Free tool · planning estimate, not a quote
Injection mold cost estimator.
Pick the steel, the cavity count, the part size, the slides and lifters, and the volume. See which class of tool that describes, its published 2026 US and China price range, the typical build time, and what moves the number inside the range.
Where the numbers come from
Published ranges, one row per class of tool.
The estimator picks one of these rows from your inputs. It does not scale, blend or invent a figure. US prices and build times are from Jaycon’s 2026 pricing report; China prices are from Haizol’s quote data, which is grouped by volume rather than SPI class, so the rows line up loosely.
| Class | Steel | US | China | Build time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prototype or bridge, 1 cavity | 7075 aluminum | $1,500–$8,000 | $1,000–$3,000 | 2–3 weeks (US); 7–14 days (China) |
| Low-volume production (SPI 104), 1–2 cavities | P20 pre-hardened | $8,000–$25,000 | $5,000–$15,000+ | 4–6 weeks (US) |
| Mid-volume production (SPI 103), 2–8 cavities | P20 or H13 | $25,000–$60,000 | no published figure | 6–8 weeks (US) |
| High-volume production (SPI 101), 4–32+ cavities | H13 or S136, 48–52 HRC | $60,000–$150,000+ | $20,000–$80,000+ | 10–14 weeks (US) |
A simple China tool can be cut in 18–25 days and a medium one in 30–40, but time to an approved tool typically reaches 45–55 days once sample shipping and corrections are counted (Woosourcing). Plan from the approved first article, not from the day steel is cut.
- Jaycon, 2026 Injection Molding Pricing Report (US prices and build times)
- Haizol, Injection Molding Tooling Cost From China (China prices, aluminum shot life)
- Plastikon, SPI class summary (mold classes by expected cycles)
- JBR Plastics, Hot Runner vs Cold Runner (premium and payback)
- Nimble, How to Reduce Injection Molding Tooling Costs (family molds)
- Woosourcing, Injection Mold Tooling Costs in China (build and approval time)
- Injection Molding Index, Tooling Costs: Factors That Determine Pricing (mechanism adders)
Why there is no Taiwan column
We will not print a Taiwan number we cannot back.
There is no published survey of Taiwan tool prices we could stand behind, and prices vary with the shop as much as with the island. What we can say is where Taiwan earns its place: the tool usually stays in Asia, and parts molded in Taiwan are generally Taiwan-origin, outside the China Section 301 lists. On some programs that difference in duty on every shipment is larger than the difference in the tool price.
When Jack quotes a Taiwan tool, he quotes it against your drawing, and puts a China option beside it when that is the honest comparison. The arithmetic is in Taiwan vs. China tariffs for US importers.
The part price
The tool is paid once. The part price is paid every order.
- Cavities and cycleThe cavity count sets how many parts come off the press each cycle. That is what makes the piece price; decide the annual volume first and let the cavity count follow.
- RunnerA hot runner leaves no runner to trim or regrind, so it saves material and cycle time once the volume is there. Below about 50,000 shots a year a cold runner is usually the right call.
- Short runsSmall orders carry setup. For single-cavity insert molding, Jack’s working minimum is about 500 to 1,000 pieces; multi-cavity tools need more, or a machine fee for a short run.
For reading competing quotes line by line, see how to compare injection mold quotes.
Questions
What buyers ask about mold cost.
How much does an injection mold cost?
Published 2026 US figures run from about $1,500–$8,000 for a single-cavity aluminum prototype tool, $8,000–$25,000 for a P20 low-volume production tool, $25,000–$60,000 for a mid-volume tool, and $60,000–$150,000 or more for a hardened high-volume multi-cavity tool. China quote data runs lower: about $1,000–$3,000 for a simple prototype mold, $5,000–$15,000+ for mid-volume production and $20,000–$80,000+ for high-volume or complex tools.
Why is there no Taiwan price?
We looked for a published survey of Taiwan tool prices we could stand behind and did not find one, so we do not print a Taiwan number. Jack quotes Taiwan tools against your drawing, and puts a China option beside it when that is the honest comparison.
How accurate is this estimate?
It is a planning range, not a quote. It shows the published range for the class of tool your inputs describe and what moves the number inside it. The sources do not share a method, so use the range to check whether a quote is in the right world, not to predict it.
Should my mold be aluminum, P20 or H13 steel?
It depends on the total number of parts and the resin. Aluminum suits prototypes and bridge runs; P20 pre-hardened steel covers low- and mid-volume production; hardened H13 or S136 is for hundreds of thousands to a million or more cycles and for abrasive glass-filled resins. Buy the steel your lifetime volume needs.
What do slides and lifters add?
One published list of adders: a simple cam-actuated slide $2,000–$5,000 each, a complex or hydraulic slide $5,000–$15,000, a lifter $1,500–$4,000, an unscrewing mechanism $5,000–$15,000 and a collapsing core $8,000–$25,000. Every mechanism is its own line on a good quote.
Can Jack quote my mold?
Yes. Send a drawing, a STEP file, a sample or a photograph with your volumes. Quoting a part against a drawing costs nothing, and Jack will say plainly whether the part suits the factories he uses.
Cite this tool
Link to it, quote it, use it.
Free to use and to link to. Every range is traced to a published source; the HTML below links back to the tool with a plain description.
Related
Want a real number? Send the drawing to Jack.
A drawing, a STEP file, a sample or a photograph is enough to start. Quoting a part against a drawing costs nothing, and Jack will tell you plainly whether it suits the factories he uses.
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