Outrank

True Budget Calculator

Plan campaign spend from a real revenue goal — per channel — and see CAC, ROAS, profit and payback before you spend a cent. The true cost, no markup.

1 · Market & goal

Sets currency + channel weighting. South Africa for now; more markets on request.
Used for average earnings per creator
% of revenue left after delivery cost
100% if the target already = sales
1 = one-off; 3 = avg customer buys 3×
Your audit baseline, 0–100
82 ≈ category leader

2 · Channels (edit freely)

Channel% of conv.CPA (R)Fixed/mo (R)Creator?Spend
Conversion split: 0%

Result

Total monthly budgetR0
Projected revenueR0
Gross profit (after spend)R0
Blended CACR0
ROAS0×
ROI0%
Break-even conversions0
Payback (months, w/ LTV)—
⏱ Time to category #1—
💸 Creators earn (total)R0
Avg per creatorR0
Two-sided: brand profit R0 · creators earn R0
Annualised revenue: R0

CAC = total spend ÷ conversions. ROAS = revenue ÷ spend. Profit = revenue×margin − spend. Break-even = spend ÷ (value×margin). LTV multiple lifts revenue & payback for repeat business. Set a channel's CPA to 0 and use “Fixed/mo” for organic/SEO/retainer or influencer fees.

Rank timeline — projected climb to #1

Paid traffic works from day one; organic + AI ranking compounds over the months below. More budget = faster climb (with a realistic floor — search & AI need time to crawl, index and trust you).

How the numbers work

Everything here is transparent — expand any section. No black boxes, no markup.

The true-cost model ›
Most agencies quote a fee and bury their margin inside your ad spend, so you never see the real number. We split it into the three lines you actually pay: a flat management retainer, your ad budget at cost (every rand goes to the platforms — no markup), and the one-time engine build. Set any channel's CPA to 0 and use Fixed/mo for organic, SEO, retainer or influencer fees. The result is the true monthly cost to hit the revenue goal you typed in.
What each result means ›
CAC
Cost to win one customer = total spend ÷ conversions.
ROAS
Revenue ÷ spend. Above 3× is healthy, below 1.5× needs work.
ROI
Profit ÷ spend, as a %. Profit = revenue × margin − spend.
Break-even
Conversions needed to cover spend = spend ÷ (value × margin).
Payback
Months for gross profit to repay the spend (LTV-adjusted).
LTV multiple
Repeat value: 1 = one-off, 3 = average customer buys 3×.
How to read it & the assumptions ›
Per-channel spend = (target × close-rate × channel share) × CPA, plus any fixed monthly cost. Channel shares should add to 100% — the tool warns you if they don't. Revenue = conversions × value each × LTV. Figures are planning estimates; calibrate CPA and shares against your real campaign data and the numbers tighten fast.
The two-sided view ›
Spend flagged Creator? counts as creator earnings, not just cost — so you see both sides at once: brand profit and what creators earn. That's the model: growth that pays the brand and the people who drive it.