Fractional CTO Companies & Services Compared (2026)

Fractional CTO companies range from independent consultancies to talent marketplaces, executive-search firms and dev agencies. 941 Consulting is an independent fractional CTO consultancy: you work directly with Romain Eude, a 5x CTO with a successful exit, from £699/month - far below the £150,000-£250,000+ salary, equity and benefits of a full-time CTO hire.

View Plans & Pricing

Types of Fractional CTO Company Compared

There is no single kind of fractional CTO provider. Each model differs in who does the work, how you engage, and what it costs. This table lists the main provider types with honest, typical pricing.

Provider typeExamplesWhat you getTypical pricing
Independent consultancy941 ConsultingWork directly with one senior operator who owns strategy and hands-on delivery.From £699/month (async) up to £9,599/month
Talent marketplaceGoFractional, ArcMatched with a vetted contractor; you manage the relationship yourself.Typically £800-£2,000/day
Recruitment / exec-search firmSpecialist CTO recruitersA candidate is sourced and placed; you employ them directly.Placement fee, often 20-30% of first-year salary
Dev agency with CTO add-onBuild agenciesA part-time CTO bundled alongside an outsourced build team.Usually bundled into project or retainer fees
Full-time CTO hireIn-house executiveA dedicated, full-time executive on your payroll.£150,000-£250,000+ salary plus equity, NI & benefits

Pricing figures are typical market ranges for comparison, not quotes. Marketplace and agency names are given as examples of each category only.

941 Consulting Service Packages & Pricing

941 Consulting offers four fractional CTO packages, all monthly and rolling. The Async CTO plan starts at £699/month with a 14-day free trial; day-based plans scale from two days a month to two days a week.

14-Day Free Trial

Async CTO

£699/month

Async Slack support

View plan

Foundation

£2,499/month

2 days/month

View plan
Most Popular

Momentum

£4,799/month

1 day/week

View plan

Breakthrough

£9,599/month

2 days/week

View plan

Fractional CTO vs Hiring a Full-Time Technology Executive

Comparing a fractional CTO with a full-time hire is mostly a question of cost, speed and commitment. A full-time CTO is a fully loaded executive salary; a fractional CTO is a monthly fee with no equity, employer costs or recruitment fee.

Cost factorFull-time CTOFractional CTO (941 Consulting)
Base salary£150,000-£250,000+ (typical UK market range)Included in the monthly fee
EquityTypically 0.5-2%+None
Employer NI, pension & benefitsRoughly 15-25% on top of salaryNone
Recruitment cost20-30% of salary (search fee)None
Time to startTypically 3-6 months to hireWithin days
Typical monthly cost£15,000-£25,000+ fully loaded£699-£9,599
CommitmentPermanent employmentMonthly, rolling

Full-time figures are typical UK market ranges, not a specific quote. For a deeper breakdown, see the fractional vs full-time CTO comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I compare fractional CTO providers?
Compare fractional CTO providers on four things: who actually does the work (a named senior operator vs a rotating contractor), engagement model (async, part-time days or interim), pricing transparency, and relevant track record. 941 Consulting is an independent consultancy where you work directly with Romain Eude, a 5x CTO with a successful exit, from £699/month.
What do fractional CTO services cost?
Fractional CTO services typically cost £800-£2,000 per day, or £699-£9,599 per month on a retainer. 941 Consulting's plans run from £699/month for async Slack advisory, £2,499/month for two days a month, £4,799/month for one day a week, up to £9,599/month for two days a week - a fraction of a full-time CTO's fully loaded cost.
Fractional CTO vs full-time CTO: which is cheaper?
A fractional CTO is far cheaper for most startups and scale-ups. A full-time CTO costs £150,000-£250,000+ in salary (typical UK market range) plus equity, employer NI, benefits and recruitment fees - roughly £15,000-£25,000+ per month fully loaded. 941 Consulting delivers senior CTO leadership from £699/month, with no equity, no recruitment fee and no long lock-in.

Talk to an Independent Fractional CTO

Book a free 30-minute call with Romain Eude. No sales pressure - just honest advice on whether a fractional CTO is right for your stage, and which plan fits.

What is a Fractional CTO?