Free vs. Paid Services: Cost-Benefit Analyzer
Step 1: Define Comparison Sets and Your Time Value
Your Value of Time
Step 2: Feature & Benefit Valuation (Paid Service)
Step 3: Comparative Analysis
Step 4: Overall Summary
Define and analyze comparison sets to see the summary here.
Select a set to see analysis.
'; } }); } // --- Tab 2: Feature & Benefit Valuation --- function loadSetForFeatureBenefit(setId) { collectAllSetInputs(); // Ensure latest data, esp. set names const set = comparisonSets.find(s => s.id === parseInt(setId)); const form = document.getElementById('featureBenefitForm'); const featureRowsContainer = document.getElementById('featureRowsContainer'); if (!set) { form.style.display = 'none'; return; } form.style.display = 'block'; document.querySelector('#featureBenefitForm .current-set-name-fb').textContent = set.setName; const fv = set.paidService.featuresValue || {}; document.getElementById('fbEfficiencyGain').value = fv.efficiencyGainValue || 0; document.getElementById('fbPremiumFeatures').value = fv.premiumFeaturesValue || 0; document.getElementById('fbSupportValue').value = fv.supportValue || 0; document.getElementById('fbAdFreeValue').value = fv.adFreeValue || 0; document.getElementById('fbOtherBenefits').value = fv.otherBenefitsValue || 0; // Load feature comparison rows featureRowsContainer.innerHTML = ''; // Clear existing if (set.featureComparisonRows && set.featureComparisonRows.length > 0) { set.featureComparisonRows.forEach(featRow => addFeatureComparisonRow(setId, featRow.id, featRow.featureName, featRow.freeValue, featRow.paidValue)); } else { // Add one blank if none exist for this set addFeatureComparisonRow(setId); } } function addFeatureComparisonRow(setId, existingRowId = null, name = '', freeV = '', paidV = '') { const container = document.getElementById('featureRowsContainer'); featureRowIdCounter = existingRowId !== null ? Math.max(featureRowIdCounter, existingRowId) +1 : featureRowIdCounter + 1; const rowId = existingRowId !== null ? existingRowId : featureRowIdCounter; const newRow = document.createElement('div'); newRow.classList.add('feature-row'); newRow.setAttribute('data-feature-row-id', rowId); newRow.innerHTML = ` `; container.appendChild(newRow); } function saveFeatureBenefitData(showAlert = true) { const setId = document.getElementById('comparisonSetSelectFB').value; if (!setId) { if(showAlert) alert("Please select a comparison set."); return; } const set = comparisonSets.find(s => s.id === parseInt(setId)); if (!set) return; set.paidService.featuresValue = { efficiencyGainValue: parseFloat(document.getElementById('fbEfficiencyGain').value) || 0, premiumFeaturesValue: parseFloat(document.getElementById('fbPremiumFeatures').value) || 0, supportValue: parseFloat(document.getElementById('fbSupportValue').value) || 0, adFreeValue: parseFloat(document.getElementById('fbAdFreeValue').value) || 0, otherBenefitsValue: parseFloat(document.getElementById('fbOtherBenefits').value) || 0, }; set.paidService.featuresValue.totalValue = Object.values(set.paidService.featuresValue).reduce((sum, val) => sum + val, 0); // Save feature comparison rows set.featureComparisonRows = []; document.querySelectorAll('#featureRowsContainer .feature-row').forEach(rowEl => { const rowId = rowEl.getAttribute('data-feature-row-id'); set.featureComparisonRows.push({ id: rowId, featureName: document.getElementById(`featureName_${setId}_${rowId}`).value, freeValue: document.getElementById(`featureFree_${setId}_${rowId}`).value, paidValue: document.getElementById(`featurePaid_${setId}_${rowId}`).value, }); }); if(showAlert) alert(`Benefit valuation saved for ${set.setName}. View analysis on Tab 3.`); displayAnalysis(setId); // Update analysis tab if it's already loaded with this set populateComparisonSetSelects(); // Refresh other selects just in case } // --- Tab 3: Comparative Analysis --- function displayAnalysis(setId) { collectAllSetInputs(); // Ensure basic costs are up-to-date const set = comparisonSets.find(s => s.id === parseInt(setId)); const container = document.getElementById('analysisOutputContainer'); if (!set) { container.innerHTML = "Select a comparison set to see the analysis.
"; return; } if (!set.paidService.featuresValue || set.paidService.featuresValue.totalValue === undefined) { container.innerHTML = `Please complete Step 2 (Feature & Benefit Valuation) for ${set.setName} first.
`; return; } // Calculate Net Effective Cost for Paid Service set.paidService.netEffectiveCost = set.paidService.effectiveMonthlySubscriptionCost - set.paidService.featuresValue.totalValue; let analysisHTML = `Analysis for: ${set.setName}
`; analysisHTML += `Free Service: ${set.freeService.name}
Direct Monetary Cost: $${set.freeService.monetaryCostMonthly.toFixed(2)}/month
Monetized Time Costs (Ads/Workarounds): $${((set.freeService.timeCostAdsHours + set.freeService.timeCostWorkaroundsHours) * set.valuePerHour).toFixed(2)}/month
Cost of Add-ons: $${set.freeService.addOnsCostMonthly.toFixed(2)}/month
Total Effective Monthly Cost (Free): $${set.freeService.totalEffectiveMonthlyCost.toFixed(2)}
Paid Service: ${set.paidService.name}
Subscription Cost: $${set.paidService.effectiveMonthlySubscriptionCost.toFixed(2)}/month
Total Quantified Value of Benefits: $${set.paidService.featuresValue.totalValue.toFixed(2)}/month
Net Effective Value/Cost (Paid): $${Math.abs(set.paidService.netEffectiveCost).toFixed(2)} ${set.paidService.netEffectiveCost < 0 ? ' (Net Benefit)' : (set.paidService.netEffectiveCost > 0 ? ' (Net Cost)' : ' (Breakeven)')}
`;
if (set.paidService.netEffectiveCost < set.freeService.totalEffectiveMonthlyCost) {
analysisHTML += `
`;
container.innerHTML = analysisHTML;
}
// --- Tab 4: Overall Summary ---
function generateOverallComparisonSummary() {
collectAllSetInputs(); // Ensure all data is current
const container = document.getElementById('overallComparisonSummaryTable');
const analyzedSets = comparisonSets.filter(s => s.analysis && s.paidService.featuresValue && s.paidService.featuresValue.totalValue !== undefined);
if (analyzedSets.length === 0) {
container.innerHTML = "The Paid Service (${set.paidService.name}) appears to offer better overall value for this set, considering your inputs.
`; set.analysis = { recommendedOption: "Paid Service" }; } else if (set.paidService.netEffectiveCost > set.freeService.totalEffectiveMonthlyCost) { analysisHTML += `The Free Service (${set.freeService.name}) appears to be more cost-effective for this set, considering your inputs.
`; set.analysis = { recommendedOption: "Free Service" }; } else { analysisHTML += `Both services have a similar effective value/cost for this set. Consider qualitative factors.
`; set.analysis = { recommendedOption: "Depends/Equivalent" }; } analysisHTML += `No comparison sets have been fully analyzed. Please complete steps 1-3 for each set.
"; document.getElementById('downloadComparerPdfButton').disabled = true; return; } let tableHTML = `| Comparison Set | Free Service (Effective Cost) | Paid Service (Net Value/Cost) | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ${set.setName} | ${set.freeService.name}: $${freeEffCost.toFixed(2)} | ${set.paidService.name}: $${Math.abs(paidNetEffValue).toFixed(2)} ${paidNetEffValue < 0 ? '(Net Benefit)' : paidNetEffValue > 0 ? '(Net Cost)' : '(Breakeven)'} | ${set.analysis.recommendedOption} |