For independent consultants

Retainer tracking software for consultants

RetainerMeter helps independent consultants track retainer hours, live burn, additional billable hours, and professional invoices. Choose local-first Desktop or browser-based Web.

Download free trial for Windows Linux AppImage Start a free Web trial See how it works

Desktop: 30-day trial, local-first, no cloud account. Web: 30-day full trial, no card required, separate cloud storage, no sync.

RetainerMeter retainer tracking software showing live burn cards, consultant hours, additional hours, and weekly time tracking
Weekly time tracking grid with live burn cards showing hours used, remaining hours, and retainer pace for multiple consultant clients.

Choose your edition

The same focused consultant workflow, with different ownership and storage

Desktop

Local-first storage, offline day-to-day use, and a permanent one-time licence for Windows or Linux.

$129 one time · current Desktop offer independently governed

Explore DesktopDownload trial

Web

No installation, a separate cloud workspace, and access from your supported desktop browsers. Single-user and no sync with Desktop.

$15/month or $150/year, tax-inclusive · 30-day full trial

Start Web trialCompare editions

The problem

Where spreadsheets start to strain

01

You spot an overrun too late

You log the week's hours and discover that a client passed the allowance several days ago. The conversation about scope and additional work now happens after the problem has developed.

02

Invoice preparation means reconciling several files

You compare the time log with a rate table, calculate additional hours, and rebuild the invoice each month. The work takes time and creates more places for errors to enter.

03

One file carries too much risk

A spreadsheet without versioning, a backup routine, or an audit trail can put years of billing history at risk.

How it works

From hours logged to invoice ready, without spreadsheet cleanup

Step 01

Log hours quickly

A keyboard-friendly weekly grid lets you tab through days and clients at full speed. Autosave reduces the risk of losing edits. Copy last week's structure from the toolbar at the start of each week.

Step 02

See where every retainer stands

Live burn cards update as you type. Each card shows hours used, hours remaining, risk of exceeding the retainer, and whether you're ahead or behind the expected pace for the month, so you can act before it becomes a problem.

Step 03

Prepare the invoice

RetainerMeter generates a branded PDF invoice with your logo, line items, notes, retainer fee, additional hours, and tax. HTML export is still there when you want an editable archive copy. Mark invoices as sent, record payment, and track outstanding balances in the billing panel.

Watch the product walkthrough

See the core flow in about two minutes: consultant setup, client retainers, weekly hours, burn tracking, and invoice preview.

Billing proof

See the invoice before it leaves your desk

Open the billing view, preview the invoice, and confirm retainers, additional hours, tax, payment status, and export history before sending anything to a client.

RetainerMeter Billing tab beside an invoice preview showing retainer fees, additional hours, VAT, payment terms, and balance due
Consultant billing dashboard beside a PDF invoice preview with retainer fees, additional hours, VAT, payment terms, and balance due.

Features

Core tools for retainer-based consulting

⚡

Live burn tracking

Burn cards update in real time as you enter hours. Pace indicators show whether you're ahead or behind, while Retainer Forecast projects the likely month-end hours and financial effect once there is enough current-month activity.

📄

Billing models that match the agreement

Desktop and Web support four billing models: hourly, flat monthly retainer, retainer with additional billable hours, and day-based retainer with configurable hours per day. RetainerMeter builds the corresponding invoice structure from the terms you enter.

🔒

Invoice locking

Mark an invoice as sent and it locks. Correcting a prior week's hours won't silently change an amount you've already invoiced. Export counts and timestamps help you track what was generated.

⌨️

Keyboard-first entry

Tab, Enter, and arrow keys navigate the weekly grid. Undo and redo are built in. Copy last week from the toolbar when you want a fast starting point.

💾

Choose your storage model

Desktop keeps working data on your machine. Web uses a separate cloud workspace. The editions do not synchronize. A manual backup transfer replaces the destination and does not merge the two datasets.

🌍

Multi-currency & tax

Set your invoice currency, tax label, and tax rate per your own market. USD is the default in the demo, but EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, and other common billing currencies are supported.

Ideal for

Professionals who manage recurring client work

Independent consultants

IT, software, business, and marketing consultants who need to see retainer usage before the month ends.

Fractional executives & advisers

Fractional CFOs, COOs, CMOs, CTOs, and independent advisers balancing recurring access, delivery, capacity, and additional work.

Freelancers & contractors

Designers, developers, coaches, and contractors who bill business clients through a monthly allowance or recurring fee.

Small consulting agencies

Small practices where one person owns the client time record, monthly retainer review, and invoicing workflow.

Accountants & finance consultants

Independent finance professionals who sell recurring advisory work and need a clear operational billing record.

Local-first businesses

Professionals who prefer ordinary client time and invoice data to remain on their own Windows or Linux computer.

Questions consultants ask

Retainer tracking, additional hours, and invoices without spreadsheet cleanup

What is retainer tracking software?

Retainer tracking software helps consultants record time against each client retainer, compare hours used with hours included, and see whether a retainer is on pace before the month ends.

Can RetainerMeter track additional billable hours above a retainer?

Yes. Desktop and Web support hourly work, flat monthly retainers, retainers with additional billable hours, and day-based retainers with configurable hours per day. RetainerMeter calculates hours above the allowance and includes them on the invoice.

Does RetainerMeter create consultant invoices?

Yes. The billing view previews professional invoices with retainer fees, additional hours, tax, payment terms, and balance due. You can export PDF invoices and HTML archive copies.

Is RetainerMeter available as Desktop and Web software?

Desktop is local-first and works offline for normal tracking and invoicing. Web is a separate browser-based cloud edition with a 30-day full trial and no card required. The editions do not synchronize.

Can consultants track multiple client retainers?

Yes. RetainerMeter supports unlimited clients and retainers. Each client can have its own billing model, monthly fee, included hours, additional-hours rate, and time entries.

How does RetainerMeter calculate retainer burn?

RetainerMeter compares recorded hours with the client's included hours and the point reached in the month. Burn cards show hours used, hours remaining, percentage consumed, and whether usage is ahead of or behind the expected pace.

Can unused retainer hours roll over?

RetainerMeter can include a manually entered rollover-hours amount in burn and invoice calculations. It does not decide or carry hours forward automatically. Enter rollover according to the terms agreed with the client.

What happens when billable hours are added after an invoice is exported?

Exported invoice records stay locked. Valid late-entered work can appear in a separate additional-hours invoice so the invoice already provided to the client is not silently rewritten.

Resources

Retainer tracking and billing, explained

Retainer tracking software

How monthly burn, allowances, additional hours, and billing fit together in a dedicated workflow.

Product guide →

Consultant invoicing software

From approved retainer hours to invoice preview, PDF export, and a protected billing record.

Billing guide →

RetainerMeter vs Excel

A fair comparison of flexibility, live burn, invoice preparation, collaboration, and local control.

Compare workflows →

How to invoice a retainer client

A practical checklist for retainer fees, additional hours, final review, and invoice locking.

Read article →

Handle additional hours

Warn clients before the allowance runs out and avoid an invoice-day surprise.

Read article →

All retainer resources

Browse the growing library of practical guides for consultants who bill recurring client work.

Visit resources →

Use a retainer workflow RetainerMeter does not cover yet?

Tell me how you bill: prepaid hours, rollover rules, approval steps, quarterly retainers, project splits, or something else that does not fit the current models.

Tell me how you bill

Desktop stays local-first, offline, and permanently owned.

Desktop data stays on your machine. The Desktop edition stores app data in local JSON files. There is no cloud account to create for normal Desktop use. You remain responsible for protecting your device and backups.

Daily work stays offline. No internet connection is needed to log hours, view burn cards, or generate invoices. Update checks and downloads need the internet.

Buy once, keep it. The one-time licence keeps your purchased version of RetainerMeter working after the trial. Price includes applicable VAT/sales tax where required. Optional maintenance covers ongoing fixes, minor improvements, compatibility updates, and reasonable support for your licensed version.

Pricing

Choose permanent Desktop ownership or hosted Web

Public prices are USD and include applicable customer tax. Both editions can be tried before purchase.

Desktop

$129
One-time purchase after 30-day trial
  • All core features, unlimited clients and retainers
  • Branded PDF invoice generation, plus HTML archive export
  • All four billing models: hourly, flat retainer, retainer with additional billable hours, and day-based retainer
  • Backup, restore, CSV export, and configurable invoice currency
  • Keep using your purchased version even if you do not take maintenance
  • Optional updates plan: $9/month for fixes, minor improvements, compatibility updates, and reasonable support for your licensed version
  • Major upgrades are optional paid upgrades, currently expected around $49
  • Active updates-plan customers may receive a modest subscriber discount on paid future versions
  • Windows installer and Linux AppImage tested on Ubuntu 22+
Download free trial
Send me the desktop link
Optional updates plan: $9/month. Covers ongoing fixes, compatibility updates, minor improvements, and reasonable support for your licensed version. Major upgrades are separate optional purchases, currently expected around $49 when a meaningful new version ships. Active updates-plan customers may receive a modest subscriber discount at checkout.
No subscription required: if you stop the updates plan, your purchased version keeps working.

Web · hosted workspace

$15per month
$150per year
30-day full trial · no card required
  • Same solo clients, weekly hours, burn, and invoice workflow
  • Day-based retainers with configurable hours per day and hourly extras
  • Separate cloud storage across your supported desktop browsers
  • PDF, HTML, CSV, and portable backup exports
  • No organizations, teams, roles, invitations, or sharing
  • No synchronization with Desktop
  • Active paid Web can supply updates for a securely linked Desktop owner
Start Web trial
Try it before subscribing. Create your account and use the full Web workspace for 30 days without entering a card.
Cloud-hosted · subscription · separate dataset

Start with RetainerMeter Desktop

RetainerMeter is available now as a signed Windows installer and a Linux AppImage. No email is required to download.

RetainerMeter installs on Windows and Linux. Send yourself the desktop link and open it from your computer.

Start with the 30-day trial

Purchase and activation happen inside the app when you are ready.

Download free trial for Windows Download Linux AppImage

Need Linux? Download the Linux AppImage.

Send me the desktop link

Windows installer · 30-day trial · no credit card.

Public downloads are live for the signed release builds. What’s new in Desktop v1.0.2