Know your true cost per pour
Hivara is inventory and production software built for candle makers. Track wax, fragrance oil, wicks and vessels in the units you actually pour, cost every scent and size from its real recipe, and let each batch draw materials down automatically — so you know your margin before you light the first test wick.
- Free Starter plan
- No credit card
- Cancel anytime
Track everything that goes into a candle
From raw materials to finished stock, Hivara keeps candle makers on top of:
- wax by the ounce
- wicks
- fragrance and essential oils
- jars and vessels
- dye and additives
- labels and packaging
A candle in Hivara
Product
Lavender Soy Candle (8 oz)
SKU LAV-SOY-8OZ
Material
Soy Wax
tracked in oz · Waxes
Supplier
Wax & Wick Supply Co.
Variations
Scent, Size, Vessel
Built around how candle makers actually work
Fragrance load math, done for you
A 9% fragrance load in an 8 oz candle is 0.72 oz of oil — and your cost per ounce shifts with every supplier order. Hivara recalculates the true cost of every scent the moment a material price changes, so a $2 jump in fragrance oil never quietly eats your margin.
Wax bought in slabs, poured in ounces
You buy soy wax in 10 lb slabs but measure pours in ounces. Track wax in the unit you actually use, see exactly how many pours are left in the bag, and stop guessing whether one more batch fits before the next order arrives.
Vessels and wicks that vanish
Jars, lids, wick stickers and warning labels disappear a few at a time until a pour day stalls over a missing component. Low-stock alerts on every part of the candle — not just the wax — mean nothing small stops a big batch.
Seasonal scents, real margins
Pumpkin in September, balsam in November, lavender all year. See profit by scent, size and vessel so you pour more of what actually earns — and retire the scent that only looks popular.
A day in Hivara, for candle makers
- 1
Build your candle recipes
Each scent and size is a product with its own bill of materials: wax weight, fragrance load, wick, vessel, label and box.
- 2
Pour a batch and log it
Record a 24-candle pour and Hivara deducts the wax, oil, wicks and jars — and adds 24 finished candles to sellable stock.
- 3
Price from real numbers
See the true cost per candle for every size and scent, set your price, and watch your actual margin instead of a guess.
- 4
Reorder before you run dry
Low-stock points on wax and your best-selling oils raise an alert before a launch — not in the middle of one.
What a lavender soy candle (8 oz) really costs
This is the math Hivara does for every product you make — every line from a real bill of materials, updated whenever a supplier price changes.
Numbers from a typical 24-candle batch — your recipe recalculates automatically as supplier prices change.
Lavender Soy Candle (8 oz)
- Soy wax (7.2 oz)
- $1.62
- Fragrance oil (0.72 oz @ 9% load)
- $1.35
- Wick + wick sticker
- $0.22
- Jar + lid
- $1.85
- Label + warning label + box
- $0.64
Questions candle makers ask
How do I track soy wax inventory when I buy by the pound but pour in ounces?
Hivara tracks each material in the unit you use it, not the unit you buy it. Receive a 10 lb slab of soy wax as 160 oz, and every candle recipe draws down ounces per pour — so on-hand stock always tells you exactly how many candles you can still make.
Can Hivara calculate my fragrance load cost per candle?
Yes. Set the fragrance weight per candle in the recipe (for example 0.72 oz for a 9% load in an 8 oz candle) and Hivara prices it from your latest oil cost. When a fragrance supplier raises prices, every affected scent's cost updates so you can reprice with real numbers.
What's the best way to price handmade candles?
Start from your true cost — wax, fragrance, wick, vessel, labels and your time — rather than copying a competitor. Many candle makers aim for roughly 2× total cost for wholesale and 3–4× for retail. Hivara shows the real cost per candle so the markup you choose is built on facts.
Can I track candles across different scents, sizes and vessels?
Yes — scent, size and vessel work as variation axes, so Lavender 8 oz Amber Jar and Lavender 4 oz Tin are separate sellable items with their own stock, cost and price, without you creating dozens of unrelated products.
Does Hivara track batches and lots for candle making?
It can. Give each pour a lot number and you'll know which wax and fragrance lots went into which candles — useful for consistency, burn-test records and (if you ever need it) tracing a problem batch.
Is Hivara suitable for a small candle business that's just starting?
Yes. The Starter plan is free to start and covers the day-one question — "what does this candle really cost me?" — and you can grow into batch production, low-stock alerts and profit analytics as the business grows.
Hivara for other crafts
Guides for candle makers
All guidesHow to Price Candles (With Real Numbers)
Wax, fragrance, vessel, wick, label — build a real cost per candle, then set wholesale and retail prices you can defend.
How to Calculate the True Cost of a Handmade Product
Materials are only part of the story. Here's how to find the real cost of a handmade product — including the costs that quietly eat your profit.
How to Prepare Your Handmade Business for the Holiday Rush
For most makers, the last few months of the year make the year. Here's how to prep your stock, materials, and production so the rush is a win, not chaos.
Run your candles business like a business
Know your true cost and profit, track every material, and produce by scan. Start free — no credit card. Or try the free pricing calculator first.