Comparison
A retainer buys ongoing capacity for work with no natural end point. Project pricing buys a defined outcome with a fixed scope and price. Buying the wrong shape produces either idle capacity you pay for or change-order arguments you did not budget for.
When the first option wins
A retainer wins for measurement, publishing, campaign management, and optimisation — work that recurs monthly whether or not anything interesting is happening.
When the second option wins
Project pricing wins for website builds, migrations, audits, and rebrands — anything with a beginning, an end, and a definable deliverable.
Verdict
The common failure is buying a retainer for episodic work. If you cannot name what next month's hours will do, you are probably buying the wrong shape.
Not sure which applies to you? Describe the situation.
Start the conversation