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Free · No sign-up · Tracking
Connects Cost Calculator
Uses only the numbers you enter.Track Connects cost, replies, and wins.
Private by design. Your entries stay in this browser.No login · No password · Nothing sends itself
240 Connects used
- Estimated Connects spend
- $36.00
- Cost per reply
- $9.00
- Cost per win
- $36.00
- Contract value won
- $1,000.00
- Value of sales time
- $0.00
- Total cost including time
- $36.00
- Cost per client including time
- $36.00
Optional time cost = sales hours × value per hour. Include research, writing and calls. Total cost = Connects spend + time cost. This is an estimate, not profit. No data is uploaded. The default $0.15 is editable; boosts, refunds, fees and other costs can change the real number.
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Know when this tool is useful.
- Freelancers reviewing a recent batch of proposals.
- Tracking Connects spend beside replies and contracts.
- Comparing periods with the same definitions.
How it works
How the Connects Cost Calculator works.
See what your proposals cost in Connects and time. Enter one period of real numbers, then download the summary. Everything runs in your browser.
- 01
Choose one period
Use a week, month, or campaign and keep every input inside that period.
- 02
Add activity and cost
Enter proposals, average Connects per proposal, and your real price per Connect.
- 03
Add outcomes
Enter replies, wins, and average contract value, then compare the same measures over time.
Exact method
Every check and calculation.
No mystery score. These are the rules the tool uses.
- Connects used
- Proposals sent × average Connects used for each proposal.
- Estimated spend
- Connects used × price per Connect.
- Cost per reply
- Estimated spend ÷ replies. If replies are zero, the tool asks for replies.
- Cost per win
- Estimated spend ÷ contracts won. If wins are zero, the tool asks for wins.
- Contract value won
- Contracts won × average contract value. This is gross value, not profit.
- Time cost
- Optional sales hours × value of one hour. Include time spent finding jobs, writing and attending calls.
- Cost per client including time
- (Connects spend + time cost) ÷ contracts won. With no wins, this is not yet available.
Worked example
Example: the default 20-proposal period
- 20 proposals × 12 Connects each = 240 Connects
- Price per Connect: $0.15
- 4 replies, 1 contract, $1,000 average contract value
Result: Estimated spend = $36. Cost per reply = $9. Cost per win = $36. Gross contract value won = $1,000.
Example only. It is not a client result or a promise.Read the result
What the output means.
- Connects used
- How much application inventory the selected period consumed.
- Cost per reply
- A directional cost for one reply. Define ‘reply’ the same way every period.
- Cost per win
- Connects spend divided by contracts won, excluding time and other sales costs.
- Contract value won
- Top-line value from your inputs, not cash received or take-home pay.
Important limits
What this tool cannot tell you.
- The editable default price may not match the price you paid.
- Boosts, returned Connects, bonus Connects, taxes, refunds, and fees can change real cost.
- Time is included only when you enter sales hours and an hourly value. Delivery costs and overhead are excluded.
- Small samples can swing sharply; one period does not prove a trend.
Questions
Before you trust the result.
Where can I find the current cost of a Connect?+
Use the price shown in your Upwork account or purchase screen and replace the editable default. The tool does not fetch a live price.
Should boosted Connects be included?+
Include them in your average if you want the estimate to reflect boosted bids. Use the same method each period.
What counts as a reply?+
Choose one definition, such as any human client response, and keep it consistent. A reply is not the same as an interview or win.
Does contract value won equal return on investment?+
No. It is gross value from your inputs. A real return calculation also needs time, delivery cost, fees, tax, refunds, and cash received.
Work out your cost per client
Use a worked example to include Connects, time and the real limits of small samples.