I built a free GDPR fine calculator based on the official EDPB guidelines
Hey r/gdpr,
I ran into the problem of calculating GDPR fine ranges while working on my dissertation — I needed a way to estimate fine ranges for my research, and realized there wasn't really a good tool out there that properly followed the official methodology. So I ended up building one, and figured I'd share it here in case it's useful to anyone else: https://bussgeldrechner-dsgvo.de/en/
It's a GDPR fine calculator that estimates a realistic range for potential fines based on the official EDPB Guidelines 04/2022 on the calculation of administrative fines (not just the "up to €20M or 4%" headline number everyone already knows).
A few things I tried to get right:
- Distinguishes between infringements under Art. 83(4), (5), and (6)
- Uses the undertaking concept as defined by the ECJ in competition law (Art. 101/102 TFEU), not the Art. 4(18) GDPR definition — including the ILVA ruling (C-383/23)
- Factors in prior-year turnover, seriousness, and the usual aggravating/mitigating circumstances
- Outputs a range rather than a single number, because that's how the methodology actually works
Obvious disclaimer: it's an approximation. Supervisory authorities aren't bound by it and the real calculation involves a lot of case-specific judgment. But I found that most "GDPR fine calculators" out there either oversimplify wildly or are basically lead-gen forms for law firms, so I wanted something that actually follows the EDPB method and is free to use.
Happy to hear feedback — especially if you spot edge cases where the logic doesn't match how you'd expect a DPA to reason. Hope it's useful for some of you!