Updated 19 October 2026

Injection moulding vs 3D printing: break-even calculator

A mould costs money before the first part exists, and then each moulded part is cheap. A printed part costs more per piece and nothing up front. Somewhere between the two, the totals cross. Enter your own quotes to find that quantity. Nothing is prefilled: use one currency in every field.

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Find the break-even

How it is calculated

break-even N = tooling / (printed price - moulded price) printed total = printed price x quantity moulded total = tooling + moulded price x quantity

• Below N parts, printing costs less in total. Above N, the mould does.
• If a printed part costs no more than a moulded one, there is no break-even: printing is cheaper at every quantity.
• Take both piece prices at the quantity you need. Printed prices usually fall as the batch grows, and moulded prices depend on the run size too.

What the totals leave out

• Time. A mould takes weeks to make before the first part. Printed parts start as soon as the order is placed.
• Design changes. Every change to a moulded part is a change to the steel. A printed part changes with the file.
• Uncertain demand. A mould is a bet on the volume. Printing the first batches tests the demand before that bet is made.
• Bridge production. Printed parts can cover the weeks while the mould is made, or a run after it is retired.

From the numbers to a part

The printed price per part is the one number on this page the instant quote gives you directly. Upload the model and the instant quote returns a price and a delivery date in under a minute, with no account. 3Descu is an ISO 9001:2015 certified factory with 200+ printers, FDM and SLA only. A part that does not match the agreed specification is reprinted or refunded.

Get a factory price for this part Upload a file and the price appears in under a minute.

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