How to Price a Monthly Retainer

Start from reserved capacity, not a round number

A retainer is not a vague monthly fee — it is payment to reserve a block of your time. Begin with the hours you will genuinely hold open each month and your normal hourly rate. That product is the retainer's honest starting value, before any discount.

Pricing from reserved hours keeps the conversation concrete: the client knows what they are buying, and you know what you are committing to deliver.

A commitment discount, not a giveaway

Because the client is guaranteeing recurring work and you are gaining predictable income, a small discount of roughly 5–15% is fair. Go much deeper and the retainer quietly becomes your worst-paid work. The discount should reflect the value of stability, not desperation for the deal.

Write the terms that protect you

Spell out three things: that reserved hours do not roll over, that work beyond the reserved block is billed at your standard rate, and the notice period to cancel. These clauses are what stop a retainer from becoming an open-ended obligation you resent.

Done well, a retainer is the most stabilising thing in a freelance income — a base layer of revenue you can plan a life around.