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Manual testing cost calculator

Work out what testing your releases by hand costs you each year, using your own numbers. Three numbers is enough to start.

This runs entirely in your browser. It asks for no email, and your numbers never leave it.

Your testing today

days
engineers
per year

Re-runs between releases

Do you re-run your tests between releases?

What an hour really costs

$ per hour
times
hours

Waiting on a release

Does a finished release lose you money for each day it waits on testing?

Looking ahead

How do you want to describe your testing growth?
tests
per year
years

What automating could save you

%
%

Automation saves about 50% in the first year, while you are still building the tests, and about 60% in the years after.

What manual testing costs you this year
Enter your three numbers
Fill in the first three fields to see your cost.

Your true cost of an hour

$150

This is the loaded rate. It starts from the wage, then adds benefits, stock, insurance, paid time off, payroll tax, and company overhead. The true cost to the company is about twice the wage. You pay for all your testing at this rate.

Where your cost comes from

Running by handEnter your numbers

WaitingEnter your numbers

This year, totalEnter your numbers

The next few years

Enter your numbers to see the next few years.

Save your result

Both save a file to your device. Both work with no internet.

Fill in the first three fields to create your report.

Read this as a floorThis is a floor. It leaves out the cost of a breach or a recall, lost morale or people leaving, and hiring or training. It counts only running by hand and waiting. Your real cost is higher.

Works with no internet. You can save this page and open it later with no connection at all.

About the defaults. The true-cost multiple of 2 is a common figure for the fully loaded cost of a person. Growth of 15% a year is a conservative figure for rising testing load. The savings starting points are a 50% cut in the first year, while the tests are built, and 60% in the years after. These are starting points.

This calculator estimates two things: your current manual cost, and what automating it could save. The manual cost is kept low, as a floor. The savings come from a rate you can change, and they are an example, not a promise. The price of any product is separate.

This year
Enter your numbers
See the breakdown