About Freelance Pricing Toolkit
The Freelance Pricing Toolkit combines two connected pricing calculators freelancers reach for in sequence: first work out the minimum hourly rate you need to charge to hit your income target, then turn that rate into a fixed-fee quote for a specific project. Switch between the two modes with the toggle at the top - a "Use this rate in Project Quote" button carries your calculated rate straight into the second mode so you are not re-typing numbers.
The Target Annual Rate mode helps you work out the minimum hourly rate you need to charge to hit your income target after accounting for taxes, business expenses, and time that is not billable to clients. Many freelancers undercharge because they think of their rate as a simple annual-salary equivalent - but that ignores the employer-side taxes you now pay, the weeks you do not work, and the hours spent on admin, marketing, and unpaid client communication. Enter your target annual take-home income, estimated annual business expenses, non-billable time as a percentage, and your effective tax rate, and the calculator works backwards to find the hourly rate you need to charge to actually reach your income goal - along with a breakdown of what goes to taxes, what covers expenses, and what you actually keep.
The Project Fixed-Fee Quote mode takes that hourly rate (or one you enter directly) plus your estimated project hours and a risk/buffer percentage, and calculates a suggested fixed fee along with your effective hourly rate under that fixed-fee scenario. This is one of the most consequential pricing decisions a freelancer or consultant makes - charge the wrong structure and you either leave money on the table or lose a client to sticker shock. The buffer factors in revision rounds and scope creep, since most projects run longer than the initial estimate, especially in client-facing creative or technical work.
Use the Target Annual Rate mode when you are setting your rates for the first time, considering a rate increase, or a client asks why your rate is what it is. Use the Project Fixed-Fee Quote mode whenever a client asks for a flat price instead of an hourly rate and you want to make sure the numbers still work in your favor. All calculations happen in your browser - nothing is sent to a server, and no account is required.