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Free freelance writing rate calculator

Charging by the word? See the hourly it actually pays before you say yes. Or work backwards from the hourly you need to the per-word rate you should quote. Built for freelance writers, editors and content creators — runs in your browser, nothing uploaded.

Per-word ↔ hourly both ways Adjustable writing speed EN + 繁體中文

A per-word rate is only as good as the hourly behind it

"$0.10 a word" sounds clean, but it hides the number that actually matters: how much you earn per hour. A 1,500-word piece at $0.10 is $150 — great if it takes you two hours, painful if the research drags it to six. This calculator turns a per-word rate into the effective hourly for a real piece, so you can spot the jobs that quietly underpay before you accept them.

It works in both directions. In price-a-project mode, enter your per-word rate and the word count and it shows the project total, the estimated hours at your writing speed, and the effective hourly. In find-my-rate mode, enter the hourly you want and your writing speed and it returns the per-word rate to quote — plus what common article lengths would bill at that rate.

What it works out

Project total

Per-word rate × word count, formatted and ready to drop into a quote.

Effective hourly

What the per-word quote really pays once you factor in your writing speed.

Per-word rate you need

Work backwards from a target hourly so you never quote below your floor.

Adjustable writing speed

Set realistic finished words per hour — research and edits included, not raw typing speed.

Common lengths

See what 1,000- and 2,000-word pieces bill, so quoting is instant.

Private & offline

Runs entirely in your browser. Your rates never leave your computer.

How to set your writing rate in 3 steps

  1. Set your writing speed — the finished words per hour you really produce, including research and edits (most writers land between 500 and 1,000).
  2. Enter a target hourly (or a per-word rate you've been offered).
  3. Read the result — the per-word rate to quote, or the effective hourly a quote actually pays.

From rate to getting paid

Once your rate is set, the rest of the workflow stays offline too: lock the scope and revision limits in a contract, turn finished work into a clean invoice, track your hours to sanity-check that effective hourly on real jobs, and keep an eye on the money with the expense & tax tracker. All one-time purchases, no subscription. Get all five in the $39 Freelance Tools Suite · also on Payhip.

Frequently asked questions

Is this writing rate calculator free?
Yes, completely. It runs in your browser with no account and nothing uploaded. There is no paid version of the calculator itself.
How do I calculate a per-word writing rate?
Divide the hourly you want by your finished words per hour. A $60/hour target at 600 words/hour is $0.10 per word. The tool does this and shows what common lengths would bill.
What's a good per-word rate in 2026?
It ranges from a few cents per word for entry-level content to $0.50–$1.00+ for specialist or technical work. Instead of copying a benchmark, work backwards from your real hourly and speed.
Per word or per hour?
Per word rewards speed and gives the client a fixed total; hourly protects you on research-heavy jobs. The tool shows the effective hourly of a per-word quote so you can compare for a given piece.
Is my data private?
Completely. Zero network requests — your rates and word counts stay on your computer.

More free tools for freelancers

Part of a set of offline, no-subscription tools that cover the whole freelance workflow:

Quote with confidence

See the real hourly behind any per-word rate in two minutes. Free, no account, nothing uploaded.

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