Free tool
3D Print Cost Calculator
What does that print actually cost you — and what should you charge for it? This calculator counts everything beginners forget: electricity, printer wear, failed prints, marketplace fees, and your own time.
Material
$2.50
Electricity
$0.22
Printer wear
$0.48
True cost per successful print
includes 10% failed-print buffer
$3.56
How the math works
Material is your print's weight times your filament's price per gram — the biggest slice for most prints. Your slicer shows the estimated weight before you print.
Electricity is the printer's average power draw times print hours times your electricity price. It's usually smaller than people fear — often just a few cents per print.
Printer wear spreads your printer's price across its expected lifetime hours. Nozzles, belts, and beds wear out; every print hour consumes a tiny bit of the machine.
Failed prints aren't free. If 10% of prints fail, each success carries a share of that waste — so the calculator divides your cost by the success rate, the same way print farms do.
In "What to charge" mode we add your hands-on time (slicing, plate prep, post-processing), packaging, and marketplace fees — then work backwards so your target margin survives the fees. Etsy all-in fees typically land around 10–15%; the default of 13% is a realistic starting point.
Common questions
How much does 3D printing cost per hour?
Electricity is cheaper than most people expect: a typical FDM printer draws 100–200 W, which costs roughly 3–5 cents per hour at average electricity prices. The real costs are filament (usually 60–80% of the total) and gradual printer wear. For a typical 100 g print, expect a true cost of $3–6 including a buffer for failed prints.
How much should I charge for 3D prints?
A common rule is 2–3× your true cost — but most sellers forget marketplace fees, packaging, and their own hands-on time. Switch the calculator to "What to charge" mode: it adds labor, packaging, and fees, then works backwards from your target margin so the fees don't silently eat your profit.
How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
Most desktop FDM printers average 100–200 W while printing (more during initial bed heating, less once stable). Compact machines like the Bambu Lab A1 mini average under 100 W, while large heated-chamber printers can draw considerably more. Check your printer's spec sheet and enter the wattage above for a precise number.
Should I include failed prints in my costs?
Yes — every printer fails sometimes, and beginners more often. If 1 in 10 prints fails, every successful print effectively carries the cost of that failure. The calculator spreads your failure rate across successful prints, which is how print farms and professional sellers price their work.