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CAC calculator

Compute customer acquisition cost from spend and new customers.

Related tools

All SaaS metrics tools →
LTV:CAC ratio calculatorCompare customer lifetime value to acquisition cost with the LTV:CAC ratio.CAC payback period calculatorFind how many months it takes to recover the cost of acquiring a customer.Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) CalculatorBlended CAC from channel spend, the LTV:CAC ratio and the CAC payback period in months.Churn rate calculatorCompute your customer churn rate and retention rate over a period.MRR & ARR calculatorCompute monthly (MRR) and annual (ARR) recurring revenue from customers and ARPU.Burn rate & runway calculatorFind your startup's runway in months from your cash and monthly burn.Customer lifetime value (CLV) calculatorWhat a customer is worth over the whole relationship: margin per period ÷ (1 + discount − retention), which also tells you the average lifespan 1/(1 − retention). Higher retention and margin stretch it; the discount rate reins it back to today's money.LTV calculatorCompute customer lifetime value from order value, frequency and lifespan.

Need CAC? The CAC calculator derives it from Total spend, New customers in one step. For instance, with Total spend = $5,000.00 and New customers = 50 it returns CAC = $100.00.

How to use it

  1. Enter your values: Total spend, New customers.
  2. Read the result instantly: CAC.

Frequently asked questions

How does the CAC calculator work?

It takes Total spend and New customers and derives CAC from them. The calculation is live as you type, so the result updates on every change.

Which values does the calculator ask for?

2 values: Total spend ($) and New customers. Nothing else is required — no account, no file upload.

What does a typical calculation look like?

With Total spend = $5,000.00 and New customers = 50, the calculator returns CAC = $100.00. Those figures come from running this exact tool, so you can reproduce them by entering the same values.

When would I actually use this?

Reporting to an investor or a board: what recurring revenue really is this month, what churn is costing, and how long it takes to earn back an acquisition.

What is the most common mistake?

Counting annual contracts at their full value in the month they are signed. MRR is the monthly-equivalent figure; booking a year of revenue in one month makes growth look like a step change that then reverses.

What is the difference between the CAC calculator and the LTV:CAC ratio calculator?

This one returns CAC; the LTV:CAC ratio calculator returns LTV:CAC ratio (× CAC) and Reading. That is the whole difference — open the one whose figure you need.

Is there a tool for the next step?

CAC payback period calculator is the closest one after this: Find how many months it takes to recover the cost of acquiring a customer.

Where do the figures come from, and how current are they?

These definitions come from how subscription businesses report, not from an accounting standard — churn in particular is defined half a dozen ways, so state which one you used alongside the number.

Further reading

All guides →
ExplainerWhat Is Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)? Formula and BenchmarksCustomer acquisition cost tells you what it really costs to win a new customer. Learn the formula, what to include, and how to read it against lifetime value.ExplainerCAC Payback Period Explained: Why a 3:1 LTV/CAC Can Still Run Out of CashLTV/CAC says whether a customer is profitable eventually. Payback says whether you can afford to wait. The formula divides CAC by monthly gross profit — and the gross margin is the term nearly everyone drops.ExplainerWhat Is Customer Churn Rate? Formula and How to Reduce ItCustomer churn rate measures how fast you lose customers. Learn the formula, why it caps growth and shortens lifetime value, and how to reduce it.ExplainerWhat Is Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)? Formula and UsesCustomer lifetime value estimates the total worth of a customer over the whole relationship. Learn the formula, why margin matters, and how to use it.ExplainerMRR and the Arithmetic of Recurring RevenueMonthly recurring revenue is a normalised run rate, not revenue earned. Normalise it wrong and every downstream number is wrong. Here is the movement analysis that explains the figure, and why net revenue retention decides whether growth compounds.ExplainerStartup Burn Rate and Runway: How Long Your Cash LastsBurn rate is how fast a startup spends cash each month. Learn to compute net burn, turn it into runway with cash ÷ burn, and read the number before it reads you.