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Runway Calculator

See how many months of runway your cash gives you.

Growing your businessStep 6 of 7

Best for: Use it to time fundraising, model the effect of cutting costs, or report runway to your board.

Complete guide
Currency / Country:

Input

Result

Estimate
Runway: 20.0 months (≈ 1.7 years)
Standard formula Private — runs in your browser, no account

What to do next

Part of the 🚀 Grow a Business pathNext: Startup Valuation Calculator
Most users next calculate
More about this result
Result quality
Type
Projection
Method
Assumption-based projection
Confidence
Indicative

A forward-looking projection based on assumptions (rates, returns, time); actual outcomes will differ.

What this means

Runway in months tells you your deadline to raise money or reach break-even. Under ~6 months is a danger zone; investors like to see 12–18+.

What impacts this result most?
  1. 1.
    Cash balanceHigh impact

    More cash means more months.

  2. 2.
    Net burnHigh impact

    Lower burn extends runway.

How to improve this result
  • Reduce burn
  • Raise capital before ~6 months left
3 Important insights
  • Margin (on price) and markup (on cost) are not the same.
  • Your break-even depends on fixed vs variable costs.
  • A small price increase moves profit more than a small cost cut.

Most business outcomes hinge on a couple of inputs - find the lever that moves the result most.

Worth a revisit later — your costs and margins change.

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How it's calculated & sources
The Runway Calculator uses the standard formula for this calculation. It runs entirely in your browser, so your inputs are never uploaded. Figures are educational estimates, not professional advice — verify important decisions with a qualified expert. Last reviewed June 2026.
Key assumptions
  • Burn assumed steady
  • Excludes future raises

Free & no sign-up · runs entirely in your browser. Results are estimates for general information, not professional advice — verify important decisions with a qualified expert. Last reviewed June 2026.

How it works

Runway = cash ÷ monthly net burn. It tells you how long before you need to raise or reach profitability.

Frequently asked questions

How much runway is healthy?+

Many founders aim for 18–24 months after a raise to hit the next milestone comfortably.

Continue your journey

Where people usually head next.

Complete guide

Quick answers

Short, sourced answers to the questions people (and AI assistants) ask most.

What is Runway?
A runway calculator shows how many months your startup can operate before it runs out of cash, given your current balance and how fast you are burning it.
Why does Runway matter?
It is the countdown that drives fundraising and cost decisions.
How is Runway calculated?
It divides your cash on hand by your net monthly burn (expenses minus revenue). The lower your burn or the higher your cash, the longer the runway. Formula: Runway (months) = cash balance ÷ net monthly burn.
What is a good runway?
A common target is 12\u201318 months of runway after a fundraise; under ~6 months is a danger zone where you should already be raising or cutting costs.
What are common runway mistakes?
Using gross burn instead of net burn (which subtracts revenue).
When should you use the Runway Calculator?
Use it to time fundraising, model the effect of cutting costs, or report runway to your board.

What is the Runway Calculator?

A runway calculator shows how many months your startup can operate before it runs out of cash, given your current balance and how fast you are burning it.

How the Runway Calculator works

It divides your cash on hand by your net monthly burn (expenses minus revenue). The lower your burn or the higher your cash, the longer the runway.

Runway (months) = cash balance ÷ net monthly burn
  • cash balance — Money in the bank now
  • net burn — Monthly expenses − monthly revenue
  1. Enter your runway — the number of months a company can keep operating before it runs out of cash.
  2. Enter your burn rate — how fast a company spends its cash each month; net burn is spending minus income.
  3. Read the result, then change any input to compare scenarios instantly — the Runway Calculator recalculates as you type.

Understanding the inputs

What each value means, why it matters, and a typical range — so you can fill in the calculator with confidence.

Runway

The number of months a company can keep operating before it runs out of cash.

Why it matters:
It is the countdown that drives fundraising and cost decisions.
Typical range:
Investors often like 12 to 18 months after a raise; under 6 is a danger zone.
How it affects results:
  • Higher: More breathing room.
  • Lower: Less time before you must raise or cut costs.

Common mistake: Assuming burn stays flat while ignoring planned hiring or one-off costs.

Burn Rate

How fast a company spends its cash each month; net burn is spending minus income.

Why it matters:
With your cash balance it determines your runway - how long you can operate.
Typical range:
Whatever the stage requires; lower extends runway.
How it affects results:
  • Higher: Cash runs out sooner.
  • Lower: Cash lasts longer.

Common mistake: Using gross burn (spending only) when net burn (minus revenue) is what matters.

What impacts results most

  1. 1.
    Cash balance (High impact)More cash means more months.
  2. 2.
    Net burn (High impact)Lower burn extends runway.

Key assumptions

  • Burn assumed steady
  • Excludes future raises

What's a typical value?

A common target is 12\u201318 months of runway after a fundraise; under ~6 months is a danger zone where you should already be raising or cutting costs.

Startup runway in months — cash on hand vs monthly burn

$10,00025 mo50 mo100 mo
$25,00010 mo20 mo40 mo
$50,0005 mo10 mo20 mo
$100,0002.5 mo5 mo10 mo

Worked example

Inputs: Cash $5,000,000; net burn $500,000/month Calculation: runway = cash ÷ net burn Result: 10 months What it means: Under ~6 months is a danger zone — raise or cut before then.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Using gross burn instead of net burn (which subtracts revenue).
  • Assuming burn stays flat \u2014 model hiring and one-off costs.

Compared to alternatives

Burn Rate vs Runway

How fast you spend versus how long you last.

Burn RateRunway
MeasuresCash out per monthMonths of cash left
FormulaExpenses − revenueCash ÷ net burn
LeverCut costs / grow revenueRaise or extend

Bottom line: Burn drives runway — lower net burn or raise before ~6 months remain.

How Runway connects to the concepts around it.

Burn Rate:
How fast a company spends its cash each month.
Valuation:
The estimated total worth of a company.

Reviewed sources & methodology

Methodology: Projection · Last reviewed June 2026.

Keywords: runway, startup, cash, burn.

This is an educational estimate, not financial advice. Rates, rules and figures change — verify the latest with the provider or a qualified advisor before you decide.

Reviewed by the Free Tools Galaxy editorial team · Updated June 2026 · Calculated privately in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Runway Calculator free to use?+

Yes. Every tool on Free Tools Galaxy is 100% free, runs in your browser and requires no signup.

How accurate is the Runway Calculator?+

Runway Calculator uses the standard runway formula in double-precision arithmetic, so the same inputs always produce the same result and you can verify any figure by hand. It is an educational estimate — real-world outcomes depend on your actual rates, rules and assumptions.

Do you store my inputs?+

No. The Runway Calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or saved to a server.

Can I use the Runway Calculator on mobile?+

Yes — the interface is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets and desktops.

What are common mistakes to avoid?+

The most frequent mistake is mixing units. Double-check your inputs use a single, consistent unit before clicking Calculate.

Explore more

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AI-style routing · 100% on-device

Based on this tool, your recent activity and how others chain tools together.

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Share-to-grow kit (Reddit, LinkedIn, Medium)
Reddit post
Title: I built/used this free runway calculator — instant, no signup

Body: See how many months of runway your cash gives you. Try it: https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator
LinkedIn post
Runway Calculator on Free Tools Galaxy — See how many months of runway your cash gives you. https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator
Medium intro
# Runway Calculator — the free tool I keep coming back to

See how many months of runway your cash gives you.

Try it: https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator
Quora answer
The fastest way is to use a free in-browser runway calculator: https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator. See how many months of runway your cash gives you.

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Drop into any site — auto-resizes to its content height, theme-aware.
<iframe src="https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator?embed=1" title="Runway Calculator" loading="lazy"
  style="width:100%;height:600px;border:0;border-radius:16px;background:#0b1020"
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<p><a href="https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Powered by Runway Calculator on Free Tools Galaxy</a></p>
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Aspect-locked container — good for blog post bodies.
<div style="position:relative;padding-bottom:75%;height:0;overflow:hidden;border-radius:16px">
  <iframe src="https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator?embed=1" title="Runway Calculator" loading="lazy"
    style="position:absolute;inset:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0" allow="clipboard-write"></iframe>
</div>
WordPress / Markdown
Paste in a custom-HTML block or markdown file.
[Runway Calculator — free online tool](https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator)

<iframe src="https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator?embed=1" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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<a href="https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try the free Runway Calculator</a>

Share-to-Grow Kit

Pre-written, ready-to-paste posts for every major channel. Help others discover this tool — and earn backlinks.

Title
I built a free runway calculator that works instantly in the browser — no signup, no ads in your face
Body
Hey r/[subreddit],

I kept needing a quick runway calculator and most options online were slow or behind paywalls, so I built one that:

• Runs 100% in your browser (your data never leaves your device)
• No signup, no email wall, no popups
• Loads in under a second on mobile

It covers the standard runway use cases (runway, startup, cash, burn) and links out to the formula + worked examples if you want to learn the math.

Link: https://freetoolsgalaxy.com/tools/runway-calculator

Happy to take feedback — what's missing?
Post to a relevant subreddit (e.g. r/InternetIsBeautiful, r/webdev, r/productivity). Avoid spammy subs.
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