· Cost Savings Calculator ·
What would it cost to build it yourself?
Answer three quick questions. We'll compare going it alone with using AuthorLoft — in dollars and in hours.
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1. What do you create?
Enter how many of each you have or plan to have. Use 0 if you don't make that.
Start with an example:
A “music list” is one playlist or album.
2. What do you want your website to do?
Tick everything you want. For each one, we show what it costs and how many hours it takes if you set it up yourself.
The basicsIncluded on every AuthorLoft plan, even Free.5 of 5 chosen · tap to open
Grow your salesAdded when you choose the Standard plan.0 of 7 chosen · tap to open
Extra toolsAdded when you choose the Premium plan.0 of 4 chosen · tap to open
3. What is an hour of your time worth?
Every hour spent building a website is an hour you are not writing, teaching or making music. Pick what an hour is worth to you — even what you would earn at another job.
$25
$10$150
We use this to estimate how many weeks it would take before your site is ready.
Questions about the calculator
- How does the Cost Savings Calculator work?
- You tell us how many books, courses and music lists you have, pick the website features you want, and set what an hour of your time is worth. We add up the tools and hours it takes to build and run the site yourself, then compare that with the AuthorLoft plan that covers your choices.
- Where do the prices come from?
- The do-it-yourself prices are what popular tools charge, checked on September 21, 2026. When a company offers a yearly discount we use it, so the cost is not overstated. The hours are our own estimates. Every source is listed on the page.
- Why does the calculator count my time?
- Building and maintaining a website takes hours you could spend writing, teaching or making music. Putting a value on that time shows the full cost of doing it yourself, not just the monthly bills.
- Are these numbers guaranteed?
- No. They are estimates. Your real cost depends on the tools you choose and how fast you work. Card-payment fees are the same either way, so they are not counted.
- Can I try AuthorLoft before paying?
- Yes. Every plan begins with a free account and no credit card. You can upgrade to Standard or Premium any time from your dashboard.
Have a question about the numbers? Contact us · Back to pricing