Panel cost calculator

Estimate what panel fieldwork costs when only part of the audience passes the screener. The calculator accounts for incidence and a buffer for rejected responses.

Panel cost — the budget for buying responses from a panel, based on the price per complete and how hard the audience is to find.

Calculation FAQ

Panel parameters, USD

Target valid responses

How many responses you need after cleaning

CPI / price per response

The cost of one completed survey from the panel

Incidence rate, %

Share of people who pass the screener

Cleaning buffer, %

Slack for speeders, duplicates and invalid responses

Panel budget

—

Result

for all valid responses

Interpretation

Change the inputs to recalculate.

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Data is not stored — calculation runs in your browser.

How the panel budget is calculated

Formula

Total = target responses × CPI × (1 + buffer). Screenings needed = target responses / incidence rate.

CPI

The price of one completed response. It usually grows for rare audiences and long surveys.

Incidence rate

Shows how many panel members match your screening criteria.

Buffer

Makes sure you still have the target number of valid responses after cleaning.

Calculation examples

1 General population

400 valid responses

CPI $4

IR 35%

Predictable fieldwork with moderate screen-outs; the budget depends mostly on the CPI.

2 Rare profession

120 valid responses

CPI $25

IR 8%

The screener has to reach many more people, so both the price and the timeline grow.

What to avoid

Assuming a stable IR In practice, incidence can fall as the available audience gets used up.
Ignoring survey length A long survey raises the CPI and the drop-off, especially on mobile.
Buying exactly the target Some responses may be removed in cleaning. Plan a buffer.

Frequently asked questions

What is CPI?

CPI, cost per interview, is the price of one completed survey from a panel. It depends on the audience, the survey length and how complex the quotas are.

What is the incidence rate?

The share of people who pass the screener and match the target audience. Reports often call it IR.

Why does a low IR take longer?

The panel has to show the screener to many more people to find the ones who qualify.

How can I lower the panel cost?

Shorten the survey, simplify the criteria, drop unnecessary quotas and check the real IR in a pilot.

Do I need a cleaning buffer?

Yes. Even with a good panel, some responses get removed for speeding, duplicates or poor quality.

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