# 3D Printer – Buy vs Outsource Calculator

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/finance/3d-printer-buy-vs-outsource/
Last updated: 2026-10-25

> The 3D printer buy vs outsource calculator compares the cost of buying a 3D printer – printer, filament, electricity and accessories – with paying a print service per model, and tells you how many prints it takes for owning a printer to pay off.

## Inputs

- Printer price
- Accessories and spare parts
- Slicer licence / design purchase
- Filament
- Filament price per kg
- Model volume (cm³)
- Supports and waste (%)
- Number of models
- Printer power (W)
- Print time per model (h)
- Electricity price per kWh
- Service price per model
- Shipping per order
- Number of orders

## Results

- Filament cost per model
- Electricity per model
- Total cost of printing yourself
- Total cost of outsourcing
- Saving by buying a printer
- Models to break even
- Recommendation

## Formula

```
Filament per model = volume × density × (1 + waste)
Buying cost = printer + accessories + software + n × (filament cost + electricity)
Outsourcing cost = n × (price per model + shipping)
Break-even models = up-front cost ÷ (outsourced cost per model − own cost per model)
```

## Explanation

Hobby printers now cost a few hundred dollars, while print services charge per part plus shipping. If you print often, owning a printer quickly becomes cheaper; for a handful of parts, outsourcing avoids the learning curve and the up-front cost.

### How to use the 3D Printer – Buy vs Outsource Calculator

- **Printer price**
- **Accessories and spare parts**
- **Slicer licence / design purchase**
- **Filament**
- **Filament price per kg**
- **Model volume**
- **Supports and waste**
- **Number of models**
- **Printer power**
- **Print time per model**
- **Electricity price per kWh**
- **Service price per model**
- **Shipping per order**
- **Number of orders**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Enter the printer and accessory costs, the filament type and price, the model volume and quantity, your electricity use and price, and the print service's price per model and shipping.

### Tips

- Use figures for the same period (a month, a quarter or a year) for every input so ratios compare like with like.
- Track the metric over time – the trend usually tells you more than a single value.
- Compare your result with industry benchmarks, which vary a lot between sectors.
- Treat the result as a starting point for a decision, then check the assumptions behind each input.

### Common mistakes to avoid

- Mixing monthly and yearly numbers in the same calculation.
- Using revenue where the formula needs profit (or the other way round).
- Forgetting hidden costs such as taxes, fees, overheads or your own time.

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterPrinter priceAmount in your currencyAccessories and spare partsAmount in your currencySlicer licence / design purchaseAmount in your currencyFilamentChoose one: PLA (1.24 g/cm³), ABS (1.04 g/cm³), PETG (1.27 g/cm³), Nylon (1.14 g/cm³) …Filament price per kgAmount in your currencyModel volumeIn cm³Supports and wasteIn %Number of modelsA numberPrinter powerIn WPrint time per modelIn hElectricity price per kWhAmount in your currencyService price per modelAmount in your currencyShipping per orderAmount in your currencyNumber of ordersA number

### What each result means

- **Filament cost per model** = [Model volume]×[Filament]÷1000×(1 + [Supports and waste]÷100)×[Filament price per kg]
- **Electricity per model** = [Printer power]÷1000×[Print time per model]×[Electricity price per kWh]
- **Total cost of printing yourself** = [Printer price] + [Accessories and spare parts] + [Slicer licence ÷ design purchase] + [Number of models]×([Filament cost per model] + [Electricity per model])
- **Total cost of outsourcing** = [Number of models]×[Service price per model] + [Number of orders]×[Shipping per order]
- **Saving by buying a printer** = [Total cost of outsourcing] - [Total cost of printing yourself]
- **Models to break even** = ceil(([Printer price] + [Accessories and spare parts] + [Slicer licence ÷ design purchase])÷max([Service price per model] + [Number of orders]×[Shipping per order]÷max([Number of models], 1) - [Filament cost per model] - [Electricity per model], 0.000001) - 0.000001)

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Printer price** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Printer priceTotal cost of printing yourself150225.16225300.16300375.16375450.16450525.16600675.16

## Worked example

Inputs — Printer price: $300; Accessories and spare parts: $50; Slicer licence / design purchase: $0; Filament: PLA (1.24 g/cm³); Filament price per kg: $22; Model volume: 40 cm³; Supports and waste: 10 %; Number of models: 20; Printer power: 120 W; Print time per model: 3 h; Electricity price per kWh: $0.16; Service price per model: $18; Shipping per order: $8; Number of orders: 2.

Results — Filament cost per model = $1.20; Electricity per model = $0.06; **Total cost of printing yourself = $375.16**; Total cost of outsourcing = $376.00; Saving by buying a printer = $0.84; Models to break even = 20; Recommendation = Buying a printer is cheaper.

## FAQ

**How much filament does a model use?**
Volume × density – a 40 cm³ PLA part uses about 50 g plus supports.

**How much electricity does a 3D printer use?**
A typical desktop printer draws 100–250 W while printing, more with a heated bed.

**When does buying a printer pay off?**
When the saving per print covers the printer and accessories – often after 15–40 parts.

**What formula does the 3D Printer – Buy vs Outsource Calculator use?**
Filament per model = volume × density × (1 + waste).