LTV:CAC Ratio Calculator
Compute LTV, LTV:CAC ratio, and payback period from ARPA, margin, churn, and CAC.
Last reviewed by the Radiatus Cloud team
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Check your unit economics
The ratio of customer lifetime value to acquisition cost is the core measure of a business model’s health. This calculator computes LTV, the LTV:CAC ratio and payback period from your inputs, so you can judge whether your economics work.
Why LTV:CAC is the health check
A business is only viable if a customer is worth more than it costs to acquire them, and the LTV:CAC ratio captures exactly this: how many times over a customer’s lifetime value exceeds their acquisition cost. A ratio well above one means healthy economics; near or below one means you lose money on each customer. The payback period, how long until a customer’s revenue recovers their acquisition cost, matters too, because a great ratio with a long payback strains cash flow. These are the numbers investors and operators watch to judge whether growth is sustainable.
A planning estimate
This is an estimate for planning from the figures you enter, not financial or business advice. Real outcomes depend on factors beyond any single calculation, so treat the result as a guide. The calculation runs entirely in your browser, so your figures are never uploaded and stay on your own machine, which matters for business numbers you would not want to share.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LTV:CAC ratio?
The ratio of a customer’s lifetime value to their acquisition cost, showing how many times over a customer’s value exceeds what it cost to win them.
What ratio is healthy?
Well above one indicates healthy economics; a common benchmark is around three, though it varies. Near or below one means you lose money per customer.
What is the payback period?
How long until a customer’s revenue recovers their acquisition cost. A long payback strains cash flow even if the ratio looks good.
Why do investors watch these?
Because together they show whether growth is sustainable, whether acquiring more customers builds value or burns cash.
Is my data uploaded?
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser.
Privacy & Security
Calculated locally in your browser. No data is sent to any server.
How to Use
Enter ARPA, margin, churn, and CAC to calculate LTV:CAC and payback.
Disclaimer: This tool is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Results are for educational and utility purposes.
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