Incoterms 2020 Cost & Risk Comparator (EXW vs FOB vs CIF etc.)

The Incoterms Cost & Risk Comparator puts all eleven Incoterms 2020 rules side by side — EXW, FCA, FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP. For each term it shows who bears the cost and who bears the risk at ten stages of the shipment: export packaging, origin transport, terminal handling, loading, main carriage, insurance, unloading, destination handling, import clearance and final delivery.

Compare any two terms head to head, read the exact risk-transfer point, filter to sea-only or any-mode rules, and use the interactive cost estimator to see how the cost burden shifts from seller to buyer as you move along the Incoterms scale from EXW to DDP.

• All 11 Incoterms 2020 rules: EXW, FCA, FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP, DAP, DPU and DDP with correct 2020 obligations.
• Head-to-head comparator: Pick any two terms and see cost and risk side by side with differences highlighted.
• 10-stage journey map: Colour-coded cost and risk strips show exactly who pays and who is exposed at each step.
• Risk-transfer point: The precise moment risk passes from seller to buyer for each term.
• Mode filter: Separate the sea-and-inland-waterway rules (FAS, FOB, CFR, CIF) from the any-mode rules.
• Full matrix view: Scan all terms against all stages, toggling between the cost and risk perspective.
• Cost estimator: Enter real amounts and watch the seller vs buyer cost split shift from EXW to DDP.
• Free and private: Everything runs locally in your browser.

1. Open the Comparator tab and pick any two Incoterms (for example EXW vs FOB, or FOB vs CIF).
2. Read the risk-transfer cards to see when and where risk passes to the buyer.
3. Study the cost and risk journey strips — notice how freight and insurance terms (CFR, CIF, CPT, CIP) can make cost run further than risk.
4. Switch to the Matrix tab to scan all eleven terms at once, toggling between cost and risk.
5. Use the Cost Estimator with your real figures to see how the total cost is split between seller and buyer under each term.

Example 1 (FOB vs CIF): A buyer compares FOB and CIF for a container. The comparator shows risk transfers on board the vessel for both terms, but the seller's cost share grows once freight and insurance are included — CIF simply moves those two payments onto the seller while the all-in cost stays the same.

Example 2 (EXW vs FCA): An exporter quotes EXW and FCA to the same buyer. The comparator highlights that under EXW the buyer arranges export clearance (impractical in most countries), while FCA keeps packaging, inland transport, terminal handling and export clearance with the seller — the safer term for containerised goods.

Example 3 (Cost estimator): A trader enters origin charges, freight, insurance, destination charges and duty. The bars show the buyer absorbing almost everything under EXW, the split balancing under FOB, and the seller carrying nearly all cost under DDP — a clear picture for price negotiation.

• Choose the right term: Match the Incoterm to your mode of transport and who you want to control freight and insurance.
• Avoid costly surprises: See precisely which party pays duties, unloading and terminal charges before you sign.
• Negotiate with facts: Use the cost estimator to quantify how much a term change shifts cost between the parties.
• Stay current: Built on the Incoterms 2020 rules, including the DPU rename and CIP insurance level.
• 100% free and private: No sign-up, no upload, runs locally in your browser.