CAC Calculator
Blended and fully-loaded CAC, plus CAC payback period. Benchmarks pre-filled, transparent formula, exportable report — free, no signup to calculate.
Example with demo defaults — adjust to your numbers
Frequently asked questions
How is CAC calculated?
Blended CAC divides your total sales and marketing spend by new customers in the period. Fully-loaded CAC adds salaries and tooling for a truer cost. CAC payback divides CAC by the monthly gross margin per account, showing how long it takes to recoup acquisition cost.
What is a good CAC payback period?
Many subscription businesses aim to recover CAC within roughly a year, but the right target depends on your margins and how long customers stay. Compare CAC payback against customer lifetime — a payback far shorter than lifetime is the healthy direction.
What’s the difference between blended and fully-loaded CAC?
Blended CAC counts only direct sales and marketing spend. Fully-loaded CAC also includes the salaries of the people doing the work and the tools they use, so it is higher and more honest. This calculator shows both side by side.
Where do the default values come from?
The pre-filled numbers are demonstration defaults that produce a realistic example — they are not claimed industry averages. Replace them with your own figures for an accurate result. Where a field is labelled as an assumption, adjust it to match your business; the methodology page lists every default and its status.
Is my data stored anywhere?
No. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server — there is no account and no copy of your numbers. If you download the PDF report, only the email you enter on the report form is stored, so we can follow up; your inputs stay on your device.