Skip to content
Peak Atlas

Software for contribution margin & product margin

Know what's left of revenue really remains.

Calculate price, cost of goods, shipping, fees and ad spend per product. Start calculating below and see which cost block is eating your margin.

Calculate contribution marginCalculate a product
01

Here's what it looks like

Peak ProductsExample
Linen shirt · Size M
Net revenue
49,90 €
Variable costs
32,40 €
Contribution margin
17,50 €
CM ratio
35,1 %

Scenario: price €54.90 saved

Simplified sample view with made-up data.
02

On this page

  1. 01Try it
  2. 02Overview
  3. 03Selection guide
  4. 04Use
  5. 05Features
  6. 06Is it a fit?
  7. 07FAQ

Try it right away

Your contribution margin in ten seconds.

Five values per unit sold. The calculation runs in your browser; nothing is stored or transmitted.

Selling price excluding VAT, after discounts.

€

Purchasing or production per unit.

€

Per unit sold.

€

Payment and marketplace fees as a % of net proceeds.

%

Ad budget divided by sales.

€

Contribution margin per unit

17,50 €

Contribution margin rate 35,1 % · variable costs €32.40

  • Cost of goods18,00 €
  • Shipping & packaging4,90 €
  • Payment and marketplace fees1,50 €
  • Ad cost per sale8,00 €

This is how much each unit contributes to fixed costs. Largest cost block: Cost of goods (36.1% of net revenue).

  • Contribution margin = net revenue − variable costs; ratio = contribution margin ÷ net revenue × 100.
  • Returns are not included. If you have many returns, add the return cost per unit sold to shipping.
  • Contribution margin is not profit: fixed costs, taxes and depreciation are not deducted.

Quick overview

What contribution margin software does.

Contribution margin
What a product contributes to fixed costs after all costs incurred per unit sold. Software for this calculates it continuously per product and variant, instead of once in a spreadsheet.
Formula
Contribution margin = net revenue − variable costs
Example
A shirt at €49.90 net with €18 purchasing, €4.90 shipping, 3% fees and €8 advertising per sale contributes €17.50, or about 35%.
Common mistakes
  • Leaving out ad costs per sale
  • Calculating with gross prices instead of net revenue
  • Comparing only percentages, not the amount per unit

Scope

Margin, contribution margin, ROAS. Three questions, three numbers.

Margin, contribution margin and ROAS compared
MetricInvoiceAnsweredBlind spot
Gross marginNet revenue − cost of goodsIs the purchase price worth it?Shipping, fees and advertising are missing
Contribution marginNet revenue − all variable costsWhat does each unit contribute to fixed costs?Fixed costs stay out
ROASRevenue ÷ ad spendHow much revenue does one euro of advertising bring?Says nothing about what's left after costs

Selection guide

Which costs good software needs to know.

Pre-weighted for online shops and retailers. Set what matters for your assortment.

  1. All variable cost types per unit

    Available in Peak One

    Purchasing or production, shipping and packaging, payment and marketplace fees.

    Peak One: Peak Products calculates purchasing, shipping and fees per product in euros and percent.

    How important is “All variable cost types per unit” to you?

  2. Ad cost per sale

    Available in Peak One

    Without them, every campaign with a good ROAS looks profitable.

    Peak One: Ad spend is included in the per-product calculation.

    How important is “Ad cost per sale” to you?

  3. Variants individually

    Available in Peak One

    Sizes and colors often have different purchase prices and shipping costs.

    Peak One: Calculation is per product and variant.

    How important is “Variants individually” to you?

  4. Returns

    Available in Peak One

    Returns cost shipping, inspection and sometimes the goods themselves.

    Peak One: Returns are among the costs Peak Products calculates per product.

    How important is “Returns” to you?

  5. Scenarios before the price change

    Available in Peak One

    Play through price or costs before you change them in the shop.

    Peak One: Scenarios can be compared side by side.

    How important is “Scenarios before a price change” to you?

  6. Capital tied up in inventory

    Available in Peak One

    A product with a good contribution margin can still tie up too much cash in inventory.

    Peak One: Inventory health shows which products tie up cash in inventory.

    How important is “Capital tied up in stock” to you?

  7. Shop data without retyping

    Available in Peak One

    Products and inventory come from the shop instead of being maintained twice.

    Peak One: Shopify and WooCommerce can be connected. Without a connection, you enter the values yourself.

    How important is “Shop data without retyping” to you?

  8. Full-cost accounting

    Not included

    Allocate fixed costs to products, for example for price floors.

    Peak One: Peak Products calculates contribution margins, not full costs per product.

    How important is “Full-cost accounting” to you?

Your selection

3 must-have criteria

Available in Peak One
3
Partial
0
Planned
0
Not included
0
Not yet verified
0

All your must-have criteria are available in Peak One today.

The weighting is a suggestion. Adjust it to your team; nothing is saved.

Example from e-commerce

From gut feeling to the pricing decision.

  1. TriggerAd spend rises, revenue stays the same
  2. 01 · ProductCalculate a productPurchasing, shipping, fees, advertising per unit.
  3. 02 · VariantCompare variantsWhich size or color contributes least.
  4. 03 · ScenarioRun the scenarioWhat a higher price or cheaper shipping changes.
Result: You decide price and ad budget by contribution margin per variant, not by revenue.

Peak Products

Calculate, compare, decide.

Is this right for you?

Put in honest perspective.

Peak One is a good fit if

  • You sell your own or purchased products and want to know per variant what's left.
  • You run ads and want to check them against contribution margin, not just revenue.
  • You want to start without a shop connection and add it later.

Something else fits better if

  • You need full-cost or cost-center accounting for bookkeeping.
  • You want to calculate a single number once. The free contribution margin calculator is enough for that.
  • You sell hours instead of products. Then contribution margin per project is the better question.

Frequently asked questions

Briefly answered.

What is the difference between this page and the contribution margin calculator?

The calculator under Calculators & tools runs one calculation with price, variable costs and quantity. This page shows the cost blocks individually and explains what software for ongoing per-product costing needs to get right.

Which costs belong in contribution margin?

Everything incurred per unit sold: purchasing or production, shipping and packaging, payment and marketplace fees, return costs and ad spend per sale. Rent, salaries and software are fixed costs and don't belong here.

Is a negative contribution margin always bad?

Every unit sold then increases the loss. In the short term that can be intentional, for example in a clearance sale. In the long term, you have to change price, costs or advertising.

Do I need a shop to calculate in Peak Products?

No. The calculation works without a shop connection too. With Shopify or WooCommerce, products and stock levels come across automatically.

Why isn't ROAS enough?

ROAS divides revenue by ad spend. With a low margin, a campaign with a good ROAS can still lose money. Contribution margin after ad spend shows whether it really pays off.

Sources & freshness

What this page is based on.

Content last checked against the product status on October 10, 2026. What is not yet available in Peak One is labeled “Planned” or “Not included”.

Know what's left per product after all variable costs.

Calculate a productView pricing

Free, no shop connection.