How Rateven builds these numbers
A plain-English walk through the data sources, the math, and what we refuse to do. The short version: public sources only, quarterly refresh, no user-submitted data, no scraping, no legal advice.
Which tool for which job
Rateven is one website with several tools. Each answers a different question.
| If you are about to | Use this tool |
|---|---|
| Quote a brand-new integration project | Calculator (home) |
| Second-guess a quote you already wrote | Check my quote |
| Write a VAT-safe EU invoice | VAT annex (Pro) |
| Spot warning signs in a client's brief | Red flags scanner |
| Price a mid-project scope change | Scope change calculator |
| Find a client's budget without pushing | Budget discovery |
New to Rateven? Take the 60-second tour and we walk you through every tool.
The component model
For Stripe, Shopify, HubSpot, and Supabase integrations the calculator returns a line-by-line breakdown: auth setup, subscription billing, webhook endpoint, customer portal, testing, deployment, handoff, and so on. Each line has a time range (hours), a rate range (USD per hour), a subtotal, and a clickable public source.
Time ranges come from a combination of vendor-documentation complexity signals (the Stripe webhooks docs, the Shopify app submission guide, the HubSpot CRM API docs, the Supabase local-development docs) and published freelance benchmarks. Rate ranges come from public marketplace data, not from user submissions.
Sources we use
- Upwork: published freelance developer rate guides and hiring-cost pages.
- Toptal: public developer rate calculator and category pages.
- Clutch: published ranges for freelance web and mobile development.
- Arc.dev: aggregated freelance rate data.
- Stack Overflow Developer Survey: regional salary and freelance figures.
- Vendor documentation (Stripe, Shopify, HubSpot, Supabase): complexity signals that calibrate time ranges.
The math
Per component, subtotal = (hours_min × rate_min, hours_max × rate_max). Integration total = sum of subtotals across selected components. Above that we apply the existing Rateven factors: systems count, timeline pressure, and maintenance scope. The range on the calculator page is midpoint × 0.75 to midpoint × 1.40, reflecting scope uncertainty.
All of this is deterministic. The same inputs produce the same output every time. You can put the number in front of a client and defend it.
What we refuse to do
- No user-submitted rate data. Crowdsourced rate pooling can create antitrust exposure. We do not accept it.
- No scraping. We link to the canonical public pages. We do not scrape them.
- No contract generation. We do not draft legal documents. That is unauthorized practice of law in most jurisdictions.
- No tracking. No analytics cookies, no ad networks, no cross-site profiling.
- No sign-up on the free tier. Ever.
Refresh cadence
Every component is reviewed quarterly. Source URLs get checked for availability; stale citations get replaced or updated. Vendor product changes (new Stripe products, HubSpot API updates, Shopify checkout-extension changes) drive off-cycle updates.
First shipped: April 2026. Next scheduled refresh: July 2026.
FAQ
Where do the component rates come from?
Each component cites a public source, for example Upwork's freelance developer rate guide, Toptal's developer rate calculator, Clutch's published ranges, Arc.dev rates, Stack Overflow Developer Survey, or vendor documentation for complexity signals. Every citation is a clickable link on the calculator page.
How often are the numbers refreshed?
Quarterly. We review every component's time estimate, rate range, and citation on a calendar schedule. If a source goes stale we replace it; if a vendor changes a product we update the component.
Do you collect rate data from users?
No. We use only public-source data. This is both a privacy choice and a legal one.
Is this legal advice?
No. Rateven is informational. It does not draft contracts or legal terms. It does not replace an attorney.
What if my project does not fit any of the four integrations?
The calculator still returns a price range based on the factor model, without the component breakdown.