Retainer pricing calculator
What should you charge a client each month? Enter the hours they’ll take, what an hour costs you and the margin you want, and get the retainer to quote, your break-even price and a range around it. Free, no sign-up.
What to charge
$3,000
That's $100 per delivery hour.
- $1,500
- $1,500
| Margin | Monthly retainer |
|---|---|
| 40% | $2,500 |
| 50% | $3,000 |
| 60% | $3,750 |
Prices round up to the nearest $50. Gross margin covers delivery only; rent, unbilled software and your own non-client time come out of it, so set your target with your overheads in mind.
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If social media is in your retainer, Aidelly keeps each client's calendar, approvals and branded reports in one workspace, so the scope you priced is the scope you deliver.
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How the calculator works
| Result | Formula |
|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Hours × loaded hourly cost + other monthly costs |
| Break-even price | Monthly cost |
| Retainer to quote | Monthly cost ÷ (1 − target margin) |
| Hourly equivalent | Retainer ÷ hours |
Prices round up to the nearest $50. Want to see what a price change does to your whole agency? Try the agency capacity calculator.
FAQ
How do I price an agency retainer?
Start from cost, not from competitors: hours the client will take each month × your loaded cost per hour, plus any costs you carry for them. Divide that by (1 − your target margin) to get the price that leaves the margin you want.
What is a break-even price?
The retainer that exactly covers what the client costs you to serve. Anything below it loses money on every month of delivery, before overheads.
What margin should I target?
Set it from your own overheads: the margin each client must leave so rent, software and your own non-client time are covered with profit left over. Use the range in the calculator to see what a few points either way does to the price.
Should I quote hourly or a monthly retainer?
A monthly retainer with a defined scope is easier for clients to budget and lets you benefit when you get faster. Use the hourly equivalent from the calculator to sanity-check the retainer, not to quote it.
How do I estimate hours for a new client?
Use a similar existing client as the baseline, and include calls, revisions, approvals and reporting, not just production. Track the first two months and reprice at renewal if the real hours differ.
Is my data saved?
No. The calculator runs in your browser and keeps your numbers only in the page address, so you can bookmark a result.
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