What is a good payback time for an automation?

Under 12 months is a strong case, and many simple automations pay back in a few weeks. Between one and two years can still be worth it for a stable process. Beyond that, a simpler fix such as a template or a checklist is usually the better first step.

What hourly cost should I use?

Use the full cost of the person's time, not just their wage: salary plus taxes, benefits and overheads. A common rule of thumb is 1.25 to 1.5 times the hourly wage. If the task is done by the owner, use what an hour of their time is worth to the business.

Should I use n8n, Zapier or custom code?

Workflow tools such as n8n and Zapier are fastest for connecting common apps. Custom code pays off when volumes are high, the logic is complex or you need tight control over data. The n8n vs custom code article on the blog compares them in detail.

Is the calculator free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, and everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

Free tool

Automation ROI Calculator

Enter how often a task happens, how long it takes and what an hour costs you. The calculator shows the hours saved, what they are worth each month and how quickly the automation pays back what it cost to build.

Start from an example

The task today

Times per week

Across everyone who does it.

Minutes each time

Cost of an hour (USD)

Wages plus overheads for the person doing it.

Mistakes per 100 times

Typos, missed follow-ups, wrong totals. 0 if none.

Minutes to fix a mistake

The automation

Share it takes over: 80%

Exceptions and approvals usually stay with a person.

Build cost, one-off (USD)

Use your own quote. The examples use placeholder figures.

Running cost per month (USD)

Subscriptions, hosting, AI API calls and upkeep.

What it is worth

Hours saved per month

of 31 hours a month spent on it today

Value of the time saved: $621
Net per month, after running costs: $591
Pays back in: 2.5 months
First year, after the build cost: $5,593
Over three years: $19,780

Pays back within a year: a strong case for automating.

A month is 52 ÷ 12 weeks. Time saved is valued at the hourly cost you entered. Faster replies and fewer lost leads are not counted, and they are often worth more.

What to automate first

The best first automation is a task that happens often, follows the same steps every time and annoys the people who do it: copying enquiries into a CRM, chasing leads, keying invoices, building the same weekly report. Rare tasks and tasks that need judgement on every run rarely pay back, however clever the automation.

How the calculator works

It multiplies how often the task happens by how long it takes, adds the time spent fixing mistakes, and converts that into hours per month. The share you expect the automation to take over becomes the hours saved, valued at your hourly cost. Subtract the running cost and you have the monthly gain; divide the build cost by it and you have the payback time.

Costs people forget

Automations need looking after. Apps change their APIs, forms gain new fields and an AI step can drift. Budget a few hours a month for monitoring and fixes, and put that in the running cost. On the other side, the calculator leaves out the benefits that are hard to price, such as replying to a lead in two minutes instead of two hours, and those are often worth more than the time saved.

Frequently asked

What is a good payback time for an automation?: Under 12 months is a strong case, and many simple automations pay back in a few weeks. Between one and two years can still be worth it for a stable process. Beyond that, a simpler fix such as a template or a checklist is usually the better first step.
What hourly cost should I use?: Use the full cost of the person's time, not just their wage: salary plus taxes, benefits and overheads. A common rule of thumb is 1.25 to 1.5 times the hourly wage. If the task is done by the owner, use what an hour of their time is worth to the business.
Should I use n8n, Zapier or custom code?: Workflow tools such as n8n and Zapier are fastest for connecting common apps. Custom code pays off when volumes are high, the logic is complex or you need tight control over data. The n8n vs custom code article on the blog compares them in detail.
Is the calculator free?: Yes. There is no sign-up, and everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

Want the automation built?

I build automations with n8n and custom code: lead follow-up, data entry, reports and onboarding, with logs, alerts and a person in the loop where it matters.

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