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Powered by 2024 industry retainer-rate benchmarks.
See your real 12-month bill, both ways
Most retainers are a trap — you pay monthly and never know if you got your money's worth. Pick what you'd actually ship per quarter, drag the timeframe, see whether the $5,995/mo subscription or SKU-by-SKU is cheaper. Real numbers, no sales call.
Results
Buying individual SKUs
$31,960
over 4 quarters
Embedded Engineer subscription
$71,940
$6k/mo × 12 mo
Recommendation
Project SKUs win
At this volume, SKUs are $39,980 cheaper. Subscription only wins once you need ~5 SKUs/quarter.
- Buying individual projects
- Subscription
What this means
Buying 2 SKUs/quarter for 4 quarters costs $31,960. The Embedded Engineer subscription costs $71,940 for the same period. For this volume, SKUs are $39,980 cheaper — but lose flexibility.
Sources
These calculators apply public benchmark formulas to the inputs you provide. They are educational estimates, not professional advice.