The most common question I get from prospective clients is some version of “how much does it cost?” It’s a fair question, and most developers dance around it. I’ll give you real numbers and the framework to evaluate them.
The Short Answer
Custom software development in 2025 ranges from $10,000 for a simple internal tool to $200,000+ for a complex enterprise application. Most mid-market business applications fall between $30,000 and $100,000.
These are wide ranges because scope varies enormously. Let me break it down by category.
What Drives the Cost
Scope and Complexity
This is the biggest factor by a significant margin.
A simple internal tool — say, a form that collects data and emails it to a team — might be $3,000-$8,000.
A meaningful 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 app support, complex integrations, and high reliability requirements can reach $100,000-$200,000+.
Third-Party Integrations
Every external system you need to connect adds cost. ERP integrations (SAP, NetSuite, Oracle) are particularly expensive because these systems are complex, documentation is often poor, 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 per integration.
Authentication and Access Control
Complex user permission systems add cost. If you have 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 that covers 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 the scope we’ve agreed on.
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 the project 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 the 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 efficiently 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.