Charge by the project. Know your hourly rate anyway.

This calculator doesn't tell you what to charge. It tells you what your business needs to survive — from your real costs, the hours you can actually bill, and the profit you want to keep.

01 Business costs
$ 960
$ 3000
Your total business costs $10,420.00
Your ideal hourly rate is: $98/hr
Break-even rate: $56/hr

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The core idea

When you charge by the project, you should always know your hourly rate.

Your hourly rate isn't necessarily what you charge — it's the number that tells you whether your business is sustainable.

Three steps. One number that changes how you price.

1

Enter your costs

Business expenses, personal living costs, and the profit you want to bank on top.

2

Set your hours

Days worked, time off, and the realistic share of your week you can actually bill.

3

Get your rate

See the ideal hourly rate your business needs — and the break-even floor beneath it.

The math behind every project you quote

A few facts freelancers forget when they stop billing hourly.

Fixed Prices Still Have an Hourly Rate

Every fixed-price project has an effective hourly rate. The goal is to make sure it's higher — not lower — than your operating rate.

Profit Doesn't Happen by Accident

Charging less than your operating rate means you're slowly losing money — even if your calendar is full.

Not Every Hour Is Billable

Most freelancers spend part of their week on marketing, admin, or meetings. Your rate needs to account for those hours.

Know Your Break-Even Point

Your break-even rate tells you the minimum you can charge without losing money. Everything above that contributes to profit.

Revenue ≠ Profit

Earning $100,000 doesn't mean you made $100,000. Your operating costs determine how much of that revenue you actually keep.

Every Quote Has Math Behind It

Whether you bill hourly, daily, weekly, or by the project, every successful pricing model starts with understanding your costs.

Project pricing answers ‘what should I charge?’
Your hourly rate answers ‘will my business survive?’

Know both. Price with confidence.

Freelancers price with more confidence

“I've priced every project by gut feel for years. Now I know the number I can't quote under.”

“Turned a vague fixed-price quote into a number I could actually defend to a client.”

“Finally a tool that treats my rate like a business metric, not just a pricing guess.”

One price. Yours forever.

No subscriptions. Pay once, use it for every project and every client from now on.

$19 one-time
  • Full rate & break-even calculator
  • Project-pricing converter
  • Downloadable PDF rate report
  • Free updates, forever
Get instant access

Frequently asked questions

I charge by the project. Do I still need this?

Yes — especially then. This calculator finds the hourly rate your fixed-price quotes need to clear so every project still hits your real profit target.

Is this the same as a “what should I charge?” calculator?

No. Those tools guess at market rates. HourlyRated works backward from your expenses, income goals, and billable hours to find the rate your business actually needs to survive.

Is it a subscription?

No — one-time payment, use it for every project and every client after that, with free updates.

Can I export or share my results?

Yes, generate a PDF rate report you can keep for your own records or reference when quoting.

Does it account for time off and non-billable hours?

Yes — vacations, holidays, admin time, and other non-billable hours all factor into your realistic annual billable hours.

Know your number before you send the next quote.

Try the calculator free