Hire a developer hourly when the scope is not closed.
Hourly is the right model for a bug you have not reproduced, a backlog, or the month after a launch. It is the wrong model for a small job you can already describe. That one should be a fixed price.
What you get
- A rate agreed before the first hour is billed.
- Time logged against the task, with a short note of what changed.
- A ceiling you can set. Work pauses when you say so.
- The repository in your account. Stopping does not lock the code.
What you should not use it for
A defined feature with a known end. Put that on a fixed price or on milestones so neither side is guessing. The comparison is inhourly, fixed, and milestone billing. The commercial options are on pricing. The rate itself is quoted, not printed here, until you confirm a public starting figure.
Ongoing, not endless
If you want a reserved block each month, that is a retainer undermaintenance, not an open hourly tab. Say which one you want on the form.
Ask for an hourly quote
Send what you want built. You get a written price or the questions that block one.
Free developer toolsif you want a formatter, counter, or generator without starting a project.