Retainer
A retainer reserves ongoing team capacity each month so improvements, fixes, and operations do not restart from a new sales cycle every time.
What it means
Retainers typically cover a mix of planned improvements, reactive support, monitoring, and communication cadence. They work best when the backlog is continuous and priorities can be reordered monthly.
When buyers ask about it
Clients ask after launch, when an internal team is thin, or when a product needs steady iteration more than a one-off project. Fixed-price projects are usually better for a well-bounded first release.
How Techoice approaches it
Our hosting and maintenance retainers pair operational ownership with a clear monthly capacity. Compare fixed-price versus retainer when you are unsure which commercial model matches your roadmap volatility.