SaaS Cash Runway & Zero-Cash-Date Calculator
Calculate your SaaS cash runway in months and estimate your zero cash date. Model monthly net burn and growth scenarios. Free interactive tool.
Calculated Results
Cash Runway
12 Months
Default Alive Status
Default Depleting
Runway = Cash Balance / Monthly Net BurnAbout this tool
Managing cash runway is the ultimate operational discipline for venture-backed and bootstrapped SaaS founders alike. Runway defines the exact number of months your business can continue operating at its current net burn rate before its cash reserves are completely depleted. Without accurate, conservative runway modeling, founders risk discovering they have only three months of capital remaining when initiating a fundraising process that takes six months to close. While simple static runway divides cash by net burn, incorporating conservative revenue growth and churn assumptions paints an honest picture of whether your company is default alive (will achieve profitability before running out of cash) or default investable. Use this tool to model your runway.
How It Works
- 1Input your current total liquid cash balance (bank deposits + short-term equivalents).
- 2Input your average monthly net cash burn (gross expenses minus collected revenue).
- 3Review your calculated runway in months, your projected zero cash date, and your 'default alive' assessment.
- 4Simulate how reducing churn or cutting non-essential expenses extends your operational runway.
Formula & Math
Transparent LogicRunway (Months) = Cash Balance / Monthly Net Burn
Worked Practical Example
A startup has $180,000 in the bank and a net burn of $15,000 per month.
Calculation / Steps
$180,000 / $15,000 = 12.0 months
Expected Result
12.0 months of runway remaining before cash depletion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many months of runway should a SaaS company maintain?+
A healthy company aims for 18 to 24 months of runway following a funding round. When runway dips below 6 months, immediate action is required to avoid insolvency.
What does 'Default Alive' mean?+
Coined by Paul Graham, 'Default Alive' means that based on current revenue growth and expense burn, the company will achieve profitability before running out of money.
How does churn directly impact runway?+
High churn accelerates monthly net burn: every lost customer increases net cash outflows, directly shortening your operational runway by weeks.
Automate retention on your cancel button
BoolBul extends your runway by preserving recurring subscription cash flows that would otherwise be lost to avoidable voluntary cancellations.
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