Freelance runway calculator
Irregular income makes savings a working tool rather than a rainy-day fund. This shows how long you'd last if the work stopped, and what a comfortable cushion looks like.
Estimate only. Figures update as you type. Not tax advice — see the note at the bottom of this page.
Runway is the number that governs your choices
Freelancers with a short runway take work they shouldn't: bad clients, underpriced projects, scope they know will go wrong. Freelancers with a long runway can decline. The savings figure isn't just security, it's negotiating position, and it shows up in the rates people are willing to hold out for.
Count recurring income separately
Retainers and recurring work behave differently from project income because they'd survive a slow quarter. Separating them from one-off project revenue gives a truer picture of what a downturn actually looks like, which is usually less catastrophic than the worst case but worse than people assume.
Don't forget the tax you're holding
If your savings account also contains money set aside for quarterly taxes, that portion is not runway. It's already spent, it just hasn't left yet. Counting it twice is a common and unpleasant surprise. Keeping tax money in a separate account entirely removes the temptation to mistake it for a cushion.
How much is enough
Employees are often told three to six months. Freelancers generally want more, because income gaps are routine rather than exceptional and there's no severance or unemployment cushion in most cases. Where exactly you land depends on how lumpy your income is and how quickly you can replace a lost client.
Common questions
How many months of runway should a freelancer have?
More than the three to six months typically suggested for employees, because freelance income gaps are normal rather than exceptional. Many aim for six to twelve.
Should tax savings count as runway?
No. Money set aside for quarterly taxes is already committed. Counting it as a cushion overstates your position by a large margin.
What if my income covers my expenses?
Then the runway is indefinite at current levels, and the calculator says so. The useful figure then becomes the zero-income line, which is what a genuinely bad quarter looks like.