I built a zero-BS calculator to find your true freelance rate (and avoid burnout)
Source: Dev.to
The Problem
When I started taking on freelance projects, I made a classic mistake: I divided my target annual income by 2 080 hours (40 hours × 52 weeks).
The result? I severely underpriced myself because I forgot to factor in:
- ❌ Unpaid vacations and sick days
- ❌ Non‑billable admin and sales work
- ❌ Software subscriptions & hosting costs
- ❌ Taxes
The Solution: MVR (Minimum Viable Rate) Calculator
I got tired of complex spreadsheets, so I built the MVR (Minimum Viable Rate) Calculator.
It’s a 100 % free, privacy‑first tool that runs locally in your browser. You plug in your financial goals and realistic constraints, and it reverse‑engineers the absolute minimum you need to charge per billable hour to survive.
👉 Live tool:
(link to the live tool should be inserted here if available)
Tech Stack
- Built with vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- The hardest part was getting the CSS Flexbox to scale massively long numbers without breaking the UI.
Call for Feedback
I just launched it today. I would love your brutal feedback! Does the math hold up for your specific niche? Let me know in the comments below. 👇