Free split bill calculator
Split the check fairly in two seconds. Enter the bill, how many people are splitting, and a tip percentage — the calculator returns each person's share, the tip, and the total, with an optional round-up so nobody owes pennies — updated live, as you type.
On this page14 sections
| Bill (subtotal) | $100.00 |
| Tip (20%) | $20.00 |
| Total | $120.00 |
Estimates only, based on the values you enter. Agree the tip and split with your group.
Results are estimates. Consult a professional.
What does it mean to split a bill?
Splitting a bill means dividing one shared cost — a restaurant check, a group trip, a utility bill, a vacation rental — across the people who share it, so everyone pays a fair share instead of one person quietly covering the whole thing. The simplest version is an even split: take the total, add the tip, and divide by the number of people. That is exactly what this split bill calculator returns the moment you enter a bill amount, a party size, and a tip percentage.
An even split is the right call when everyone ordered something comparable. When orders differ a lot — one person had a salad, another had steak and three drinks — a by-item (itemized) split is fairer, and we cover that below. Either way, the goal is the same: a clear, agreed number for each person, with no awkward maths at the table.
How to split a bill evenly with tip
An even split is a three-step process, and the calculator above does all three live as you type.
- Start with the bill. Use the subtotal — the cost of the food and drinks. (Whether you add tax before or after tipping is covered further down; in the US the convention is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal.)
- Add the tip. Multiply the bill by your tip percentage and add it on. At 20% on a $100 bill, that is $20 of tip and a $120 total.
- Divide by the number of people. Split the total across the party. $120 across 4 people is $30 each. The calculator shows the per-person figure as the headline number.
A worked example using the split bill calculator
Four friends finish dinner. The food and drinks come to $100, the service was good, and they want to leave a 20% tip and split the whole thing evenly. Here is the arithmetic the calculator runs.
- Figure the tip. 20% of $100 is $20.
- Add it to the bill. $100 + $20 = $120 total.
- Divide by four. $120 ÷ 4 = $30 per person — each friend's share, tip included.
| Step | Figure |
|---|---|
| Bill (subtotal) | $100.00 |
| Tip (20%) | $20.00 |
| Total | $120.00 |
| People | 4 |
| Per person | $30.00 |
An even split of a $100 bill with a 20% tip across four people.
How to split a bill unevenly (by item)
An even split is simple, but it is not always fair. If one person ordered a $40 steak and three rounds while another had a $12 salad and water, dividing the check equally overcharges the light eater. The fix is a by-item split (also called an itemized or proportional split): each person pays for what they ordered, plus a proportional share of the tip and tax.
- Assign each item. Go down the receipt and tally what each person ordered. Split shared plates between the people who shared them.
- Total each person's items. This gives each diner's pre-tax subtotal — their share of the bill.
- Add tip and tax in proportion. If your items are 30% of the subtotal, you cover 30% of the tip and 30% of the tax. Multiply each person's subtotal by the same combined tip-and-tax factor.
The calculator above does the even split — the case most groups want most of the time. For an itemized split, total each person's items first, then run each subtotal through the same tip-and-tax percentage. The tip calculator handles the tip-and-total step on any single subtotal.
How much to tip when splitting a bill
In the US, the going rate at a sit-down restaurant is 15–20% of the bill: 15% is the floor for acceptable service, 18% is the common middle for good service, and 20% or more recognises excellent service. When you split a check, the tip is split with it — agree the percentage as a group before you divide, so everyone is covering the same rate.
| Service | Tip | Tip on a $100 bill |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptable (US minimum) | 15% | $15 |
| Good service | 18% | $18 |
| Excellent service | 20% | $20 |
| Outstanding / large party | 20–25% | $20–$25 |
Common US sit-down restaurant tipping ranges. Large parties often see an automatic gratuity (often 18–20%) added to the check — check before you tip again.
For the full breakdown of tip amount, total, and per-person tip — including international norms where tipping is lower or built in — use the dedicated tip calculator.
Should you tip on the pre-tax or post-tax total?
This is the most-debated question in bill splitting, and there is a clear convention. The long-standing US etiquette is to tip on the pre-tax subtotal — the cost of the food and drink — because the server earned the food sale, not the sales tax the government collects. Tipping on the subtotal is the etiquette-correct default.
In practice, plenty of people tip on the bottom line (subtotal + tax) because it is the number printed largest on the receipt and the difference is small. On a $100 meal at 8% tax, tipping 20% on the subtotal is $20; tipping on the $108 post-tax total is $21.60 — a $1.60 gap. Both are common and both are fine; the subtotal method is simply the more traditional and slightly more generous-to-your-wallet choice.
When you split the bill, tax rides along with everyone's share. On an even split, each person pays an equal slice of the tax; on an itemized split, each person's tax tracks their own subtotal. To see the tax on a purchase on its own, the sales tax calculator breaks it out.
Rounding up so nobody owes pennies
Not every bill divides cleanly. A $100 bill split three ways is $33.33 each — and now someone is short a cent and the table is hunting for change. Rounding each person's share up to the nearest dollar fixes it: everyone pays a whole number, and the small surplus pads the tip.
| Bill | People | Exact per person | Rounded up | Surplus to tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 | 3 | $33.33 | $34 | $2.00 |
| $85 | 4 | $21.25 | $22 | $3.00 |
| $140 | 6 | $23.33 | $24 | $4.00 |
Rounding each share up to the nearest dollar collects a small surplus (rounded × people − total) that usually nudges the tip up a point or two.
Bill-splitting apps vs. doing it yourself
For a one-off dinner, a calculator is faster than any app — you get the per-person number in seconds with nothing to install. Apps earn their keep when the splitting is ongoing or complex: tracking who owes whom across a whole trip, a shared household, or months of recurring expenses.
- Use a calculator for a single check or one shared bill — an even split or a quick itemized total at the table.
- Use an app (e.g. Splitwise) when costs pile up over time — a group holiday, roommates, or a running tab of mixed expenses that needs a who-owes-whom ledger.
- Use your bank or a payment app to actually settle up once the share is known — most now have a built-in request-money feature for exactly this.
The two often work together: split the check here, then send each person their figure to pay. A calculator also wins on privacy and friction — there is no account to create, no contacts to share, and no record of who paid what sitting on someone else's server. For a quick group dinner, that simplicity is the whole point; for a months-long shared ledger, an app's persistence is worth the setup.
One more tip for groups that split often: agree the rules once, up front. Decide whether you tip on the pre-tax subtotal, whether you round up, and whether you split evenly or by item — then the only thing that changes from one dinner to the next is the numbers. For shared housing costs specifically, the rent split calculator divides rent equally, by room size, or by income, and the discount calculator helps when a group coupon or deal comes off the top first.
How this calculator works and sources
The even split is exact arithmetic: total = bill × (1 + tip% ÷ 100) and per person = total ÷ people. When round-up is on, each share is rounded up to the nearest whole dollar and the surplus (rounded × people − total) is reported. Every figure updates live in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere. Tipping ranges (15–20% for US sit-down service) and the tip-on-pre-tax-subtotal convention follow standard US restaurant etiquette.
Standard US restaurant tipping etiquette (15–20%, tip on the pre-tax subtotal) and common bill-splitting practice.Frequently asked questions about the free split bill calculator
About this split bill calculator
This split bill calculator runs entirely in your browser. Every figure you enter stays on your device — nothing is sent to a server, logged, or shared. It adds the tip to the bill (total = bill × (1 + tip%/100)) and divides the result evenly across the party, with an optional round-up that bumps each share to the nearest dollar so nobody owes pennies — all updating instantly as you type.
Calculators Cloud offers 400+ free tools with no sign-up. The whole Everyday calculators shelf includes the Tip calculator alongside this one, plus Rent split and Discount tools. Or browse the full calculator directory.