Example 1
2,400%
Subscription 80, 20 hours at 80 and revenue 400. Benefit 1,920, of which 1,600 is time.
ROI calculator — return on investment
Return on investment in an AI tool is saved-time value plus revenue minus the subscription. 80, 20 hours and an 80 rate with 400 revenue is 2,400%. This is not accounting profit.
This is not operating profit (EBIT) and not cash flow. Payback in months is on payback period. Hourly cost: labor hour cost.
Result
Subscription, hours and rate. The result will show here.
How it works
ROI is (time value + revenue − subscription) / subscription. Time is hours × rate. 80, 20 h and 80/h with 400 give a benefit of 1,920 and ROI 2,400%. 200, 8 h and 50/h with 600 give 800 and 400%. 40, 4 h and 30/h with no revenue give 80 and 200%.
Subscription must be above zero. At zero or a negative the ratio will not run. Empty revenue counts as 0, not as an error. You cannot enter negative hours or a negative rate.
The card divides monthly benefit by tool cost and get a percent. On payback months you divide outlay by profit and get time. Labor hour cost helps you build a rate, but it does not compute ROI.
Revenue from content is optional. Leave it empty if the tool only saves time. The 400 in the example is your assumption, not an invoice from a platform. The “Hours minus subscription” tile is hours minus the subscription only: 20 × 80 − 80 = 1,520. The 400 revenue is not in that tile.
The result is a whole percent. 80 and 80 stay in the currency you typed. A decimal in 80.5 works. Do not insert spaces for thousands: type 1000, not 1 000.
The example button fills subscription, hours, rate and revenue together. Subscription alone is not enough. The result shows ROI, benefit, time value and hours minus the subscription.
How to use
- In the subscription field type the tool cost, for example 80. Zero will not start the division.
- Type hours saved, for example 20, and a rate of 80. That is Time: 20 × 80 = 1,600.
- Leave revenue empty or type 400. Click Calculate. 80, 20 and 80 with 400 give 2,400%.
- 200, 8 and 50 with 600 give 400%. 40, 4 and 30 with no revenue give 200%.
- Take the rate from labor hour cost or from a freelancer invoice. Tax is not subtracted here.
Formula
ROI = (hours × rate + revenue − subscription) / subscription × 100. Subscription > 0.
Subscription, time and ROI
ROI = (time + revenue − subscription) / subscription. 80, 20 h and 80/h with 400 is 2,400%.
- Subscription
- Monthly cost of the AI tool. 80 with a 1,920 benefit is 2,400% ROI.
- Time
- Hours × rate. 20 × 80 = 1,600. That is not a bank payout.
- ROI
- Benefit over subscription. 800 / 200 = 400%. Not company accounting profit.
- Hours minus subscription
- Hours × rate minus the subscription. 20 × 80 − 80 = 1,520. Content revenue stays out.
Worked examples
Example 2
400%
A 200 plan, 8 hours at 50 and 600 revenue. Benefit 800.
Example 3
200%
A 40 plan and 4 hours at 30, no revenue. Only the time saving remains.
Suggested uses
- You check whether an 80 tool pays back at 20 hours worth 80 plus 400 revenue.
- A 200 plan, 8 hours at 50 and 600 revenue is a different return. Compare both before you pick the more expensive one.
Frequently asked questions
What ROI from 80, 20 h, 80/h and 400?
2,400%. Monthly benefit is 1,920: 1,600 from time (20 × 80) plus 400 revenue, minus the 80 subscription. 1,920 / 80.
What does hours minus subscription mean?
It is hours saved times your rate, minus the subscription, with no content revenue. At 20 h and 80/h against an 80 subscription that is 1,520. Monthly benefit is different: there you add the 400 revenue and get 1,920.
What about 200, 8, 50 and 600?
400%. Time value is 400, plus 600 revenue minus 200 is a benefit of 800. 800 / 200 = 400%.
What about 40, 4, 30 and 0?
200%. With no revenue you keep 4 × 30 = 120 minus 40, so benefit 80. 80 / 40 = 200%.
Is 2,400% company profit?
No. It is benefit over tool cost at the rate you typed. Operating profit (EBIT) is outside this ratio.
Does this tax the 400?
No. You type 400 the way you want it. If it should be after tax, type it that way.
What if the subscription is 0?
There is nothing to divide by, so the ratio will not run. You need a cost above zero.
How is this different from payback months?
The card divides monthly benefit by the subscription and get a percent. There you divide outlay by monthly profit and get time.
Does a decimal in 80.5 work?
Yes. Do not put spaces in 1,000 as a thousand: type 1000.
Where do I get an hourly rate?
From labor hour cost, or from what you pay a freelancer. That is your assumption, not a market quote.
Knowledge sources
ROI is (revenue − cost) over cost. This is not EBIT and not cash flow.
Page updated in 2026.