Free tool

Which factory is really cheapest?

Three quotes, three countries, three sets of terms. One of them looks 9% cheaper and isn't. This spreadsheet turns every quote into the same number: what one good unit costs sitting in your warehouse.

Get the file

Excel, formulas visible, no macros. Your email, nothing else.

This is not a mailing list sign-up.

Your email gets you the file. It is not added to a list, a newsletter, or any automated emails, and it is never sold or shared. The only way onto any list is ticking the box above yourself.

You might get one personal email from me, Clark, asking if the tool worked. That's it. One email, no follow-ups.

Why I built it

Nineteen years of buying from Asia and I still didn't have a clean way to compare a China FOB quote in dollars against an India EXW quote in rupees against a DDP quote that already had duty baked in. So I built one.

The part no template handles: when factory B quotes a cost-reduced version with fewer parts, or factory C changes the packaging. This one has a tab for that, with an "acceptable?" flag and the real cost of the change.

What it normalizes

Price basis

EXW to DDP, brought to one landed number. DDP quotes get the duty backed out so they compare clean.

Money

Currency with a buffer. MOQ and price breaks. Tooling and samples spread over the life of the tool.

Terms

Payment terms priced as the cost of your cash. Net 30 is worth real money. 100% prepay costs real money.

Duty

Rate per country of origin, with a place for the link you used and a flag until a broker confirms it.

Variants

A quote for a slightly different product. What changed, is it acceptable, and what it really costs you.

The answer

One Summary tab in plain words. Which quote, why the cheap one isn't, and what to sort out before you sign.

Quick or detailed, your call

Eleven questions per factory gets you an answer. Open the Advanced rows only if you have carton sizes, defect rates, and price ladders. Blank means I use a sensible default and tell you which one.

Every number in the file is an example. Estimates for comparing quotes, not customs or legal advice. Have a licensed broker confirm your duty rate before you commit.