How pricing works

All stack totals are estimates in US dollars. Each tool links to its pricing source and shows when its published price was checked. Confirm the plan and billing terms with the provider before buying.

Two separate costs

Monthly and annual plans

A monthly plan contributes its recurring monthly charge. An annual plan contributes the annual invoice divided by 12 to the monthly average. The 12-month estimate multiplies recurring costs by 12 and includes any one-time costs entered. This is a cost projection, not a payment schedule.

Some Shopify apps bill every 30 days. Their annual projection uses 12 billing periods; actual charges within a calendar year can vary with invoice dates. Monthly payments on an annual contract are not treated as cancel-anytime monthly plans.

Seats, volume, and usage

For plans priced per seat, channel, or domain, the selected quantity multiplies the base price. Minimum quantities are enforced where recorded. Contact counts, order volume, credits, transaction fees, postage, hosting, implementation, add-ons, and taxes can increase your total. Enter an estimated monthly extra for these charges.

Custom or unconfirmed prices

When a provider requires a quote, changes prices by region or volume, or its current price could not be verified, the tool is marked as needing an estimate. It is excluded from the known subtotal until you enter a budget, including an explicit zero if appropriate. A partial subtotal is clearly labeled.

Prices billed in another currency require your own USD estimate; no silent currency conversion is applied. Introductory offers are excluded when a regular recurring price is available. A trial is not an ongoing free plan.

Included subscriptions

Some products share subscriptions, such as ChatGPT with Codex and Claude with Claude Code. The calculator flags potential overlap. Mark a tool as included only when your chosen subscription actually covers it; separate API charges or extra seats may still apply.

Stack guides and saved totals

Recommended stack guides cost $7.99 USD each as a one-time purchase. The stack calculator is free to use. Their software subscriptions are separate and are purchased directly from providers. Saved stacks retain your choices and estimates; known plan prices follow the catalog when the site is updated. Export a backup to retain a record of your plan selections.