How they differ
| Agency | Fractional | |
|---|---|---|
| Who works on it | 4 to 12 people | One person, from strategy to handoff |
| Pricing | Project price plus change orders | Fixed price, or a monthly partner plan |
| Process | Tickets and account managers | Direct and light |
| If someone leaves | Others know the project | Code, logins and docs live in your accounts |
When an agency fits
- The project needs several full-time specialists: brand, photography, copy, development, paid media
- The build budget is above $75k
- Procurement requires a firm with insurance, master agreements and a roster
- You need round-the-clock on-call support after launch
- Regulated work, such as health or finance, needs specialist review
When a fractional fits
- You want one person who understands the whole stack and your mission
- You want strategy, design and code from the same head, with no handoffs
- You are a nonprofit, B Corp or mission-driven team, and agency overhead is a poor use of restricted funds
What it costs
Agency figures are ranges I see quoted to mission-driven orgs. Red Mage figures are my current floors.
| Work | Agency quotes | Red Mage |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing site | $25k to $75k | From $2,500 (landing page), from $4,500 (website) |
| Custom application | $80k to $300k | From $5,000 |
| Ongoing technical help | $3k to $8k a month | $750 a month (advisory), $2,500 to $7,500 a month (partner) |
The setup that usually works
For most mission-driven orgs, one fractional technologist on a monthly plan covers strategy, the build and upkeep. A photographer, a full rebrand or a paid-media campaign is the exception.
When a project needs a specialist I don't cover, I say so and point you to someone I trust. The pricing page lists every offer.
What it looks like: Entera Skincare started with storefront fixes and moved to a monthly plan, so store issues went to one technical lead instead of the founders' weekends.
Common questions
- What about hiring in-house?
- Hire in-house when there is steady, full-time work for a developer. Below that, you pay a salary for someone who is underused.
- What if my fractional disappears?
- A real risk, so plan for it. The code lives in your GitHub, every login is your account, the docs sit in your workspace, and the stack uses common tools (React, Supabase, Stripe) any developer can pick up.
- Can we start with a fractional and move to an agency later?
- Yes, and it is a common path. A fractional helps you define what you need, and an agency takes over when the work outgrows one person. The reverse is harder.
By Andrés Sepúlveda Morales. Top Independent on Contra, rated 4.99 (opens in a new tab) by clients and collaborators, and a speaker on AI in English and Spanish.