Markup Calculator
This markup calculator turns a cost into a price, or a price into a markup. Enter your cost, then set either the markup percent or the selling price, and you'll get the profit, the markup, and the profit margin side by side. Everything updates as you type, so it's easy to price a product or check a quote. It's free and runs in your browser, so nothing you enter leaves your device.
- Selling price
- Profit
- Markup %
- Profit margin %
- Markup vs margin
Last updated June 17, 2026 Markup and margin Reviewed by the Calcowa team
Enter a cost above zero, and a markup or price.
Markup measures profit against the cost, and margin measures it against the price, so the same sale shows a higher markup than margin. Switch modes to solve for whichever you don't know.
How do you calculate markup and margin?
Markup and margin both start from the same profit, so it's worth seeing them together. The profit is just the selling price minus the cost. Markup is that profit divided by the cost, turned into a percent, which tells you how much you added on top of what you paid. Margin is the same profit divided by the price instead, which tells you what slice of each sale you actually keep. Because the price is always bigger than the cost, the margin percent comes out smaller than the markup percent on the same item. Say a product costs $50 and sells for $70: the profit is $20, the markup is $20 over $50, which is 40 percent, and the margin is $20 over $70, which is about 28.6 percent. This tool runs both directions, so you can set a markup to find the price, or set the price to find the markup, and it'll show the margin alongside either way.
Pricing an item, step by step
Here's the quick routine to set a price, and it's just three steps:
- 1
Pick a modeChoose whether you know the markup or the price.
- 2
Enter the numbersType your cost and the markup or selling price.
- 3
Read the resultSee the price or markup, the profit, and the margin.
Markup vs margin
Here's how common markups translate into margins, and you'll see they're never quite the same number. It's the same profit each time, just measured against the cost or the price, so don't treat a markup and a margin as one figure when you're setting a price.
| Markup | Margin | $100 cost sells for |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | 16.7% | $120 |
| 40% | 28.6% | $140 |
| 50% | 33.3% | $150 |
| 100% | 50% | $200 |
Frequently asked questions
You pick a mode, type your cost, and add either the markup percent or the selling price, and it fills in the rest. In the first mode you set the markup and it works out the price, profit, and margin. In the second mode you set the price and it works out the markup and margin from your cost. Everything runs in your browser, so you'll see the numbers change as you type, and nothing you enter leaves your device.
Markup is your profit measured against the cost. You take the selling price, subtract the cost to get the profit, then divide that profit by the cost and turn it into a percent. So a $50 item sold for $70 has a $20 profit, and $20 divided by $50 is 40 percent markup. To go the other way, multiply the cost by one plus the markup, so $50 at 40 percent markup gives a $70 price. The calculator runs both directions for you.
They both describe profit, but against different bases, so they're easy to mix up. Markup is profit divided by the cost, while margin is profit divided by the selling price. Since the price is bigger than the cost, the margin percent is always smaller than the markup percent on the same sale. A 40 percent markup is only about a 28.6 percent margin, for instance. This tool shows both at once, so you don't have to convert between them by hand.
Work out the profit and the price first, then divide the profit by the price for the margin. There's also a shortcut: margin equals markup divided by one plus the markup. So a 50 percent markup is 0.5 divided by 1.5, which is about 33.3 percent margin. It helps to remember that a high markup looks smaller as a margin, because the price you divide by is larger than the cost. The calculator handles the conversion automatically.
It depends on your costs, your market, and how much room you have to compete, so there isn't one right number. Retail often runs 50 percent or more, while groceries and high-volume goods sit much lower. The trick is to make sure the price covers your overhead and still leaves a profit, not just the cost of the item. Try a few markup values here and watch the margin, since margin is what really tells you how much of each sale you keep.
Yes, it's completely free, with no sign-up, and it runs right in your browser, so nothing you enter leaves your device. Type your cost, set a markup or a price, and read the profit and margin in a tap. Bookmark it for pricing products, quoting a job, or checking a deal, and you'll have a clear markup and margin estimate whenever you need to set a price.
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Pricing your products?
Work out the markup above, or set a sale price with the discount tool.