Calculator

SaaS-vs-Own — 3-year TCO calculator.

Plug in your current AI/automation subscriptions. See the 3-year total versus a one-time $67 AI Empire Blueprint purchase plus your own infra.

Your current monthly spend

Enter $0 for tools you don't use.

  • $ /mo
  • $ /mo
  • $ /mo
  • $ /mo
  • $ /mo
  • $ /mo
  • $ /mo
  • $ /mo

Single-VM running all seven modules typically lands $40–$150/mo.

$ /mo

3-year total cost

Stay on SaaS

$0

$0/mo × 36 months

AI Empire + your infra

$0

$67 once + $80/mo × 36 months

3-year savings

$0

0% lower than SaaS

Get the AI Empire Blueprint

Embed on your site

Free to embed on agency comparison pages, blog posts, and SaaS evaluation guides. Just copy the snippet — there's no API key, no rate limit, and the calculator stays current as we update model pricing.

HTML embed
<iframe src="https://buildaiempire.com/tools/saas-vs-own-calculator?embed=1" width="100%" height="720" style="border:0;border-radius:12px;max-width:760px;" loading="lazy" title="SaaS-vs-Own 3-yr TCO calculator — by AI Empire"></iframe>
<p><small>Free tool by <a href="https://buildaiempire.com">AI Empire</a> — buy-once AI agent stacks for agencies.</small></p>

By embedding you agree to keep the credit link visible. We use it as a backlink signal — it's the deal that lets us keep the calculator free.

Frequently asked questions

  • How is the 3-year TCO calculated?

    Total cost of ownership is your monthly recurring spend × 36 months (assuming flat pricing — typically prices increase). AI Empire side adds the one-time $67 plus your self-host infrastructure (default $80/mo single-VM × 36 months).

  • What infra costs should I assume?

    A single VM running all seven modules typically costs $40–$150/month depending on cloud provider and call/email volume. The calculator defaults to $80/mo. Adjust for your situation.

  • Is this a real comparison?

    It compares fixed costs only. AI Empire has setup time (first deploy ~2 hours, subsequent deploys ~20 minutes), and self-hosting requires someone comfortable with Docker/Cloud Run. The SaaS side has no setup but ongoing per-task or per-seat scaling.

  • Can I share the result?

    Yes — once you adjust the inputs, the URL updates with your numbers. Copy and paste it; whoever opens the link sees the same calculation.

Free AI Empire Blueprint

Get the kit. Ship like a vibe coder.

Installs into Claude Code, Codex, or OpenClaws in under a minute. Required to deploy our paid agents.

Protected by Cloudflare Turnstile. We never share your details. Unsubscribe any time.