AI Wrapper Margin Calculator
Calculate gross and net margin for your AI wrapper product. See how LLM cost, Stripe fees, refunds, and CAC affect your unit economics and LTV:CAC ratio.
Inputs
What you charge each subscriber per month.
Monthly OpenAI/Anthropic cost per active subscriber. Use the AI Cost Calculator to estimate this.
Current paying subscriber count.
Stripe standard: 2.9% + $0.30. Negotiate lower rates at $1M+ MRR.
Fraction of subscribers who refund. Typical SaaS: 1–3%.
Total cost to acquire one paying customer (ads + content + sales).
Average months before churn. Used to calculate LTV.
Support tools, email, per-user infrastructure not counted above.
Cost breakdown
| Item | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue (per user) | $29.00 | $348.00 |
| LLM cost | $6.00 | $72.00 |
| Stripe fees | $1.14 | $13.69 |
| Refunds | $0.58 | $6.96 |
| Other variable costs | $1.50 | $18.00 |
| Net profit per user | $19.78 | $237.35 |
Comparison
| Option | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly revenuecurrent | $5,800.00 | $69,600.00 |
| LLM cost | $1,200.00 | $14,400.00 |
| Stripe + refunds | $344.20 | $4,130.40 |
| Other variable | $300.00 | $3,600.00 |
| Monthly gross profitcheapest | $4,600.00 | $55,200.00 |
Data updated 2026-06-30 · Stripe pricing stripe.com/pricing · OpenAI API pricing openai.com/api/pricing · Bessemer AI SaaS benchmarks www.bvp.com/atlas/state-of-the-cloud
Industry Benchmark
Data updated 2026-06-30 · Stripe pricing stripe.com/pricing · OpenAI API pricing openai.com/api/pricing · Bessemer AI SaaS benchmarks www.bvp.com/atlas/state-of-the-cloud
Trends & comparison
Trend
Comparison (monthly vs. yearly)
Unit economics for AI wrapper products
An AI wrapper product has unique economics: LLM cost is a per-user variable COGS that grows linearly with usage. This is fundamentally different from traditional SaaS where infrastructure costs are largely fixed. The key levers are: (1) subscription price, (2) LLM cost control, (3) conversion and retention.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good gross margin for an AI wrapper product?▾
Target 60–70% gross margin. Below 40%, you struggle to cover S&M, R&D, and G&A expenses while remaining profitable at scale. The LLM cost is your primary variable COGS — switch to a cheaper model tier or compress prompts to improve margins.
How does LTV:CAC work for AI SaaS?▾
LTV:CAC ratio measures how much lifetime value you get from each dollar spent acquiring a customer. A ratio of 3x+ is healthy — meaning for every $1 in CAC, you generate $3 in lifetime gross profit. Below 1x, you're losing money on every customer.
How do Stripe fees affect AI SaaS margins?▾
Stripe's standard rate of 2.9% + $0.30 on a $19/month subscription is $0.85 (4.5% effective rate). This matters because it's a fixed percentage drag on every transaction. Larger tickets amortize the $0.30 fixed fee better — another reason to push pricing higher.