Can I compare cost per gram with cost per kilogram?
Yes. Compatible mass units are normalised to grams, while compatible volume units are normalised to millilitres. Mass and volume are never converted between dimensions.
Product and Package Comparison Tool
Compare package price, normalised cost per gram or millilitre, expected application cost and annual difference side by side.
Use equal or different expected quantities, check old-versus-new shrinkflation, and explicitly choose which product should be prepared for a future Backbar review. No registration is required.
Interactive comparison requires JavaScript. The calculation method, assumptions, fictional example and limitations remain available without it.
Enable JavaScript to use the interactive comparison tool.
Product labels, brands, suppliers, prices, quantities and results stay in this mounted browser component. They are not written to localStorage, sessionStorage, IndexedDB, cookies or URLs, and are not sent in comparison requests or custom analytics. Reloading or navigating away clears them.
Comparison methodology
Each package is converted to its mass or volume base unit. Decimal-safe arithmetic calculates exact unit cost and expected application cost before display rounding.
Unit costpackage price ÷ canonical package quantity
Application costcanonical expected usage × unit cost
Theoretical applicationscanonical package quantity ÷ canonical expected usage
Annual difference(Product B application cost − Product A application cost) × annual services
Percentage application difference uses Product A as the denominator. It is shown as unavailable when Product A application cost is zero. Exact equality is used for the no-material-unit-cost-change classification; no hidden tolerance is applied.
Fictional package comparison
Product A costs A$24.95 for 100 ml. Product B costs A$19.99 for 200 ml. At 2 ml expected usage, Product B has the lower sticker, unit and application cost.
- Product A unit cost
- A$0.2495/ml
- Product B unit cost
- A$0.09995/ml
- Application difference
- Product B costs A$0.30 less
Assumptions and limitations
- Currency is a label only; the tool does not convert exchange rates or taxes.
- Theoretical applications assume every measurable unit is usable. Residue, dispensing variation and waste can reduce practical yield.
- Application cost uses the expected quantities entered. Different usage can be valid, but it is not an equal-quantity comparison.
- Results do not recommend a brand, supplier, chemistry, quality, effectiveness or technical suitability.
- Selecting Product A or B is an explicit user choice. TintLedger does not endorse the selected product.
Product package comparison questions
Plain-language answers about unit normalisation, application cost and shrinkflation comparison.
What if the expected usage quantities differ?
The tool compares the quantities entered and shows a clear warning. Use Compare equal usage when you want both expected application costs calculated from Product A’s usage quantity and unit.
Does a lower calculated cost mean a product is better?
No. Results describe package, unit and expected application cost only. They do not assess quality, chemistry, effectiveness, suitability or supplier reliability.
How does old-versus-new package mode identify shrinkflation?
The old package remains Product A and the new package remains Product B. The tool compares exact entered price, normalised quantity and unit cost, then labels price increases, package reductions, combined shrinkflation, offsetting changes or unit-cost decreases without making a product recommendation.
Keep real unit cost with the formulas you save
Record the product you choose and use its real unit cost in every TintLedger formula.
The comparison prepares one selected-product payload for future Backbar review. It does not create, update or deduplicate account data on this route.