Margin and Markup Calculator
Convert between margin and markup — the two are not the same, and confusing them is how businesses underprice.
Markup is profit as a percentage of cost.
How the margin and markup calculator works
Markup is profit as a percentage of cost. Margin is profit as a percentage of price. Same money, different denominator, and the numbers diverge fast: a 50% markup is a 33.3% margin, and a 100% markup is a 50% margin.
The practical error runs one way. A shop wanting a 40% margin who applies a 40% markup ends up with a 28.6% margin — a quarter of the intended profit gone, on every sale, usually undetected until the year-end accounts.
Enter any two of cost, price and either percentage; the rest follow.
Formula: margin = profit/price; markup = profit/cost; margin = markup/(1+markup)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cost 60, target margin 40% | $100.00 | price 100 |
| Cost 60, markup 40% | $84.00 | price 84 — only a 28.6% margin |
| Cost 60, price 100 | $100.00 | 40% margin, 66.7% markup |
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between margin and markup?
Markup is profit over cost; margin is profit over price. A 50% markup is a 33.3% margin.
How do I convert markup to margin?
margin = markup / (1 + markup). A 40% markup gives 0.4/1.4 = 28.6%.
Why does confusing them cost money?
Because applying your target margin as a markup underprices every sale. A 40% target applied as markup delivers 28.6%.
Which should I price on?
Margin, because it relates directly to the revenue line in your accounts. Markup is the easier arithmetic at the counter.
Can margin exceed 100%?
No — profit cannot exceed the price. Markup has no upper limit.
Where these figures come from
- Corporate Finance Institute — EBITDA — why EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure with no single definition
- US SEC — Non-GAAP Financial Measures, Compliance & Disclosure Interpretations — the disclosure rules that exist precisely because EBITDA is not standardized
- US Securities and Exchange Commission — the US securities regulator
Last checked: September 2026. These are standard management-accounting definitions; where a term has no single agreed definition, the page says so.