Switch only when the realistic savings or benefits recover migration, overlap, training, disruption, and cancellation costs within a useful horizon. Keep future exit cost visible because a cheap entry can create an expensive lock-in.
Use one currency and one monthly horizon. Enter zero only when a cost truly does not apply.
The result will compare total horizon cost, transition cost, monthly savings, payback timing, and future exit exposure.
Total stay cost equals current monthly cost multiplied by the horizon, plus current one-time costs. Total switch cost equals new monthly cost multiplied by the horizon, plus cancellation, migration, overlap, training, disruption, and other transition costs.
A switch can repay quickly and still fail a required integration, service level, accessibility need, or contract condition. Screen those requirements before interpreting savings. The calculator treats all entered costs as certain, so test a range when disruption time or implementation effort is weakly estimated.
A current platform costs 1,200 per month and a replacement costs 850. The monthly saving is 350. Cancellation, implementation, overlap, training, and disruption total 4,850, creating a payback period of about 13.9 months. Over 24 months, staying costs 28,800 while switching costs 25,250. The switch saves 3,550 during that horizon, but a 1,600 future exit cost signals more lock-in than the current 300 exit cost.
Use the opportunity cost calculator when migration consumes scarce team capacity, and the value of information calculator when a pilot or compatibility test could prevent an expensive mistake.
Separate recurring savings from one-time transition costs and test whether the payback occurs before the expected relationship ends.
Overlap payments, implementation labor, training, data migration, contract cancellation, downtime, temporary productivity loss, and the cost of reversing the new choice are often excluded from the advertised price difference.
Audit the cost of changing providersIt is the first month when cumulative recurring savings recover the entered transition costs. The payback matters only if the new option remains suitable and in use beyond that point.
Compare the general break-even methodA new contract or platform may be easy to enter but expensive to leave. Recording future exit cost makes lock-in and reversibility visible even when it does not change the short-term payback calculation.
Compare reversible and irreversible choices