3D Printer: Buy vs. Outsource Calculator

Your details

Total upfront cost of the printer including any mandatory accessories bundled at purchase.
Spare nozzles, build surfaces, enclosures, slicer software, or any one-time setup expense.
Price per kilogram of filament. PLA averages $18-$28/kg; PETG $22-$35/kg; ABS $18-$30/kg.
/ kg
Average grams of filament consumed per finished part, including support material and failed prints.
g
Mean hours to print one part end-to-end on your machine.
h
Average draw during a print job. Entry-level FDM printers: 80-200 W; resin: 30-80 W.
W
Your cost per kilowatt-hour. US residential average is about $0.14/kWh.
/ kWh
Estimated monthly spend on replacement nozzles, lubricant, bed adhesive, and minor repairs.
/ mo
Percentage of print jobs that fail and waste filament. Beginners: 15-25%; experienced: 5-10%.
%
What the print service charges per finished part, excluding shipping.
Flat shipping fee per order. Set to 0 if you batch orders or shipping is free.
How many parts you order per shipment. Higher batching spreads shipping cost across more parts.
parts
Expected number of finished parts you need each month on average.
parts
Currency
Break-even quantityBuys back fast (under 6 months)
35parts

Total number of parts you must print before buying becomes cheaper than outsourcing

Your cost per part (buying)$1.28
Effective outsource cost per part$13.60
Break-even time1.7months
Total cost - buy (24 months)$1,284
Total cost - outsource (24 months)$6,528
2-year saving (buy vs outsource)$5,244
Buy (own printer)$1,285
Outsource$6,542

2-year saving (buy vs outsource): $5,244

  • 24-month total cost
  • Variable cost per part

Break-even in 1.7 months (35 parts).

  • Your variable cost per owned part is $1.28 vs $13.60 to outsource, a saving of $12.32 per part.
  • Over 24 months you save roughly $5,244 by owning the printer at 20 parts/month.
  • Hidden ownership costs - time spent troubleshooting, post-processing, and failed prints - are real. Factor in your hourly value when the margin is close.

Next stepAt this volume buying pays off. Secure a quality printer and budget a monthly maintenance float of 2-4% of the purchase price.

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