Free Tool
Startup Cost
Calculator
Calculate the true cost of launching your startup. From incorporation to software to legal - know exactly what you'll spend before you begin.
Company Formation
Recommended for VC-funded startups. Required by most investors.
Team
Product Type
Operations
Cost Breakdown
Total Year 1 Cost
$12.8K
$470/month average
$7.1K
One-time Costs
$5.6K
Annual Costs
One-time Costs
incorporation$89
legal Formation$3500
founder Agreements$2500
domain$50
initial Marketing$1000
Annual Costs
registered Agent$600/yr
franchise Tax$400/yr
hosting$600/yr
tools$2400/yr
accounting$300/yr
email$144/yr
insurance$1200/yr
DIY vs Lawyer (Legal Only)
DIY (online templates)$1.1K
With startup lawyer$6.1K
What You'll Need
Legal Essentials
- Incorporation documents
- Founder agreements
- IP assignment
- Stock option pool
Software Stack
- Cloud hosting (AWS/Vercel)
- Dev tools & CI/CD
- Team communication
- Accounting software
Not Included
- Founder salaries
- Employee salaries
- Paid marketing
- Hardware costs
Money-Saving Tips
Use Stripe Atlas or Clerky
These services offer Delaware C-corp formation for $500-800 with proper legal documents. Great for standard setups.
Get Startup Credits
AWS, Google Cloud, and most SaaS tools offer free credits for startups. Can save $50-100K+ in year 1.
Start Remote
Skip office costs until you've found product-market fit. Use the savings for product development.
Free Tier Everything
Most tools have generous free tiers. Don't pay for scaling until you need it.
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