What a retainer is
A monthly fee that buys you reserved capacity from a vendor — typically a fixed number of hours per month, or first-call rights on a certain percentage of someone's attention.
Common retainer ranges:
- Fractional CTO retainer: $3K–$15K/month for 10–30 hours
- Maintenance retainer for an existing SaaS: $2K–$8K/month for 5–15 hours
- Design retainer: $4K–$12K/month for 30–60 hours
- Marketing / SEO retainer: $3K–$10K/month for content + analytics
When retainers make sense
The work is recurring and predictable. Ongoing maintenance, weekly content, monthly board prep. You'd rather pay a stable bill than negotiate every engagement.
Both sides win: vendor gets predictable revenue, you get reserved capacity without negotiating each time.
When retainers are a trap
The work isn't actually recurring — but the vendor sells it as if it is. You pay $5K/month for "ongoing support" and use 3 hours in month one, 1 hour in month two, 12 hours in month three. You overpay on slow months and probably under-receive on heavy ones because the vendor can't flex up without renegotiating.
A worse trap: a retainer that's the only way to keep access. Vendor structures it so leaving means losing the code, the integrations, or the credentials. That's not a retainer; that's a hostage situation.
What we'll and won't do
We offer one retainer shape: post-launch ongoing work at 20% off our standard flat-price hourly equivalent. Non-binding — cancel any month after handoff. We won't structure retainers that lock you in beyond what you've paid for.
