English Translation
This project may not pay off.
Do 採算が取れない and 割に合わない have similar meanings?
This project may not pay off.
Do 採算が取れない and 割に合わない have similar meanings?
採算がとれる/合う is used in the context of financial break-even point.
On the other hand, 割に合わない can be also used in non-financial context such as time and efforts you spend.
For example, この企画は割に合わないかもしれない could mean that success in the project might not guarantee your promotion to a higher-level position and personal bonus. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that the project couldn’t be over the break-even point. In other words, the project could be profitable for your company but could not be for your personal gain. In this context, we don’t say 採算が合わない or 採算がとれない but we say 割に合わない.
Please also note that 採算がとれない is better than 採算が取れない in Kanji because とれる in this idiom means “to be balanced”, not “to take”.