Simulate your marketplace pricing: compare to competitors, calculate net margin including fees and ads, and optimize positioning with AI. Free.
Advanced simulator
Which channel leaves the highest real margin after fees?
Compare your price across each marketplace after commissions, fees and ads. Spot which channel leaves real margin and which one quietly destroys it.
Load a marketplace
Preloads realistic commission (including VAT where applicable) and fixed fee per order. You can adjust afterwards.
Your current offer
Price, costs and monthly volume for the product you are listing.
Competitor prices
Visible prices of 3-6 direct competitors. Median is used to position.
Saved configurations
Fill in your data to see the report
This simulator only generates a diagnosis, charts and recommendations when it has your real business values. Fill the editor above and the report will appear automatically.
Required data
Your unit cost
Your current price
Marketplace commission (%)
Competitors
Want to explore it first?
Load a realistic case to see how the report looks. You can edit any field afterwards.
Competitor median used as market reference (robust to outliers).
Commission, ads and shipping discounted linearly from gross price.
Constant elasticity ε (adjustable per category).
Applicability limits
The simulator does not replace a marketplace A/B test.
Buy Box / organic ranking are not modeled — they affect real volume.
Competitor data is demo seed: replace it with your real ones.
Sources
Phillips, R.L. — Pricing and Revenue Optimization (Stanford University Press).
Internal editorial estimate based on industry best practices.
How it works
1. Define your offer
Your price, unit cost, shipping, marketplace commission and ads per unit. Everything affecting real margin.
2. Enter competition
3+ direct competitor prices. Median is used to compute your relative position and estimated share.
3. Compare scenarios
Base, price war and premium positioning. Identify optimal price, risk zones and safe bands.
Frequently asked questions
1How do you compute net margin per unit?
Price − unit cost − shipping − (price × marketplace commission) − ads per unit. Does not include fixed business expenses (rent, salaries) — that goes in the Cash Flow Simulator.
2What does price elasticity mean?
How much your volume changes when you move your price relative to the competition median. Elasticity 2 means dropping price 10% lifts volume ~20%. Commodities have high elasticity (3-5); premium brands with reviews have low (0.5-1). It is an assumption you should tune to your category.
3Does the simulator predict how much I will sell?
No. It uses your declared base volume and adjusts by relative share. If you have no history, start with a conservative estimate and compare scenarios. For real prediction, A/B test on the platform.
4Does it work for MercadoLibre, Amazon and Shopee equally?
Yes, the model is marketplace-agnostic — only the commission changes. Set the right %: ML Classic 11-13%, ML Premium 14-19%, Amazon 8-15%, Shopee 3-5% + 11.9% transaction. For DTC (your own store) set commission to 0% and adjust ads.
It is the automated price adjustment based on rules: competitor matching (match or beat the current Buy Box competitor), price floor (minimum acceptable based on cost + fees + FBA + target margin), price ceiling (maximum to avoid return spikes), and repricing frequency (5-15 minutes in competitive categories). Native tools (Amazon Automate Pricing) or third parties (RepricerExpress, BQool, SellerApp) execute the rules.
2What is the best pricing strategy for Mercado Libre?
Combine three elements: Mercado Líder Platinum to capture the 10-20% exposure lift; competitive but not floor pricing — Premium/Clásico listings with green Reputación can charge 5-8% above sellers without reputation; and Full shipping to enter shopper preferential filters. Monitoring with Nubimetrics or native seller data.
3What is price elasticity of demand and how do you calculate it?
It is the percentage change in volume given a 1% price change. Formula: E = Δ%volume ÷ Δ%price. Measured with A/B tests in 7-14 day windows holding advertising, ranking, and seasonality constant. E > -1 (inelastic) = you can raise price without losing absolute profit; E < -1 (elastic) = raising price destroys profit; the optimum is the price where the derivative of (price × volume) crosses zero.
4How much does an automated repricer cost?
Native tools like Amazon Automate Pricing are free but basic. Third-party solutions like BQool, RepricerExpress, and SellerApp range from 50-500 USD/month depending on SKU count and marketplaces. Helium 10 and Jungle Scout offer pricing as part of integrated suites at 80-400 USD/month. Typical repricer ROI in a competitive category pays back in 2-4 weeks.
5What is the optimal price to maximize profit?
The one that equates marginal elasticity with your cost structure: optimum = cost × (E ÷ (E + 1)) where E is negative elasticity. For E = -2 the optimal markup over cost is 100%; for E = -3, 50%; for E = -1.5, 200%. Requires real per-SKU elasticity measurement — do not apply a flat markup across the catalog.
6What is the Buy Box and how do I win it?
On Amazon, the Buy Box is the 'Add to Cart' button shown when multiple sellers offer the same product. Winning it depends on competitive pricing (60-70% weight), shipping method (FBA > FBM), seller rating (4.5+), response time, and stock availability. 82% of Amazon sales flow through the Buy Box — losing it is losing sales almost entirely.
7Dynamic pricing or fixed pricing — which is better?
Depends on the channel and category. On competitive marketplaces (Amazon, Mercado Libre in electronics, home, beauty), dynamic pricing captures 15-35% more margin. In categories with few competitors, premium brands, or owned storefronts without direct comparison, fixed pricing with quarterly reviews is enough and avoids algorithm noise.
What you'll see, what it prevents, and where you shouldn't trust it
Every simulator on Simúlalo ships with the same editorial structure: two hypothetical worked examples with numbers, the errors it helps you avoid, the model's declared limitations, and a visible financial disclaimer. The review is signed and dated.
Hypothetical case·Case A
A seller that raises price 4% and improves profit despite a 16% commission
An electronics seller offers a USB-C cable at $189 MXN on a marketplace with 16% commission plus VAT, $58 product cost, $32 average logistics cost (with shipping subsidized on 30% of orders), and 420 units/month volume. The profit curve shows that raising to $197 (+4.2%) reduces volume to roughly 398 units, but monthly profit rises from $11,840 to $13,210. Sensitivity shows that above $205 elasticity breaks the gain. The decision: test at $197 for one week and monitor conversion.
Illustrative figures. Does not represent a real company or an investment recommendation.
Hypothetical case·Case B
A seller that migrates to marketplace fulfillment and lifts profit 24%
A fashion seller sells at $390 MXN/unit with 18% commission, $145 product cost, and $48 in-house logistics cost. They evaluate switching to marketplace fulfillment: commission rises to 22% but logistics cost drops to $22 and free shipping lifts conversion 12%. The simulator projects volume from 230 to 258 units/month and net profit rises from $15,640 to $19,420. The decision: migrate to marketplace fulfillment and reinvest the logistics savings into paid advertising on the same platform.
Illustrative figures. Does not represent a real company or an investment recommendation.
Common mistakes it helps you avoid
Things a team or decision-maker might assume that this simulator forces you to verify before committing.
Calculating margin without subtracting variable and fixed marketplace fees: two platforms with 'similar' commission can have very different fee structures (category, shipping, advertising).
Forgetting VAT and tax withholdings: in Mexico the marketplace withholds VAT and income tax — the simulator forces you to declare them so net profit is clean.
Pricing on intuition without elasticity: the simulator lets you move price in 1-3% steps to find where the profit curve pivots.
Ignoring competitive position: if your product sits at the median price and your rating is average, raising price without differentiation kills conversion.
Model limitations
What the simulator does not do, and where you need a professional or a specialized tool.
Does not query marketplace APIs. Volume, fees, rating, and competitive position are declared by you using data from the seller dashboard.
Elasticity is an estimate from your history or a sector default. It is not an exact prediction.
Does not model marketplace algorithm changes (ranking, badges, search). When the platform updates the algorithm, assumptions lose validity and the model should be revalidated.
Does not include multi-channel dynamics: if you sell the same SKU on other channels, cannibalization effects are out of model scope.
When NOT to use this simulator
If you compete on a marketplace with a dynamic buy box (prices change by the hour) and your volume hinges entirely on winning the buy button, a static simulator will not capture operational reality. You'll need a live repricer and continuous monitoring. Use this simulator for medium-term decisions about price structure, not for hourly tactical pricing.
Financial notice
Results are illustrative estimates and do not constitute financial, tax, accounting, or legal advice. Use the results as a reference point and validate important decisions with a certified professional.
Editorial review
Reviewed by the Simúlalo editorial team
This simulator was reviewed by the people listed below before being published. The review covers the declared formula, the model's assumptions, the explicit limitations, and the absence of unsupported financial claims.
They are part of the Simúlalo editorial team, focused on building financial tools that are clear, educational, and easy to interpret.
Last updated: ·We update this page when the methodology, sources used, or simulator structure change.
This tool uses standard financial formulas and user-supplied data. To explain concepts like rates, credit, risk, or cash flow we consult public and official sources (Banxico, SAT, CONDUSEF, CNBV, Banco de España, IFRS, BIS, among others). Simúlalo is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by these institutions.