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Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) Calculator

Find the economic order quantity that minimizes total inventory cost from annual demand, ordering cost and holding cost.

About this tool

Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) Calculator is a free, in-browser tool that finds the order size that minimizes your total inventory cost. Enter annual demand, the fixed cost of placing one order, and the cost of holding one unit for a year, and it returns the optimal quantity along with how often to order and the resulting annual cost. Nothing is uploaded.

EOQ uses the classic Wilson formula, EOQ = √(2·D·S ÷ H), where D is annual demand in units, S is the ordering cost per order, and H is the annual holding cost per unit. From that it derives orders per year = D ÷ EOQ, cycle time = 365 ÷ orders per year (days between orders), and the total annual inventory cost = (D ÷ EOQ)·S + (EOQ ÷ 2)·H, which balances ordering cost against holding cost.

Use it to set purchase-order sizes, cut carrying costs, or check a supplier's minimum order against the economically optimal one. Because the total-cost curve is flat near its minimum, ordering close to the EOQ is usually good enough in practice.

Frequently asked questions

What is the EOQ formula?
EOQ = the square root of (2 × annual demand × ordering cost ÷ holding cost per unit per year). This is the Wilson EOQ formula, the order size where ordering and holding costs are balanced and total inventory cost is lowest.
What counts as ordering cost and holding cost?
Ordering cost (S) is the fixed cost to place one order — paperwork, setup, freight admin — regardless of quantity. Holding cost (H) is what it costs to keep one unit in stock for a year: storage, insurance, capital tied up, spoilage.
How are orders per year and cycle time derived?
Orders per year is annual demand ÷ EOQ. Cycle time is 365 ÷ orders per year, i.e. the number of days between orders. Both assume steady demand across the year.
Does the calculator send my figures anywhere?
No. Demand, costs and every result are computed locally in your browser and never uploaded.

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