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
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Printer price | Amount in your currency |
| Accessories and spare parts | Amount in your currency |
| Slicer licence / design purchase | Amount in your currency |
| Filament | Choose one: PLA (1.24 g/cm³), ABS (1.04 g/cm³), PETG (1.27 g/cm³), Nylon (1.14 g/cm³) … |
| Filament price per kg | Amount in your currency |
| Model volume | In cm³ |
| Supports and waste | In % |
| Number of models | A number |
| Printer power | In W |
| Print time per model | In h |
| Electricity price per kWh | Amount in your currency |
| Service price per model | Amount in your currency |
| Shipping per order | Amount in your currency |
| Number of orders | A 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 price | Total cost of printing yourself |
|---|---|
| 150 | 225.16 |
| 225 | 300.16 |
| 300 | 375.16 |
| 375 | 450.16 |
| 450 | 525.16 |
| 600 | 675.16 |
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)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.
Frequently asked questions
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).