Retainer Pricing Calculator
Retainers turn feast-or-famine freelancing into predictable monthly income. Price one fairly without giving away your margin.
The case for retainers
Predictable revenue is worth a modest discount. A handful of retainers can cover your baseline costs, which removes the desperation that leads to underpricing one-off projects. Cap the included hours, bill overflow at full rate, and review the arrangement every quarter.
Frequently asked questions
Why discount a retainer at all?
You are trading a small discount for predictable, guaranteed income and lower sales effort. A 10% to 15% discount is common and usually worth it for the stability.
How many hours should a retainer cover?
Enough to be worth managing but not so many that overflow becomes unpaid. Cap included hours and bill overflow at your standard rate.