How Fractionus works, from its own pages
Fractionus covers a wide spread of C-suite seats: CFO, COO, CMO, CTO, CPO, CRO, CHRO, CDO, CIO, general counsel, CAIO and CGO. Companies pay Fractionus directly and it runs the contracts and billing. Its site says "Zero Fees to Hire" and "no placement fee", and its FAQ says it takes a share of engagement revenue, without stating the amount.
It promises "See your matches in 48 hours" and offers a "First 30" trial with no commitment. It shows named featured executives with bios on its site, but as of November 2026 those profiles do not carry rates or availability.
Fractionus and getoperators side by side
| Fractionus | getoperators | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Curated matching service | Browsable bench plus retained search |
| Named executives on the site | Featured executives with bios | Profiles open without an account |
| Rates on profiles | Not shown | Most profiles show the executive's own day rate |
| Availability on profiles | Not shown | Shown, executives mark themselves available |
| Who holds the contract | Fractionus runs contracts and billing | Company engages the executive directly |
| How it is paid | Share of engagement revenue, amount not disclosed | Company pays a fee set out in the Terms of Business |
| Speed it states | Matches in 48 hours | Meet within days, in the seat in one to three weeks |
Who Fractionus suits better
Fractionus suits a company that wants one supplier on the invoice. If your finance team would rather pay a single provider than contract an individual, and you like the idea of a no-commitment first month, its model is designed around that.
It also covers seats getoperators does not, such as a chief AI officer, a CIO or a chief growth officer as a C-suite title, and it works in Australia and across the EU. If your search sits in one of those, start there.
Where getoperators is different
As of November 2026, none of the competitors researched shows named executives together with their rates and availability before you talk to them. Fractionus shows names and bios, which is more than many, but the rate and whether the person is free come later. On getoperators that information is on the profile from the first visit.
Each executive is verified by hand against LinkedIn and CV before going live, and has held the seat. You contact them and engage them directly, so the working relationship is yours from day one. The rate they publish is the rate they receive, and the company pays getoperators a separate fee, set out in the Terms of Business. If what you need is a permanent product or operations leader, Operator Search runs a retained search with a researched shortlist in five business days.
What a fractional COO or product lead costs in the UK
A fractional COO in the UK is published at £700 to £1,300 a day, or £5,367 to £9,967 a month at two days a week. A fractional product lead sits at £700 to £1,200 a day, which is £5,367 to £9,200 a month at two days a week. Monthly figures use 46 billable weeks a year.
Those bands are the ranges executives on the bench actually set for themselves, published openly so a buyer can test any proposal, including one that arrives as a single monthly fee from a matching service.
Common questions
How does Fractionus make money if it says there are no fees to hire?
Its FAQ says Fractionus takes a share of engagement revenue. The size of that share is not disclosed on its site as of November 2026. Companies pay Fractionus directly and it runs the contract and billing.
Does Fractionus show executive rates on its site?
Fractionus shows named featured executives with bios, but not their rates or availability, as of November 2026. Most getoperators profiles show the executive's own day rate and whether they are available.
Is there a Fractionus alternative where I contract the executive directly?
Yes. On getoperators the company contacts and engages the executive directly at the rate on their profile, and pays getoperators a fee of its own, set out in the Terms of Business.
More of them, on hiring, contracts and what a fractional engagement costs, on the fractional executive FAQ.