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Best fractional CMO firms for B2B startups (2026): firms, networks and marketplaces

A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who works for your company part time, usually 5 to 25 hours a week on a monthly retainer. For a B2B startup that means someone who sets positioning, picks the channels, hires or manages the team, and reports marketing in pipeline, without a full-time executive salary.

OneGTM is not a fractional CMO firm. We are a GTM engineering firm, and we often work next to fractional CMOs: they set the strategy, we build the outbound and data systems it needs. Below are the firms, networks and marketplaces worth a call, with fees quoted from their own sites where they publish them. Most do not, and we say so.

By Garrett Wolfe, founder of OneGTM (Clay Artisan Solutions Partner) and former GTM engineer at Unify. Updated .

Key takeaways

  • Published fractional CMO fees run from $2,000 a month at FractionalCMO.com to $7,500 a month and up at Marketri, where most clients pay $10,000 to $20,000.
  • CMOx lists $3,000 to $15,000 a month for 5 to 25 hours a week.
  • Chief Outsiders and yorCMO are the large CMO networks; both price on a call.
  • Marketplaces such as Go Fractional and MarketerHire start around $5,000 a month and run month to month.
  • Kalungi pairs a SaaS CMO with an execution team, which matters if you have nobody to do the work.

Fractional CMO firms

These firms employ or contract a bench of former CMOs and place one with you. The firm handles matching and quality, and you can usually swap the person if the fit is wrong.

Chief Outsiders

Large network of fractional and interim CMOs and CSOs, more than 100 by its count, with on-demand execution teams and its GrowthGears planning platform. Serves small and mid-sized businesses and private equity portfolio companies.

Best for: Mid-sized companies and PE-backed firms that want a vetted CMO

Pricing: Custom retainers; engagements scale up or down with 30 days' notice.

yorCMO

Fractional CMO firm whose embedded CMOs own the marketing function, lead the team and run execution on its Six Fundamentals system. Aimed at CEOs of companies with roughly $5M to $50M in revenue.

Best for: Founder-led companies that want one person to own marketing

Pricing: Custom retainers; free 60-minute call with a CMO.

CMOx

Fractional CMO firm working from its Functional Marketing framework for startups, SaaS, PE portfolio companies and franchises. Also trains marketers to run their own fractional CMO practices.

Best for: Companies with a marketing team that needs a part-time leader

Pricing: $3,000 to $15,000 per month depending on hours, industry and scope; 5 to 25 hours a week.

Marketri

Fractional CMO plus an integrated team of specialists who run the plan, for mid-market B2B companies that have outgrown one marketing hire. Reports marketing in pipeline and revenue.

Best for: Lower mid-market B2B companies that need strategy and execution

Pricing: From $7,500 per month; most clients pay $10,000 to $20,000 per month, the largest about $50,000. 6-month minimum.

FractionalCMO.com

Fractional CMO agency led by Draye Redfern using its ANCHOR Method: a dedicated CMO, twice-monthly group strategy calls, a diagnostic with a 90-day roadmap, and an analytics dashboard. Targets businesses with $500K to $20M in revenue.

Best for: Small companies that want structured CMO help on a tight budget

Pricing: $2,000 per month on a 12-month commitment, or $20,000 paid upfront. Marketing diagnostic $97.

A CMO plus an execution team

Many startups hire a fractional CMO and then find nobody is there to do the work. These firms put a marketing leader on top of a team that runs campaigns, content and ads.

Kalungi

B2B SaaS marketing agency selling CMO-as-a-service, CMO coaching for pre-seed and seed companies under $1M ARR, and full-service teams for $1M to $10M ARR, covering paid, ABM, HubSpot, content and web.

Best for: B2B SaaS companies without a marketing leader or team

Pricing: Custom retainers; contact sales.

Right Side Up

Growth marketing firm that supplies fractional marketers, flexible agency teams, full-time hires and executive strategy advisors to startups and high-growth companies. No long-term contracts.

Best for: Venture-backed startups that need growth channel experts under a strategy lead

Pricing: Custom pricing; hours scale up or down.

Marketplaces and networks

Marketplaces match you with an individual fractional CMO, often within days. They cost less than a firm, and you manage the person directly.

Go Fractional

Marketplace for fractional executives, including CMOs with SaaS, fintech and other industry backgrounds. Monthly retainers with 30-day notice both ways, and the platform fee is built into the price.

Best for: Hiring one part-time CMO on a month-to-month retainer

Pricing: Fractional CMO engagements from $5,000 per month for about 5 to 10 hours a week; interim (full-time) CMO from $20,000 per month.

MarketerHire

Marketplace of vetted freelance marketers that includes CMO-level leaders alongside channel specialists. Month-to-month terms with no recruiting or termination fees, and a two-week trial.

Best for: Startups that want a CMO and channel freelancers from one place

Pricing: Typically $5,000 to $20,000+ per month depending on role and scope; quote after a free consultation.

GTM 80/20

Network of senior go-to-market operators, including fractional marketing leaders, growth, product marketing and RevOps specialists. Says it matches a vetted operator within about 48 hours.

Best for: B2B startups that want a former in-house tech marketer

Pricing: Custom pricing; set per operator.

Toptal

Talent network with marketing experts available hourly, part time or full time, several of whom list fractional CMO roles for B2B SaaS companies on their profiles.

Best for: Companies that want to interview several CMO candidates quickly

Pricing: Custom pricing; rates vary by expert.

Prices are from each vendor's site as of October 2026 and change often, so check before you buy. This is an opinionated list, not a paid ranking. Some links are referral links that may earn us a credit; that never changes what you pay or who makes the list.

Fractional CMO firms compared

ToolBest forStarting price
Chief OutsidersMid-sized companies and PE-backed firms that want a vetted CMOCustom retainers
yorCMOFounder-led companies that want one person to own marketingCustom retainers
CMOxCompanies with a marketing team that needs a part-time leader$3,000 to $15,000/month
MarketriLower mid-market B2B companies that need strategy and executionFrom $7,500/month
FractionalCMO.comSmall companies that want structured CMO help on a tight budget$2,000/month
KalungiB2B SaaS companies without a marketing leader or teamCustom retainers
Right Side UpVenture-backed startups that need growth channel experts under a strategy leadCustom pricing
Go FractionalHiring one part-time CMO on a month-to-month retainerFrom $5,000/month
MarketerHireStartups that want a CMO and channel freelancers from one place$5,000 to $20,000+/month
GTM 80/20B2B startups that want a former in-house tech marketerCustom pricing
ToptalCompanies that want to interview several CMO candidates quicklyCustom pricing

Starting prices as published by each vendor in October 2026.

When a B2B startup should hire a fractional CMO

Hire one when the founder can no longer own marketing and the company is not ready to pay a full-time VP or CMO. That usually lands after early customers come from the founder's network and before marketing has a team of its own.

Do not hire one to fix a pipeline problem that is really a list or outbound problem. A CMO sets strategy and manages people. If nobody is there to run the campaigns, you are paying a senior rate for a plan that sits in a doc.

  • Positioning and messaging are unclear, and sales is improvising.
  • You have one or two marketers who need direction and a plan.
  • The board is asking for a marketing number and nobody owns it.
  • You need help hiring your first full-time marketing leader.

How to choose a fractional CMO

Match the person to your motion. A CMO who scaled a product-led tool will plan differently from one who sold to enterprise buyers. Ask for companies at your stage and price point they have worked with, and talk to one.

Then ask how they will measure marketing. You want pipeline and revenue from the CRM, by channel. A plan built on traffic and MQLs alone is a warning sign.

  • Have they run marketing for a B2B company at your stage and deal size?
  • How many hours a week, and how many other clients do they carry?
  • Do they execute, or only set strategy and manage?
  • What is the minimum term and the notice period?
  • How will they report results from your CRM?

What a fractional CMO costs

Published fees span a wide range. FractionalCMO.com charges $2,000 a month on a 12-month commitment. CMOx lists $3,000 to $15,000 a month. Go Fractional's CMO engagements start at $5,000 a month for 5 to 10 hours a week, and MarketerHire quotes $5,000 to $20,000 and up. Marketri starts at $7,500, with most clients between $10,000 and $20,000 a month on a 6-month minimum.

The fee covers leadership. Ad spend, tools and the people who run campaigns are extra unless the firm bundles a team, as Marketri and Kalungi do.

Where OneGTM fits next to a fractional CMO

A fractional CMO decides who to sell to and what to say. Somebody then has to build the account list, enrich it, find buying signals and run the outbound sequences. That is GTM engineering, and it is the part most fractional CMOs hand off.

OneGTM is the partner a fractional CMO hands the outbound build to. We build the lists, signals, CRM plumbing and email and LinkedIn sequences that turn the plan into meetings. See our outbound agency and RevOps agency pages.

  • Your fractional CMO has an ICP and messaging but no one to build outbound.
  • Marketing and sales target different account lists.
  • The CRM cannot report pipeline by channel, so nobody can judge the CMO's plan.
  • You want buying signals and website visitors followed up by email and LinkedIn.

Book a call

Fractional CMO FAQ

What is a fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing executive who works for your company part time, usually 5 to 25 hours a week on a monthly retainer. Firms such as Chief Outsiders, yorCMO and CMOx place them, and marketplaces such as Go Fractional and MarketerHire match you with one directly.
How much does a fractional CMO cost?
Published fees run from $2,000 a month at FractionalCMO.com to $3,000 to $15,000 a month at CMOx. Go Fractional starts at $5,000 a month for 5 to 10 hours a week. Marketri starts at $7,500 a month, and most of its clients pay $10,000 to $20,000.
What are the best fractional CMO firms for B2B startups?
Chief Outsiders and yorCMO are the large CMO networks, CMOx and Marketri publish their fees, and Kalungi pairs a SaaS CMO with an execution team. For a single person on a monthly retainer, Go Fractional, MarketerHire, GTM 80/20 and Toptal are the main marketplaces.
Fractional CMO or full-time CMO: which should a startup hire?
Hire a fractional CMO until marketing needs a leader every day of the week and you can pay a full executive salary. Before that point a fractional CMO gives you senior strategy for a fraction of the cost and can help you hire the full-time leader later.
What does a fractional CMO do in the first 90 days?
Most fractional CMOs start with an audit of positioning, channels, team and data, then write a plan with targets, then start running it with your team. Firms like FractionalCMO.com package this as a diagnostic and a 90-day roadmap.
Does a fractional CMO run outbound?
Usually not. A fractional CMO sets the target accounts and messaging, and someone else builds the lists, enrichment and sequences. Teams often pair a fractional CMO with an outbound or GTM engineering partner such as OneGTM for that build.
Is OneGTM a fractional CMO firm?
No. OneGTM is a GTM engineering firm. We work alongside fractional CMOs by building the outbound, signal and CRM systems their plan depends on.

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