Startup Runway and Burn Rate Calculator
Estimate how many months your usable cash could cover at a constant rate of spending and receipts. Change the inputs to explore a scenario; this is not a forecast of what will happen.
How the calculation works
Net burn = monthly cash payments − monthly cash receipts. When net burn is positive, runway = usable cash ÷ net burn. If receipts cover payments, this constant model has no finite depletion point.
Worked example
With 120,000 in usable cash, 30,000 in monthly payments and 10,000 in monthly receipts, net burn is 20,000 and estimated runway is 6 months.
Read the limits before using the result
Cash timing matters. Taxes, debt payments, annual renewals, new hires and delayed receipts may make a monthly average misleading. Include relevant cash flows in your inputs and use a dated cash forecast for operating decisions.
SBA guidance on managing business finances. See our calculation and research methodology.