+1 570 955 3538Fractional CTO for Small and Mid-Size Business
A fractional CTO is a part-time technical leader. You get someone who reads the vendor quote and tells you which software choice will cost you later. You do not pay for a full-time salary.
Starting at $3,900 per month for up to 20 hours. That is $195 per hour.
Your hours buy decisions and reviews. If you need code written, we quote that as a separate project.
What you get
| Part | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Regular call | A fixed weekly or biweekly slot to go over open technical questions |
| Vendor and agency review | We read quotes and contracts for technical scope, and list what is missing |
| Architecture review | What your site, CRM, and tools connect to, and where one failure stops everything |
| Security and backup check | Who has access, where backups live, and whether anyone has tested a restore |
| Roadmap | A written list of technical work in order, with rough effort for each item |
| Hiring help | Job description review and technical interview questions |
Hours are tracked and reported to you each month. Start date, notice period, and any extra-hours rate are set in your written agreement.
The process
- Scoping call. Your tools, your team, and the three decisions on your desk now.
- Written scope. The 20 hours are split into priorities.
- Month one. We review what exists before suggesting changes.
- Monthly report. Hours used, decisions made, open risks.
- Review. Keep, change, or stop.
How the price compares
Our number first: $3,900 ÷ 20 hours = $195 per hour. Over 12 months that is $46,800.
Other sellers publish ranges in their own blog posts. Their figures describe their own offers, not a market survey.
| Source | What it publishes | Our $195 per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Groovyweb guide (https://www.groovyweb.co/blog/fractional-cto-cost-2026-pricing-guide) | Advisory retainer $3,000 to $6,000 per month, typically 5 to 8 hours weekly. Effective retainer rate $150 to $350 per hour | Inside the hourly range. Our 20 hours is about 4.6 hours a week, a little under their advisory range |
| Groovyweb, same guide | Embedded retainer $8,000 to $15,000 per month, 15 to 25 hours weekly | Different service. We do not offer embedded work on this plan |
| UX Continuum (https://uxcontinuum.com/fractional-cto-pricing) | $170 to $250 per hour, median $200 | Inside the range |
A sample month
This is an example of how 20 hours can be used. Your scope is set in the quote.
| Item | Hours |
|---|---|
| Four weekly calls | 4 |
| Vendor quote and contract review | 5 |
| Architecture and security review | 5 |
| Hiring support | 3 |
| Roadmap and written notes | 3 |
| Total | 20 |
What we do not promise
- Full-time availability. 20 hours a month is about 4.6 hours a week.
- Code or delivery. Development is quoted separately.
- Business results. We advise on technical choices. Revenue and hiring outcomes depend on many things we do not control.
- Certifications or legal advice. A security check is a review, not an audit or compliance sign-off.
- A published case. We have no client case under the "fractional CTO" label. Treat the first month as a pilot with a written scope, and stop if it does not fit.
FAQ
Who is this for?
Owners who make technology decisions without a technical person in the room: a site rebuild, a CRM choice, an agency that sends invoices you cannot check.
Can you also build the work?
Yes, as a separate quote. We keep advice and delivery apart on paper so you can compare our build price with others.
What if we need more than 20 hours?
Extra hours and their price are written into the agreement before we start.
Does the fractional CTO become an employee?
No. You buy a service under a written agreement. Notice period and terms are in that agreement.
How do you work with our current developer or agency?
We read their work and talk to them. Your developer stays in place unless you decide otherwise.
Pricing
Fractional CTO: starting at $3,900 per month (up to 20 hours).
The agreement states the hour split, reporting, and notice period. Book a 15-minute scoping call
Why us
- A published hourly rate. $195 is simple arithmetic you can check.
- Advice and build kept apart. You can take our review and hire someone else.
- Written scope. You know what the hours cover.
Related: CRM setup and automation · Custom AI agents
Where our information comes from
- Groovyweb, fractional CTO pricing guide: https://www.groovyweb.co/blog/fractional-cto-cost-2026-pricing-guide (accessed 2026-10). A seller's own blog.
- UX Continuum, fractional CTO pricing: https://uxcontinuum.com/fractional-cto-pricing (accessed 2026-10). A seller's own page.
- Prices: our service price list of 2026-10-06 (starting prices).
- Hourly rate and weekly hours: our arithmetic. $3,900 ÷ 20 = $195. 20 hours ÷ 4.33 weeks is about 4.6 hours a week.
