About
Built to end freelance undercharging
Freelance Rate Calculator is a free, privacy-first tool that helps independent professionals worldwide build pricing around real business economics — not guesswork.
Mission
The freelance economy deserves better financial tools
Most freelancers are taught to set rates by looking at job boards, copying competitors, or picking a number that feels bold. None of these methods account for the reality of running a one-person business: self-employment taxes, uneven months, non-billable hours, and the absence of employer benefits.
The goal of this calculator is simple — give every independent professional a clear, honest picture of the minimum rate they need to charge to operate sustainably. Not to inflate rates, but to prevent the slow financial erosion that comes from pricing too low for too long.
The tool is free, ad-light, and will remain that way. Good pricing knowledge should not be locked behind a SaaS subscription.
Principles
What we stand for
Transparency
No paywalls, no upsells. Every calculation happens in your browser and your data never leaves your device.
Accuracy
Our formula accounts for taxes, expenses, non-billable hours, and time off — not just a raw income target divided by 52 weeks.
Accessibility
Currency-agnostic and globally applicable. Whether you're in Lagos, London, or Los Angeles, the math works the same way.
Independence
No VC funding, no ad networks tracking your usage. Built by freelancers, for freelancers.
The Method
How the calculation works
The core formula is straightforward:
(Target Income + Taxes + Business Expenses) ÷ Annual Billable Hours
The difficulty isn't the arithmetic — it's knowing which numbers to plug in. Most freelancers underestimate their tax burden, forget recurring business costs, and dramatically overestimate how many hours per week they can bill. The calculator walks through each of those variables explicitly so you arrive at a rate grounded in reality.
Once you have a defensible minimum rate, pricing conversations with clients become straightforward. You know the floor. Everything above it is margin.
FAQ
Common questions
Who built this?
Freelance Rate Calculator was built by an independent developer who spent years undercharging client work before finally sitting down and doing the math properly. The tool started as a personal spreadsheet and grew from there.
Is my data stored anywhere?
No. All calculations run entirely in your browser. We do not store, transmit, or sell any data you enter into the calculator.
How is the calculator kept up to date?
The underlying formula is based on fundamental business economics that don't change. Tax rate guidance is intentionally left to the user because tax law varies significantly by country, state, and income level.
Can I use this for my team or agency?
Absolutely. Many agencies use the calculator to establish a cost floor before quoting retainers or project fees. The inputs scale to any business size.
Get Started
Ready to find your number?
Run the calculator, then explore our guides for deeper context.