How to hire a SaaS copywriter
Hire the person who asks the best questions about your buyer. Words are cheap now. Knowing which claim your buyer will believe is the hard part, and it is what you pay for.
By Blake Emal
Four ways to get copy
Each one works well for a certain kind of team. None is right for everyone.
Hire a freelancer
One independent writer you hire per project. You talk straight to the person doing the work. Skill and process range widely, so the hiring test matters most here.
Hire an agency
A team with strategists, writers and often designers. A strong pick when copy is one part of a bigger launch or rebrand. Expect a structured process with more reviews and more people involved.
Subscribe to unlimited copy
One flat monthly fee and a queue of requests, worked one or two at a time. Built for steady volume like blog posts, social posts and emails. Strategy usually starts from your brief.
Hire a senior specialist
An experienced conversion writer who sets scope up front, by the project or as a fixed number of projects a month. Research comes before the draft. Fewer pieces, more thinking per page.
Find your best fit
Your best fit
- Freelancer
- Agency
- Unlimited copy subscription
- Senior specialist on a project plan
The four options compared
| Option | Who writes | Strategy | Turnaround | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | The person you hire | Depends on the writer. Some lead it and some expect a full brief. | Days to weeks, set by their workload | The widest range. Ask for a fixed quote per project. | One defined project with a clear brief |
| Agency | A team, often with a strategist and an editor | Usually part of the package, often in a kickoff workshop | Often weeks per project, with review rounds | Often a retainer plus project fees, scoped after a kickoff. Ask what is included before you compare it with a monthly plan. | Launches and rebrands that need copy and design together |
| Unlimited copy subscription | One writer or a small team, depending on the plan | Usually starts from your brief. Some higher tiers add a monthly call. | One request at a time on most plans. Ask what the turnaround is before you buy. | One flat monthly fee. Ask how many requests can be active at once, whether revisions hold the slot, and what a request includes. | Steady volume when you know what to say |
| Senior specialist on a project plan | The specialist you hire, on every project | Research on your buyer and market before each draft | Set per project. Some deliver in days and some book months ahead. | Quoted per page or as a monthly plan. Compare who writes, how revisions work, and what one project includes. | Pages that carry revenue and a message that needs work |
What to compare before you buy
Public price lists go stale, and many quotes are not public. Use this checklist on the call. The only dollar figures on this page are Pagetear's, taken from the live homepage.
- Who writes the work, and do they stay on the account?
- What counts as one request or one project: a page, an email sequence, an ad set, or a round of edits?
- How many requests can be active at once, and do revisions hold that slot?
- Is strategy included, or do you arrive with the message already decided?
- What is included in the monthly fee, and what is quoted separately?
Freelance rates swing too widely to publish a fair range. Agencies tend to quote after a scoping call. Three things move a quote most: how much research comes before the writing, how senior the writer is, and how many pieces you need each month.
A page that needs three rounds of rewrites from your own team costs more than the invoice. Count your hours too.
Pagetear publishes its plan: $2,000 a month for 1 project a week, $3,000 for 2, $4,000 for 3 and $5,000 for 4. Read the SaaS copywriting subscription and the comparison with unlimited plans.
How to judge a copywriter
Before the samples, you can run a separate ten-minute check on whether the homepage explains the product: seven questions, no score.
Read samples for thinking
A clean sample shows the writer can write. It does not show they can think. Pick two samples and ask about each one.
- What was the brief, and where did you push back on it?
- Who was the buyer, and how did you learn what they cared about?
- Why this headline over the others you wrote?
- What would you change now?
Results are nice to hear but hard to check. The reasoning is what you can judge on a call.
Pay for a short test
Pick one small, real piece. A hero section or a single email works well. Pay the writer their normal rate and give every finalist the same brief.
Then judge three things. The questions they asked before writing. The reasoning they sent with the draft. How much you would change before it ships.
Some senior writers do not take tests. In that case, ask them to walk through your current page live, or to show a past brief and draft side by side.
Write a brief worth answering
A good writer will ask for most of this anyway. Have it ready and the first draft lands much closer.
Your brief is ready to send.
Red flags to watch
These apply to every option on this page.
- They quote a price before asking about your buyer.
- They promise a lift in conversions before seeing your data.
- Samples come with no brief, no context and no reasoning.
- You cannot find out who will write your copy.
- Scope is vague, so you cannot tell what one project includes.
- They start writing before reading your sales notes, reviews or current page.
- They cannot explain a headline choice in plain words.
- Every sample sounds the same, whatever the product.
Questions for the first call
Who will write my copy, and is it the same person each time?
A name, not a role. If it is a team, ask who edits and who signs off.
What do you need from us before you start?
Listen for buyer calls, sales notes and your current numbers. A writer who needs nothing is guessing.
How do you research a new SaaS product?
A clear order of steps. Customer calls, reviews, competitor pages and your own data.
Can you walk me through one sample from brief to launch?
Specific choices and trade-offs, told in plain words.
What counts as one project, and how do revisions work?
A clear unit of work and a revision process you could repeat back to your team.
How long does a first draft take, and what slows it down?
A number of days, plus an honest answer about delays. Slow feedback is the usual one.
When would you tell me you are not the right fit?
A real answer. Good writers know what they do not do well.
Where Pagetear fits
Pagetear is the fourth option, a senior specialist on a monthly project plan. Blake Emal writes every project himself and has written conversion copy for more than 10 years.
One project is one page, one email sequence or one ad set, delivered in 48 hours. Plans run $2,000 to $5,000 a month for one to four projects a week, billed month to month.
Where it fits well
- Your homepage, pricing or landing pages carry real revenue.
- Your message needs sharpening, not just new words.
- You ship new pages, emails or ads most weeks.
- You want one senior writer you can reach directly.
Where another option fits better
- You need many blog posts a month. An unlimited plan suits that volume.
- You need one page and nothing after. A specialist who quotes per project suits that.
- You want copy, brand and design under one roof. An agency suits that.
- Your budget is under $2,000 a month. A freelancer or an unlimited plan suits that.
Hiring questions answered
How much does a SaaS copywriter cost?
Ask who writes, what one project includes, how many requests can be active, and whether revisions hold the slot. Pagetear's own plan, from the live homepage, is $2,000 a month for 1 project a week, $3,000 for 2, $4,000 for 3 and $5,000 for 4.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
Hire a freelancer for a defined project you can brief well. Hire an agency when copy is part of a bigger launch with design and brand. If the message itself needs work, look at a senior specialist.
Is an unlimited copywriting subscription worth it?
Yes, if you need steady volume and already know what to say. Unlimited describes the queue. Most plans work one or two requests at a time, so output depends on how fast you give feedback.
Can AI write my SaaS copy?
AI writes a fast first draft. It does not know which claim your buyers believe or what your sales team hears every week. Use it for drafts and research, and hire a person for the judgment.
What should a copywriting brief include?
Who the buyer is, what they use today, the one action you want, your proof, common objections, customer words, pages you admire and your deadline.
How long does SaaS copy take?
It ranges from about two business days per request on a subscription to weeks per project at an agency. Research is the part not to rush.
Should I pay for a test project?
Yes. Pay the normal rate for a small, real piece. A paid test gets the same research and care as real work, so it tells you more.
What does Pagetear cost?
$2,000 a month for one project a week, up to $5,000 a month for four. Billing is month to month and you can cancel any month.
Get a second opinion
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