3D Printer: Buy vs Outsource Calculator

The 3D Printer: Buy vs Outsource Calculator compares the total cost of owning a printer with the cost of paying a printing service. It combines printer price, accessories, filament, model volume, electricity, print time, design costs, shipping, and the outsourcing price per model so you can see which path is cheaper for a given project.

How to use

Enter the printer and setup costs you would pay upfront. Then describe the print job: filament price, filament density, model volume, quantity, printer power use, electricity price, and hours per model. Finally, enter the outsourcing quote per model, shipping, and any design fee charged by the service.

The result compares total buying cost with total outsourcing cost. For a one-off prototype, outsourcing may win because the printer purchase is hard to justify. For repeated production, classroom use, or frequent prototyping, buying can become cheaper as the upfront cost is spread over more models.

How it works

The calculator estimates filament from the printed volume and density. It estimates electricity from power, print time, quantity, and local cost per kWh. Buying cost is the sum of the printer, accessories, design or software cost, filament, and electricity. Outsourcing cost is the service price times quantity, plus shipping and outside design costs.

Use the break-even calculator, budget calculator, and loan calculator if you are deciding whether to finance equipment or recover the cost through paid prints.

Formula

$\text{filament kg} = \frac{\text{volume} \times \text{density} \times \text{models}}{1000}$

$\text{electricity cost} = \frac{\text{watts}}{1000} \times \text{hours per model} \times \text{models} \times \text{cost per kWh}$

$\text{buying cost} = \text{printer} + \text{accessories} + \text{design} + \text{filament} + \text{electricity}$

$\text{outsourcing cost} = (\text{service price} \times \text{models}) + \text{shipping} + \text{design}$

Examples

Common mistakes

• Ignoring failed prints, nozzle wear, calibration time, and replacement parts.
• Using the solid model volume when the slicer uses infill; if you know slicer material weight, prefer that estimate.
• Forgetting shipping, rush fees, and design-file charges in outsourcing quotes.