Rent, or buy?
About eleven questions, three minutes. How many years until buying pays back the down payment, whether you'd actually be here that long, and what both paths cost — this month, and in today's dollars.
Free, and no card. Nothing here assumes the property changes in value — that's a separate bet from the one this tool prices.
Informational only — not audit, attest, legal, tax, or investment advice. This is arithmetic on the figures you enter; it is only as good as they are.
The question a break-even figure can't answer for you
Most rent-versus-buy comparisons stop at a single number: buying wins, or it doesn’t. That number only means something once it’s set beside a question no calculator can answer — how long you actually expect to be in the building. This tool computes the break-even years to own on your own numbers, then asks that question directly rather than guessing at it.
Beneath that: the monthly cash difference between renting and owning, and what both paths are worth in today’s dollars at a discount rate you supply as a range, because nobody can honestly hand a small business a single cost of capital. Nothing here assumes the property gains or loses value, or that rent rises over time — both would be invented guesses about the future, and this tool sticks to the arithmetic your own figures produce.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the headline stop at break-even years instead of just saying which is better?
Because "better" depends on something only you know: how long you'll actually be in the building. The break-even figure is the arithmetic; whether it applies to you depends on your own answer to the question right beside it.
Why doesn't this assume the property will be worth more later?
Because that's a guess about the future, and this tool doesn't invent one. Property value going up or down is a real possibility that would change the answer, but it's a separate bet from the cash-flow comparison shown here — not something a small business can honestly price in advance.
Why is the discount rate a range instead of one number?
Because no small business can honestly supply a single cost of capital. The tool computes the comparison at both ends you give and says plainly whether the answer — which path costs less in today's dollars — actually depends on which end turns out to be closer to right.
Does this count closing costs or the tax treatment of either path?
No. It compares monthly rent against a mortgage payment plus property tax, insurance and maintenance, and the cash needed up front against what owning saves each month. Closing costs, points, and how either path is taxed aren't included.
Do I need an account?
No. Every figure here is free with no email wall. Signing in only keeps the result so a later run can show you what moved.