Side by side, downsides included
Compare the ways to pay for leads.
Retainer, pay per lead, pay per close, or buying shared leads from a marketplace. Here is what each one does to your bill, your pipeline and your brand, so you can pick with your eyes open.
- Every option's downsides, ours too
- No prices, no made-up statistics
- Written by the people who scope the work
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Reply within one business dayAt a glance
Four ways contractors pay for leads.
The short version. The full comparisons below go row by row.
| Side by side | Monthly retainerA fixed fee for the work | Pay per leadA price for each lead | Pay per closeA share of each sold job | Shared marketplaceLeads bought from a platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You pay for | The work | Leads that reach you | Jobs you sell | Each lead the platform sends |
| Slow month | Same bill | Smaller bill | Smaller bill | Smaller bill, fewer leads |
| Lead is shared | No | Depends on the seller | No | Often, with other pros |
| Builds something you keep | Usually, check the contract | Depends on the seller | Depends on the seller | Rarely |
| Fits best | Long-cycle work like SEO | Steady jobs of similar size | Big tickets, long sales cycles | Filling a gap in the schedule now |
Monthly retainer
A fixed fee for the work
- You pay for
- The work
- Slow month
- Same bill
- Lead is shared
- No
- Builds something you keep
- Usually, check the contract
- Fits best
- Long-cycle work like SEO
Pay per lead
A price for each lead
- You pay for
- Leads that reach you
- Slow month
- Smaller bill
- Lead is shared
- Depends on the seller
- Builds something you keep
- Depends on the seller
- Fits best
- Steady jobs of similar size
Pay per close
A share of each sold job
- You pay for
- Jobs you sell
- Slow month
- Smaller bill
- Lead is shared
- No
- Builds something you keep
- Depends on the seller
- Fits best
- Big tickets, long sales cycles
Shared marketplace
Leads bought from a platform
- You pay for
- Each lead the platform sends
- Slow month
- Smaller bill, fewer leads
- Lead is shared
- Often, with other pros
- Builds something you keep
- Rarely
- Fits best
- Filling a gap in the schedule now
The full comparisons
Pick the question you are actually asking.
Pay per lead vs retainer vs pay per close
Three ways to pay a marketing partner, what each one does to your bill in a slow month, and who each one fits.
Read the comparisonShared marketplace leads vs owning your lead source
Buying leads from a marketplace like Angi or HomeAdvisor, compared with leads from your own site, ads and Google profile.
Read the comparisonStill not sure which fits your trade?
Tell us what a typical job is worth and how leads arrive today. We will tell you which way your plan should lean.
Questions owners ask
About these comparisons.
Which way of paying for leads is best?
Why does Frontend Horizon mix the three?
Are these pages just a sales pitch?
Where are the prices?
Frontend Horizon, Dallas, TX
Your site should be paying for itself. Let's find out together.
Take ten minutes with us. You will leave knowing where your site stands and what we would do first, whether or not you hire us.
- Monthly retainer
- Pay per lead
- Pay per close
- A written read every Friday