Virtual CTO vs CTO-as-a-Service in 2026: Costs, Differences, and How to Choose

Fractional CTO time runs $170 to $250 an hour for the middle half of the market, about $10,200 to $15,000 a month at 15 hours a week (Go Fractional, 2026). What a virtual CTO and CTO-as-a-service each include, when to pick which, and the questions that expose fake fractional CTOs.