How much does an injection mold cost?

The price spectrum

Simple single-cavity aluminum prototype molds: $1,500-5,000. Production steel molds for a phone-case-sized part: $5,000-20,000. Complex multi-cavity molds with slides and hot runners: $20,000-100,000+. Size, cavity count, steel grade, surface finish and expected shot life drive the spread.

What moves the number

Undercuts requiring slides or lifters add thousands each. Textured or polished surfaces add finishing days. Tight tolerances add machining and fitting time. Every feature you can simplify out of the design is real money off the tool.

Amortization is the real price

A $10,000 mold across 5,000 parts is $2 per part; across 100,000 it is $0.10. Always quote molding as mold + per-part price at the customer's true lifetime volume - and compare against 3D printing below the crossover.

Estimate your project

Our injection molding calculator amortizes tooling over your quantity, prices resin per shot and press time per cycle - drag the quantity and watch the breakeven against additive manufacturing appear.