3D Print Cost Calculator: Filament Price & Print Cost Estimator

3D Print Cost Calculator: Estimate Filament & Print Costs

How do I calculate the cost of a 3D print?

To calculate the cost of a 3D print you need the model weight (in grams) from your slicer and the filament price per kilogram. Divide the price per kg by 1000 to get the price per gram, then multiply by the printed weight. This free 3D print cost calculator does that instantly - enter your filament price, the model weight from your slicer, and any support or failure buffer, and it returns the total cost broken down line-by-line. Everything runs in your browser, so there is no sign-up and no data leaves your device.

What inputs does this 3D print cost calculator use?

The calculator takes four main inputs: filament price per kg (default $20), model weight in grams (from your slicer estimate), support material percentage (default 0%, added on top of the model weight), and a failure factor percentage (default 5%, a buffer for failed or scrapped prints). You can also pick the filament type (PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, Nylon, or Polycarbonate) and the filament diameter (1.75 mm by default) so the tool can estimate the filament length used.

How is the total print cost broken down?

The total cost is split into three components so you can see exactly where the money goes: Material Cost is the cost of the model weight itself; Support & Waste is the cost of the support structures and prime towers, calculated from your support-material percentage; and Failure Buffer is a contingency added on top to cover prints that fail and have to be re-run. Adding these three together gives the realistic total cost of producing one good print.

How is support material cost calculated?

Support material is calculated as a percentage of the model weight. If your model weighs 100 g and you set the support material to 10%, the calculator adds an extra 10 g of filament for supports. That support weight is then multiplied by the price per gram to get the support & waste cost. In practice, slicers like Cura and PrusaSlicer report the support weight directly, so you can also work backwards: divide the reported support weight by the model weight and multiply by 100 to get the percentage to enter here.

Why include a failure factor for 3D printing costs?

3D prints fail - bed adhesion lets go, filament jams, the power dips, or a complex overhang collapses. A failure factor spreads the expected cost of those failed prints across the good ones so your pricing stays profitable. A common starting point is 5%, but hobbyists running reliable, well-tuned machines may use 2-3% while print farms running tricky materials like ABS or nylon may set 10-15%. This calculator multiplies your material plus support cost by the failure factor to produce the failure-buffer line item.

How is filament length in meters calculated?

Filament length is derived from the total weight, the material density, and the filament diameter. The calculator converts the weight into a volume using the density (e.g. PLA at 1.24 g/cm³), then divides by the cross-sectional area of the filament strand (π × radius² for a 1.75 mm or 2.85 mm diameter). As a rule of thumb, one kilogram of 1.75 mm PLA is roughly 335 meters of filament. Knowing the length is useful when you need to check whether a partial spool has enough left to finish a long print.

What is the price per filament gram and why does it matter?

The price per gram is simply the filament price per kilogram divided by 1000. A $20 spool works out to $0.020 per gram. This number is the single most useful figure for quick estimates: once you know it, you can multiply it by any print's weight to get the raw material cost in seconds. It also makes it easy to compare the real value of differently sized spools - a cheaper-looking 500 g spool may cost more per gram than a bulk 2 kg spool.

Which filament is cheapest to print with?

Material cost depends on both the price per kg and the density. PLA is the most popular and usually the cheapest option, combining low spool price with easy, reliable printing. PETG is slightly denser and a touch pricier but adds strength and temperature resistance. ABS and ASA are lighter (lower density), so a given model weighs less and uses fewer grams - but they need a heated enclosure. Specialty filaments like Nylon, Polycarbonate, and TPU cost more per kg and require careful tuning. Pick the filament type in this calculator to see how density changes both the weight-based cost and the filament length.

Can I use this calculator for resin (SLA) printing?

This tool is designed for FDM/FFF filament printing, where cost is driven by filament weight and length. Resin (SLA/MSLA) printing costs work differently - you pay by the liter of resin, and you also need to account for consumables like IPA wash solvent, nitrile gloves, resin filters, and cured-resin disposal. The same price-per-unit logic applies (price per liter ÷ model volume), but the consumption model is different enough that you should use a dedicated resin cost calculator for accurate SLA pricing.