How to Calculate SaaS Unit Economics in Google Sheets (Free Template Inside)
Most SaaS startups fail because they don't understand their unit economics. They know MRR and churn, but they can't tell you their CAC, LTV, or payback period.
What You Need to Track
- Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) — Total sales + marketing spend divided by new customers
- Lifetime Value (LTV) — Average revenue per customer times gross margin, discounted
- Payback Period — Months to recover the CAC
- LTV:CAC Ratio — Should be at least 3:1
The Problem with Spreadsheets
Most founders build ad-hoc sheets that break when they add a new row. You need a structured model that automatically updates.
What I Built
I created a SaaS Unit Economics Model in Google Sheets that:
- Tracks 24 cohorts month over month
- Calculates CAC, LTV, payback period, and gross margin
- Includes a scenario planner for 'what if' analysis
- Auto-updates a dashboard with key metrics
The template is available on Gumroad: https://microtoolsb2b.gumroad.com/l/saas-unit-economics
Pro tip: Import your Stripe data manually each month to keep it accurate. The formulas will do the rest.
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