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Markup Calculator

A free online markup calculator that computes profit, markup %, and margin % from cost and selling price — or solves backward for the selling price or maximum cost needed to hit a target markup. Includes a per-unit and total-profit breakdown.

Markup vs. margin — the difference that trips everyone up

Markup is profit as a percentage of your cost: (Selling price − Cost) ÷ Cost × 100. Margin is profit as a percentage of your selling price (revenue): (Selling price − Cost) ÷ Selling price × 100. The same $40 profit on a $60 cost and $100 selling price is a 66.7% markup but only a 40% margin — two very different numbers describing the same sale, and markup is always the larger one.

How the calculator solves for selling price or cost

If you know your cost and want a target markup, the calculator finds the selling price using Selling price = Cost × (1 + Markup ÷ 100). If you know your selling price and want a target markup, it finds the maximum cost using Cost = Selling price ÷ (1 + Markup ÷ 100). Both are algebraic rearrangements of the markup formula.

Scaling to total profit

Enter the number of units sold to see total revenue, total cost, and total profit alongside the per-unit numbers — useful for checking whether a per-unit markup actually adds up to a meaningful profit at your expected sales volume.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing markup with margin

Solution:

They use different denominators (cost vs. selling price) and are never the same number except at 0% — a markup percentage is always higher than the equivalent margin percentage.

Using a markup percentage as if it were a margin percentage

Solution:

Pricing at a '50% markup' when a '50% margin' was intended undercharges significantly — a 50% margin actually requires a 100% markup on cost.

Assuming markup has the same upper limit as margin

Solution:

Margin can never reach 100%, but markup has no mathematical ceiling — a markup of 300% or more is entirely possible and simply means the selling price is several times the cost.

Entering the markup as a decimal instead of a percentage

Solution:

Enter the markup the way it's usually quoted — e.g. 50 for 50%, not 0.5. The calculator already divides by 100 internally.

Ignoring per-unit costs beyond the direct cost of goods

Solution:

Shipping, packaging, payment processing fees, and returns all reduce real profit below what a simple cost-vs-price calculation shows, even if the markup percentage looks healthy.

Applying the same markup percentage across very different product costs

Solution:

A flat markup percentage produces very different dollar profits on a $10 item versus a $1,000 item — high-cost items often need a lower markup percentage to stay competitively priced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Markup is profit divided by cost; margin is profit divided by selling price (revenue). For the same sale, markup is always a larger number than margin (except at 0%), because cost is always smaller than selling price when there's a profit.
Markup % = (Selling price - Cost) / Cost x 100. For example, a $60 cost sold for $100 gives a $40 profit and a 66.7% markup.
Selling price = Cost x (1 + Target markup / 100). Choose 'Selling price' in the calculator, enter your cost and desired markup, and it solves this for you.
Cost = Selling price / (1 + Target markup / 100). Choose 'Cost' in the calculator, enter your selling price and desired markup.
Margin % = Markup % / (100 + Markup %) x 100. A 100% markup converts to a 50% margin, and a 50% markup converts to a 33.3% margin — margin is always the smaller number.
No — it calculates pure markup and margin from the cost and selling price you enter. Add any additional per-unit costs into your cost figure to get a more complete picture.
No — every calculation runs locally in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged, or stored on any server.

Free Online Markup Calculator

Work out your markup and margin instantly from cost and selling price — or solve backward: enter a cost and target markup to find the selling price you need, or enter a selling price and target markup to find the maximum cost you can afford.

What You Get

  • Markup % and margin % calculated side by side, so you never confuse the two
  • Solve for markup, selling price, or cost — whichever one you're missing
  • Profit per unit and total profit across any quantity sold
  • A cost-vs-profit visual breakdown
  • A plain-English explanation of the difference between markup and margin for your exact numbers

Who Uses This Calculator

Retailers and wholesalers pricing products from cost, manufacturers setting price lists, and anyone who needs to hit a target markup without confusing it with margin.