Calculators
Retainer Pricing Calculator
Set a monthly retainer fee from expected hours, your rate, a retainer discount and rollover policy, with annual value.
- Runs in your browser
- Nothing uploaded
The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Pricing ongoing marketing, design or development support
- Converting regular hourly clients to retainers
- Agency account planning
- Forecasting recurring revenue
About this tool
What the Retainer Pricing Calculator does
A retainer is a monthly fee for an agreed amount of ongoing work or availability. Clients get priority and predictable costs; providers get predictable income. Pricing usually starts from expected hours at your rate, sometimes with a small discount for the commitment.
Formula
- Monthly fee = included hours × rate × (1 − discount)
- Term value = monthly fee × minimum term
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours included per month | 20 |
| Standard hourly rate | $95.00 |
| Retainer discount | 10% |
| Minimum term | 6 months |
| Rate for hours above the retainer | $105 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly retainer fee | $1,710 |
| Effective hourly rate | $85.50 |
| Value over minimum term | $10,260 |
| Annual value | $20,520 |
| Five extra hours would cost | $525 |
How to read the result
Decide whether unused hours roll over; a short rollover window protects you from a pile-up of owed hours.
Outcome-based retainers (for example, a monthly SEO programme) can be priced on value rather than hours.
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If you would rather someone did this properly for you, we offer Web Design Services and Website Development, SEO Services: Search Engine Optimization, AI Automation Agency.
Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
Estimate monthly hours, multiply by your rate and consider a modest discount for the guaranteed commitment.
Only if your agreement says so; many retainers use them or lose them, or allow one month of rollover.
Three to twelve months is common.
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Tell us where you want the business to be in twelve months. We will come back with a costed plan, a realistic timeline, and the numbers we expect to move — no obligation, no jargon.
- 30-minute call, no pitch deck
- Fixed-price proposal in 48 hours
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- Response time
- Within 1 business hour
- Where we work
- UK, USA & the Gulf
- Contracts
- No lock-in, monthly rolling
- Working since
- 2023