Meeting Cost Calculators: Which One Works Best?
If you're trying to figure out what meetings are costing your team, you're not alone.
There are spreadsheets, browser extensions, app store tools, and DIY hacks floating around. But how do you know which ones are actually accurate or even worth the effort?
Let’s break them down.
Types of Meeting Cost Calculators
Spreadsheet Templates (Excel, Google Sheets)
Pros:
Free and customizable
Good for quick one-off estimates
Cons:
Manual entry of attendee names, salaries, and time
No automation or calendar sync
Easy to forget to use consistently
Plugins for Outlook, Teams, Google Calendar
These usually show a pop-up or sidebar that gives you a cost estimate based on the meeting attendees’ titles or roles.
Pros:
Easy to install
Syncs with your existing calendar
Cons:
Often generic cost estimates (not salary-based)
Limited analytics
Hard to scale across orgs
GitHub Projects and Chrome Extensions
There are some clever open-source projects (like the “Dilbert Meeting Cost Clock”) that display a running cost total in your browser.
Fun, but…
Usually not integrated into calendars
Not secure for enterprise use
Often built for novelty, not insight
What to Look for in a Reliable Meeting Cost Tool
Automated calendar syncing
Customizable salary bands or hourly rates
Filters by team, department, organizer
Recurring meeting insights
Real-time + historical analytics
That’s where most of the free tools fall short and where Calendyze stands out.
Why Calendyze Wins the Comparison
No More Manual Work
Once Calendyze is connected to your calendar system, it automatically calculates the cost of every meeting in real-time without lifting a finger.
Salary-Aware Estimates
Calendyze allows you to set salary bands by role, team, or seniority, giving you a realistic view of your actual meeting spend.
Organization-Wide Insights
See which recurring meetings eat up the most budget
Flag low-ROI meetings
Equip leaders with cost dashboards to inform better decisions
There are dozens of meeting cost tools out there. Some are helpful. Some are clunky. But if you're serious about reclaiming your team's time and budget, you need something smarter.