FREE PRICING & PROFITABILITY CALCULATOR
Know the margin before you chase the revenue.
MarginMate.ai helps freelancers, consultants, and agencies calculate real profit, break-even price, and recommended quote in under 30 seconds.
- Price projects with revisions, overhead, and software costs included
- Spot bad deals before they eat your week
- Use the paid pack to tighten scope and protect margins
Quoted price
$2,500
Total real cost
$1,375
Expected profit
$1,125
Recommended quote
$1,964.29
THE CALCULATOR
Run the numbers before you send the quote.
No logins. No fluff. Just a clearer way to understand what the deal is actually worth.
DEAL SCORE
Healthy deal
Worth taking.
Minimum viable quote
$0.00
Recommended quote
$0.00
How MarginMate thinks
- Delivery cost = hours × internal cost/hour
- Revision cost = delivery cost × revision buffer
- Overhead cost = (delivery + revisions + software) × overhead
- Recommended quote = total real cost ÷ (1 - target margin)
Tip: copy a summary and paste it into your proposal draft.
HOW IT WORKS
Simple math. Better decisions.
MarginMate turns rough pricing guesses into a clearer decision tool for beginners and experienced operators alike.
1
Enter the real inputs
Add hours, internal cost, software or contractor costs, revision buffer, overhead, and your target margin.
2
See the true economics
MarginMate calculates the actual cost of delivery, expected profit, break-even point, and a recommended quote.
3
Decide like an adult
Take the deal, raise the price, tighten the scope, or walk away before the project turns into charity work.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Revenue is vanity. Margin is survival.
Scope creep kills profit
A deal that looks good on paper can turn rotten once revision cycles kick in.
Overhead is real
Software, admin time, contractors, and business overhead do not vanish because the client pays fast.
Gut-feel pricing is expensive
MarginMate tells you whether to take the deal, raise the price, or cut the scope.
EXAMPLE SCENARIO
What this looks like for a real copywriting proposal.
A realistic example for a freelance copywriter pricing a website copy package for a service business.
Scenario
Website copy package for a local law firm
- Quoted price: $3,200
- Estimated hours: 24
- Internal cost per hour: $65
- Software / contractor costs: $150
- Revision buffer: 20%
- Overhead: 12%
- Target margin: 35%
Result
Total real cost$2,369.09
Expected profit$830.91
Profit margin26.0%
Recommended quote$3,644.75
In plain English: this proposal is still profitable, but it misses the target margin. A copywriter in this position should either raise the quote, tighten the scope, or reduce revisions before sending the proposal.
WHY MARGINMATE
Built to be useful, transparent, and low-friction.
No account required for the calculator. Clear formulas. One-time purchase for the paid pack.
FOUNDER NOTE
I built this because pricing services is where many consultants quietly lose.
When I started consulting, I had no clear idea what to charge. I did not want to scare good clients away with pricing that felt too high, but I also refused to build myself a worse job by undercharging.
The hardest part was not just picking a number. It was separating services clearly enough that one client buying one thing did not assume they had purchased the entire suite. Over time, I built a more systematic way to price around two realities: the value created in the client’s mind and the hours required to deliver the work properly.
That approach helped me grow a profitable consulting business, hire people, and deliver work clients still feel is worth the price. MarginMate is the distilled version of that thinking: clearer scope, cleaner pricing, better margins.
Transparent math
The calculator shows exactly how it arrives at cost, margin, and recommended quote.
No login required
The free calculator works instantly in the browser. No signup wall. No unnecessary friction.
One-time payment
The Pricing Pack is a simple one-time purchase delivered through Gumroad. No subscription trap.
Beginner-friendly, not dumbed down
Clear enough for newer freelancers and consultants, useful enough for experienced operators who want cleaner pricing discipline.
PAID UPSELL
Get the MarginMate Pricing Pack — $19
The free calculator gets you the answer. The paid pack helps you operationalize it.
- Advanced pricing sheet with example scenarios
- Retainer pricing planner
- Proposal pricing worksheet
- Service suite planner spreadsheet
- Client pricing scenario worksheet
- Discount protection worksheet
- Capacity and profit planner
- Scope creep checklist
- Profitability review template
$19 one-time
Practical templates. No subscription nonsense.
Get the Pricing PackSecure checkout and file delivery are handled by Gumroad. The free calculator remains open on MarginMate.ai.
FAQ
Short answers for practical people.
Who is this for?
Freelancers, consultants, and boutique agencies selling project or retainer work.
Is the calculator free?
Yes. The calculator is free. The paid Pricing Pack adds spreadsheets and operating templates.
Can I use this for retainers?
Yes. Estimate the monthly hours, fixed costs, and target margin, then work backward from there.
Do I need to sign up?
No. Open the page, run the numbers, and decide whether the deal is worth your time.
How is payment handled?
The paid pack is sold through Gumroad for secure checkout and automatic file delivery.
Will this replace judgment?
No. It improves pricing discipline. You still need to decide whether the client, scope, and timeline are sane.
READY TO PRICE WITH MORE CONFIDENCE?
Get the MarginMate Pricing Pack and stop guessing what your work should cost.
Use the free calculator for quick answers, then use the worksheets and planners to price services, protect scope, and build a healthier client portfolio.