_Fractional CTO
Your CTO. Without _the equity.
Senior technical leadership for founders and agencies who cannot justify (or do not want) a full-time hire. We audit dev quotes, vet developers, set architecture, and ship code. One relationship instead of three.
What is a Fractional _CTO?
A Fractional CTO is a senior technical leader you engage part-time, typically 5 to 20 hours per week, for strategic technical work without the cost or equity commitment of a full-time hire. The category exists because early-stage and SMB founders need real technical judgment but cannot justify the $300K plus salary, the recruiting cycle, or the equity grant that a full-time CTO requires.
What separates us from most Fractional CTO firms: we also build. Most fractional CTOs only advise. Most dev shops only build. We do both, so the architecture call you make on Monday is shipped on Friday by the same team.
What we do as your _Fractional CTO
Dev quote and proposal audits
Line by line teardown of any vendor proposal. Red flags, padded estimates, missing scope.
Tech stack and architecture
Stack selection, system design, build versus buy calls.
Developer and vendor vetting
Stop hiring on hope. We test for what actually matters.
Ongoing strategic backup
Your technical sounding board on speed dial. Calls only when they move the needle.
Hands-on implementation
We do not just advise. We build the system you decided on.
Due diligence support
For investors, acquirers, or your own board reviews.
_Pricing
Published. Month to month. You own all the code. No equity required.
_Start here
$49
One-time Quote Audit. 48-hour turnaround.
_Most clients
$2-3K/mo
Advisory. 2 calls + unlimited async.
_Full partnership
$5-8K/mo
Technical Partner. 80 hrs/mo hands-on.
Tell us what you're _stuck on
A dev quote, an architecture call, a hiring decision. We get back within 24 hours.
_Common questions
What is a Fractional CTO?
A Fractional CTO is a senior technical leader you engage part-time, typically 5 to 20 hours per week, for strategic technical work without the cost or equity commitment of a full-time hire. The role covers architecture decisions, vendor and developer vetting, dev quote audits, technical hiring, and ongoing strategic guidance.
How much does a Fractional CTO cost?
Market rates in 2026 range from $150 per hour for international and remote operators up to $350 per hour in Tier 1 US markets like SF and NYC. Monthly engagements typically run $8,000 to $25,000 in the US. zer0xception publishes pricing at $2-3K per month for Advisory and $5-8K per month for Technical Partner, making senior expertise accessible to SMBs and early-stage founders.
How is zer0xception different from other Fractional CTOs?
Most Fractional CTOs only advise. Most dev shops only build. zer0xception does both. The architecture decision made on Monday is shipped on Friday by the same team. We also publish pricing (rare in this category) and start at a $49 Quote Audit, so you can evaluate the work before committing to a retainer.
Do I keep the code?
Yes. Every line of code, every account, every piece of infrastructure transfers to you. Month-to-month engagement, no equity required, no lock-in contracts.
Who is this for?
Founders evaluating dev quotes they cannot judge, early-stage startups making architecture decisions they cannot afford to get wrong, vibe coders who built MVPs with Cursor or Bolt and need them production-ready, and agencies that need technical capability without a full engineering team.