Submission Cost Calculator

The Submission Cost Calculator shows what submitting to directories yourself really costs, in hours and dollars, compared against a done-for-you service.

How to Use It

1. Enter the number of directories you're planning to submit to.
2. Enter your estimated minutes per submission and the cost of your time (your effective hourly rate).
3. See your total estimated DIY cost — both in hours and in dollar terms.
4. Compare that number directly against BacklinkBot's done-for-you pricing tiers to see the real trade-off.

When to Use It

• Deciding between DIY and done-for-you — before committing a weekend (or several) to manual submission, see the real dollar cost of that time.
• Justifying a done-for-you purchase to yourself or a co-founder — a concrete number is more persuasive than a vague sense that "it'll take a while."
• Planning your own time budget — even if you choose DIY, this helps you realistically block out the hours needed.

What It Doesn't Do

This calculator estimates time cost based on your inputs — actual time per submission varies by directory complexity, and it doesn't account for the quality difference between a careful, tailored submission and a rushed one (see our manual vs automated comparison for more on why that quality gap matters).

Where to Go Next

If the math favors done-for-you, see BacklinkBot's plans and pricing, or check our Time-Saved Calculator for the flip side of this same comparison.