carries on at the month-12 rate of spend.
An estimate from your own figures, not financial advice. Check it with an accountant before you rely on it.
Runway questions
What is runway?
The number of months your money lasts at the rate you are spending it. If you have £30,000 and spend £3,000 a month more than comes in, your runway is about ten months. It tells you how long you have to reach your next milestone: paying users, a funding round or break-even.
What is burn rate?
How much more money goes out than comes in each month. This page shows your average monthly burn after month 1, because month 1 also carries the one-off build and launch costs.
Why does the forecast run for 12 months?
Most MVPs are built, launched and tested within a year, and the figures further out are guesses. If cash is still falling at month 12, the runway figure carries on at the month-12 rate of spend, and says so.
Do I include VAT?
Enter prices without VAT. If you are VAT registered, enter costs without VAT too, because you reclaim it. If you are not registered, include VAT in your costs: you pay it and cannot get it back. Registration is compulsory once taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any 12 months.
Where are my numbers saved?
In this browser on this device, together with your MVP brief. Nothing is sent to us. The MVP builder uses the same numbers, so you only enter them once.