Knowing what to charge for web projects is challenging, especially if you’re just starting out.
Even if you’re a veteran web professional, you may not be aware of what the going market rate is for your work.
You don’t want to undercharge for your services, but often that’s the case for freelancers.
But how do you know what your web professional services are worth?
It’s a question I’m asked frequently at Metro Detroit WordPress and Refresh Detroit meetup events.
If you’re based in the United States, you have a new option to explore what freelancer web designers and developers are charging for projects.
Bonsai Rate Explorer
Announced today, the free Bonsai Rate Explorer allows you discover what freelancers are charging for development and design services.
In an easy-to-use interface, Rate Explorer breaks down the data by designer or developer role and allows you to delve deeper by:
- Skills
- Level of experience
- Location
For developers, you can learn about market rates for:
- Full stack
- Front-end
- Back-end
- DevOps
- iOS
- Android
For designers, you can find market rates for:
- Graphic/logo/print
- User experience/user interface
- Web/mobile
- 3D modeling
- Product design
Bonsai uses data gathered from Bonsai Contracts, their free tool for creating work contracts. In addition, they include private and public data sets as well as submissions by users.
From the Rate Explorer information page:
Many factors go into pricing, and this should be one of several you use.
Being aware of market rates for your experience and services can build your confidence when presenting your proposals to clients.
At this time, the United States is the only country where Bonsai offers Rate Explorer. They’re working on adding more countries.
Email Bonsai if you have any questions about Rate Explorer.
My Thoughts
I found the Rate Explorer information helpful, and generally confirmed the rates I’m familiar with in our area.
However, their geographic location isn’t very specific. The Midwest covers a wide area, including cities like Chicago where market rates will generally be a lot higher than medium-sized cities.
I’d love to see a further breakdown by state, or even city. As more people submit their rates, I hope Bonsai considers further breakdowns.
What do you think of Bonsai’s Rate Explorer? If you know of other web design and development pricing sites, share them in the comments.
