Automation ROI Calculator
See exactly how much time and money you save by automating a manual process — before you spend a single dollar on tools.
Your current situation
Assumes average one-time workflow cost of $150. Real savings may be higher with multi-step Blueprints.
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How the calculation works
Weekly hours saved
Hours/week × automatable% × team sizeThe total hours recovered each week across your whole team if the process is automated at the level you specified.
Annual cost saved
Weekly hours saved × 52 weeks × hourly rateThe full dollar value of recovered time per year. This is the economic benefit of the automation.
Payback period
Workflow cost ($150) ÷ daily savingsHow many days before a typical marketplace workflow ($150 average) pays for itself from the time saved.
5-year ROI
((Annual savings × 5 − cost) ÷ cost) × 100Total return on the one-time workflow investment over five years, expressed as a percentage.
Frequently asked questions
How is automation ROI calculated?
Hours saved per week times your loaded hourly cost, minus platform subscription and build/maintenance costs. The calculator annualizes this so you can compare automations against each other before building anything.
What counts as a good automation ROI?
Most teams target payback within 3 months. Simple template-based automations often pay back in days because the build cost is near zero when you start from an existing workflow.
Does the calculator account for error rates?
It estimates time saved from removing manual work; you should discount the result if the process needs frequent human review. High-stakes flows usually keep a human approval step.
Is the ROI calculator free?
Yes, with no signup required. If the numbers justify building, you can start from a ready-made template instead of building from scratch.