Retainers buy ongoing capacity. Projects buy defined deliverables.
Agency retainers provide ongoing development capacity at a monthly fee. Project-based engagements deliver a defined product for a fixed price. For founders building their first product, project-based is usually better. Retainers make more sense after launch when you have ongoing feature development.
Engagement structure decision between a monthly retainer for ongoing development and a project-based fixed-price engagement
Agency retainer: A monthly fee (typically $5k-$25k/month) that buys a defined number of hours or sprints of development capacity. The retainer provides ongoing access to the development team for new features, bug fixes, and maintenance.
Works when:
- You have an active product with ongoing feature development
- You have an internal product manager who can direct the work
- Monthly volume of development needs is consistent
Problems:
- You're paying whether you use all the hours or not
- Without strong product management, retainers drift
- Incentive to fill the hours rather than deliver efficiently
- Long retainer relationships can create dependency
Project-based: A fixed price for a defined deliverable. Clear start, clear end, clear what you get.
Works when:
- Building a new product or a defined new feature set
- Budget is fixed and you need certainty
- The deliverable is specific enough to scope
Problems:
- Scope changes require change orders
- After delivery, you need to plan the next project (or retainer)
The lifecycle: Pre-launch: project-based. You need the MVP built. Define the scope, pay the fixed price. Post-launch: retainer makes more sense if ongoing development is needed. The product exists, features are being added continuously, and the retainer provides the capacity.
Engagement structure that matches the stage — fixed-price project for greenfield builds, retainer for post-launch ongoing development
Fixed-price projects for product builds. Post-launch retainers for clients who need ongoing development. Most relationships start with a project.
One honest number to start.
Fixed-scope, fixed-price. The number below is the starting point — final scope is built from your brief.
Engagement structure that matches the stage — fixed-price project for greenfield builds, retainer for post-launch ongoing development
Three steps, every time.
The same repeatable engagement on every project. No surprises, no mystery, no billable ambiguity.
Brief & discovery.
We send you questions, then get on a call. Output: a written scope with every step, feature, and integration listed.
Build & ship.
Fixed schedule, weekly reviews. No scope creep unless you change the scope — and if you do, we reprice it transparently.
Warranty & retainer.
30-day warranty on every launch. Most clients stay on a monthly retainer for ongoing features and maintenance.
Why Fixed-Price Matters Here
The initial build is always fixed price. Post-launch retainer options available for clients with active products.
Questions, answered.
A defined number of hours per month (e.g., 20 hours) applied to feature requests, bug fixes, and performance work. Priced as a monthly fee with a defined scope of work per sprint.
Retainer terms include pause clauses. Most clients pause during periods of low development activity.
Tell Ryel about your project.
Describe what you’re building and what outcome you need. You’ll have a written, fixed-price scope within the week.