Why Peil exists
Freelancers in the Netherlands earn well. At least it seems that way. But behind a gross rate of €80 or €100 lies a world of taxes, costs, non-billable hours and uncertainties no one prepares you for.
The tools that exist help you look back: what did you invoice, what did you spend, how's your VAT. Useful for the accountant, but not for the questions that count when you negotiate a rate or think about your financial position: what does this hour really leave me? Is my rate defensible?
Peil is built to answer those questions. Not as a little dashboard full of charts, but as an instrument — precise, honest, and as simple as possible.
Who it's for
Peil is made for Dutch freelancers who:
- Know what they invoice, but aren't sure what actually remains
- Struggle to compare their financial position with someone in employment
- Experience taxes as a black box
- Know they should build a reserve, but don't know how much
- Aren't sure whether their rate matches their financial goals
You don't need a financial background. Peil explains what it calculates and why.
What Peil does
Peil combines your time tracking, invoicing and financial settings into one clear overview. At its core is the net effective hourly rate: the amount that actually remains per billed hour after tax, costs and correction for non-billable hours.
On top of that, Peil calculates how much you need for pension, illness, holidays and buffer — and shows whether you're on course. It's not a bookkeeping program. You can't turn it into payroll or a bank link. That's deliberate.
What you can do:
- Track hours per client and project
- Create and send invoices
- Follow your NER over time
- Run scenarios: what if I raise my rate? What if I'm ill for three weeks?
- See how your financial position compares to a similar employee
The team
Peil is an independent product. There's no investor putting growth above all else, no team stacking features to fill a dashboard. Every choice — what goes in, and what doesn't — is meant to keep the instrument as usable as possible.
Jeroen Kortekaas — co-founder, product & engineering. Freelance designer and developer in Amsterdam. He builds Peil because, as a freelancer, he wanted to know exactly what his hours were really worth — and found that no existing tool told him honestly.
Ioanna Fourtouna — co-founder, growth. Specialized in community-led growth and user acquisition for freelancers and the self-employed. She makes sure Peil reaches the people who benefit most.
Peil grows deliberately. Every choice — what goes in and what doesn't — is meant to keep the instrument sharp. If you come across a calculation that's off, or a situation Peil doesn't yet handle well, let us know at hallo@peil.app.
Contact
For questions, feedback or collaboration: hallo@peil.app
For business questions and in-app support: use the chat in the application, or send an email with your account details.