What does custom software cost?

The most common first question is: what does it cost? The honest answer: it depends. That sounds like a dodge, but it is the heart of the matter. Custom software is not a product off the shelf, it is work tailored to your problem. Still, you can get a ballpark without anyone guessing blindly.

Why there is no fixed price

A fixed list price would mean every project is the same. It is not. A small integration between two systems is something entirely different from a full application with users, permissions and ongoing operation. Anyone who quotes a flat price up front, without knowing your project, is selling you either too much or too little.

What actually drives the cost

• Scope: how much does the software need to do? Every extra feature is time.
• Complexity: a simple form is quick to build. Logic with many special cases is not.
• Integrations: does it hang off other systems, an integration or a marketplace? That is extra effort.
• Operation: should I host, monitor and maintain it too, or hand it over completely?

Rough ballpark figures

Without knowing your project, just as a reference point: small integrations and extensions often sit in the low four figures. Custom applications sit well above that, spread across several stages depending on scope. The cost does not land all at once, it is spread across the development.

How I set the price

After a short conversation you get an effort range, an honest span. Once the concept is set, a binding quote follows with scope, milestones and price, before the first line of code exists. You know beforehand what you are getting, and the code is yours in the end, completely.

What lowers the price

• Clear scope: the more precisely the need is defined, the fewer expensive detours.
• Stages instead of everything at once: you see results early and can steer while it is still cheap.
• Standard where standard is enough: not everything has to be custom. When that pays off is covered in Custom software or off the shelf?

In short

No fixed price, but no blind flight either. After a conversation you have a range, after the concept a firm quote. And if your budget does not match the wish, I say so early rather than letting it get expensive.

Describe your project in a few sentences and you get an honest assessment. Quickest via the contact page.