How Build Budget Works
You found a build guide, but can you afford it? Paste a PoB code, and this tool prices every slot against live trade data so you see the total cost -- and where the money goes -- before you start buying.
Launch Build Budget →How It Works
- Paste a Path of Building export code or a pobb.in link. The tool decodes the base64 payload and parses the XML inside.
- Each item slot (weapon, helmet, gloves, etc.) is matched against current trade listings on poe.ninja to estimate its market value.
- Gems are priced separately -- a 21/20 Vaal gem costs very differently than a level 1 version of the same skill.
- The cost breakdown shows per-slot pricing so you can see where the expensive pieces are and plan your gear progression.
- Items that cannot be found on the trade site (mirrored rares, crafted items with unusual mods) show as unpriced -- you will need to estimate those manually.
Example: Pricing an Occultist CoC Ice Nova Build
Paste a PoB export for a typical Cast on Critical Ice Nova Occultist. The tool extracts 10 gear slots, 7 skill gem links, and 3 cluster jewels.
Breakdown might look like: weapon (Cospri's Malice) 4.5 div, shield (budget Ephemeral Edge) 0.5 div, body (Kintsugi) 0.8 div, rest of gear 2.3 div, awakened gems 3.2 div, cluster jewels 1.2 div = 12.5 divine total.
Immediate takeaway: the weapon is 36% of the build. If your current budget is 5 divines, play with a cheap Cospri's clone (The Whispering Ice setups exist) and upgrade the weapon last. This is the kind of decision Build Budget makes easy -- you see at a glance where the money goes.
Tips
- Start with the cheapest slots and work up. If your weapon is 80% of the total build cost, buy everything else first and play with a budget weapon until you save enough.
- PoB codes from build guides often show mirror-tier gear. Check the total cost before following a guide blindly -- a 500 divine build guide is not helpful when you have 10.
- Compare multiple PoB variations of the same build. Swapping one unique for a rare can sometimes cut the cost in half without losing much damage.
- Don't assume the displayed price means you can actually buy it. Build Budget uses median poe.ninja prices -- on a thin market the next real listing can be 2-3x higher. Always verify rare uniques on the live trade site.
- Check the jewel and cluster rows before buying the flashy chest piece. Mid-tier builds routinely spend more on clusters and abyss jewels than on a body armour.
- A well-optimised 10 div build outperforms the budget version of a 500 div build in most content. Use Build Budget to confirm the guide is actually accessible before committing your league plan -- your exalts will thank you.
- Factor in gem levelling time. A level-21 awakened gem might show as 8 div, but you can buy a level-20 at 1 div and corrupt it yourself -- see Gem Profit to decide which path is worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where do I get a PoB code?
- In Path of Building, click Export > Copy Build as Code. You can also paste a pobb.in URL. Build guides on the forums and YouTube usually include a PoB code or link.
- Why is a slot showing no price?
- The item might be a crafted rare with unusual mod combinations that poe.ninja does not track, or it could be a mirrored/corrupted item. These need manual price checking on the trade site.
- Are gem prices included?
- Yes. The tool prices gems based on their level and quality. A level 21 gem is priced differently than level 20, and awakened support gems have their own pricing.
- Does this work for Standard league?
- Yes -- switch the league in the settings gear icon. Standard has a different economy: currency inflates over time as chaos orbs accumulate, so raw chaos prices are not directly comparable to temporary-league prices. The relative cost of items within a build is still useful for planning.
- Does the price reflect the exact rolls on my items?
- No. Prices are median values for the base/unique name -- not filtered by specific rolls. A well-rolled rare costs more than shown; a bad one costs less.
- What about flasks and abyss jewels?
- Flask uniques and abyss jewels are priced if they match a known poe.ninja entry. Rare crafted flasks (with specific instilling orb prefixes) and rare crafted abyss jewels are harder to price and may show as unpriced. Use the live trade site for those slots.
- Can I compare two PoB codes side by side?
- Not currently -- paste one at a time. To compare, screenshot or note the breakdown, then paste the second PoB. A side-by-side comparison view is on the roadmap.
- Does the price include crafting costs?
- No. Prices reflect what an item costs to buy, not to craft. For influenced gear, the Awakener's Orb and reforge costs are separate -- see Orb Crafter for that.