Fractional CTO Cost Calculator
UK 2026 market rates. Pick an engagement shape and see the monthly and annual cost, next to what a full-time CTO hire costs in year 1 once NI, pension, recruitment and kit are counted. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Calculator
What the numbers don't tell you
The calculator prices the engagement, not the outcome. A cheap fractional CTO who makes one bad architecture call costs more than an expensive one who prevents it. When you compare candidates, weight judgement and track record over day rate.
The full breakdown of what sits behind these rates, including what each tier delivers and the questions to ask before signing, is in the 2026 fractional CTO cost guide. My own pricing is published on the services page: retainers £8,000–£16,000 a month for experienced operators, interim from £1,400 a day.
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Common questions
How much does a fractional CTO cost in the UK?
UK fractional CTO day rates in 2026 run from around £900 to £1,600 per day. A typical engagement of 1 to 4 days per week works out at £3,600 to £19,200 per month on a retainer basis; experienced operators serving funded startups sit at £8,000 to £16,000 per month. An interim (full-time, fixed-term) CTO at typical day rates of £1,000 to £1,600 runs £20,000 to £32,000 per month.
How does fractional CTO cost compare with a full-time CTO?
A full-time CTO at a UK Series A startup runs £120,000 to £180,000 in base salary, before employer National Insurance at 13.8%, pension contributions, recruitment fees and equipment. Year 1 all-in typically exceeds £170,000. A 2-day-per-week fractional engagement costs roughly £115,000 per year, and 1 day per week roughly £57,000, a 40 to 65% saving at an equivalent level of seniority.
What is included in a fractional CTO retainer?
A retainer normally covers strategic and operational leadership on the agreed days: technology strategy and roadmap, architecture decisions, engineering team leadership and hiring, board and investor reporting, plus availability between sessions for decisions that cannot wait.
Want the numbers for your situation?
Book a 30-minute discovery call. If a fractional CTO isn't the right spend for your stage, I'll say so on the call.