{
  "slug": "freelance-retainer-pricing",
  "title": "Retainer Pricing Calculator",
  "heading": "Retainer Pricing Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/freelance-retainer-pricing",
  "summary": "Price a monthly retainer with a discount that still works.",
  "description": "Retainers trade a discount for predictable revenue. This shows the monthly price, effective hourly after the discount, and annual value locked in.",
  "formula": "Monthly = hours × rate × (1 − discount).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=freelance-retainer-pricing",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "hours",
      "label": "Hours included per month",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 20,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "rate",
      "label": "Standard hourly rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 125,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": null,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "discount",
      "label": "Retainer discount",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 12,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 50
    },
    {
      "id": "months",
      "label": "Commitment",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 12,
      "unit": "months",
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "monthly",
      "label": "Monthly retainer",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "effective",
      "label": "Effective hourly",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "annual",
      "label": "Contract value",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "given",
      "label": "Discount given up",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Hours included per month: 20",
      "Standard hourly rate: 125 $",
      "Retainer discount: 12 %",
      "Commitment: 12 months"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Monthly retainer: $2,200",
      "Effective hourly: $110.00",
      "Contract value: $26,400",
      "Discount given up: $3,600"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter hours included per month.",
      "Enter standard hourly rate ($).",
      "Enter retainer discount (%).",
      "Enter commitment (months).",
      "Read your monthly retainer on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "hours": 12,
        "rate": 125,
        "discount": 7,
        "months": 7
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "hours": 20,
        "rate": 125,
        "discount": 12,
        "months": 12
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "hours": 32,
        "rate": 125,
        "discount": 19,
        "months": 19
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the retainer pricing calculator work?",
      "a": "Retainers trade a discount for predictable revenue. This shows the monthly price, effective hourly after the discount, and annual value locked in. The underlying maths is: Monthly = hours × rate × (1 − discount)."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "4 values: hours included per month, standard hourly rate, retainer discount, and commitment. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the monthly retainer result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a money amount in US dollars and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone doing everyday planning maths — a quick estimate that would otherwise need four browser tabs and a calculator app."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/freelance-minimum-day-rate",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/freelance-utilization-rate"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Retainer Pricing Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/freelance-retainer-pricing)"
}