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
- Enter the number of directories you're planning to submit to.
- Enter your estimated minutes per submission and the cost of your time (your effective hourly rate).
- See your total estimated DIY cost — both in hours and in dollar terms.
- 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.