🔧 I Compared the True Cost of Freelancing on Every Developer Platform in 2026 — With Actual Code to Calculate Your Real Rate

I wrote a script to calculate my actual hourly rate after platform fees, taxes, and the benefits gap. The output made me rethink everything about where I sell my time.



// The moment I realized I was leaving $187K on the table
const annualGross = 120 * 30 * 52; // $120/hr, 30 billable hrs/wk
const fiverrTake = annualGross * 0.80; //...