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Finance

Best Burn Rate Calculators for Doomed Startups

Watch your runway disappear in real-time

The best burn rate calculator is the one you'll actually use before your Series A meetings turn into layoff announcements.
👑 #1 Pick

Runway

The burn rate calculator that makes you uncomfortable in exactly the right way

All 5 recommendations

Est. prices as of 13 Mar 2026

#1 · Runway · Best Value

Runway

$0 - $199/month

The burn rate calculator that makes you uncomfortable in exactly the right way

  • ✓ Real-time bank sync so you can't lie to yourself
  • ✓ Beautiful dashboard that makes bad news look almost acceptable
  • ✓ Automatically tracks runway down to the exact day you run out of cash
  • ✗ Free tier is limited; real features require paid plan
  • ✗ Focuses on burn rate so obsessively it might depress you
#2 · Carta · Premium Pick

Carta Burn Rate Dashboard

$500 - $2,000/month

Enterprise-grade burn tracking for startups that still think they'll make it

  • ✓ Integrates with cap table and investor updates
  • ✓ Scenario modeling to see how different cost-cutting strategies extend runway
  • ✓ Compliance-ready reporting for board meetings
  • ✗ Overkill for pre-seed startups
  • ✗ Expensive for early-stage teams with limited budgets
#3 · Lattice

Lattice (Burn Rate Module)

$6 - $15/user/month

Burn rate calculator hidden inside your performance management software

  • ✓ Works well if you already use Lattice for HR
  • ✓ Connects headcount planning directly to burn rate
  • ✓ Helps forecast impact of hiring freezes
  • ✗ Need full Lattice subscription to access
  • ✗ Not purpose-built—feels like a secondary feature
#4 · DIY Community · Hidden Gem

Plaid + Custom Google Sheets

$0 - $100/month

The scrappy founder's solution that actually works

  • ✓ Free tier with Plaid connects your bank directly
  • ✓ Completely customizable to your specific cost structure
  • ✓ Templates shared freely in startup communities
  • ✗ Requires setting up and maintaining yourself
  • ✗ No customer support—you're on your own
#5 · Intuit

QuickBooks Online Burn Rate Reports

$15 - $180/month

Your accountant's favorite calculator (that you'll ignore anyway)

  • ✓ Already integrated if you use QuickBooks
  • ✓ IRS-compliant expense tracking
  • ✓ Historical data useful for audit trails
  • ✗ Not designed specifically for burn rate—requires manual calculation work
  • ✗ Interface feels dated and clunky