Why I built Profitscalc – A 100% free, zero-ad fee calculator for e-commerce and independent SaaS founders
Hi everyone,
I’m excited to share my side project, Profitscalc (https://www.profitscalc.app/), which I’ve been building over the past few weeks.
### The Problem
If you’ve ever run a Shopify store, cross-border e-commerce shop, or an independent digital service, you already know the pain. Figuring out your actual net profit margins can be an absolute nightmare.
You think you made a 30% margin, but then the hidden reality hits:
- Stripe's international card cross-border fees.
- PayPal's percentage-based hidden currency conversions.
- Marketplace tier deductions (Amazon FBA, Etsy, eBay).
When I looked for calculators online to help plan my pricing strategies, I found that most existing tools were either completely outdated (using 2022/2023 fee rates), full of intrusive pop-up ads, or forced you to register an account just to see the results.
### The Solution
So, I decided to scratch my own itch and built Profitscalc.
It’s a comprehensive, 100% free, and completely unbloated web utility suite designed to give you your true profitability in one single click.
Currently, I’ve implemented dedicated calculators for:
- Payment Gateways: Stripe Fee & PayPal Fee精算.
- E-commerce Platforms: Shopify Profit, Amazon FBA, eBay, and Etsy.
### The Tech Stack
As a front-end developer, I wanted the app to be lightning-fast and fully responsive. I built this using Next.js 15, Tailwind CSS, and TypeScript. I focused heavily on ensuring the calculations update instantly as the user types, with zero friction and no page reloads.
### What's Next?
Right now, the site is 100% free with zero ads. I'm focusing entirely on getting user feedback and ensuring the calculation logic covers all edge cases for global transactions.
I’d love to hear your thoughts:
1. Is the UI intuitive enough for quick daily calculations?
2. Are there any other specific platforms or merchant gateways (like Lemon Squeezy or Merchant of Record solutions) you think I should implement next?
Check it out here: https://www.profitscalc.app/
Looking forward to your brutal feedback and suggestions! Thanks!
