Pipeline planWhat B2B marketing agencies publish on pricing: a snapshot of seven price lists for 2027 planning
Few B2B agencies publish prices, and those that do use three different fee bases: a flat monthly retainer, a percentage of ad spend, or a fee partly tied to results. From their own websites in October 2026: Refine Labs starts at $14,000 a month for paid media management with a six-month minimum, Gripped at £3,500 a month, Sagefrog at $4,950 a month, Powered by Search at $6,000 a month, and HawkSEM states 10% to 30% of ad spend. PlanConversion publishes 15% of ad spend, down to 10% at higher spend, with a monthly minimum. The numbers are not directly comparable because scope, team and what sits inside the fee differ, so compare on cost per qualified opportunity, not on the headline price.
Key takeaways
- Three fee bases appear: flat monthly retainers (Refine Labs, Gripped, Powered by Search, Sagefrog), a percentage of ad spend (HawkSEM, PlanConversion) and partly performance-based fees (Kalungi).
- Published entry prices range from $4,950 to $14,000 a month for retainers, before ad spend, and minimum terms run from none stated to six months.
- A percentage fee moves with spend: at $50,000 of monthly ad spend, 10% is $5,000, 15% is $7,500 and 30% is $15,000.
- Always ask what sits inside the fee: ad spend, creative, web work, onboarding, tools and who runs the account.
- Compare agencies on cost per qualified opportunity and pipeline from your CRM, not on the retainer alone.
What agencies publish, side by side
| Agency | Published pricing (as stated on its site) | Minimum term | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refine Labs | Paid Media Management from $14,000/month; Full Demand & Media Service from $26,000/month; Creative Only from $5,000/month; six-week assessment from $35,000 | Six months (three for creative only); none required for the assessment | Flat monthly, scoped to budget size |
| Gripped | Advisory from £3,500/month; Performance from £7,500/month; Scale from £15,000/month; one-time onboarding fee; ad spend not included | Not stated on the pricing page; its profile page describes rolling contracts with three months' notice | Flat monthly retainers |
| Sagefrog | Retainers from $4,950/month; branding from $10,000; websites from $15,000; HubSpot services on request | None stated; describes flexible contracts | Retainer and project |
| Powered by Search | Paid media management from $6,000/month; SEO and AI search from $9,000/month | Not stated on the page checked | Flat monthly |
| HawkSEM | No amounts; states 10% to 30% of ad spend, a flat monthly fee (often with onboarding), or performance-based fees | Not stated | Percentage, flat or performance |
| Kalungi | No amounts; a growing share of fees depends on KPIs agreed with the client | Not stated | Partly performance-based |
| PlanConversion | Paid media at 15% of ad spend, down to 10% at higher spend, with a monthly minimum; other programs scoped around your budget | Month to month, except the Demandbase pilot (three-month minimum) | Percentage of ad spend, plus scoped programs |
Prices are quoted in the currency each agency publishes. They change, and the figures here are what its own site said on October 30, 2026. Confirm with each agency before you budget.
Why the headline numbers are not comparable
Refine Labs scopes its monthly price to budget size and includes a dedicated demand generation manager, or a director and a performance marketing manager on the full service. Our comparison with Refine Labs sets out the team models. Its pricing page marks the monthly prices with an asterisk it does not explain, so confirm what that covers and whether ad spend sits on top.
Gripped's tiers are explicit about scope: advisory, deep work in one or two channels, or full demand generation. Paid media budgets are excluded, and a one-time onboarding fee is typical. See our Gripped comparison for the sterling pricing and the notice terms. Sagefrog's retainers start lower and sit alongside separate branding and website prices; our Sagefrog comparison covers the HubSpot services it prices on request.
The fee basis matters as much as the amount. A percentage of ad spend, as with HawkSEM and PlanConversion, rises and falls with your budget. A flat retainer stays level when spend grows, which can be cheaper at high spend and expensive at low spend. Kalungi's model ties a growing share of fees to agreed KPIs, which shifts risk but needs clear definitions of what counts.
A worked example: percentage fees at $50,000 a month of ad spend
| Fee | Monthly fee on $50,000 of ad spend |
|---|---|
| 10% of ad spend | $5,000 |
| 15% of ad spend | $7,500 |
| 30% of ad spend | $15,000 |
The arithmetic is simple, but the scope is what decides value. A 30% fee that includes creative, landing pages and reporting can cost less than a 10% fee plus separate charges for each. Ask for the full list of what is inside the fee and what is billed on top.
For reference, HawkSEM states a range of 10% to 30% of ad spend, and PlanConversion publishes 15% down to 10% at higher spend, with a monthly minimum that applies when the percentage comes to less.
Six questions to ask about any agency price
- Is ad spend inside the fee or on top of it, and who owns the ad accounts and the data?
- What is the minimum term, and what notice stops the contract? Published terms in this snapshot run from none stated to six months.
- Who does the work: a named senior team, or an account manager coordinating specialists?
- What is billed separately: creative, landing pages, web development, onboarding, tools and integrations?
- What reporting do I receive weekly and monthly, and is it tied to pipeline and revenue in my CRM?
- What happens to the fee if spend doubles or halves?
Compare on outcomes, not on the retainer
The price that matters is cost per qualified opportunity and pipeline from your CRM. A lower retainer that produces few meetings costs more per opportunity than a higher one that produces many, and the reverse is equally true. Ask each agency to show how it reports pipeline, and run any shortlist through the same brief and the same data access.
Where agencies publish self-reported results, treat them as their own figures, and ask for the method. Our guide to choosing a B2B demand generation agency has a scorecard for this, and our pricing page lists what PlanConversion charges. Related comparisons on this site follow the same rule: only what an agency publishes on its own website, attributed and dated.
Frequently asked questions
How much do B2B marketing agencies charge per month?
Among agencies that publish prices, entry retainers range from $4,950 (Sagefrog) and $6,000 (Powered by Search) to $14,000 (Refine Labs) for paid media management, plus £3,500 for Gripped's advisory tier. Several publish no amounts. Prices were checked on October 30, 2026 and change.
Is a percentage of ad spend or a flat retainer better?
Neither is better in general. A percentage rises and falls with spend and aligns the fee with budget. A flat retainer is predictable and can cost less at high spend. Compare what sits inside each fee and use cost per qualified opportunity as the test.
What does PlanConversion charge?
Paid media is priced at 15% of ad spend, down to 10% at higher spend, with a monthly minimum. Other programs are scoped around your budget. Terms are month to month, except the Demandbase pilot, which has a three-month minimum. Full details are on our pricing page.
Should ad spend be inside the agency fee?
Ad spend should be visible and billed to you directly, so you own the accounts and the data. Ask every agency whether spend is inside the fee, on top of it or paid by you to the platform.
Are the results agencies publish reliable?
They are the agency's own figures. Treat them as claims to verify, ask for the method and the client context, and judge on your own CRM data during any trial.
Sources
Related service: Paid media. See also pricing and client results.
