Fractional CTO pricing: what it really costs, and why Stratgik starts at $49/month

Most founders arrive at this page after getting a number somewhere else. A traditional fractional CTO in 2026 charges $8,000 to $25,000 per month on retainer, or roughly $200 to $350 per hour on an hourly arrangement. That is real money for real seniority, and for a Series A company with an engineering team to run, it is often the right buy.

It is almost never the right first purchase for a founder who has an idea, two agency quotes and no way to judge either. What that founder needs is not forty hours a month of executive time. It is judgment at the decision points — before the stack is chosen, before the contract is signed, before the first hire is made — plus somebody senior checking that the work being billed is the work being done.

That is the whole design of Stratgik's pricing. The senior person makes and reviews the decisions. Supervised developers, billed transparently by the hour, do the building. You pay a small monthly fee for the judgment and the oversight, and you pay for construction only when you are actually constructing something.

The three plans in plain English

Starter — $49/month

For founders in the decision phase: validating an idea, comparing quotes, deciding whether to build at all. You get a named senior tech manager, a monthly strategy session, unlimited asynchronous questions between sessions, and review of any quote, contract, hire or architecture decision before you commit to it. Most Starter clients use it to avoid a five-figure mistake in the first sixty days.

Growth — $199/month

For founders who are actively building. Everything in Starter, plus weekly sessions, direct supervision of your developers or agency, delivery reviews before you release payment, and hands-on support when you are hiring. This is the plan for the person who has a build underway and no way to tell whether it is going well.

Enterprise — custom

For funded startups and established businesses that need a dedicated tech manager owning the roadmap, security and compliance posture, vendor relationships and team structure. Scoped to what you actually need rather than to a standard executive retainer.

How Stratgik compares

What development costs on top

The subscription buys judgment and oversight. Building is separate, billed by the hour, and quoted before work starts. As a planning range, based on the scopes we see most often:

• Lean MVP, one core user journey — roughly $8,000–$15,000, live in 4–8 weeks.
• Standard MVP with accounts, payments and an admin panel — roughly $15,000–$28,000, live in 8–12 weeks.
• Complex MVP with multiple user types, real-time features or integrations — roughly $28,000–$40,000, live in 12–16 weeks.
• Ongoing iteration after launch — usually a small monthly block of supervised hours rather than a second big project.

If your idea can be validated without any of this, we will tell you so in the free session. That conversation costs us an hour and saves founders tens of thousands of dollars often enough that it remains the best marketing we have.

What is not included

Being explicit is cheaper than being surprised. The monthly plans do not include: writing production code, design and brand work, paid advertising management, or acting as your legal or financial adviser. Third-party costs — cloud hosting, domains, SaaS subscriptions, app-store fees — are billed to your own accounts, in your own name, so you keep control if you ever stop working with us.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a fractional CTO cost?

A traditional fractional CTO costs $8,000–$25,000 per month, or roughly $200–$350 per hour. Stratgik starts at $49 per month because a senior tech manager supervises hourly-billed developers instead of selling you a full executive retainer.

What do I actually get for $49 a month?

A named senior tech manager, a monthly strategy session, unlimited async questions, and review of any quote, contract, hire or architecture decision before you commit to it.

Is there a contract or minimum term?

No. Every plan is month to month and you can cancel at any time. The first 30-minute session is free and does not require a card.

What does development cost on top of the subscription?

Development is billed separately and transparently by the hour, supervised by your tech manager. A focused MVP typically lands between $8,000 and $40,000 depending on scope.

Why is Stratgik so much cheaper than other fractional CTOs?

Most fractional CTOs sell executive time by the day. Stratgik sells judgment plus supervision: the senior person makes the decisions and reviews the work, while supervised developers do the building. You are not paying executive rates for hours that do not need an executive.

Can I upgrade, downgrade or pause?

Yes. Founders routinely start on Starter while deciding, move to Growth for the build, and drop back to Starter once the product is stable. Changes take effect from the next billing cycle.

Do you work with founders outside India?

Yes. Stratgik works remotely with founders worldwide, most commonly in the United States, the UAE, Singapore, the United Kingdom and India. Sessions are scheduled to your timezone.

Start with the free session

Thirty minutes with a senior tech expert — not a salesperson. Bring your idea, your agency quotes or your stuck project, and leave with a straight assessment and one concrete next step. No card required. Book your free 30-minute session, or try the free app cost estimator first to get a range in two minutes.