Rates, retainers, invoices, late payments, cash-flow cushions, contracts — type your question and get a straight answer in seconds. The full detailed report costs less than a cup of coffee: $2.95.
A retainer is one of the best deals in freelancing — but only when it is priced properly. The idea is simple: instead of selling hours one invoice at a time, you sell a block of availability every month, and in exchange for the client's commitment you offer a modest discount. The trade works because predictability is genuinely valuable: a retainer turns feast-and-famine income into a number you can budget against, plan holidays around and use to say yes to the right work. The calculator here shows the honest maths — standard monthly value at your usual rate, the discounted retainer figure, what the client saves, and what that adds up to over a year — so you can see exactly what your commitment discount is buying you before you offer it.
Turn a client's recurring needs into a monthly retainer: hours, rate and a sensible commitment discount, with the cash-flow maths made visible.
Ten to twenty percent is the typical range for a committed monthly block. Anything above thirty percent usually means you are giving away more than the predictability is worth — unless the retainer guarantees fixed hours and first priority.
The hours, what they include and — just as importantly — what they do not: urgent turnarounds, extra hours, work beyond the agreed scope. Retainers fail on vague hours more than on price.
Only if the agreement says so. Many freelancers let a small amount roll one month, others use a use-it-or-lose-it rule to keep the retainer honest. Decide deliberately and write it down.
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