HR & Ops

Bootstrapped Saas Monthly Net Burn Rate and Runway Calculator

Inputs

Plain-English guide

Terms & how it works

Confused by a field? Read the short definitions here while you use the tool.

  • inputs

    Your numbers

    Calculate bootstrapped SaaS net burn and runway from cash, revenue, and opex. Instant, free, no sign up.

Net burn = monthly opex − monthly revenue. If net burn > 0, runway months = cash ÷ net burn. If revenue ≥ opex you are not burning (default-alive).

A planning calculator for bootstrapped SaaS founders. It turns cash in the bank, monthly recurring (or total) revenue, and monthly operating expenses into net burn and months of runway—without a spreadsheet.

When to use this bootstrapped saas monthly net burn rate and runway

Common use cases

  • Calculate bootstrapped SaaS net burn and runway from cash, revenue, and opex. Instant, free, no sign up.
  • Sanity-check with this scenario: You have $180,000 cash, $22,000 monthly revenue, and $31,000 opex. Net burn is $9,000/month. Runway is 180,000 ÷ 9,000 = 20 months.
  • The relationship is: Net burn = monthly opex − monthly revenue. If net burn > 0, runway months = cash ÷ net burn. If revenue ≥ opex you are not burning (default-alive).

Localized examples

  • HR & Ops: the example on this page uses the same formula as the widget.

What you get

  • Workspace controls for this exact question
  • Net burn = monthly opex − monthly revenue. If net burn > 0, runway months = cash ÷ net burn. If revenue ≥ opex you are not burning (default-alive).
  • Scenario on the page: You have $180,000 cash, $22,000 monthly revenue, and $31,000 opex. Net burn is $9,000/month. Runway is 180,000 ÷ 9,000 = 20 months.

How to Calculate Bootstrapped Saas Monthly Net Burn Rate and Runway

  1. 1A planning calculator for bootstrapped SaaS founders.
  2. 2Net burn = monthly opex − monthly revenue. If net burn > 0, runway months = cash ÷ net burn. If revenue ≥ opex you are not burning (default-alive).
  3. 3Scenario: You have $180,000 cash, $22,000 monthly revenue, and $31,000 opex. Net burn is $9,000/month. Runway is 180,000 ÷ 9,000 = 20 months.
  4. 4Headcount, contractor mix, and meeting load only make sense if you know how many months of oxygen remain. Runway is the constraint every other HR & ops decision sits on.

Formula and methodology

Governing formula

Net burn = monthly opex − monthly revenue. If net burn > 0, runway months = cash ÷ net burn. If revenue ≥ opex you are not burning (default-alive).

Scenario: You have $180,000 cash, $22,000 monthly revenue, and $31,000 opex. Net burn is $9,000/month. Runway is 180,000 ÷ 9,000 = 20 months.

Headcount, contractor mix, and meeting load only make sense if you know how many months of oxygen remain. Runway is the constraint every other HR & ops decision sits on.

Practical guide

Using the Bootstrapped Saas Monthly Net Burn Rate and Runway Calculator well

Who this is for

Bootstrapped SaaS founders tracking months of oxygen from cash, revenue, and opex.

Worked example

$180k cash, $22k revenue, $31k opex → $9k net burn → 20 months runway. If revenue covers opex, runway stops being the binding constraint.

Update on a fixed cadence

Recalculate monthly on the same day. Pre-commit cut actions at runway milestones so decisions are not improvised in panic.

Common pitfalls

  • Counting unsettled receivables as cash
  • Excluding owner draws or annual tax payments from burn

Deeper read: open the full guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Net burn is monthly operating expenses minus monthly revenue. Gross burn is opex alone. Investors and founders use net burn to estimate runway.

HR & Ops