What freelance rate truly matches your salary?

Crossover usually happens 6–12 months into freelancing if you have an established network. Before that, ramping clients + 44ADA tax savings + no PF deduction makes the numbers tight but feasible. Our tool models this with a configurable capacity-ramp slider.

Often yes. Under 44ADA + new regime, an ₹18L freelance gross becomes ~₹9L taxable, ~₹35k tax. A ₹18L CTC salary becomes ~₹15.5L taxable (after standard deduction + employer NPS), ~₹1.3L tax. The gap on tax alone is ~₹95k/year — but you lose PF, ESI, gratuity, and paid leave.

You lose them. ~12% of basic salary is the lost PF contribution. Add VPF and gratuity (~5% of basic per year of service) and the "missing benefits" gap is roughly 15–20% of your CTC. Our calculator subtracts this from the freelance side for a fair comparison.

Build 3–6 months of runway first, validate 1–2 paying clients while still employed, and only then transition. The tool's verdict shows whether your projected freelance income covers your monthly burn + savings goal — but the decision is also about freedom, risk tolerance, and career stage, not just rupees.