Freelance pricing guides

Plain guides to the questions freelancers ask most about money. Read them in order if you are starting out, or jump to the one you need.

Each guide links to a calculator where there is a sum to do. The guides are our own writing and do not copy any other site. They give examples with made-up figures; tax and legal rules are left to the authorities of your country.

• How to set your freelance rate, step by stepMost freelancers guess a rate by looking at what others charge. A better start is arithmet
• Billable hoursBillable hours are the hours a client pays for. They are always fewer than the hours you w
• Hourly, fixed, retainer or value pricingThere are five common ways to charge. Each one moves the risk of a job overrunning to a di
• Costs freelancers forget to add to their rateWhen the rate is too low, it is usually because a few costs were never counted. Go through
• Freelance quote and payment wording to copyA good quote protects both sides. These lines are our own plain wording; change them to fi
• Rush fees, extra revisions and scope creepSpeed and changes cost you time. If they are free, you lose money; if they are priced clea

Tools

• Rate calculatorYour floor rate
• Project priceA fixed quote
• ConverterHour, day, month
• Raise your ratesThe trade-off
• RetainerMonthly package

Keep going

• By countryNotes for five countries
• By professionEight worked examples

Example figures on this site are made up to show the working. They are not market rates or averages. Tax, social-insurance, sales-tax and holiday rules differ by country and change, so this site does not state them: ask the tax authority of your country or an accountant. Checked 14 November 2026.