The most common question I get from prospective clients is some version of “how much does it cost?” Fair question. Most developers dance around it. I won’t.
The Short Answer
Custom software in 2025 runs $10,000 for a simple internal tool to $200,000+ for a complex enterprise application. Most mid-market business apps land between $30,000 and $100,000.
Wide ranges because scope varies enormously. Here’s the breakdown.
What Drives the Cost
Scope and Complexity
This is the biggest factor by a mile.
A simple internal tool — a form that collects data and emails it to your team — might be $3,000-$8,000.
A real business application with user authentication, complex data models, background processing, and third-party integrations typically runs $30,000-$70,000 for a solid MVP.
A comprehensive system with reporting, admin interfaces, mobile support, complex integrations, and high reliability requirements can hit $100,000-$200,000+.
Third-Party Integrations
Every external system you connect adds cost. ERP integrations (SAP, NetSuite, Oracle) are expensive because these systems are complex, documentation is often garbage, and edge cases are everywhere. Budget $5,000-$20,000 per major integration.
Simpler integrations (Stripe, standard shipping APIs, common CRMs) run $1,000-$5,000 each.
Authentication and Access Control
Complex user permission systems add cost. Multiple roles with different access levels, granular permission rules, or single sign-on requirements? Add $5,000-$15,000.
Reporting and Analytics
Basic data display is cheap. Flexible reporting — where users can define their own parameters — is expensive. Custom reporting systems commonly run $10,000-$30,000 depending on complexity.
Mobile
Adding a mobile app to a web application typically adds 40-70% to the project cost. Flutter development covering both iOS and Android is more efficient than two separate native apps.
My Rates
I don’t hide my pricing:
- Monthly retainer: from $500/month for a package of hours
- Dedicated weekly sprint: $3,500/week
- One-off consulting or development: $200/hour
For defined project scope, I’ll give you a project estimate based on what we’ve agreed to build.
What “Cheap” Software Actually Costs
I’ve worked with clients who came to me after a bad experience with cheaper development. Common patterns:
Offshore development gone wrong. Rates of $20-40/hour sound attractive. The actual cost — extended timelines, poor quality requiring extensive rework, security vulnerabilities, code that no one locally can maintain — routinely exceeds what a higher-quality domestic developer would have cost.
Junior developer on a senior-complexity project. A junior developer might charge $50-80/hour. On a project that requires senior judgment, you get code that works initially but creates expensive problems as it grows.
Fixed-bid projects that were underestimated. A proposal that comes in dramatically below others is either missing scope or will be renegotiated mid-project. Budget surprises are worse than accurate estimates.
How to Evaluate a Proposal
Get at least three proposals. Compare:
Does the scope match? Are they proposing to build the same thing? Proposals vary because developers scope differently.
What’s included in testing? “QA testing” means different things to different developers. Ask specifically.
Who does the work? Are you talking to the person who will write the code? Or will it be handed off?
What’s the payment structure? Fixed bid? Time and materials? Retainer? Each has different risk allocation.
What happens after delivery? Is there a warranty period? Who handles bugs discovered post-launch?
The ROI Question
The right question isn’t “how much does this cost?” It’s “what does this cost relative to what it delivers?”
A $50,000 custom system that saves your team 20 hours per week pays back in 6-12 months depending on fully-loaded labor costs. After that it’s net positive every month.
A $10,000 system that partially solves the problem and requires constant workarounds might never pay for itself.
I help clients think through this math early. If the ROI doesn’t work, I’ll say so. Building software that doesn’t solve a business problem isn’t a good outcome for either of us.
If you want to talk through the cost of a specific project, let’s have that conversation. I’ll give you a real estimate, not a placeholder.